Results 1,441-1,460 of 7,615 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Local Authorities (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016 is open to eligible tenants of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme. The scheme is governed by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, as amended. The scheme was reviewed in 2023, with changes taking effect from 29 January 2024 following the...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Policy (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: My Department has not issued a circular in relation to the issue raised. The day-to-day operation of the social housing system is a matter for the relevant local authority, and ultimately, it is the responsibility of the local authority to make a decision in each individual case.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Energy Conservation (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a BER rating of B2. It is expected that up to 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme by end 2030. Works eligible under my Department's revised EERP include attic/cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where required, window and door replacement, heat...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Marine Protected Areas (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Marine Protected Areas Bill is at an advanced stage of drafting. It is my intention to seek government approval to publish the Bill in the first half of this year.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Policy (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Unless specifically exempted, all development under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the 2000 Act) requires planning permission from the relevant planning authority or the Board as appropriate. Where planning permission is required but not sought, the development may give rise to enforcement proceedings. When a person submits a planning application for a house (including...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Schemes (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Affordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of the Government’s housing policy. As detailed under Housing for All, the Government plans to deliver 54,000 affordable homes, including 36,000 affordable purchase and 18,000 cost rental homes, by 2030. A comprehensive implementation strategy is in place to support the various affordable housing schemes now being delivered by...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Ministerial Responsibilities (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I intend to publish the ministerial briefing material I received upon my appointment as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The briefing will be published on my Department's website in due course, but no later than 7 February 2025.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Defective Building Materials (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) was commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. A review mechanism is provided within the Act, which provides for an increase or decrease the overall grant scheme cap a year after the Act has been commenced by no more...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Defective Building Materials (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: The table below provides figures for the total number of homes remediated where owners have availed of financial support from the State under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme since its commencement in 2014 to 31 December 2024 - and the average cost per dwelling remediated in each year. The average cost figure includes all ancillary costs incurred and is not limited to core construction cost. ...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: European Union (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Storm Éowyn was named by the UK Met Office on Tuesday, 21 January 2025 - the fifth named storm of the 2024-25 windstorm season. It was forecast to be a deep low-pressure system, set to track to the northwest of Ireland, introducing strong south-easterly winds which would then veer west to south-westerly and intensify through the morning of Friday 24, January. The system was also...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Policy (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: All development proposals require planning permission unless specifically exempted from this requirement under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) or the supplementary Planning and Development Regulations, 2001, as amended (the Regulations). There are no exemptions at present in relation to individual residential units and it is necessary to make a planning...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Schemes (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 605, 607, 612 and 614 together. The Tenant in Situ Acquisitions Programme was introduced by way of Government decision in 2023. It was originally intended as a short term response to the reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes which were within the HAP and RAS schemes in order to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions could not be found...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Vacant Properties (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: A key initiative under the Vacant Homes Action Plan to address vacancy and dereliction has been the introduction of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund. From May 2023, a grant of up to €50,000 is available to support individual owner(s) refurbish a vacant property into a home. Where the property is confirmed as derelict, up to a maximum...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Ministerial Staff (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: I have appointed no advisers in my Department so far but will appoint advisers who can help with delivery across the wide range of responsibilities under my remit in the coming weeks. All such appointments will be made in accordance with the guidance issued by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services Reform and Digitalisation.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Rental Sector (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Legislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 which came into effect on 1 July 2019. Local planning authorities are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Defective Building Materials (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: It is my intention to extend the eligibility for the pyrite remediation scheme to include applications from homes with a Damage Condition Rating (DCR) of 1 that are projected to progress to a DCR of 2 within the next few years, as defined by the Pyrite Resolution Board (PRB). Under this amendment, the PRB will evaluate each eligible DCR1 application using strict qualification criteria....

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Local Authorities (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: My Department does not allocate specific funding towards the management and maintenance of public lighting, as this is a matter for each individual local authority, in this instance, South Dublin County Council . Local authorities receive income from a variety of sources, including grants from Central Government, Local Property Tax, commercial rates and other locally-raised charges. Each...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Commercial Rates (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by Tailte Éireann under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2020. The amount of rates liable on a property is determined by multiplying the valuation of the property set by Tailte Éireann by the Annual Rate on...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Derelict Sites (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: My Department continues to liaise with local authorities, including Meath County Council, on the implementation of the Derelict Sites Act 1990 (the Act). Under the Act, local authorities are required to maintain a derelict sites register, which includes the name and address of each owner and occupier, where these can be ascertained by reasonable enquiry, of any land which, in the opinion of...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Housing Policy (5 Feb 2025)

James Browne: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual local authorities. Responsibility...