Results 961-980 of 9,174 for speaker:James Browne

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I want to ensure there are no children going into homelessness. We have already had a record number of preventions of families and others going into homelessness and record numbers of exits. We want to get to a point where nobody is going into homelessness any more. The tenant in situ scheme is an important part of that, as is homeless HAP, the new social housing stock and turning voids...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Cathaoirleach. On the supports of the Department for local authorities to bring voids back into use, a local authority can spend as much as it wants on any house but it is given €11,000, on average, per property. That was a decision by the Government to provide some additional supports to local authorities. Theoretically, local authorities are meant to bring the...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I have not considered compulsory sales but believe the derelict sites levy drives compulsory sales in the sense that it could make sense to sell a property rather than-----

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I agree that is a problem. It is one I am very much focused on tackling. I am examining several options to ensure derelict sites are used. I take a very strong view on antisocial behaviour on foot of having derelict properties around the place. It is such a waste. There are people who need and want the properties and who would use them. Whether one comes from a Marxist perspective or a...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The numbers behind that in terms of social and affordable housing being delivered are sustainable. Ideally, one would see more. However, as a percentage, it is not sustainable because we need to deliver much more housing. We need to get up to 50,000 homes and even beyond. We need to activate the private sector in this regard. If we get up to 50,000 or 60,000 homes or beyond, the State...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The last round of the URDF was URDF 3, which was in 2023. It very much focused on derelict sites, compulsory purchase orders and bringing properties in local authority town centres back into use for local authorities to keep or to sell on. It was a self-replenishing fund in that respect. Previous to that, URDF 2 was announced between the end of 2020 and the start of 2021, which provided...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: We do not really look at it from a percentages perceptive. That is probably just to highlight the fact that there is a serious shortage of private delivery. We have our social and affordable housing targets, which are in more raw numbers. That is what we are aiming for, regardless of where those targets fall as a percentage. We want to encourage as much sensible, sustainable private...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: There were more than 30,000 homes last year. We need to get to 50,000 homes and beyond. The vast majority of those homes will need to be delivered by the private sector. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is spending approximately 30% - close to one third - of all capital funding. Considering all the demands in healthcare, education, transport, climate and everything...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I agree with the Deputy’s earlier comment. We want to get away from turnkey developments. We need to be plan-led in terms of social and affordable homes. That is certainly where we need to get to because it would be more efficient, cost effective and allow the private sector to make those homes available in the private sector. I certainly agree with the Deputy in that regard. That...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The outworking of that is the reality of the reliance on turnkeys. That is the reality of where we are at the moment.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: What we want to do, and will do, is end late-stage turnkeys and ultimately get to the point where these are plan-led and the schemes we are doing-----

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The challenge with turnkeys is they are private delivery, they have gone through planning, sometimes they are off plan and sometimes they are literally at the stage where they have the key to turn. The distinction I want to make in future is I do not think off plan should not refer to turnkey but I do not want to get into semantics. Until we get everything over to plan-led there will be a...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: There continues to be high demand. The grants are going well and the level seems okay. I agree on over-the-shop development. We have a proposal with the Department of public expenditure and reform and we are trying to look at what that funding would look like. There are many shops in our provincial towns but also cities which would have an additional cost if they were to be turned...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The affordable housing scheme has significant availability. The challenge for some local authorities is when you apply the scheme, it does not make as much of a difference as it might, especially in local authorities where houses are not as expensive as in other areas and particularly when other grants are taken into account. The scheme is available across the country. We are doing some in...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: In the first quarter of 2025, over 1,600 affordable housing supports were delivered which is an increase of 49% on the first quarter of 2024. That highlights the continued year-on-year increase. I very much support home ownership as does the Government and its parties. We very much believe in home ownership and we continue to work on that. The programme for Government has a commitment of...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: They were provided, or rather a breakdown of the funding in relation to how we worked out our funding model was provided. The raw data provided by the LDA is commercially sensitive. If there are any particular questions, the Deputy is more than welcome to direct them towards us and we will try to clarify any particular areas. The LDA data informed our decision-making, having informed our...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: In terms of communal facilities for social housing, we provide a certain amount of money for them. The previous Government had a strong record in terms of supporting funding for various projects to ensure communities had the necessary facilities they needed. Those supports came from the Department of housing but also included other supports that people needed. Regarding delivery and...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: In terms of cost-rental housing, we recently had the first delivery out in Tallaght. A cost-rental scheme is now being developed by Monaghan County Council, too. In terms of community facilities, we will always work with local authorities. It is not simply about community facilities that are given directly through any one scheme. Local authorities will often ask us for funding for...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The restoration of the peatlands is a shared island initiative as well. I was up at the North-South Ministerial Council only a few weeks ago and there was a discussion on this topic. I am happy to engage with the Cathaoirleach around the funding allocation, what needs to be done and ensuring the work is carried out appropriately.

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I thank the members very much for their questions. Working backwards, I want local authorities to be building. Some are doing it quite successfully. Meath County Council, for example, has a fantastic record and we want to see it doing even more. Other local authorities not far from County Meath have a very poor record of self-building. I worry about the local authorities relying on Part...