Results 141-160 of 7,615 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Programme for Government (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: As part of the Programme for Government, the Government committed to launching a new, comprehensive Starter Home programme across the public, private and AHB sector, which promotes home ownership and secures long-term rental tenures for young people and fresh start applicants. The Programme for Government sets out that the Starter Home programme will support and deliver an average of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The information requested is set out in the tables below. Staff by Grade - May 2024 & May 2025 Grade May 2024 May 2025 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER 60.00 73.00 ADVISORY COUNSEL GRADE 2 1.00 2.00 ADVISORY COUNSEL GRADE 3 4.00 4.00 ARCHAEOLOGIST 32.73...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. The Act provides that housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Coastal Protection (10 Jun 2025)

James Browne: It is clear that climate change is causing significant challenges for the entire planet, with many areas already experiencing more frequent extreme weather events, changes in rainfall patterns, and changes in temperature norms. Ireland is not immune from these challenges. As reported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its recently published National Climate Change Risk...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (29 May 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. Tailte Éireann has responsibility for valuation matters, including the revaluation of properties. Tailte Éireann is independent in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (29 May 2025)

James Browne: The Water Action Plan 2024 published by my Department sets out a roadmap to restore Ireland’s water bodies to ‘good status’ or better and to protect water from any further deterioration. In some instances, water bodies have been physically modified in the past to serve a beneficial specified use to society such as; a drinking water abstraction, a hydroelectric scheme, a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wildlife Conservation (29 May 2025)

James Browne: The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department is currently undertaking an important project to update wildlife legislation. This includes the Wildlife Act 1976, the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 and significant regulations made under these provisions. The project is examining closely the effectiveness of our...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 May 2025)

James Browne: The identification and assessment of potential sites for housing projects, is a matter for the relevant local authority (in this case South Dublin County Council), having regard to such factors as the suitability of the site and local housing need. My Department will consider any development proposal from South Dublin County Council in respect of the site in question in line with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (29 May 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current grant scheme and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The detailed operation of the Scheme is a matter for the designated local authorities in the first instance and their role is set out clearly in the 2022 Act. Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (29 May 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities have been making productive use of turnkey development opportunities to achieve delivery of new social housing since the commencement of Housing for All. Under the procurement arrangements that apply to such transactions, an initial 10% is usually paid as a deposit and the balance of the funding is provided on completion and delivery of the housing units in a 'turnkey'...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Community Development Projects (29 May 2025)

James Browne: A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is supporting a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Benefits (29 May 2025)

James Browne: A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rental market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Since 11 July 2022, each local authority has statutory discretion to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (29 May 2025)

James Browne: The Government recently published its National Counter Disinformation Strategy. The Strategy explores the challenge of disinformation in Ireland, its harmful effects on society and its complexity as a policy issue. It seeks to identify how the challenge of countering disinformation may be met. In the context of protecting the integrity of elections and referendums, the Strategy notes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks (29 May 2025)

James Browne: Through the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) my Department manages an extensive network of natural heritage sites including 8 National Parks. Our National Parks are state-owned lands, managed for nature conservation by the NPWS, or in some cases, the NPWS along with other public authorities, with a significant degree of sustainable visitor access and engagement. The NPWS does...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Legal Cases (29 May 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: Waste Management (29 May 2025)

James Browne: Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (29 May 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. The scheme is now open to applications in five counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (29 May 2025)

James Browne: Given the emphasis on continuing to achieve best value for Exchequer investment and in response to the continuing fluctuation in house prices, the cost guidelines for acquisitions of social housing units are updated on a regular basis (typically annually) to reflect movement in the market. My Department has very recently issued letters containing revised Acquisition Cost Guidelines (for use...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (29 May 2025)

James Browne: For 2025, Government has increased the funding available for second hand social housing acquisitions from the €60m allocated under Housing for All to €325m through the allocation of an additional €265m. The €325 million allocation has been made available to our local authorities for their social housing second-hand acquisitions activity in 2025, and this is part of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (29 May 2025)

James Browne: The Remediation of Dwellings Damage by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current grant scheme and related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023. The scheme facilitates the remediation of existing houses that have been damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks. The grant awarded to an applicant under the Scheme,...