Results 21-40 of 9,394 for speaker:James Browne

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

James Browne: Given the scale and diversity of functions and priorities, my Department does not maintain a fixed list of vacancies. According as posts are vacated, these are assessed against overall demand for resources meaning that the allocation of staffing is always directed towards the most critical areas. My Department keeps staffing matters under constant review in order to ensure that priority posts...

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

James Browne: The EU Short Term Rental (STR) Regulation was adopted by the EU on 11 April 2024 and is applicable from 20 May 2026. This Regulation lays down harmonised rules on the collection and exchange of data on short-term rental services for member states, hosts providing short-term accommodation rental services, and online platforms that offer services to hosts providing short-term accommodation...

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

James Browne: The EU Short Term Rental (STR) Regulation was adopted by the EU on 11 April 2024 and is applicable from 20 May 2026. This Regulation lays down harmonised rules on the collection and exchange of data on short-term rental services for member states, hosts providing short-term accommodation rental services, and online platforms that offer services to hosts providing short-term accommodation...

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

James Browne: My Department received a SHIP Funding Application from Wicklow County Council to construct 140 new social homes at the Rehills site in Bray Co Wicklow in June 2025. Upon review, my Department stated its significant concerns about the high overall costs, particularly abnormal costs, primarily relating to the provision of a vehicular access bridge. On 24 October 2025 my Department wrote...

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

James Browne: Details of EU funding received in my Department are set out in Appendix 2 to the Revised Estimates for Public Services (REV) which is available at the following link. assets.gov.ie/static/documents/Revised_Estimates_for_Public_ Services_2025.pdf. The final outturn on EU funding received is set out in the annual Appropriation Account for my Department.

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

James Browne: My Department, through the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM), supports fire authorities by establishing fire service policy, setting national standards for fire safety and fire service provision, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mother and Baby Homes (18 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 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Grant Payments (18 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 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 584, 589 and 590 together. 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, along...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 586 and 667 together. My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People, to assist those in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants, which include the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid...

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

James Browne: My Department is in the process of commencing the Act of 2024 on a phased basis, to facilitate the transition to the new legislation across the planning system and taking into account the need to liaise with local authorities, planning bodies and other stakeholders. A detailed implementation plan is available at www.gov.ie/planning. It should be noted that the existing provisions in the...

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

James Browne: My Department undertakes the Lead Government Department role, as set out in the Strategic Emergency Management (SEM) Framework (2017), in relation to the coordination of national level responses to severe weather and flooding emergencies, where warranted. My Department's National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management undertakes this role and works closely with local authority...

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

James Browne: A summary of the legal costs incurred by my Department in defending judicial reviews of planning decisions for each of the years 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025 is provided in the table below. My Department seeks, where possible, to minimise legal costs and avails of the services of the Chief State Solicitor's Office, the Attorney General's Office and the State Claims Agency in the...

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

James Browne: Affordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of Government’s housing policy, as embodied within the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030. The plan reinforces and expands the range of existing measures being implemented by Government to tackle the issues of supply and affordability, thereby supporting the increased provision of new...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 601 and 602 together. The 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. Overall, over 16,900 affordable housing solutions have been delivered by our range of delivery partners since 2021, including 318 in Wexford...

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

James Browne: The Apartments and Duplex Defects Remediation Scheme is expected to be established shortly after the passage of the legislation, the timeline for which is subject to Oireachtas process. The General Scheme of the Bill has been made available to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny, scheduled to take place later this month. The drafting of the legislation is also being progressed. This...

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

James Browne: The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, introduced in July 2022 under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, 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 of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be...

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

James Browne: On 24 October 2025 my Department wrote to Wicklow County Council to inform them that they are not in a position to approve the SHIP Stage 1 application in its current form. My Department is willing to consider a revised submission and remains available to work with the council to develop a viable solution for the Rehills site. In the coming months I will be bringing forward a new...

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

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 606, 607 and 608 together. My Department has not received a funding application from Wicklow County Council in respect of Kilbride Lodge, Bray, County Wicklow and as such does not hold the information requested in the question. This information may be available from Wicklow County Council directly. Government is fully committed to working with all...

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

James Browne: Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. I have no role in relation to operational matters. Under the Water Services Acts 2013 (as amended), Uisce Éireann is accountable to the Public Accounts Committee and it is subject to dual audit by the Comptroller and Auditor...