Results 1,601-1,620 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

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,...

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. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. Information in relation to the collection of commercial rates is...

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

James Browne: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) 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. Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, the Minister is specifically precluded...

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

James Browne: The final revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was approved by Government and both Houses of the Oireachtas in April 2025. This concluded the revision process and allows the revised NPF to take effect in the planning system. Updated Rural Housing Guidelines are currently being prepared by my Department. The updated guidelines will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Marine Protected Areas (28 May 2025)

James Browne: The Government is fully committed to the protection and preservation of our underwater cultural heritage as outlined in the Programme for Government. Work is currently underway within the National Monuments Service of my Department on a draft National Strategy to protect Ireland's underwater cultural heritage. It is anticipated that this will be ready for public consultation later this year....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 254 together. Local authorities play a vital role in addressing the biodiversity emergency. The Local Biodiversity Action Fund (LBAF) operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department provides funding to assist local authorities with the implementation of projects that promote actions in the 4th National Biodiversity...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (28 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 282 together. The Planning and Development Act 2024 was enacted in October 2024 and is in the process of being commenced. The provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001 remain in force until the relevant sections of the Act of 2024 are commenced and the corresponding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (28 May 2025)

James Browne: The Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for priority categories of need including tenants-in-situ who have been in receipt of supports under HAP or RAS and who had received a Notice of Termination. For 2025, Government has increased the funding available for second hand social housing acquisitions from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (28 May 2025)

James Browne: The Land Development Agency (LDA) is a key delivery partner in the Government’s delivery of affordable and social homes, co-ordinating housing delivery on relevant public lands within State control and activating key underutilised public sites to maximise housing delivery. Government maintains a strong focus on the use of vacant and underutilised public land for housing and has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 May 2025)

James Browne: Housing for All includes 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 local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (28 May 2025)

James Browne: Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment which is being provided for the delivery of Housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available of €6.8 billion. The capital provision is...