Results 1-20 of 9,394 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (19 Nov 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (19 Nov 2025)

James Browne: S.I. No. 99/2023 does not specify a statutory upper limit for chlorine in drinking water. However, these regulations do set parametric values for chlorate and chlorite* which are compounds containing chlorine, reflecting the recast Drinking Water Directive requirements. Water suppliers add chlorine during drinking water treatment to disinfect the water to kill harmful bacteria, thus...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (19 Nov 2025)

James Browne: Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, as amended, and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. A household shall be ineligible for social housing support if that household has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Legislative Measures (19 Nov 2025)

James Browne: My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Section 2 of the Housing Act 1988 outlines how local authorities can form an opinion on whether or not an individual/household shall be regarded as homeless, while section...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (19 Nov 2025)

James Browne: An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent Electoral Commission, was established on 9 February 2023 in accordance with the relevant provisions of Part 2 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022. An Coimisiún's research, advisory and public information function will see it carry out research on electoral policy and procedure. An Coimisiún is also empowered to advise...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (19 Nov 2025)

James Browne: My Department's Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) provides grant funding to local authorities to upgrade their social housing stock to a minimum B2 BER rating. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme out to 2030. Works eligible under the EERP include attic and cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (19 Nov 2025)

James Browne: The Programme for Government commits to 'Require local authorities to provide tenant names to AHBs before project completion for quicker move-ins', and the new Housing Plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030 builds on this commitment with the following action: “Update the Code of Practice for local authority nominations to AHBs to:expedite the nomination...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (19 Nov 2025)

James Browne: As with all Exchequer funded projects, the Department as approving authority, assesses each project for suitability, value for money and compliance with the various requirements of applicable funding scheme before approval is issued. My Department also publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), which provides detailed programme-level information on the status of social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 Nov 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 538, 611, 619 and 629 together. I have established a Housing Activation Office in my Department to coordinate and accelerate the delivery of infrastructure projects needed to enable housing development. The Office is actively engaged in identifying barriers to housing delivery and is coordinating with local authorities and infrastructure agencies to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tourism Policy (18 Nov 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 547 and 548 together. On 15 April, Government approved the General Scheme for the Short Term Letting and Tourism (STLT) Bill. This Bill, when enacted, will provide the statutory basis for the introduction of regulatory controls including a register for Short Term Lettings (STL) in Ireland, to be implemented and managed by Fáilte Ireland from 20 May...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social Welfare Schemes (18 Nov 2025)

James Browne: The concept of a Housing Passport, intended to facilitate eligible social housing applicants to access social housing in any local authority of their preference has been considered by my Department in consultation with local authorities. An initial scoping exercise was carried out by my Department which identified a range of practical and administrative issues, including those related to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 Nov 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 550 and 551 together. The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). The First Home Scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (18 Nov 2025)

James Browne: A Stage 3 proposal for this development was received in my Department on 21 October 2025. It is currently being reviewed by my Department's technical advisers and a response will issue to Cavan County Council shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (18 Nov 2025)

James Browne: On 10 June 2025, the Government approved policy measures, including modifications to rent controls, to come into effect on 1 March 2026 in order to boost investment in the supply of homes available for rent and keep existing landlords in the market. The changes agreed will also provide significantly stronger tenancy protections and are finely balanced between the interests of tenants and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Strategies (18 Nov 2025)

James Browne: A draft Statement of Strategy has been prepared and submitted to me in accordance with statutory obligations. The draft is currently under consideration and will be submitted to Government for approval once finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Parks and Wildlife Service (18 Nov 2025)

James Browne: The percentage of the capital budget allocation for the National Parks and Wildlife Service spent in the first ten months of 2023, 2024 and 2025 is as follows: - 2023 2024 2025 % capital budget allocation spent to end October 50% 62% 40%

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (18 Nov 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 are also legally obliged to ensure all of their tenanted properties are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authorities (18 Nov 2025)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 562, 587, 598 and 600 together. 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) in each local authority, on a local authority basis. Data on social housing delivery against targets is also published. This data is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Health and Safety (18 Nov 2025)

James Browne: Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of my Department. Tailte Éireann provide a property registration system, property valuation service, and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. Under Section 8(6) of the Tailte Éireann Act 2022. Tailte Éireann is independent in the performance of its functions. Tailte...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (18 Nov 2025)

James Browne: Under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, local authorities are required to maintain a derelict sites register, of any land which, in the opinion of the local authority, is a derelict site. Section 8(5) of the Act, provides that "The register shall be kept at the offices of the local authority and shall be available for inspection at the offices of the local authority during office hours." A...