Results 101-120 of 7,010 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (8 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 649 and 650 together. The Residential Tenancies Board, (RTB), was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2024 to regulate the rental sector; provide information to tenants and landlords; maintain a national register of tenancies; resolve disputes between tenants and landlords; and conduct...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (8 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (8 Apr 2025)

James Browne: Addressing homelessness is a priority for this Government. The Programme for Government includes a number of commitments to address homelessness, including ensuring that there is sufficient emergency accommodation for those who require it with special supports for children impacted by homelessness. My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Strategies (8 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The status of individual developments which have been granted planning permission is a matter for the permission holder. While obtaining planning permission is an essential step in any project, there are other factors at play that may impact on the commencement of any project, such as phasing of development (having to complete an existing project before commencing another), finances,...

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

James Browne: Housing for All delivers on the Government's commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system. It is my understanding that the mutual home ownership mode referred to refers to one where, instead of individuals owning their own homes, all the properties on a development are owned by a co-operative society. This is not a current policy of the...

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

James Browne: Government is fully committed continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures, and to delivering affordable housing at scale. The Government’s ambition is to build on the progress made to date under Housing for All, and deliver over 300,000 homes in the period from 2025 to 2030 equating to an annual average of over 50,000 homes per year, building up to 60,000 in 2030. With...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: There are a variety of schemes available which can provide support of the type described. My Department provides funding for the protection of eligible heritage buildings (principally protected structures) through two grant schemes: the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF). The BHIS is a grant scheme that supports owners and custodians to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website. Data in relation to funding provided by the State for HAP tenancies to end of Q3 2024 can be found on my Department’s website at this link: Q4 2024 figures are currently being compiled and will be published when...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Government is acutely aware of the housing challenges faced by many sectors of society. Housing for All, Ireland's housing plan to 2030, contains a suite of actions that have and continue to increase the provision of housing through accelerating supply and increasing the affordability of homes. Cost Rental housing is a key tool in our efforts to make rents more affordable and renting...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: 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 the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. The determination of whether an applicant household meets the income criteria is based on a calculation of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department is fully supportive of increased housing delivery for one-person households and I’m pleased to see that both local authorities and approved housing bodies are increasingly delivering suitable properties in response to this need as part of the record social housing delivery we have seen in recent years. Given that the specific make-up of new public housing build...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2023, is available on my Department's website at . The report provides breakdowns on households whose need has not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I refer to my answer to Question No. 473 on 25 March 2025 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244, 246 and 249 together. Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. This is underpinned by the recent decisions by Government to provide additional capital funding of €715m in 2025 as follows: -...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 245 and 247 together. To support the delivery of social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply, Government recently provided additional capital funding of €715m to my Department for 2025. This is additional to the allocations set out in the 2025 Revised Estimates Volume. Of this total, €450m is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Service (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Service Acts, 1981 and 2003.My Department supports fire authorities by establishing policy, setting national standards for fire...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together. My Department does not provide specific financial allocations to local authorities for social housing projects, rather my Department funds the relevant local authorities as their housing projects advance and claims fall due for payment.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: As outlined in my reply to Question no. 445 of 4 March, since demand for grants typically exceeds the supply of funds available, Historic Structures Fund grants are awarded on a competitive basis, with applications scored and prioritised according to the declared criteria in the scheme circular. As the application in question received a relatively low score for the quality of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Artificial Intelligence (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I, and the officials in my Department, am very committed to providing clear and detailed responses to all questions asked. The previous question of 19 March, asks for information which is not held by my Department and is a matter for the Chief Executive of the relevant body, an independent body with its own administrative structures. Neither I, nor my Department, have a role in such...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (3 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government commits to the establishment of a Local Democracy Taskforce with the Local Government sector to finalise a programme for the reform and strengthening of local government. The membership of the Taskforce will include Local Authority elected member representative bodies, Local Authority executive representatives, the National Oversight and Audit Commission, the...