Results 1,361-1,380 of 9,174 for speaker:James Browne

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...

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

James Browne: Under provisions introduced by the Finance Act 2024, a landowner whose land was identified on the final map for 2025 could make a request to the local authority to change the zoning of their land by 1 April 2025. Subject to certain conditions, upon making the request, the landowner could seek an exemption from the tax for 2025 from the Revenue Commissioners. The exemption provisions are set...

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

James Browne: The responsibility for the proper operation and maintenance of Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTS), including septic tanks, lies with the individual property owner. Owners must ensure that their systems are functioning effectively and do not pose a risk to human health or the environment. Regular maintenance, desludging, and repairs, where necessary, are part of the...

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

James Browne: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

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

James Browne: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 and 447 together. 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. The Planning and Development Act 2024,...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 448 to 452, inclusive, together. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has a statutory consultation role under the Planning and Development Acts in respect of offshore renewable energy projects. As part of this role, NPWS provides submissions and observations to planning authorities and An Coimisiun Pleanála on issues related to potential...

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

James Browne: Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of my Department. Tailte Éireann is independent in the exercise of its valuation functions under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended (the Act). The making of valuations for rating purposes are the sole responsibility of Tailte Éireann, and I, as Minister, have no function in decisions in this regard. Under the...

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

James Browne: The Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme (CTCCS) was established in 2011 for domestic turf cutters affected by restrictions on turf cutting on designated raised bogs. The scheme is comprised of a payment of €1,500 per annum, index-linked, for 15 years, or accommodation, where feasible, on a non-designated bog, together with a once-off payment of €500 on signing a legal...

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

James Browne: Local Authorities (LA's) and Approved Housing Bodies (AHB's) are supported by my Department to purchase and renovate vacant/derelict properties to be upgraded as new, value-for-money social homes. The Buy & Renew Scheme allows LA's and AHB's to acquire and refurbish such properties and since it was introduced in 2016, in excess of 950 properties have been delivered under this...

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

James Browne: The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a minimum BER rating of B2. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme over the period 2021 to 2030 inclusive. The programme has been devised so as to give local authorities a level of flexibility when selecting properties to retrofit, ranging...

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

James Browne: My Department established the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) in April 2019. In accordance with the provisions of Section 31Q(1) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (the Act), as amended, the OPR conducts education and training programmes for members of planning authorities and regional assemblies in respect of the role of such members under the Act in relation to matters...