Results 121-140 of 9,144 for speaker:James Browne

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for the question. Significant progress has been made on establishing the housing activation office. Senior specialists from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the NTA, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the local government sector are in place. In addition, senior staff from my Department with expertise in planning and project and programme management are assigned to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I reject the premise that there have been delays. For example, 54 CREL projects have been approved since the beginning of July last year and the average number of working days was 48 for this period. The processing times for individual applications can vary for the reasons I have outlined. That said, the trend is that projects are taking less and less time to assess. For example, projects...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: We are not in that situation at the moment. As I said, we are processing these ever more quickly. As I said, it took 15 days, on average, in the first six months of this year to process these applications. I encourage applications. There is an issue there, as the Deputy rightly pointed out, in terms of CALF and CREL not being aligned. It is something that the Department with AHBs and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: On 10 June 2025, the Government approved stronger tenancy protections and greater certainty for the rental sector, including the introduction of a national rent control. From 1 March 2026, a national rent control will be introduced for all tenancies, which will limit rent increases for properties other than new build apartments to inflation at CPI up to a maximum of 2% and for new build...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The changes will apply prospectively. That was made clear yesterday. In terms of the savings-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: Prospectively.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: They will apply to new tenancies where designated as cost rental. The LDA sought this change so that it could deliver lower rents for people and that is why we agreed to it. As it is a cost rental measure, I fully expect, even through the metrics of the system, that it will result in lower rents for future tenancies.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: All of the details around the various tax breaks, which Minister Donohoe worked on with the Department of housing to ensure we can increase the viability of apartments and get them and housing in general delivered, will be worked out over the coming weeks and then announced. The purpose of the tax cuts is to bring about that viability so that we can get apartments that people need built....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Housing Schemes (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for his question. I confirm that there are no approval lags for CREL funding. There is an approval process for funding applications to ensure compliance with the scheme conditions and value for money for the Exchequer. This is, as it should be, a requirement under public financial procedures. A necessary process should not be misrepresented as a delay. Since July...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: As the Deputy rightly points out, there is significant additional funding for homelessness in yesterday’s budget. As the Deputy knows, budgets are always broad strokes. You are dealing with multiple Departments and within those Departments there are multiple areas. I will, through the Revised Estimates Volume, work out exactly how we will allocate this funding and how we will use...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Land Development Agency (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Land Development Agency is a key part of the Government’s housing strategy in delivering affordable homes for rent and sale in communities right across Ireland. The Department of Finance’s report on the sustainable funding options for the Land Development Agency considered the financing needs of the LDA and the implications of this need on the business model and operational...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Land Development Agency (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: That is exactly what the Department of Finance did, working with the Department of housing. It looked at how the LDA is financed and how it can be financed into the future and examining the remit of the LDA. We have agreed to expand its role. The LDA will be absolutely critical. It will very soon be the largest housing delivery body in this country. We are fully committed to expanding...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Land Development Agency (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I have been heavily engaged with the LDA. I meet it regularly. It is anxious to have that direct delivery model, which is what it has been moving towards as quickly as possible. The key is that we get properties delivered. As I say, I much prefer the direct delivery model and to get the private market delivering on the private sector side of things. That is where we are heading and where...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy. Addressing homelessness and in particular homeless families and children is a priority for me, the Department and the Government. Ireland signed the Lisbon declaration in June 2021 which committed all signatories to work towards ending homelessness by 2030. I will continue to work with the National Homeless Action Committee to ensure an all-of-government approach to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: With our new housing plan, we are developing the homelessness prevention framework. Significant work has been ongoing in relation to that, working with all the NGOs. I acknowledge the good work by Focus Ireland and the Simon Communities of Ireland. When I became Minister for housing, the first thing I did was visit all of the homeless organisations at their sites to get the necessary...

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

James Browne: Housing for All included a commitment to review income eligibility for social housing. From this review, completed in November 2021, it was recommended moving five local authorities from Band 3 to Band 2, ensuring the income eligibility thresholds better reflect housing costs in those counties. Government also agreed to increase the baseline income thresholds by €5,000 for all...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The Act also provides for the Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme. This is a scheme for the purpose of enabling a designated local authority or an...

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

James Browne: Supporting individuals and families at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness is a priority for Government. Critical to addressing homelessness is increasing the supply of housing. I have just agreed the largest ever Housing budget for 2026 with over €9bn in capital, including €5.2bn in Exchequer funding and €3.9bn in LDA and HFA investment. This record level of funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (8 Oct 2025)

James Browne: I visited Donegal earlier this year and understand the flood issue pertaining to Elm Park in Buncrana. Most of impacted homeowners have the option of availing of the Defective Concrete Block Scheme and the OPW intends to undertake flood relief works. The residents however are concerned about the length of time before those flood work would be completed and have asked that consideration be...

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

James Browne: My Department has recently written to local authorities advising them of additional funding capacity and flexibility under the 2025 Second Hand Acquisitions Programme. This includes an additional €50 million secured on foot of the recently concluded National Development Plan discussions, bringing the funding available this year to €375 million. The additional funding is...