Results 161-180 of 6,997 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Disability Services (1 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The overarching aim of social housing support is to ensure that households who do not have sufficient resources to provide accommodation themselves to meet their needs are provided with adequate housing. It is open to anyone to apply for social housing support, applications for which are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) supports 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: Departmental Schemes (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: As previously advised, the Programme for Government states it will work with the Banks to expand the First Home Scheme to first time buyers of second-hand homes. This is being examined by my Department and I have requested the First Home Scheme to undertake the required analytical and technical work to examine the potential for such an expansion as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Cybersecurity Policy (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: My Department has recorded the following number of cyber incidents in the years requested.2022 :612023 : 52024: 24 My Department does not comment on operational security matters as it would be inappropriate to disclose information that may in any way assist those with malicious intent.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Reply not received from Department.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) Scheme was introduced on 1 April 2023 for tenants in private rental homes who are not in receipt of social housing supports but are at risk of homelessness because a landlord has served a valid Notice of Termination due to an intention to sell the property. The Local Authority conducts the initial assessment for eligibility of the tenant for this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The most recent Acquisition Cost Guidelines (ACGs) were issued in Q2 2024. The next update is due in Q2 2025. A copy of the ACGs has been provided to all local authorities and can be made available to public representatives on request.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Cybersecurity Policy (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The Department has recorded the following spends in cyber security measures in the given years. 2022 : €123,588.74 2023 : €484,344.75 2024: €765,210.80 While this outlines spend directly related to cyber security all aspects of ICT expenditure have a cyber-security requirement and therefore the actual investment in cyber-security is greater than the specific spend.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 288 and 289 together. 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. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Information on planning permissions granted is published quarterly by the Central Statistics Office. This includes data for planning permissions granted which can be broken down by type of dwelling, including for private flats and apartments and is available by local authority area. This data can be found at Dataset BHQ17 at the following link on CSO website: data.cso.ie/table/BHQ17....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Addressing vacancy and making efficient use of existing housing stock is a key priority for Government, as set out in Pathway 4 of Housing for All. The Vacant Homes Action Plan, published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. My Department publishes annual progress reports on the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Mar 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 Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: New dwelling completions data are published by the CSO on a quarterly basis and are available on its website at www.cso.ie. Completions disaggregated by dwelling type (scheme house, single house, apartment) are available at local authority level at data.cso.ie/table/NDQ06. My Department does not forecast new home completions in any year. Sectoral commentators are forecasting a wide...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The zoning of land for particular purposes, including housing, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: The zoning of land for particular purposes, including housing, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the NPF published in 2018) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297, 300, 301, 302, 303, 307 and 308 together. Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant introduced in July 2022, provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: Tenant in Situ Acquisitions were introduced by way of Government decision in 2023 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 for the affected tenants. A further Government decision extended such acquisitions into 2024 with...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Sites (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I can confirm that my Department received correspondence from Galway County Council wherein the matter of my Department’s support in respect of the Council’s proposed purchase of Dunguaire Castle was raised. My Department responded to the Council’s request confirming willingness to meet with the Council in order to discuss further the Council’s proposed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (27 Mar 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 305, 304 and 306 together. This Government retains a strong focus on the use of vacant and underutilised state owned and public land for housing. The Land Development Agency (LDA) was set up as a commercial semi-state body in 2018, and established on a statutory basis following the commencement of the Land Development Agency Act 2021 (the Act). ...