Results 941-960 of 7,142 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Invasive Species Policy (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is responsible for the management of Ireland's network of National Parks. It continues to invest heavily in, and is committed to, tackling the spread of invasive species. In particular, the control of Rhododendron ponticum is a priority in Killarney National Park (KNP). This is a challenging, costly, and labour intensive...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Invasive Species Policy (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 566 and 567 together. Managing invasive species within the boundaries of Ireland’s National Parks system is one of the important areas of work undertaken by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department, with a significant amount of resources devoted to this task every year. Invasive species cause grave damage to ecosystems and to...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Policy (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Cost Rental housing represents a key element of affordable housing delivery under the Government's Housing For All strategy, which is being achieved through collaboration with a range of delivery partners including Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, and the Land Development Agency. At present, there is no transfer system in place for existing cost rental tenants and if they wish...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Schemes (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 569 and 581 together. My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People scheme, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility Aids Grant and...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Local Authorities (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The funding system for local authorities is a complex one, as authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services, Local Property Tax, as well as funding from Government Departments and other bodies. My Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, covering a broad range of functions including local authority housing,...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Weather Events (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities are designated as the lead agencies for coordinating a response to flooding and severe weather emergencies. All local authorities have an established Severe Weather Assessment Team in place, monitoring Met Éireann weather warnings, High Tide Advisories and European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) advisory warnings. Local authorities also have Severe Weather/ Flood...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Architectural Heritage (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: My Department oversees a number of schemes which assist owners of thatched buildings. A dedicated Thatching Grant is available for thatched buildings in use as homes. Applicants can avail of up to €3,810 or two thirds of the approved cost (whichever is less) towards necessary roof repair or renewal. A higher grant (up to €5,714) may be payable for houses on specified...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Planning Issues (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: On 15 October 2024, my Department published a Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources to respond to capacity challenges in the planning sector. This Action Plan provides a detailed roadmap to increase the pool of planning and related expertise needed to ensure a planning system fit for future needs. It sets out 14 high-level actions that provide a coordinated pathway to ensure a...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Provision (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Choice-Based Letting (CBL) is a method that can be used by local authorities to allocate social housing, whereby available social housing stock is let by being openly advertised, allowing qualified applicants to ‘bid’ for or ‘register an interest’ in available homes. Applicants respond to available properties advertised by local authorities, rather than waiting for...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Provision (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Housing Agency Acquisitions Fund (HAAF) was established in the year 2017 as a revolving €70 million fund with the objective of acquiring vacant property portfolios from banks and financial institutions that could then be used for social housing. Information on the number of properties purchased from banks and financial institutions and sold to Approved Housing Bodies and local...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Schemes (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Disabled people can access social housing support through all of the available routes, namely, standard local authority housing, Rental Assistance Scheme, Approved Housing Bodies and the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme. Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Register of Electors (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Electoral Reform Act 2022 underpinned a series of modernisations and enhancements to electoral registration including the introduction of rolling registration and the use of PPSNs in the process. This allows people to apply for inclusion in the register or update their details at any time up to 15 days before polling day via a simple online process through either checktheregister.ie or...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rental Sector (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities set and collect rents on their dwellings in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such rent schemes is generally a matter for local authorities within broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay. Local discretion and flexibility are...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Local Authorities (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. My Department does not have a role in relation to the arrangements for the delivery of services at local level. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Wastewater Treatment (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own internal governance structures. Neither I, as Minister, nor my Department, have operational function in...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Defective Building Materials (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) was commenced on 22 June 2023. The Act provides for the current grant scheme, and related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The scheme facilitates the remediation of existing houses that have been damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks. The construction of new separate...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Defective Building Materials (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) was commenced on 22 June 2023 The Act contains the enhanced grant scheme and related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The grant scheme applies to the owners of dwellings located in counties Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo, which dwellings are damaged due to the use of...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Provision (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: A proposal for a Capital Assistance Scheme Turnkey Acquisition at the above named location was received by my Department from Cork County Council. The proposal, which will deliver eight one-bedroom apartments, aligned with Cork City Council’s housing needs assessment has been approved by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rental Sector (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme is deemed to be a social housing support under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. As a long term housing support, an assessment of housing need must be completed in order for a household to qualify for HAP. Any household with an identified housing need is eligible for HAP. In order for housing assistance to be provided under the Act...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector and it is a requirement that approval is sought for any additional post outside...