Results 81-100 of 9,174 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, introduced in July 2022, provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People, to assist those in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants, which include the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, are funded by my Department with a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, introduced in July 2022, provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current grant scheme and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. Government approval was granted for the priority drafting of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill which will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current grant scheme and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The grant scheme covers the costs of the remediation works approved subject to the grant rates and overall grant cap of €462,000. The cap and rates are informed by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: My Department maintains high standards in the management of the public funds entrusted to it and is fully committed to transparency, fairness and accountability in all its purchasing activities. My Department publishes a range of procurement related information in accordance with the Freedom of Information Publication Scheme on its website at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is our continued investment in the social housing programme. Budget 2026 has continued the record level of investment in social housing, with €2.9bn in capital allocated to support the delivery of social homes by local authorities. This continued investment in the social housing programme will increase the supply of stock...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (14 Oct 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 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 comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 616, 642 and 643 together. On 10 June 2025, the Government approved policy measures including modifications to rent controls to come into effect on 1 March 2026 in order to boost investment in the supply of homes available for rent and keep existing landlords in the market. The changes agreed will also provide significantly stronger tenancy protections and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (14 Oct 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: Road Projects (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government recognised the need to accelerate home building by unblocking infrastructure delays and coordinating investment in servicing zoned land. I have made significant progress in establishing the Housing Activation Office, which is central to achieving this objective. Senior specialists from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the National Transport Authority,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Process of election of local authority members to regional assemblies is already contained in SI. No. 573/2014- Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014. Section 5(2) of the Order provides that every member of a regional assembly shall be appointed by the constituent local authority of which such person is a member. Section 5(3) provides for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The requirements on regional assemblies to provide periodic updates to local authorities are set out in S.I. No. 573/2014 - Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014. Sections 38(1) and (2) of the S.I. provide as follows: 38. (1) A regional assembly may make such statements or reports on any matter relating to or arising from the performance of its...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: EU Bodies (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The process by which members are elected to the Committee of the Regions is that the General Secretariat of the European Council writes to Member States to ask that they submit names of candidates for their national delegations for the renewal of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) for the relevant period. The Irish delegation to the CoR consists of 9 full members and 9 alternate...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, introduced in July 2022, provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (14 Oct 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 also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 627 and 628 together. An Coimisiún Pleanála is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2024, the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and certain other Acts. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: An Coimisiún Pleanála (the Commission) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2024, as amended, and certain other Acts. There are now more people working at the Commission than at any time...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 630 and 631 together. The average annual salary in An Coimisiún Pleanála is €73,493. Details of the numbers of employees paid across the top salary bands for An Coimisiún Pleanála are set out in tabular form below. Salary Range No. of employees €230,000 - €239,999 1 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (14 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The cost of the rebranding/renaming An Bord Pleanála to An Coimisiún Pleanála was €76,921.47. The majority of the cost is made up of three components:Architects consultancy - €18,450: An Coimisiún Pleanála’s office is located beside the Luas line on Marlborough Street in Dublin, and changing the signage required consultation and coordination...