Results 81-100 of 9,394 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: I refer to my reply to Question No. 263 of 6 November which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Election Management System (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: Part XXII of the Electoral Act 1992 sets out a range of electoral offences along with the relevant penalties that apply where a person is found guilty of an offence under the Act. My Department does not compile data in relation to the number of prosecutions taken and the number of convictions secured for electoral offences. While the taking of photographs is not specifically prohibited...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: Official data in respect of total housing stock are published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in the Census. Data in respect of total housing stock in the 2011 Census can be found on the CSO website at: www.data.cso.ie/table/CD402, while data on total housing stock from Census 2016 and 2022 can be found at the following link: www.data.cso.ie/table/F2020. Government is focussed on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 590 and 592 together. I have engaged extensively with both Uisce Éireann and the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a clear and robust licensing and compliance framework for privately constructed wastewater treatment systems under the new developer-led housing infrastructure initiative. Specifically Uisce Éireann will work with developers...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: My Department is aware that wastewater capacity constraints have affected housing delivery in a number of settlements nationally. Uisce Éireann maintains capacity registers that identify towns and villages where wastewater treatment plants are at or near capacity. Under the new Government-approved developer-led wastewater framework, developers will be able to fund and construct...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities are also legally obliged to ensure all of their tenanted properties are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 594 to 597, inclusive, together. The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) was commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The scheme is now open to applications in five counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: The Abridged Estimates for Public Services (AEV) are published as part of the Expenditure Report with the expenditure allocations for Votes shown at programme level. The subhead allocations are draft only and subject to change. The Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services (REV) will be published by the Minister of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Communications (12 Nov 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: Land Development Agency (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: The Land Development Agency (LDA) operates as a commercial state body under the aegis of my Department. Its governance framework is structured to ensure accountability, transparency and alignment with national housing priorities, including the delivery of affordable and sustainable housing. The LDA Board, appointed by me, as Minister, provides strategic oversight, approves corporate plans...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: Cost Rental is a key element of the Housing For All strategy to improve affordability in the rental sector and to provide secure, long-term homes for moderate-income households. The core principle of Cost Rental is that the rents cover the development, management, and maintenance costs of the homes, so that the long-term future of the homes is financially secure, and that rents are not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Community Development Projects (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: The Stage 2 application for the King's Island Community Centre has been reviewed by my Department, with approval issuing to Limerick City and County Council last week. This approval now allows the project to proceed for planning approval.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: The EU Short Term Rental (STR) Regulation was adopted by the EU on 11 April 2024 and is applicable from 20 May 2026. This Regulation lays down harmonised rules on the collection and exchange of data on short term rental services for member states, hosts providing short-term accommodation rental services, and online platforms that offer services to hosts providing short-term accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: The HAP scheme continues to plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q2 2025, over 128,500 HAP tenancies had been set up since the scheme commenced, of which there were 51,736 households actively in receipt of HAP support. Since 11 July 2022, each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 35% above the prescribed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: Development contribution charges to be applied on developers are set at the planning permission stage but are not collectable by the relevant local authority until after the development work commences. Commencement notices are issued by the developer to the local authority and these generally trigger the raising of the charge. The normal practice is for the developer to issue a commencement...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: As Minister, I have no role in approving the Uisce Éireann, RC4 2025 -2029 Capital Investment Plan . Under Part 5 of the Water Services (No.2) Act 2013, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is the economic regulator of Uisce Éireann, and inter alia, reviews Uisce Éireann’s Capital Investment Plan.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Turf Cutting (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: My Department is committed to providing quality and timely services to all its customers in accordance with the Government’s 12 Guiding Principles for Quality Customer Service. Details of the Quality Customer Service provided by my Department are at: My Department has procedures for processing correspondence and representations from Oireachtas members. Responses should be provided...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Energy Rating (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: My Department is committed to improving energy efficiency in the rental market and work in this area is being informed by research commissioned from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). An ESRI research paper published earlier this year explores the investment requirements for energy efficiency upgrades in the private rental sector. The ERSI’s research is a valuable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Weather Events (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: My Department undertakes the Lead Government Department role, as set out in the Strategic Emergency Management (SEM) Framework (2017), in relation to the coordination of national level responses to severe weather and flooding emergencies, where warranted. My Department's National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management undertakes this role and works closely with local authority Severe...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (12 Nov 2025)

James Browne: Government is focused on increasing the national housing stock and ensuring a suitable range of housing, across tenure types, is available to all. The Programme for Government commits to building on the successes of Housing for All and ramping up supply to deliver over 300,000 homes between 2025 and 2030. Supply has increased significantly in recent years. Almost 150,000 new homes have...