Written Answers Nos. 547-564
547. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the number of properties purchased under the tenant in situ scheme at a national level in 2025, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37857/25]
View answer548. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the number of properties purchased under the tenant in situ scheme at a national level since this scheme was launched, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37858/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 547 and 548 together.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis for social housing delivery, including numbers of completed social housing acquisitions by local authorities. Those statistics show that 1,829 such acquisitions were completed in 2023 by the local authorities, with 1,081 of these being tenant in situ. In 2024, 1,501 were completed with 1,054 of the these being tenant in situ. This data 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/, and is broken down by each local authority.
The figures for Q1 2025 are being collated and verified at this time and the results of same will be issued on the Departments website shortly.
549. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the total amount of money spent at a national level under the tenant-in-situ scheme since this scheme was launched; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37859/25]
View answer550. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the total amount of money spent at a national level under the tenant-in-situ scheme since this scheme was launched, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37860/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 549 and 550 together.
The funding of local authority acquisitions, including tenant in situ, is in the main through my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP). The table below set out the funding provided to local authorities under SHIP for their acquisitions activity, including those for tenant in situ which was introduced in 2023.
The expenditure covers all areas of acquisitions activity, such as funding the purchase price, the legal and professional fees to transact the sale and also necessary refurbishment works required to the property. Note that expenditure in a year can include costs on a property not necessarily delivered in that year.
|
LA |
2023 Expenditure |
2024 Expenditure |
2025 Expenditure to date |
|
Carlow |
€4,537,053 |
€3,349,519 |
€753,627 |
|
Cavan |
€4,005,091 |
€3,170,440 |
€641,527 |
|
Clare |
€2,708,883 |
€3,368,912 |
€586,519 |
|
Cork City |
€17,621,467 |
€34,480,254 |
€8,367,354 |
|
Cork County |
€12,655,027 |
€27,675,697 |
€4,380,594 |
|
Donegal |
€163,409 |
€1,293,238 |
€763,985 |
|
Dublin City |
€84,396,625 |
€97,725,205 |
€38,237,362 |
|
DLR |
€3,653,280 |
€10,168,405 |
€1,315,060 |
|
Fingal |
€9,503,429 |
€31,109,755 |
€8,563,647 |
|
Galway City |
€9,685,638 |
€12,724,495 |
€1,966,362 |
|
Galway County |
€681,843 |
€5,160,979 |
€773,527 |
|
Kerry |
€2,744,227 |
€3,239,329 |
€1,786,628 |
|
Kildare |
€18,173,622 |
€21,373,864 |
€5,612,750 |
|
Kilkenny |
€3,369,754 |
€2,479,680 |
€267,071 |
|
Laois |
€3,639,900 |
€1,871,619 |
€296,853 |
|
Leitrim |
€2,049,185 |
€2,137,375 |
€511,092 |
|
Limerick |
€7,213,467 |
€18,055,376 |
€1,403,208 |
|
Longford |
€2,885,578 |
€4,582,267 |
€1,127,992 |
|
Louth |
€16,914,244 |
€26,174,106 |
€1,860,876 |
|
Mayo |
€2,748,046 |
€4,475,291 |
€1,056,231 |
|
Meath |
€6,366,050 |
€10,270,551 |
€1,853,469 |
|
Monaghan |
€1,798,308 |
€4,618,688 |
€918,657 |
|
Offaly |
€2,988,914 |
€3,731,304 |
€147,051 |
|
Roscommon |
€3,742,132 |
€2,300,709 |
€499,435 |
|
Sligo |
€2,002,609 |
€4,803,062 |
€1,912,266 |
|
South Dublin |
€9,263,762 |
€38,046,285 |
€0 |
|
Tipperary |
€9,584,346 |
€10,558,166 |
€2,532,082 |
|
Waterford |
€7,270,554 |
€10,310,743 |
€4,070,301 |
|
Westmeath |
€8,529,153 |
€13,215,921 |
€521,041 |
|
Wexford |
€3,166,876 |
€6,234,695 |
€2,239,636 |
|
Wicklow |
€10,568,527 |
€4,221,174 |
€3,401,293 |
551. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the average purchase price of a property purchased under the tenant-in-situ scheme since this scheme was launched, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37861/25]
View answer552. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the average purchase price of a property purchased under the tenant-in-situ scheme since this scheme was launched, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37862/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 551 and 552 together.
The funding of local authority acquisitions, including tenant in situ, is in the main through my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP). The table below sets out the average purchase price of a property purchased under the tenant-in-situ scheme from the initiation of the scheme in 2023.
The delivery numbers for Q1 2025 are being collated and verified at this time therefore the average cost for Q1 2025 will be available when that process concludes.
|
LA |
Average Purchase Cost 2024 |
Average Purchase Cost 2023 |
|
Carlow |
178,462 |
188,929 |
|
Cavan |
196,000 |
222,500 |
|
Clare |
232,000 |
212,577 |
|
Cork City |
284,878 |
281,029 |
|
Cork County |
260,336 |
244,478 |
|
DLR |
465,467 |
456,563 |
|
Donegal |
187,500 |
- |
|
Dublin City |
323,758 |
314,405 |
|
Fingal |
329,621 |
345,127 |
|
Galway City |
292,000 |
274,750 |
|
Galway County |
225,800 |
203,500 |
|
Kerry |
230,250 |
236,875 |
|
Kildare |
259,565 |
257,146 |
|
Kilkenny |
236,143 |
258,991 |
|
Laois |
228,333 |
196,625 |
|
Leitrim |
205,833 |
190,000 |
|
Limerick |
258,875 |
216,143 |
|
Longford |
161,042 |
173,250 |
|
Louth |
254,274 |
250,478 |
|
Mayo |
188,929 |
167,611 |
|
Meath |
264,907 |
267,971 |
|
Monaghan |
161,250 |
198,696 |
|
Offaly |
162,750 |
184,636 |
|
Roscommon |
178,313 |
185,682 |
|
Sligo |
200,632 |
173,000 |
|
South Dublin |
348,930 |
307,794 |
|
Tipperary |
194,963 |
185,513 |
|
Waterford |
193,150 |
217,103 |
|
Westmeath |
210,273 |
214,378 |
|
Wexford |
196,979 |
188,583 |
|
Wicklow |
311,500 |
271,333 |
553. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will identify the additional level of funding required by Galway City and County Council as a result of Storm Éowyn, and whether the required additional funding will be provided via the Local Government Fund, must be sourced from their respective budgets or will come from given State funding streams or programmes; and if this source of funding will be identified. [37926/25]
View answer554. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has had any engagement with Galway City and County Council in relation to cost of the damage of storm Éowyn; the level of expenditure used for humanitarian assistance; whether these costs will be provided. [37927/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 553 and 554 together.
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 Severe Weather Assessment Teams and Met Éireann.
Local authorities are designated as the lead agencies for coordinating a response to flooding and severe weather emergencies. All local authorities have an established Severe Weather Assessment Team in place, monitoring Met Éireann weather warnings, High Tide Advisories and the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) advisory warnings. Local authorities also have Severe Weather/ Flood Plans in place to support the response to weather emergencies.
Since 2009, my Department has made financial support of over €100 million available to assist local authorities in meeting the unbudgeted costs of clean-up and necessary immediate works, including for exceptional overtime payments, the hire of plant and heavy machinery, the purchase of materials required for the clean-up and the hire of contractors associated with significant severe weather emergency events.
This is in recognition of the exceptional nature of the activities carried out by local authorities in responding to these types of emergencies and the fact that the costs of these un-programmed activities could not be foreseen in annual expenditure planning. This practice is considered a vital enabler to underpin a rapid response by local authorities.
In the context of Storm Éowyn and the exceptional nature of the response and humanitarian assistance activities carried out by local authorities, clearly the costs of these activities were not budgeted for within existing resources. My Department is collating costs from all local authorities in relation to severe weather response earlier this year and, in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, will work with local authorities to address relevant unbudgeted costs.
It should be noted that funding the repair of public infrastructure is undertaken by the relevant Department in line with its sectoral responsibility. Capital costs associated with infrastructural damage, for example damage to the roads network and coastal protection infrastructure (where necessary), are funded under relevant sectoral arrangements.
555. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department’s expenditure on hairstyling, make-up, personal grooming and general cosmetic expenses, in each of the years 2015 to 2025, in tabular form. [37002/25]
View answer556. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department’s expenditure on beauticians, make-up artists or hairdressing professionals, stylists or personal shoppers, specifying if such expenditure was on a contract or retainer fee basis, in each of the years 2015 to 2025, in tabular form. [37021/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 555 and 556 together.
The Department has not incurred any Ministerial costs within these expenditure categories for the years 2015 to 2025 inclusive.
557. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection his expenditure on advertising, detailing the objective, duration, media platforms, advertising agency or agencies and cost of each advertising campaign, in each of the years 2015 to 2025. [37039/25]
View answerMy Department administers over 100 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. We are committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services that are available to them, and that they are notified of any scheme changes which may affect them.
Public information and advertising campaigns are an important part of our work.
Total annual spend on media advertising from 2015 to date in 2025 is outlined in the table below.
|
Year |
Media advertising expenditure |
|
2025 |
€458,191.16 * |
|
2024 |
€1,988,634.99 |
|
2023 |
€1,462,679.07 |
|
2022 |
€1,352,300.85 |
|
2021 |
€2,289,774.30 |
|
2020 |
€2,538,989.37 |
|
2019 |
€845,761.29 |
|
2018 |
€416,585.00 |
|
2017 |
€839,102.66 |
|
2016 |
€87,642.92 |
|
2015 |
€209,198.58 |
*Invoiced to 4 July 2025
Given the scale of public information campaigns undertaken by the Department, we are not in a position to provide a detailed breakdown by each individual campaign. My Department has delivered over 150 public information campaigns in the last 10 years, each tailored to relevant audiences. These include campaigns to promote public consultations, new schemes, significant changes to existing schemes and supports, and the promotion of ongoing supports, as well as recruitment opportunities. In addition to this, between 2020 and 2022, my Department delivered 27 campaigns related to income supports during the Covid-19 crisis.
These campaigns are carefully developed and targeted in collaboration with our media buying agency using the best mix of media formats, including national and regional print media, radio, digital and social media to ensure that the Department’s messages reach the public effectively.
In relation to the Deputy’s query about advertising agencies, between 2015 and 2025, we have worked with three Media Strategy, Planning and Buying agencies under separate contracts— Wavemaker, Spark, and Mindshare.
558. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department's expenditure on media training in each of the years 2015 to 2025; the firms contracted to provide training; and the position or grade of those availing of training, for example, Minister, Secretary General, principal officer and so on. [37056/25]
View answerDetails of the amounts spend on media training from 2015 to 2025 is set out below.
|
Year |
Company |
Cost (excl VAT) |
No of Staff |
Staff Grades |
|
2019 |
Carr Communications |
€550 |
2 |
1 Principal Officer & 1 Assistant Principal Officer |
|
2025 |
Drury |
€1,260 |
5 |
4 Higher Executive Officers & 1 Acting Assistant Principal Officer |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
559. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department's expenditure on media consultancy in each of the years 2015 to 2025; the consultancy firms involved; and the nature of each contract, in tabular form. [37074/25]
View answerMy Department has not employed or engaged any external consultants for media consultancy from 2015 to 2025. The Department's Press Office deals with all media queries and public relations matters
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
560. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is any plan to increase the rate of €289 maternity benefit, considering the rising cost of living, parenthood, and childcare, especially for families with multiple children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37202/25]
View answerMaternity Benefit is paid for 26 weeks to employed and self-employed women who are on Maternity Leave and who satisfy certain pay related social insurance (PRSI) contributions. Government has provided over €295 million for the scheme in 2025.
Maternity Benefit is payable at the weekly rate of €289 and was increased by €15 from 1 January 2025. If a person has dependants they may be eligible for a higher rate of Maternity Benefit depending on their particular circumstances. In such cases the person will be paid the equivalent rate of Illness Benefit appropriate to their family which includes increases for spouses or partners and children as appropriate. Further information is available on my Department's website.
Any changes to payment rates of Maternity Benefit will be considered in a budgetary context as part of the overall measures for welfare supports.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
561. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the status of a review for carer’s allowance for a person (details provided); and when it is expected that a decision will be reached on the application. [37217/25]
View answerCarer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that, as a result, they require that level of care.
An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 19 July 2024.
It is a condition for receipt of CA that every claimant shall furnish such certificates, documents, information and evidence as may be required for the purposes of deciding their claim.
The application was referred to a local Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) on 01 August 2024 to confirm that all the conditions for receipt of CA were satisfied.
The person concerned failed to supply all of the information requested by the SWI and the claim was disallowed on 04 November 2024.
The person concerned was notified of their right to have the decision reviewed (where further information is available) or to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).
A review was initiated on foot of correspondence received from the person concerned on 11 November 2024. Following this review, the decision remained unchanged. The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 17 February 2025.
A further review was initiated on foot of correspondence received on 02 April 2025. Following this review, CA was awarded to the person concerned and backdated to 25 July 2024.
The first payment will issue to the nominated post office of the person concerned on 10 July 2025. Arrears for the period from 25 July 2024 to 09 July 2025 will issue shortly. The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 1 July 2025.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
562. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of purchase orders processed by his Department in 2023 that were not included in the published reports of purchase orders over €20,000; the number of purchase orders excluded due to their value falling below the €20,000 threshold, and the total combined value of those purchase orders; and the number of purchase orders excluded because they related to transactions other than for goods or services, for example, grants-in-aid or reimbursements, in line with reporting conventions. [37239/25]
View answerThe total number of Purchase Orders processed in 2023 was 3,147 with a value of €76,552,530.31.
Of these, 2,650 purchase orders were not included in published reports. The value of these purchase orders was €13,921,575.63.
497 were included in published reports as they exceeded the €20,000 threshold. The value of these purchase orders was €62,630,954.68.
Purchase orders that were processed related to transactions for only goods or services.
563. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families in Kilkenny and Carlow currently availing of the free school meals scheme; the annual cost of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37279/25]
View answerThe objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
The number of children in Carlow and Kilkenny currently availing of the free school meals scheme and the annual cost of this is set out below.
|
- |
Number of Schools |
Number of Pupils |
Annual Cost |
|
Carlow |
69 |
7,584 |
€4,389,862.98 |
|
Kilkenny |
91 |
10,710 |
€5,645,638.74 |
|
Total |
160 |
18,294 |
€10,035,501.72 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for you.
564. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37300/25]
View answerWhere an individual is employed in an employment to which the modified rate applies (PRSI Class B/C/D), then any additional self-employment is categorised as “Excepted Self-Employment”. The relevant legislation governing this is paragraph 5 of Part 3 of Schedule 1 of the Social Welfare Consolidated Act 2005.
From 01 January 2013 to date, PRSI Class ‘K9’ applies (by virtue of the Social Welfare and Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2013).
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
