Results 1,381-1,400 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I am grateful to all Senators and everybody behind the scenes for facilitating today's debate on this urgent legislation in Seanad Éireann at such short notice. As Senators know, on 10 June 2025 the Government approved policy measures to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections from 1 March 2026. Last week, the Government also approved, as an interim...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. My Department, in conjunction with the Department of the Climate, Energy and Environment (DCEE) which has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Planning Framework (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: On 20 June 2023, Government gave approval to commence the process of undertaking the First Revision of the National Planning Framework. The National Planning Framework (NPF), is the whole-of-Government strategy for strategic planning and sustainable development of our urban and rural areas to 2040, with the core objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Under the terms of the Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC), all Member States of the EU are obliged to take measures to protect all naturally occurring wild birds and their habitats. The Directive prohibits, inter alia, the deliberate killing or capture of wild birds by any method, the removal of nests or the taking of eggs. As a member of the EU, Ireland has an obligation under this law...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), I, as Minister, am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 321, 322 and 323 together. While my Department has a role in strategic workforce planning within the local government sector, Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Marine Protected Areas Bill is at an advanced stage of drafting. It is intended to finalise this draft as soon as possible. However the Bill will need revision to reflect new Ministerial responsibilities and transfers of functions between Departments once these have taken place. It should be noted that, in the context of this forthcoming transfer of the marine environment function...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Schemes (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 326 together. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) are the two main grant schemes provided by my Department for the repair and conservation of protected structures and certain other historic buildings. Both schemes are administered in the main by the local authorities with funding from the National...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (19 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Staff in my Department are employed on a full-time basis. A small number of staff elect to work on a less than 100% attendance pattern - commonly referred to as ‘Worksharing’. Worksharers may revert to a 100% pattern should they so choose. The table below shows staff numbers and percentages from 2022 to date. Year FTE 100% Attendance Pattern ...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: This is not an issue on this amendment, and the Deputy is at pains to look concerned but has not expressed his own opinion on it. We are not surprised there. The rent pressure zones-----

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I welcome the clarification. Rent pressure zones have been extended to new areas again and again since 2019. On every one of those occasions, short-term lets have been brought in with them. That is the law at the moment and that is how the law will continue.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I want to be clear. After a week and a half of Deputy Ó Broin complaining about there being too many tracks in this legislation and too many different applications, he is now calling for a new track to create a geographical difference between rent pressure zones that have been extended to date where short-term lets are affected and extending it now to where they would not be affected....

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Deputy is now calling for more exceptions, more tracks-----

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: -----and more differentiation. After the past week, it is extraordinary that he would call for more exemptions.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I cannot accept amendments Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, and 8, which appear to have the aim of extending the operation of rent pressure zones to 23 June 2028. As Members are aware, on 10 June last, the Government approved policy measures to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections from 1 March 2026. Last week, the Government also approved, as an interim measure, the...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: Correct.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I am not.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee and Remaining Stages (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: I will speak to amendments Nos. 1 and 2, which appear to have the aim of introducing a ban on rent increases. The Government's view is that the imposition of a ban on rent increases is highly likely to be subject to a legal challenge and would almost certainly deter continued investment in the rented accommodation market and cause a greater recourse to the State for social housing supports....

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: We know there is a housing crisis and the only way to address that is by increasing supply. We have increased it from 20,000 to 30,000 homes. We need a step change to get to 50,000 homes and more so that people have the homes they want to live in where they want to live in their communities. Rent pressure zones were due to end this year, as Deputies well know. If the Government and I...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (18 Jun 2025)

James Browne: How do you know?