Results 1,801-1,820 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The Uisce Éireann Strategic Funding Plan 2025-2029 was approved in November 2024 and sets out an ambitious capital investment plan to address historic under-investment in water services, and to make necessary improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure including new capacity to facilitate growth. The €1 billion in capital investment in Uisce Éireann was in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (14 May 2025)

James Browne: In my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 1224 of 29 April 2025, I provided information to you on the funding allocations to the local authorities for their social housing second-hand acquisitions activity in 2025, including the proportion of the funding that had been recouped to them by my Department. In respect of information on the level of funding that was committed to but may not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services (14 May 2025)

James Browne: Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual projects is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own internal governance structures. Uisce Éireann publishes annual water supply and waste water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (14 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 Schemes (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The Affordable Housing Act 2021 established a framework to make affordable housing available, setting up affordable purchase and cost rental schemes for delivery by key housing partners. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and by key delivery partners in each local authority area. Data for the years...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Development Companies (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The Community Car Initiative (CCI) was put in place as a temporary measure to support the Offer a Home scheme, which sought the use of unoccupied homes to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection from Ukraine (BoTPs). An underlying principle of CCI was to minimise the number of properties that would be unsuitable due to their location and possible lack of transport links. The CCI was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The main emphasis of the Government remains on constructing new homes and that unquestionably, is the correct approach, however I am pleased that 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (14 May 2025)

James Browne: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2024, is available on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-ass...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, both of which prohibit the spreading of invasive species. In addition, in July 2024, my Department led on the introduction of the European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024 which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (14 May 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 – Progress Report 2025, launched in March, sets out the significant progress that has been achieved across government under objectives contained in Pathway 4 of Housing for All in 2024 and the further steps...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Election Management System (14 May 2025)

James Browne: Local authorities, in their capacity as registration authorities, are responsible for the management and maintenance of the electoral register. It is the duty of each authority to ensure, as far as possible, and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and completeness of the Register in respect of its own administrative area. The Electoral Reform Act 2022 provided for significant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (14 May 2025)

James Browne: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Coastal Erosion (14 May 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. In particular, the predictions for sea level rise this century, associated with increasing temperatures due to...

Housing and Critical Infrastructure: Motion [Private Members] (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. I echo the comments made by the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, and reassert the Government's commitment to tackling challenges in the housing sector and with regard to critical infrastructure. We know these challenges are having a very real impact on people's lives. We understand the urgency and the need to ensure sufficient homes are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rural Schemes (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 651, 675 and 676 together. The Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP) is the main funding stream providing capital funding to address the challenges faced by rural dwellers with their water services. Under the MARWP there is one specific measure that is providing funding to local authorities for projects to address the wastewater collection and treatment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 652 and 782 together. My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People scheme, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility Aids...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (13 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 653, 654, 707 and 708 together. While the Planning and Development Act 2024 was enacted in October 2024, it is not yet commenced and the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended and associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001 remain in force. A review of the current Exempted Development Regulations is ongoing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (13 May 2025)

James Browne: A Government decision in December 2023 agreed that a working group should be established to examine a sustainable funding model for the LDA, and that it will report to the Housing for All Investment Group. The Housing for All Investment Group is chaired by the Department of Finance and the Department of An Taoiseach is the secretariat to the group. The Terms of Reference consist of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Land Development Agency (13 May 2025)

James Browne: Part 9 of the Land Development Agency Act 2021 provides that planning permission will be granted for residential development on land that was relevant public land on 1 January 2023 on condition that a certain percentage of dwellings on the land are designated and leased as cost rental, or, transferred to the ownership of the planning authority, or, to a Local Authority Affordable Purchase...