Written Answers Nos. 281-296
281. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to promote the expansion of the urban regeneration and development fund, across County Kerry to help address vibrancy of town and village centres, vacancy and dereliction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14857/25]
View answerA flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) supports a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan.
With regard to Kerry, Tralee and Killarney, as they both have a population in excess of 10,000, are the eligible towns under URDF. €35,035,939 in URDF support has been provided to Kerry County Council for their 5 successful proposals under the first two Calls for proposals, comprising of 17 individual projects. Under the third round of funding (Call 3), an allocation of €2,500,000 was issued to the Council for an approved programme of acquisitions to tackle long term vacancy and dereliction across their URDF eligible towns.
As set out in the Programme for Government, it is my intention to continue and expand URDF-type investment in projects as part of the new Towns and Cities Infrastructure Investment Fund. This will allow for investment in infrastructure, the acquisition of land, assembly of sites and the de-risking of sites in existing towns and cities to maximise their potential growth.
The detailed arrangements for the implementation of these funding streams will be clarified further following completion of the National Development Plan Review, which will enable the level of additional capital funding for infrastructure investment to be determined.
282. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 265 of 20 February 2025, for an update on the position affecting first time buyers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14652/25]
View answerAs previously advised, the Programme for Government states it will work with the Banks to expand the First Home Scheme to first time buyers of second-hand homes. This is being examined by my Department and I have requested the First Home Scheme to undertake the required analytical and technical work to examine the potential for such an expansion as soon as possible.
283. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of actual and attempted cyberattacks on his Department during each of the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, the countries of origin of those attacks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14694/25]
View answerMy Department has recorded the following number of cyber incidents in the years requested.
• 2022 :61
• 2023 : 5
• 2024: 24
My Department does not comment on operational security matters as it would be inappropriate to disclose information that may in any way assist those with malicious intent.
284. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he intends providing further funding for the private rightsizing scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14739/25]
View answerHousing for All commits to increasing the housing options available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence. The Housing for All policy objective to make more efficient use of existing housing stock includes exploring options to support and incentivise rightsizing on a voluntary basis. The Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future commits to reviewing and standardising the Older Persons Housing Financial Contribution Scheme. My Department continues to work on a broader policy approach on rightsizing which will also consider this commitment in the Programme for Government.
The oversight and practical management of housing waiting lists, including the application for, and allocation of, tenancies, is solely a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations. I understand that some local authorities support private rightsizing through financial contribution schemes.
285. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the overall budget given to the cost rental tenant-in-situ scheme, in 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14715/25]
View answerThe Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) Scheme was introduced on 1 April 2023 for tenants in private rental homes who are not in receipt of social housing supports but are at risk of homelessness because a landlord has served a valid Notice of Termination due to an intention to sell the property.
The Local Authority conducts the initial assessment for eligibility of the tenant for this Scheme and refers potential cases to the Housing Agency, which is responsible for administering and managing the Scheme on behalf of my Department, pending further policy development over the longer term.
The primary tenant eligibility condition for accessing Cost Rental housing also applies for eligibility for the CRTiS Scheme, which is a maximum net annual household income (less income tax, PRSI, USC and superannuation contributions) of €66,000 for Dublin and €59,000 in the rest of Ireland. Further details regarding this Scheme can be found at the following link: www.housingagency.ie/crtis.
The CRTiS scheme is demand led, and as such no overall budget has been set for the Scheme. The Housing Agency is funded by my Department to accept and review referrals from Local Authorities for the CRTiS Scheme and to acquire suitable properties. Funding in the order of €30.05m was provided to the Housing Agency in 2023, while a further €52.35m was provided in 2024,
Comprehensive data on social and affordable housing is published on my Department's website up to Quarter 3 2024, including completed acquisitions: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
286. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the acquisition cost guidelines will be released to local authorities; if he will insure that these guidelines are publicly available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14717/25]
View answerThe most recent Acquisition Cost Guidelines (ACGs) were issued in Q2 2024. The next update is due in Q2 2025.
A copy of the ACGs has been provided to all local authorities and can be made available to public representatives on request.
287. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total sum spent on cybersecurity measures within his Department during each of the years 2022, 2023 and 2024. [14676/25]
View answerThe Department has recorded the following spends in cyber security measures in the given years.
2022 : €123,588.74
2023 : €484,344.75
2024: €765,210.80
While this outlines spend directly related to cyber security all aspects of ICT expenditure have a cyber-security requirement and therefore the actual investment in cyber-security is greater than the specific spend.
288. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that the current wait time for an appointment with a Dublin City Council housing advisor is seven weeks; whether he believes this wait time is acceptable; and if he will outline steps he is taking to decrease these wait times. [14750/25]
View answer289. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the staffing levels in the Housing and Community Department of Dublin City Council, in each of the past five years, in tabular form; whether he believes the current staffing level is sufficient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14751/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 288 and 289 together.
Under section 159 of the Local Government act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions.
My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end, my Department gathers aggregate quarterly data on staff numbers in each local authority on a whole time equivalent basis. However, granular data, in terms of the detailed breakdown of the numbers and grades of staff allocated to specific work areas within local authorities is not collected and consequently is not available in my Department. The relevant information would be available from Dublin City Council.
Housing for All commits to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects. In 2021, the Housing Delivery Coordination Office (HDCO) engaged with each local authority to identify their additional staff requirements to deliver the social housing targets set out in Housing for All. Following this engagement, my Department approved funding for 8 additional posts in Dublin City Council to support social housing capital delivery. In addition, a further 12.5 posts dedicated to delivering affordable housing are being funded by my Department in Dublin City Council.
290. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of granted but not commenced planning applications for multi-unit apartment developments since 2020, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14810/25]
View answerInformation on planning permissions granted is published quarterly by the Central Statistics Office. This includes data for planning permissions granted which can be broken down by type of dwelling, including for private flats and apartments and is available by local authority area. This data can be found at Dataset BHQ17 at the following link on CSO website:
data.cso.ie/table/BHQ17. Information regarding the number of residential units commenced is collated by my Department and is also published on the CSO website via dataset HSM14 at the following link on the CSO website: data.cso.ie/table/HSM14.
This data is also available by dwelling type (including apartments) and per local authority area. It should be noted that this data relates to units commenced rather than permissions commenced, therefore the two datasets are not directly comparable in tabular form.
A key national policy objective under Housing for All, the Government’s national housing plan to 2030, is to build more homes within our cities and towns, resulting in compact growth and vibrant, liveable cities. Government therefore established the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Fund to support the delivery of residential apartments for sale to owner-occupiers in our cities.
The Scheme is a fund to support the building of apartments in the heart of our cities for sale to owner-occupiers and aims to bridge the current viability gap between the delivery cost of building apartments and the market sale price (where the cost of building is greater) and to activate un-commenced planning applications. The Scheme is managed by the Housing Agency on behalf of my Department with further details available at www.housingagency.ie/CroiConaitheCities.
Continuing to increase housing supply is key to meeting growing need within the housing market. Supply has increased significantly in recent years with some 125,000 new homes delivered since July 2020, with 92,500 of these delivered between 2022 and 2024 inclusive, exceeding the combined target for the period by over 5,000. New home commencement data released by my Department earlier this year show Commencement Notices lodged for around 69,000 homes in 2024, more than double the previous year. This brings the combined total for 2023 and 2024 to almost 102,000.
291. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he intends to extend the remit of vacant homes officers in local authorities, with a specific focus on bringing vacant commercial units back into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14811/25]
View answerAddressing 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. My Department publishes annual progress reports on the Action Plan outlining what has been achieved each year and plans for the year ahead, and this week I published the 2025 Progress Report.
My Department provides funding of €60,000 per annum to support each local authority's Vacant Homes Office, including a Vacant Homes Officer (VHO), this was increased from €50,000 in 2022. This supports the commitment in Housing for All to ensure that the VHO role in each local authority is fulltime. The provision of central funding reinforces the capacity of local authorities, including through the important role of VHOs, to ensure a dedicated focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction.
Since 2023, all 31 local authorities have a full-time VHO in place. They play a vital role in delivering and advancing measures to tackle vacancy and dereliction in each local authority. This work involves engaging with the owners of vacant and derelict properties and promoting uptake of supports such as the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, Repair and Leasing Scheme, as well as other initiatives such as the Planning regulations which exempt certain vacant commercial premises from requiring planning permission to change to residential purposes.
VHOs are also expected to coordinate with colleagues across the local authority in Planning, Derelict Sites and other teams in their local authority with the overarching objective of tackling vacancy. VHOs across local authorities are supported in their work by the Vacant Homes Unit in my Department and by the Housing Agency.
Tackling vacancy is also key part of the Town Centre First initiative which is a whole-of-government policy framework to address the decline in the health of towns and support measures to revitalise them. Dedicated Town Regeneration Officers are now established within local authorities, working closely with VHOs and others to comprehensively develop regeneration and investment plans locally.
292. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he will take to increase the availability of affordable housing in Carlow and Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14815/25]
View answerAffordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of the Government’s housing policy. As detailed under Housing for All, the Government plans to deliver 54,000 affordable homes, including 36,000 affordable purchase and 18,000 cost rental homes, by 2030. A comprehensive implementation strategy is in place to support the various affordable housing schemes now being delivered by a range of delivery partners.
Local authorities, including Carlow and Kilkenny County Councils, have carried out a Housing Needs and Demand Assessment in their areas. On foot of this assessment, both local authorities have developed and published their Housing Delivery Action Plans, outlining their plans to deliver social and affordable housing during the 2022-2026 period. Each local authority's Delivery Action Plan is available on their official website.
The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) is available to all local authorities to assist towards the cost of developing affordable housing at locations where significant affordability needs have been identified. My Department, the Housing Agency and Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office of the Local Government Management Agency continue to be available to assist local authorities in relation to ongoing development of their affordable housing delivery programmes.
In addition, the First Home Scheme supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model, similar to that employed in the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. Further, since September 2023, the First Home Scheme now supports those who wish to build their own home. The scheme is available nationwide and more information can be found on the First Home Scheme website.
Other measures such as the Local Authority Home Loan, the Local Authority Purchase and Renovation Scheme, the Help to Buy Incentive, and the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant are also available nationwide to help make home ownership more affordable.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and delivery partners in each local authority area. Data for the years 2022 up to Q3 2024 is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/?#affordable-housing-delivery.
293. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of new homes completed in counties Carlow and Kilkenny in 2024; his expectations for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14816/25]
View answerNew dwelling completions data are published by the CSO on a quarterly basis and are available on its website at www.cso.ie.
Completions disaggregated by dwelling type (scheme house, single house, apartment) are available at local authority level at data.cso.ie/table/NDQ06.
My Department does not forecast new home completions in any year.
Sectoral commentators are forecasting a wide range for new home completions this year, with published forecasts suggesting somewhere between 32,000 to 38,000 new homes might be delivered this year. These forecasts will fluctuate as the year progresses, with a more certain picture likely only emerging towards year-end.
294. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of hectares of land owned by Kilkenny County Council, and Carlow County Council, zoned for housing; the nationwide figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14817/25]
View answerThe zoning of land for particular purposes, including housing, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development plan or an LAP is a reserved function of the elected members of each authority.
It should be noted in the first instance that the zoning of land within a development plan or a local area plan is not broken down on the basis of individual sites or parcels of land in individual ownerships. My Department therefore does not have the requested details for local authorities available.
However, the Land Development Agency (LDA) has developed the State Lands Database which provides a detailed and mapped representation of the extent and location of lands owned by public bodies including local authorities in Ireland.
Details of the zoning status of lands identified in the State Lands Database are available as part of the information provided by the LDA. This zoning information is sourced from the MyPlan.ie platform which amalgamates the zoning information from statutory City and County Development Plans nationally.
The LDA has also completed the Register of Relevant Lands, being lands owned by local authorities and bodies listed under Schedule 1 and 2 of the Land Development Agency Act 2021, in urban population areas greater than 10,000.
Both the State Lands Database and the Register of Relevant Lands are also available in an online map format on the LDA website at the following link: lda.ie/register-of-relevant-lands/map/.
295. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action being taken to ensure that additional land is zoned for housing in Carlow and Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14818/25]
View answerThe zoning of land for particular purposes, including housing, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development plan or an LAP is a reserved function of the elected members of each authority.
In preparing their statutory plans, including in relation to the zoning of land for particular purposes, the elected members are required to consider and be consistent with, as appropriate, the National Planning Framework, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and relevant Ministerial planning guidelines.
The National Planning Framework (NPF) (2018), together with the National Development Plan 2021 (NDP), combine to form Project Ireland 2040, the overarching planning and investment framework for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland.
The NPF sets out high-level national policies and objectives, which are essential to achieving proper planning and sustainable development, with a clear vision to guide future development and investment decisions. The strategy sets out the spatial planning policy approach to accommodating projected population growth to 2040 in a manner which delivers balanced regional development. Since the NPF was first published in 2018, the regional strategies and local authority development plans have largely been updated to reflect the objectives of the NPF.
In 2023, Government approved the commencement of the process of revising the current NPF, and a Draft Revised NPF was published for public consultation in July 2024. The finalisation of the approval process for the Revised NPF plays a key role in delivering on our broader objectives across Government, and in particular the scaling up of housing supply over the coming years.
Subject to the approval of Government and the Houses of the Oireachtas, the NPF Revision process will be finalised and this will allow the Revised NPF to take effect in the planning system.
The final Revised NPF will provide the basis for the review and updating of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) and local authority development plans to reflect matters such as updated housing figures, projected jobs growth and renewable energy capacity allocations, including through the zoning of land for residential, employment and a range of other purposes.
In relation to housing, the Draft Revised NPF published in 2024 sets out a need to plan for the delivery of approximately 50,000 additional homes per annum every year to 2040.
The NPF does not zone land and the key next step further to the finalisation of the NPF Revision is to address, through the issuing of further policy direction by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the spatial distribution of the housing requirement by local authority area through the provision of updated planned housing requirements on a local authority by local authority basis. This translation of updated NPF population and housing figures to the local authority level will facilitate development plans being updated, to ensure that a strategic plan-led approach to future housing development is provided that is based on the relevant up to date legislative and policy framework.
296. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on proposed new rural planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14819/25]
View answerSince the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the NPF published in 2018) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment and adapting to and mitigating climate change have become more central to the operation of the planning system.
Updated Rural Housing Guidelines are currently being considered by my Department. The updated guidelines will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of the National Planning Framework (NPF), in particular on National Policy Objective (NPO) 19 which relates to rural housing. This objective makes a clear policy distinction between rural areas under urban influence (i.e. areas within the commuter catchment of cities, towns and centres of employment) on the one hand, and structurally weaker rural areas where population levels may be low or declining, on the other. NPO 19 is also aligned with the established approach whereby considerations of social or economic need are to be applied by planning authorities in rural areas under urban influence.
The draft Rural Housing Guidelines will set out relevant planning criteria to be applied in local authority development plans for rural housing, based on the high level policy framework set by the NPF. The guidelines will continue to allow county development plans to provide for housing in the countryside based on the considerations detailed in NPO 19 of the NPF, and will also highlight the need to manage development in certain areas, such as the areas around cities and larger towns and environmentally sensitive areas, in order to avoid over-development.
While planning policy is a national, as opposed to an EU competence, due care is being taken to ensure the updated guidelines will not operate to conflict with fundamental EU freedoms, comply with EU environmental legislative requirements and have due regard to decisions of the European Court of Justice. The draft planning guidelines will address these complex environmental and legal issues, while also providing a framework for the sustainable management of housing in rural areas.
To ensure compliance with all of these considerations, the Guidelines will need to be subject to environmental assessment and legal review, following which it is intended that they will be published for a period of public consultation.
