Results 1-20 of 7,010 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 May 2025)

James Browne: A proposal for a mixed tenure development at Tober Ciúin, Ardmore, Co Waterford was received by my Department from Waterford City and County Council. The proposal, which will deliver twenty social housing units, aligned with the Council’s housing needs assessment was approved by my Department on 20 February 2024. Following receipt of approval, Waterford City and County Council...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 May 2025)

James Browne: A proposal for a mixed tenure development at Fairlane, Dungarvan, Co Waterford was received by my Department from Waterford City and County Council. A stage 1 proposal for a project which will deliver in the region of 70 housing units, was approved by my Department in March 2024. The breakdown of tenure type is not yet confirmed. Waterford City and County Council has advised that a stage...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Comprehensive data on social and affordable housing is published on my Department's website up to Quarter 4 2024, including completed acquisitions:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 May 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 264 and 265 together. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website. Data in relation to Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) can be found on my Department’s website at this link:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 May 2025)

James Browne: My Department does not hold data on Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) by local electoral area, but rather collects and publishes data by local authority area. My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website. Data in relation to active RAS tenancies for each of the last...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (1 May 2025)

James Browne: Galway City Council submitted staffing sanction requests for 91 posts to my Department during the period 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2025, the sanction requests were in respect of both new and replacement posts. This number broken down by year is detailed in the following table: Galway City Council Number of Posts Requested 01/01/24 to 31/12/24 ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (1 May 2025)

James Browne: It is expected that a resolution to the legislative complexities that exist between the Local Government Acts and Official Languages Act may require primary legislation to resolve. The matter will be considered further by my Department in consultation with the relevant officials from the Gaeltacht division, which is currently part of a transfer of functions to the Department of Rural and...

Final Draft Revised National Planning Framework: Motion (30 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the Final Draft Revised National Planning Framework, as approved by the Government on 8th April, 2025; a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 22nd April, 2025 together with the Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report, the Post-Consultation Natura Impact Statement, the Post-Consultation Strategic Flood Risk...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (30 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (30 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 to 94, inclusive, together. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department has responsibility for the designation of the Lady's Island Lake Special Protection Area under Statutory Instrument 69 of 2010 and the Lady's Island Lake Special Area of Conservation under Statutory Instrument 292 of 2018. The NPWS carries out certain nature...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Staff (30 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department does not employ any staff in the Grades of Senior Mapping Manager or Superintendent of Mapping. We do not generally keep a record of the qualifications held by staff members and accordingly there may be staff working in various roles in the Department who are qualified in this area but who have applied for different positions.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (30 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The 2021 Review of the Mortgage to Rent Scheme was published by my Department in January 2022 and is available on my Department's website. One key priority action from this Review was to broaden the eligibility criteria of the scheme and this was implemented in February 2022. This included changes to the positive equity and property acquisition limits and more flexibility on...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The housing adaptation grant was increased. The grant is very important, and we will be keeping it under review as we move forward.

Uisce Éireann: Statements (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: I welcome the opportunity to reflect on the tremendous progress that has been made in water services in Ireland and the ongoing efforts of the Government and Uisce Éireann in this area. I assure the House that securing a safe and reliable water supply is a top priority for the Government, as is securing water services to facilitate housing development in all parts of the country. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Expenditure Reviews (10 Apr 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 the Offer a Home scheme was to minimise the number of properties offered that would be declined due to their location and possible lack of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Conservation (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The EU Water Reuse Regulations, came into effect in June 2023, these Regulations seek to facilitate and encourage the practice of reusing treated wastewater for irrigation in agriculture. My Department undertook an ‘Evaluation of the Applicability of the Water Reuse for Agricultural Irrigation in Ireland’. The evaluation concluded that water reuse for agricultural...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Apr 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: Departmental Funding (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: The Government is providing ongoing, 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 received a valid, no-fault Notice of Termination. The other priority categories for second-hand acquisitions are properties that allow persons/families...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (10 Apr 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. In March I published the 2025 Progress Report which shows the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (10 Apr 2025)

James Browne: My Department provides funding to local authorities on an ongoing basis as housing projects are progressed and claims fall due for payment in line with the relevant scheme conditions. Funding only becomes owed to a local authority once all of the necessary documentation has been received and checked and the claims involved are deemed to be in order for payment. As such, the position in...