Results 1,901-1,920 of 9,065 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Correspondence (7 May 2025)

James Browne: Under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented 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. Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that tenancies are sustainable and are advised...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Special Areas of Conservation (7 May 2025)

James Browne: EU Member States are required to designate areas as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to protect a variety of habitats and species under the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477 of 2011). SAC sites are part of a European network of Sites of Community Importance, known as the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 May 2025)

James Browne: A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented market. HAP rent limits are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment above the prescribed maximum rent limit. Since July 2022 this discretion level was...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (7 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: House Prices (7 May 2025)

James Browne: In April 2023 the Government introduced the temporary time-limited waiver for local authority “section 48” development contributions and a refund scheme for water and wastewater connection charges payable to Uisce Éireann. This was part of a suite of measures to help reduce housing construction costs and to incentivise increased housing supply. The schemes applied for 1...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Ministerial Responsibilities (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The functions of my Department are broad and complex, and following Government formation earlier this year, there is now an additional Minister of State assigned to the Department. We are working collaboratively with other Government Departments on Transfers of Functions. The process of assessing which specific functions and responsibilities are to be assigned to each of the Ministers of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Urban Development (7 May 2025)

James Browne: In keeping with the aims of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Project Ireland 2040, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) demonstrates a tailored approach to the provision of Government support for urban development projects. Over its planned duration to 2030, URDF funding support in excess of €2 billion will be targeted to support the regeneration and development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Heritage Schemes (7 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department funds two main grant schemes for the repair and conservation of protected structures and certain other historic buildings. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) provides grants of between €2,500 and €50,000 for a wide range of conservation works; the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) provides grants of between €50,000 and €200,000 for similar...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (7 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 Act provides for a letter of assurance which attaches to a dwelling and confers an entitlement to apply for a second grant under the scheme in respect of that dwelling, in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 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 Policy (7 May 2025)

James Browne: Requests for housing transfers are considered and determined solely by the relevant local authority concerned in accordance with that authority’s allocation scheme, which is made by the elected members under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and in compliance with Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011. In making their allocation schemes, authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (7 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 & 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Cycling Policy (7 May 2025)

James Browne: Details of the number of Cycle to Work Scheme applications processed by my Department in the timeframe requested are set out in the table below. Each application is administrated through the National Shared Services Office (NSSO). The scheme formed part of the July Stimulus Package 2020. Year Applications Processed 2020 36 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (7 May 2025)

James Browne: 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 private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 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: Departmental Funding (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The Government, on 29 April 2025, agreed to the establishment of a new Housing Activation Office (HAO) in the Department of Housing. This Office will engage and align key stakeholders in a practical way to address infrastructure barriers and enable housing development. It is envisaged that the Office will manage a multi-annual housing infrastructure budget under the new Towns and Cities...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (7 May 2025)

James Browne: The Basic Unit Costs (BUCs) formally referred to as Unit Cost Ceilings, specifically relate to social housing build projects developed directly by local authorities or approved housing bodies on their own land, using Public Works forms of contract. While not a record of actual delivery costs, the BUCs are based on an analysis of returned data from tendered social housing schemes and act as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 May 2025)

James Browne: My Departments Capital Assistance Scheme provides up to 100% capital funding to Approved Housing Body for the construction and acquisition of homes for priority categories of housing need to include persons with a Disability and a budget of €156 Million is available under the programme in 2025. Spending limits do not apply to housing provided under the Scheme with each project...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (7 May 2025)

James Browne: I understand that the question relates to my Department’s Design Manual for Quality Housing and the H15 unit type contained therein, which is a design approach for a Group Home or Community Dwelling usually used in the provision of housing for people with intellectual disability. There are currently three variations of the H15 design in the Design Manual for Quality Housing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Funding (7 May 2025)

James Browne: Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) funding is a capital support provided exclusively to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), through local authorities, to facilitate the financing of the acquisition and construction of social housing units, predominantly for general social housing needs. The resultant housing units are provided to local authorities for social housing use under long-term lease...