Results 1,241-1,260 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: Local authorities set and collect rents on their dwellings in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such rent schemes is generally a matter for local authorities within broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay. Local discretion and flexibility are...

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

James Browne: Addressing vacancy, tackling dereliction and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government. To address this, a number of structures have now been established including a dedicated Vacant Homes Unit in my Department, a full-time Vacant Homes Officers and Town Regeneration Officers in local authorities, and the publication of a ‘Vacant Homes Action...

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

James Browne: 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 Cork City Council. My Department is continuing to provide substantial financial...

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

James Browne: Government is fully committed to delivering affordable housing at scale, and continuing to accelerate housing supply across all tenures. A comprehensive implementation strategy is in place to support the various affordable Housing schemes now being delivered by a range of delivery partners. Overall, nearly 13,000 affordable housing solutions have been delivered since the launch of Housing for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation (1 Jul 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. Funding of €303 million is available for the delivery of homeless services in 2025. My...

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

James Browne: The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme designed to help bridge the gap between a purchaser’s deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home, for eligible first-time buyers, Fresh Start applicants and those who wish to build their first home. The First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company is responsible for the operation and...

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

James Browne: The Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) funding provides up to 100% capital funding to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the construction and targeted acquisition of housing for priority needs categories to include persons with a disability. While there have been no changes to the fundamental operation of CAS regarding the funding for priority needs categories, second-hand acquisitions funded...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Jul 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, is the most ambitious and comprehensive housing plan in the history of the State. The Plan contains a suite of actions that have and continue to increase the provision of housing through accelerating supply and increasing the affordability of homes for...

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

James Browne: Leagtar amach san Acht um Pleanáil agus Forbairt, 2000, arna leasú, cuspóirí éigeantacha d’údaráis áitiúla, nach mór aghaidh a thabhairt orthu nuair atá a bPlean Forbartha á dhréachtú, a rialaíonn beartais forbartha áitiúla. Nuair atá ceantar Gaeltachta laistigh de limistéar riaracháin...

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

James Browne: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. The Action Plan Progress Report was published in April 2024...

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

James Browne: The Ready to Build Scheme, funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, to support addressing vacancy, was launched in September 2022. Under the Scheme, local authorities can make vacant serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build a home. Local authorities identify suitable vacant sites in their ownership or purchase vacant sites in...

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

James Browne: The zoning of land is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of the development plan process. The making of a development plan is a reserved function of the elected members of each planning authority who are required by legislation to be consistent with established statutory national and regional planning policy and legislation, including as identified in the National...

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

James Browne: The Government committed in January 2025 to introduce an all of government national housing plan to follow Housing for All, underpinned by multi-annual funding. As part of this, all Departments have been examining all potential actions to further scale up the delivery of homes of all tenures. A programme of targeted stakeholder engagement has also been undertaken. Written submissions...

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

James Browne: Corncrake LIFE is a five year (2021-2026) €5.9m project improving the conservation status of one of Ireland’s most iconic farmland bird species.Led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department, in collaboration with project partners, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Fota Wildlife Park, Atlantic Technological University and...

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

James Browne: The current cycle of my Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) covers the period to the end of 2026. Almost 900 applications for funding for individual projects were received under the MARWP from local authorities across the country. Clare County Council submitted a number of applications including one under Measure A6 for the group water scheme mentioned in the details...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 437 and 439 together. Local authorities set and collect rents on their dwellings in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of such rent schemes is generally a matter for local authorities within broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’...

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

James Browne: The EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) lays down requirements for the application of minimum energy performance requirements to new buildings and requires Nearly Zero Energy Building or “NZEB” performance for new buildings since 31 December 2020. This NZEB requirement typically equates to a BER of A2. The construction of new dwellings to an ‘A’...

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

James Browne: Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of my Department. Tailte Éireann provides a property registration system, property valuation service, and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. Under Section 8(6) of the Tailte Éireann Act 2022, Tailte Éireann is independent in the performance of its functions. There is already a...

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

James Browne: A list of the email and phone numbers for the key offices within my Department is available on my Department's website at this link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-her itage/organisation-information/contact-the-dept-of-housing-l ocal-government-and-heritage/ Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the...