Results 1,221-1,240 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: My Department, working closely with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and other relevant stakeholders, is progressing work to increase delivery capacity in the residential construction sector through promoting the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction or MMC. MMC is a collective term which describes innovative construction alternatives to traditional construction, which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme supports the building of apartments in urban cores for sale to owner-occupiers. The Scheme aims to activate the supply of units which otherwise would not be delivered due to viability challenge by providing funding support to bridge the current "Viability Gap" between the delivery cost of building apartments and the market sale price (where the cost...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Solar Energy Guidelines (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: My Department notes the commitment in the Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future to introduce planning guidelines for solar energy developments. In light of this commitment, my Department has begun an initial scoping process to identify the component factors relevant to the preparation of planning guidelines for solar energy development, including any...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the National Planning Framework) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Burial Grounds (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The question of whether any persons might be reburied in Glasnevin Cemetery is not one on which I can comment on as Glasnevin Cemetery is the responsibility of the Dublin Cemeteries Trust. My responsibilities and indeed those of the Office of Public Works, in relation to Kilmainham Gaol, arise under the National Monuments Act 1930 as a national monument of which I am owner. These...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The local authority Development Plan is the principal planning strategy document which sets out the relevant policies and objectives to guide the physical development of each city and county over a six-year period and is required to be consistent with the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy. The Revised NPF was approved by Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I refer to my reply to Question No. 17 of 13 May 2025 which sets out the position in this matter. A condition of the planning scheme for the Poolbeg West Strategic Development Zone, as modified by An Bord Pleanála in April 2019, is the provision of 15% social and affordable homes on this site in addition to the 10% statutory social housing requirement under Part V arrangements. My...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: 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 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts including the Planning and Development Act 2024. The Planning and Development Act 2024, includes a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 105 together. The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme and the Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental (STAR) Investment Scheme are part of a suite of housing measures in Housing for All designed to increase social, affordable and private housing supply. Such measures also include local authority delivered affordable housing for purchase, the new cost...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85, 92, 96 and 475 together. The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. This is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, and that unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities including Fingal County Council. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Central Government funding of local authorities presents a complex picture, with transfers, both current and capital, coming from a wide range of Departments and Offices for a variety of purposes. Central Government grant funding to Kildare County Council has increased by more than 60% from €168.3m in 2018 to €271.9m in 2023, according to their audited annual financial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (1 Jul 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 Provision (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The allocation of social housing support to qualified households, including the prioritisation of certain categories of households, is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with its allocation scheme made in accordance with Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011, as amended. This...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The overall aim of the Urban Development Zone (UDZ) process under Part 22 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024) is to provide for an updated and more flexible approach to the masterplanning and delivery of areas with significant potential for large scale development, including residential development, in tandem with the associated supporting infrastructure. The UDZ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: There are already existing obligations for pre-planning meetings set out in planning legislation. Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (Act of 2000), Section 247 provides that a person who has an interest in land and who intends to make a planning application may, with the agreement of the planning authority concerned (which shall not be unreasonably withheld), enter...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme continues to plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q4 2024, over 125,000 HAP tenancies had been set up since the scheme commenced, of which there were 53,742 households actively in receipt of HAP support. An average of 156 new HAP tenancies were set up each week in 2024, indicating that the scheme continues...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regulatory Bodies (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: My Department has not engaged with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) on any compensation mechanism for Uisce Éireann's customers who are subject to boil water notices. The CRU is statutorily tasked with protecting Uisce Éireann's customers in accordance with section 39 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 (as amended). As noted in my reply to Question No. 259...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: As part of its role in protecting nature, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) manages the network of National Parks and Nature Reserves across the country. As part of this role, and in keeping with the aims of the Programme for Government, it occasionally purchases land for strategic and conservation purposes. Such acquisitions are always considered carefully on a case by case...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damage by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) grant scheme and related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. An Implementation Steering Group for the DCB Grant scheme has been in place since 2023. The Group comprises officials from the relevant local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: Increased supply is key to 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 continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. Housing for All contains a suite of actions that have, and continue to, increase the provision of housing through...