Latest news with #JamesBrowne
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wexford awarded funding of €150,000 to support Fleadh preparations
The Fleadh, which is widely regarded as the world's largest annual celebration of traditional Irish music, language, song and dance, will return to Wexford again on Sunday, August 3 to Sunday, August 10 this year. Speaking on the allocation of funds, Wexford native and The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD said that he has great local pride for the festival. "I can't wait myself for the Fleadh. It's a class event in terms of the focus on community and voluntary led events, showcasing our local pride with a burst of colour and sound,' he said. 'The Fleadh in Wexford is celebrating the living tradition, and has really focused on making performances and spaces accessible to a wide group of people of all ages and backgrounds. Even just getting to sit in on some of the competitions of every type of instrument is deadly. That's what the festival is best at. I want to acknowledge the trojan work of all the teams across Wexford County Council in hosting the Fleadh Cheoil.' He highlighted the major impact the Fleadh has on Irish and local tourism as well. "The Fleadh is a welcome boost for our local tourism, and will attract thousands visitors from home and abroad to the county. This funding I am an announcing today aims to assist the Council in ensuring the necessary infrastructure is in place to facilitate another successful Fleadh, which sees such a serious effort from all parts of the county,' he added. Similar funding of €150,000 was provided to Wexford County Council for the Fleadh Cheoil in 2024 last year, which saw great success with an estimated 650,000 joining in on the festivities.
Agriland
10 hours ago
- Business
- Agriland
Details of proposed planning 'exemption' for slurry storage set to be unveiled
A proposal will be brought before Cabinet today (Tuesday, July 29) that will set out the details of a planning exemption for slurry storage. It is understood that Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne will set out the proposals - which were drawn up by Minister of State for planning John Cummins - to Cabinet. These will exempt specific developments from the "requirement to seek planning permission" if they are particularly relevant for the agriculture or fishing sectors. Following on from discussions between the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, and Minister Cummins, it is expected that a timeline to bring forward the proposed planning exemption for slurry storage will be outlined. It is understood that this planning exemption for slurry storage could be place to coincide with the application window for the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) 3 this autumn and would be "prioritised" when the Dáil returns in September. The promise of a planning exemption for slurry storage was first dangled by the government last autumn. But just last month the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) had warned that the government's delay in announcing details of the proposed planning waiver had led to some farmers postponing investments in slurry storage. The ICMSA had said this was" "hugely regrettable" given the concerted efforts to to improve water quality. Earlier this year in May, Minister Heydon had confirmed that his department had submitted a range of proposals for changes to the exempted development regulations. At the time the minister had said that there was "no proposal to exempt all structures under the TAMS Nutrient Storage Scheme". It is understood that a four-week public consultation - expected to go live at 2pm today - will be launched on the "practical proposals" in relation to planning and structures that may be classified as exempted developments. These proposals aim to deliver "appropriate flexibility" on what may be carried out on agricultural land without the need for planning permission. Meanwhile, this four-week window will give farm organisations and any other interested party, including members of the public, an important opportunity to make submissions to the public consultation on Minister Cummins' proposals. Agriland understands that the public consultation document will set out the conditions of the proposal on planning exemption for slurry storage. It will set out that this exemption "in support of compliance with the nitrates directive, provide additional slurry storage capacity on farms with a total maximum capacity of no more than 1,500m3". The document also outlines that "consideration needs to be given to this aggregated total and appropriate separation distances between farm holdings and adjacent properties". "This aggregated total would include existing slurry storage exemption provisions associated with structures for the housing of animals under Class 6 and a new exemption for a stand-alone slurry storage tank of up to 1,000m3. "In the interest of animal welfare, increase the exemption under Class 6 in relation to animal housing size from 200m2 to 300m2".
Agriland
10 hours ago
- Business
- Agriland
Public consultation opens for planning permission exemptions
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne has today (July 29) announced a significant step in the review of the exempted development provisions. Minister Browne made the announcement along with departmental colleagues, the Minister of State for Planning, John Cummins, and the Minister of State for Older People, Kieran O'Donnell. Under these proposed changes, an applicant would no longer need to apply for and attain planning permission for certain types of developments. Increasing the number of development types from requiring planning permission is aimed at a reduction in smaller applications that may no longer require the need for a full planning permission process. This would free up local authority resources for larger-scale developments, particularly for housing, and additionally would allow homeowners to proceed with small-scale projects more quickly. Conducted as part of the implementation plan for the Planning and Development Act 2024, draft updated exempted development regulations are available to view online as part of the public consultation, starting today (July 29) and running until Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Minister Browne said the government are welcoming public submissions, which he believes will be a vital part of the considerations as the new regulations are drafted in the coming months. Speaking ahead of the consultation, Minister Browne said: "We are committed to exploring all routes to help meet the urgent demand for homes across the country and in our capital city. "The work being undertaken regarding exempted developments is one strand of our determination to unblock the planning system, and the work of our planners, so they can focus on and support us to delivery housing at the scale required." "Being able to easily and simply adapt dwellings to meet changing needs could have a significant impact on people's lives," Minister Browne added. Under the current review, proposed planning permission exemptions include:
Agriland
10 hours ago
- Business
- Agriland
Grant of Up to E20000 for Historic Thatched Buildings
Government grants of up to €20,000 are being made available under a scheme to preserve historic thatched buildings. The Housing, Local Government and Heritage has today (Friday, July 25) announced the opening of applications for the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) 2026, which includes a dedicated funding stream for historic thatched buildings. The department said the scheme supports owners and custodians of historic buildings to maintain and conserve the important structures which are an essential part of Ireland's cultural landscape. The scheme, administered through local authorities, provides grant aid of between €2,500 and €50,000 for works to buildings which are protected under the Planning and Development Acts. The funding is also available for vernacular buildings or historic shopfronts without statutory protection. Owners of thatched buildings can apply for dedicated funding for their heritage structures under the separate thatched buildings stream, though only one grant may be awarded per applicant. The department noted that the applicant must provide at least 20% of the project cost from non-state funding. The closing date for applications to local authorities is September 26, 2025. Successful projects will be announced in January 2026. Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne said that each year owners of Ireland's historic buildings help to preserve the architectural legacy of our towns and countryside. He noted that owners of these properties are contending with the higher costs and more complex requirements of maintaining older buildings. 'The Built Heritage Investment Scheme is a vital support to those people who have taken on the responsibility of protecting the architectural evidence of our past ways of life while also introducing new vitality into our historic buildings. "Whether through inheritance, family connection, the desire for a home, or out of a simple love for the history and character of older buildings, owners and occupiers of historically important structures make a daily contribution to the sense of tradition and character present in so many of our communities," he said. The minister encouraged anyone interested in availing of the grants to contact the architectural conservation officer or heritage officer in their local authority "as soon as possible". The BHIS is complemented by the Historic Structures Fund (HSF), a separate scheme focusing on grants of between €50,000 and €200,000 to assist larger-scale projects. Applications for the HSF will open towards the end of 2025.
Agriland
10 hours ago
- Business
- Agriland
531 new applications for turf cutting compensation scheme
The compensation scheme was established in 2011 but closed to new applicants in 2024. A total of 531 individuals applied to the Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme (CTCCS) following confirmation of the closure of the scheme in September 2024 to new applicants. According to Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, his department is currently processing the tranche of new applications. It is also in the processing "annual payments to over 2,200 applicants who are already qualified for the scheme". The Cessation of Turf Cutting Compensation Scheme was first established in 2011 for domestic turf cutters affected by restrictions on turf cutting on designated raised bogs. To qualify for the scheme the applicant had to have a legal interest/ownership or a turbary right in one of the 53 raised bog Special Areas of Conservation or 36 raised bog Natural Heritage Areas set out in the scheme on May, 25 2010. They also had to have the right to cut and remove turf from that property on that date. Any applicant to the scheme had to have been cutting turf on the land in question during the qualifying five-year period up to December 31, 2011 and the turf on site had not to have been exhausted. The compensation scheme included a payment of €1,500 per year, index-linked, for 15 years, or where it was feasible, relocation of turf cutters to non-designated bogs where they could continue to cut turf. Turf cutters who did want to relocate could also get a payment or the delivery of 15 tonnes of cut turf per annum while relocation sites were identified and prepared. The costs of acquiring and preparing relocation sites was met by the State. An additional once-off payment of €500 for qualifying turf cutters was also provided where legal agreements were signed with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. According to Minister Browne once an applicant has been assessed as qualifying for the compensation scheme it "generally takes one to two weeks for the persons payment to be processed and cleared".
