Results 101-120 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Since 1 January 2024, responsibility for the remediation of Developer Provided Infrastructure (DPI), including wastewater treatment plants in housing estates not taken in charge, has transferred to the national water authority, Uisce Éireann. A dedicated multi-stakeholder group comprising Uisce Éireann, the local authorities and officials from my Department, continues to oversee...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Government is committed to increasing social housing delivery and the focus of the social housing programme is on increasing the number of new-build homes. From the beginning of 2020 to the end of Q1 2025, 34,027 new homes have been delivered under social housing build programmes. This included delivery in 2023 and 2024 at levels not seen since the 1970s. Social housing build...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was finalised and approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The Revised NPF identifies the need to plan for approximately 50,000 additional households per annum to 2040. The Revised NPF provides the basis for the review and updating of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) and local authority development plans to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. Under HAP, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. At the end of Q1 2025, almost 127,000 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were 52,657 households actively in receipt of HAP...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The qualification criteria for social housing support are set down in Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. A household may apply for social housing support to one local authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it has a local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Government's commitment to a new Starter Home programme has affordability, and the chance to own a home, at its core. Implementation of the programme will be advanced in a new national housing plan. While this work is being undertaken, the measures and schemes in Housing for All continue to advance delivery of secure and affordable housing. Affordable housing schemes are now operating...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Supporting individuals and families experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness is a priority for my Department and Government. Increased supply is key to addressing homelessness, meeting need and addressing the challenges in the housing market. Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Supporting families and individuals experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness is a priority for Government. Critical to addressing homelessness is increasing the supply of housing. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Dublin City Council (DCC) and The Land Development Agency (LDA) have entered into a partnership to develop Phases 2 and 3 of the Dolphin House Estate Regeneration Project, a major residential construction project in Dublin 8. Collectively, Phase 2 and Phase 3 will deliver over 600 social and affordable homes and complete the regeneration at Dolphin House Estate, which will replace the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Government continues to maintain a strong focus on the use of vacant and underutilised state owned and public land for housing, having agreed the transfer of 37 sites to the Land Development Agency (LDA) for the development of affordable and social housing.  Housing construction is already underway on four sites and planning applications have been granted or lodged in the case of 7...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I am satisfied there is adequate scope within the original €325 million budget, coupled with the flexibility to enter into commitments that might only materialise in 2026, to support all acquisitions that can be contractually completed and drawn down by local authorities before the end of this year. Accordingly, where local authorities have indicated to my Department that they are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Addressing vacancy and dereliction is a key priority for Government. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, published in January 2023, set out the various actions being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes across the country, including Kildare. In March, I published the 2025 Progress Report which shows the significant progress that is being made and it is available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Social Housing is delivered through a range of Local Authority and Approved Housing Body (AHB) delivery programmes. Capital expenditure on the delivery of new social homes is also supported by current funding provided through the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP). In respect of Affordable Housing delivery, Housing for All provides for a number of important affordability...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) scheme was introduced on 1 April 2023 for tenants in private rental homes who are not in receipt of social housing supports but are at risk of homelessness because a landlord has served a valid Notice of Termination due to an intention to sell the property. The Local Authority conducts the initial assessment for eligibility of the tenant for this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Energy Rating (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: A commitment was included under Housing for All to develop a roadmap to implement minimum Building Energy Rating (BER) standards, where feasible, for the private rental sector. This work supports the objectives set down in the Government’s Climate Action Plan. My Department is committed to improving energy efficiency in the rental market and work in this area is being informed by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Consistent with the provisions in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is considered to be a social housing support and consequently households in receipt of a payment under the HAP scheme are not eligible to remain on the main housing waiting list. However, acknowledging that some households on the waiting list, who avail of HAP, have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is supporting a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the leasing of houses and apartments. Details of state expenditure on the Social Housing Leasing Programme from 2015 up to the end of Q1 2025 can be found on my Department's website at the following link: ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Programme (7 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Government Legislation Programme for the Autumn 2025 Session was published on 17 September. It is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/publications/gover nment-legislation-programme-autumn-2025/ As set out in the Legislation Programme, my Department has four priority Bills for publication, namely:Residential Tenancies (Amendment)(No.2) Bill 2025,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 Oct 2025)

James Browne: A total of 24 projects have progressed or are progressing under the LIHAF scheme. The enabling infrastructure has been completed on 16 projects and at the end Quarter 2 2025, €127m in Exchequer grant funding had been awarded under the scheme. With regard to housing delivery, the 24 LIHAF projects that have progressed or are progressing have committed to deliver circa 16,150 housing...