Results 1,281-1,300 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: The Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for priority categories of need, including tenants-in-situ who have been in receipt of supports under HAP or RAS and who had received a Notice of Termination. For 2025, Government has increased the funding available for second hand social housing acquisitions...

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

James Browne: My Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards these costs. Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988 sets out the purposes for which costs may be incurred by local authorities in respect of the provision of homeless accommodation and related services. Under the funding arrangements, my Department recoups up to 90% of the costs of...

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

James Browne: Uisce Éireann has a statutory borrowing limit of €2 billion as per section 35 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. In June 2020, the Minister for Finance provided a term loan facility to Uisce Éireann to the end of 2024. Uisce Éireann Debt Draw Down by Year 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Total ...

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

James Browne: Waterways Ireland is a North South Implementation Body established under the British Irish Agreement 1998 and operates under the overall policy direction of the North South Ministerial Council. It is funded by my Department and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. As a North South Body, Waterways Ireland is audited jointly by the Comptroller and Auditor General and the...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 474 and 476 together. 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....

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

James Browne: This Government is committed to continued and ongoing sustained and strategic investment in rural water services across Ireland. As part of this commitment my Department is investing in rural water infrastructure to deliver improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where Uisce Éireann services are not currently available. More than €243 million is provided...

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

James Browne: In 2019, my Department brought in Regulations, (SI 235/2019), to provide for new arrangements for Short Term Lets within Rent Pressure Zones (RPZ). The regulations provided for the following:Short term letting is defined as the letting of a house or apartment, or part of a house or apartment, for any period not exceeding 14 days.Homesharing (the letting of a room or rooms in a person’s...

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

James Browne: The Tenant Purchase Schemes provide for the purchase by eligible tenants of local authority properties which are available for sale under the terms of the particular scheme. All applications for the schemes must satisfy the requirements outlined in the relevant legislation. The regulations provide for a number of specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale, including those provided...

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

James Browne: Section 139(7) of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2025 (the RTA) provides that a landlord may, at any time, notify the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) in writing of any changes in respect of particulars entered in its register of tenancies, and of any additional particulars to be entered in that register in respect of a tenancy. Such a change in particulars could include changes to...

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

James Browne: The Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended, sets out mandatory objectives for local authorities, which must be addressed in the drafting of their Development Plan governing local development policies. Where there is a Gaeltacht area within the planning authority’s administrative area, the development plan must include provisions and objectives for “the protection of the...

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

James Browne: I refer to my reply to Question No. 114 of 25 June 2025 which sets out the position on this matter.

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

James Browne: While the LDA has a key function in relation to the development of underutilised State lands for housing, it also has a mandate to engage in active land management to ensure there is a healthy pipeline of sites for development. The acquisition of private land ensures that the LDA can respond to conditions in particular areas to offer suitable homes, even where appropriate sites in State...

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

James Browne: The Land Development Agency has assembled and developed a body of skills and expertise, unparalleled within the State sector, in development of large scale housing projects and high density typologies/ apartments, and strategic land assembly and master planning of large scale sites/areas and city quarters. The Government will ensure that this skillset is made available to all local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (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 for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Full details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie/. ...

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: Departmental Reports (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I am considering the report, entitled 'A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council', by Mr. Rory Mulcahy S.C., and will bring this matter to Government for consideration in due course. The review is a scoping report and as such it does not make findings as to the truth or otherwise of allegations that have been made by an individual against named persons. The...

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

James Browne: My Department has received no correspondence relating to the ratification and circulation of the National Planning Framework from either the chief executive of Roscommon County Council or Galway County Council as of 27 June 2025.

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

James Browne: The Tenant in Situ Scheme was introduced in 2023 and was operated at that time as set out in Circular 08/2023, Arrangements for Social Housing Acquisitions in 2023. The programme was developed and implemented to provide consistent and clear support to individual LA's in their approach to acquiring properties in line with the parameters and operation of the Circular. I am not aware of any...

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

James Browne: In 2023, with the introduction of the Tenant in Situ Scheme, a steering group was established to embed the process within local authorities and monitor progress. Tenant in situ requirements are now well established within local authorities and the work of the steering group is now managed by the Social Housing Investment Programme teams within my Department. The individual teams work directly...

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

James Browne: On 10 June 2025, the Government approved stronger tenancy protections rent controls as part of a suite of measures to boost the supply of new homes and secure and grow the availability of rental accommodation. The proposals announced by Government will apply to tenancies created (i.e. first time tenancies between parties) from 1 March 2026. With the exception of new build apartments,...