Results 761-780 of 9,174 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Construction Industry (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive sets ambitious goals for energy efficiency and renewables in buildings by requiring Nearly Zero Energy Building or “NZEB” performance for new buildings from 31 December 2020. All new dwellings are now A2 rated and electrical heating systems, which are mainly renewable heat pump, are installed in nearly all new dwellings. The CSO...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1598 and 1599 together. Group Water Schemes (GWS) are community-owned and community-run organisations supplying drinking water to their members. My Department's Rural Water Programme provides funding to the Rural Water Sector. An annual subsidy is available under the Programme to support the operational and management costs of group water schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Group water schemes are community-owned and community-run organisations supplying drinking water to their members. My Department does not compile the information sought on these schemes. My Department's Rural Water Programme provides funding to the Rural Water Sector including to group water schemes. The administration of the Programme is devolved to local authorities. Each local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Weather Events (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Storm Éowyn was named by the UK Met Office on Tuesday 21 January 2025, the fifth named storm of the 2024-25 windstorm season. Widespread red and orange weather warnings were issued across Ireland and the United Kingdom ahead of the rapidly strengthening storm. Ireland experienced one of its most damaging, dangerous and destructive weather events with gale force/storm force winds,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Architectural Heritage (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Part 10 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 provides for protection of both individual structures and areas of special architectural heritage interest. The provisions largely restate those in Part 4 of the Planning and Development Act 2020, with some amendments to content and planning authority procedures. It remains the case that structures and parts of structures are protected by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Architectural Heritage (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: As set out in Part IV of the Planning and Development Act (2000), the planning authority - in this case Dublin City Council - has primary responsibility for the protection of architectural heritage within its functional area. The mechanisms through which it can exercise this function include designating architectural conservation areas and protected structures, adding relevant objectives to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Architectural Heritage (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) within my Department provides financial support for the protection of eligible heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes which are administered in the main by the local authorities. These are the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF). The BHIS provides grants of between...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Architectural Heritage (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Our built heritage is an important public good, enhancing the character and amenity of our cities, towns, villages, and countryside, providing employment for skilled building professionals, and helping to abate our carbon emissions by reducing the need for new construction. In my view it is a matter of significant public interest that the provisions of the Planning and Development Act (2000)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: My Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme for the period 2024-2026 was launched in 2024. In November 2024, funding of over €3 million was provided for the Kilteel Group Water Scheme under the Programme. My Department wrote to Kildare County Council at the time advising it of the funding details. The administration and implementation of the Programme is devolved to local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Charges (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I am aware that non-domestic customers have experienced significant tariff increases in recent years, in some cases due to the transition from varied local authority tariff systems to the Uisce Éireann unified national tariffs system and, more generally, increases reflecting CRU’s regulatory determinations to move towards fully cost-reflective tariffs. The Water Framework...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of my Department. Tailte Éireann provide a property registration system, property valuation service, and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. Under Section 8(6) of the Tailte Éireann Act 2022, Tailte Éireann is independent in the performance of its functions. It is understood from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Government is acutely aware of the housing challenges faced by many sectors of society. Housing for All, Ireland's housing plan to 2030, is the most ambitious and comprehensive housing plan in the history of the State. The Plan contains a suite of actions that have and continue to increase the provision of housing through accelerating supply and increasing the affordability of homes for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1614 and 1664 together. Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The SSHA for all counties for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively, can be accessed on my Department’s website...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: In 2019 Ireland's coverage of the maritime area by protected sites stood at a little over 2%. Recent designations and proposals under the Birds and Habitats Directives have increased the coverage to approximately 10%. As part of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) process initiated in October of that year, a great deal of work has been undertaken to advance comprehensive marine protected...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The detailed administration of social housing acquisitions including those for tenants in situ, is delegated to the local authorities. Tenant in situ acquisitions are a policy response which continues to be available to local authorities as a last resort to prevent households in HAP/RAS who have been served with a no fault notice to quit in order to prevent such households falling into...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1617 to 1619, inclusive, together. Local Authorities (LA's) and Approved Housing Bodies (AHB's) are supported by my Department to purchase and renovate vacant/derelict properties (including former commercial units) to be upgraded as new, value-for-money social homes. The Buy & Renew Scheme allows LA's and AHB's to acquire and refurbish such...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (29 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2018, S.I. No. 30/2018, currently provide for an exemption from the need to obtain planning permission for the change of use of certain vacant commercial buildings, including vacant above ground floor premises, to residential use such as ‘above shop’ living. These Exempted Development Regulations were extended in 2022, to also...