Written Answers Nos. 371-390
374. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the assistance or supports currently available to assist a person to downsize their home; the steps he will take to assist those willing to make their larger homes available for more suitable family sizes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49774/25]
View answerThe Programme for Government - Securing Ireland’s Future includes a number of commitments to deliver “Practical Housing Options for Positive Ageing”. These commitments build upon the policy objectives in Housing for All, which commit to increasing the housing available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence. This includes a commitment to review and standardise the Older Persons Housing Financial Contribution Scheme.
Work on these commitments is ongoing within a Policy Group recently established to explore proposals on how best to progress these commitments. Crucially, consideration of these proposals will feed into the development of the new Housing Plan that is currently being progressed in my Department.
376. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage given the Summary Social Housing Assessment 2025 for Cork city, the current net need figure; the number of households who remain without social housing support; the steps he is taking to accelerate delivery in high-demand areas around Cork city, Glanmire, Blarney and Mallow. [49846/25]
View answerDetails 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 at www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/
SSHA 2025 is currently underway and I expect to publish the summary report before the end of Q1 2026.
A number of initiatives have been introduced to support local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies increase the delivery of social housing.
A central element of Housing for All is to build institutional capacity. As part of the measures to support this, Housing for All commits to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to both programme manage and initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects and recognises that this requires the resourcing of the housing services of local authorities. 11 additional posts in Cork City and 9 in Cork County have been approved to deliver social housing.
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address increased housing delivery and methods to support increased use of MMC are set out in Pathway 5 of Housing for All. In July 2023 the Roadmap for increased adoption of MMC in Public Housing delivery was published and sets out recommendations to progress the most advanced and efficient construction methods in the delivery of housing.
In December 2022, funding of €94m was provided to local authorities to address legacy land debts. The provision of this funding was linked to the immediate development of a housing proposal and a commitment to use Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). A total of 26 sites received funding as part of an accelerated delivery programme, and with some additional sites since added, my Department is overseeing a project to progress delivery of MMC projects on 36 sites which will deliver more than 1,500 new social homes across 13 local authorities. Cork City has one site in the programme which can deliver approximately 222 new homes while Cork County has 4 sites in the programme with the potential to deliver 71 homes.
The Housing for All Land Acquisition Fund was established in 2022 to support local authorities to acquire land to deliver new build social housing schemes and this was extended in 2024 to include land for affordable housing. The fund has an overall allocation of €239m and is managed by the Housing Agency.
My Department has embedded the requirement to adopt a standardised approach for all Social Housing projects through adoption of the Design Manual for Quality Housing and Employers Requirements. Standard internal layouts and CAD Drawings are available to design teams. This is promoting a consistent approach nationally; it is decreasing the amount of time spent on reviewing proposals to achieve value for money; it is shortening detailed design phases; and it allows for a more efficient tender process.
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. This data is available to the end of Q1 2025, and 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/. Data for Q2 2025 is currently being collated and will be published shortly.
My Department publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), which provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication was for Quarter 1 2025. All CSRs are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/.
A version of the CSR file can also be downloaded for analysis by local authority, location etc. at this link: opendata.housing.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q1-2025.
378. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if Statutory Instrument No. 374 of 2024, European Union (invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024, are retrospective to before the date of the statutory instrument or S.I.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49931/25]
View answerThe general principle is that legislation cannot be read to take effect retrospectively unless explicitly set out in the SI itself, and for very defined reasons. There are no such savers in Statutory Instrument No. 374 of 2024, European Union (invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024.
379. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to alter the eligibility criteria for the local authority home loan where long-term State benefit payments may only be considered as repayment income where more than 50% of the income source is of an earned nature, to allow two applicants on long-term State benefit payments to avail of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49980/25]
View answerThe Local Authority Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for creditworthy applicants who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build.
Under the Local Authority Home Loan scheme state benefit payments are not generally considered as part of repayment capacity. However, certain long-term State benefit payments may be considered as repayment income only where the main income source is of an earned nature (i.e. more than 50% of the income that forms the full Home Loan application is from a source other than State benefits payments).
The long-term state benefits which may be considered are:
State Pension (Contributory and Non-contributory);
Widow’s/Widower’s Pension;
Blind Pension; and
Invalidity Pension.
In cases where an applicant’s income from these long-term state benefits is greater than 50% of their total income, then the maximum state benefits income that will be utilised for the assessment of repayment capacity will be an amount equivalent to the applicant’s earned income. There are no plans to change this requirement.
380. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans for reimbursing local authorities for works undertaken in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50019/25]
View answerMy 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 responses 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.
381. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the projected cost and allocation for the temporary waiver of the development levy and water connection charges in 2026. [50042/25]
View answerOn 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and waste water connection charges.
The Government recognised that measures needed to be put in place to help address cost and viability with a view to incentivising the activation of a pipeline of new housing commencements, and assisting in the delivery of supply as quickly as possible. The waiver scheme applied to all permitted residential development including multi-unit developments, self-build houses and one-off houses, student accommodation and sheltered housing.
The schemes initially applied for one year to all permitted residential development that commenced on site between 25 April 2023 (the date of the Government Decision approving the measure) and 24 April 2024, and that are completed not later than 31 December 2025. On 23 April 2024, the Government approved an extension for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions in respect of residential development commenced not later than 31 December 2024 and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and waste water connection charges in respect of residential development commenced not later than 30 September 2024.
In April 2024, the final date for the completion of development works on qualifying houses under the schemes was extended from 31 December 2025 to 31 December 2026.
The temporary measures are time-bound and I can confirm there are no plans to extend or re-introduce the waiver scheme. The approved funding of €250m, which was included as part of the recent announcement made by the Minister to accelerate housing delivery, is to support the existing Temporary Development Contribution Waiver Scheme. Accordingly, there are no projected costs or allocation for 2026.
383. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline any plans or work he and his Department have undertaken to extend the postal vote entitlement to those who are on holidays or overseas, on a temporary or part-time basis, on polling day, ahead of the upcoming presidential election; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50103/25]
View answerElectoral law provides for postal voting for a number of different categories of people. These are:
whole-time members of the Defence Forces,
members of An Garda Síochána,
Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses/civil partners,
electors living at home who are unable to vote because of an illness or a disability,
electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day,
full-time students registered at their home who are living elsewhere while attending an educational institution in the State,
prisoners, and
certain election staff employed at the poll outside the constituency where they reside.
In addition, Section 93 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 provides for anonymous registration and a postal vote where a person’s safety (or a member of their household) may be compromised by publication of their details on the electoral register. Where a person is registered as an anonymous voter, that person is only able to vote by post.
An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s independent electoral commission, was established in February 2023. An Coimisiún's research, advisory and public information function enables it to carry out research on electoral policy and procedure. An Coimisiún is also empowered to advise and make recommendations to the Minister and the Government in relation to any proposals for legislative change, or any other policy matters concerning electoral and legislative proposals.
An Coimisiún’s Research Programme 2024-2026, published on 10 July 2024, includes a commitment to examine the issue of postal voting. My Department will review this policy area once An Coimisiún has considered and made recommendations on the issue.
384. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures his Department is taking to protect renters who are subletting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50147/25]
View answer385. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider introducing legislation to protect renters who are in a subletting arrangement and are not covered under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50148/25]
View answer386. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider introducing legislation to protect renters in digs accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50149/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 384 to 386, inclusive, together.
The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2025 (the RTA) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The RTA apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions.
The dwellings to which the RTA does not apply are set out in section 3(2) of the RTA, and include for example, a dwelling within which the landlord also resides.
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the RTA to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants.
Where a dwelling is occupied by a person under an arrangement or agreement which is not a tenancy covered by the RTA, for example, where a bona fide licensing arrangement exists, the RTB does not have any jurisdiction or function. It is a private contractual matter between the parties as to type of agreement/arrangement to put in place. If a dispute arises as to whether a purported license is in fact a tenancy, the RTB can determine on the matter and if it is a tenancy, the RTA applies.
Traditionally, rent-a-room arrangements are entered by students and others residing in ‘digs’ or family homes where goodwill exists to ensure that both lodgers and home owners are happy with the arrangement. It is possible for rent-a-room arrangements to be formalised by way of a licence agreement between the parties to a rent-a-room arrangement, including in respect of student digs, but this is a matter of choice for the parties themselves to agree on.
While this Department cannot provide legal advice, section 16(k) of the RTA states that a tenant shall not assign or sub-let the tenancy without the written consent of the landlord (which the landlord, in his or her discretion, may withhold). Where sub-letting is permitted by the landlord, the RTA will apply to the sub-tenancy.
Under section 50(7) of the RTA, a person who is lawfully in occupation of a dwelling the subject of a Part 4 tenancy as a licensee of a tenant may, subject to limited exceptions, request the landlord to allow the licensee to become a tenant. Section 50(8) provides that the landlord may not unreasonably refuse to accede to such a request.
I do not consider that there is a need for a legal regulatory framework in this area. Digs accommodation and licence arrangements, generally, are an integral housing solution for students and other renters as well as an important source of revenue and, in some circumstances, social interaction for homeowners. Any attempt at regulating ‘digs’ or licence arrangements is highly likely to impact negatively on the supply of this traditional and important source of accommodation for students and others.
The operation of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2025 are kept under constant review by my Department to ensure that they are fit for purpose.
387. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he intends to re-open the long-term leasing initiative, which was closed to new applications from 31 December 2021. [50266/25]
View answerOne of the objectives of Housing for All was to wind down long term leasing from the end of 2025, which has been reflected through gradually reducing long term leasing delivery targets over the recent past, culminating in a target of just 200 for 2025. This objective does not include all types of long term leasing; it excludes the Mortgage to Rent scheme and Repair and Lease. While there is no immediate plan to continue long term leasing beyond this year, all delivery streams for social housing are kept under review, particularly in light of changing demographics and the numbers currently availing of emergency accommodation.
388. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review correspondence regarding grant aid for a property (details supplied); if he will advise if the person is entitled to a vacant property refurbishment grant or any other funding in these circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50276/25]
View answerPathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant introduced in July 2022, 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 derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.
The property must be vacant for two years or more at the time of grant application. Proof of vacancy is required to support a grant application. Confirmation of vacancy must be validated and verified by the local authority prior to grant approval.
The objective of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is to support the refurbishment of vacant and derelict properties, bringing them back into use as homes. The grant is administered and managed by local authorities, who process and decide on applications and issue grant payments on completion of approved refurbishment works.
Information on the scheme and conditions is available for applicants on my Department's website at
www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/services/vacant-property-refurbishment-grant/
389. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the increased 10% to the maximum grant for the defective concrete block and the increased 'per square metre' rates, which were legislated for in late 2024 and applied retrospectively, will be signed into legislation to allow local authorities to pay the moneys to affected homeowners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50309/25]
View answerThe Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 and contains the grant scheme and the related Regulations, which were adopted on 29 June 2023.
A review mechanism is provided within the Act, which provides for an increase or decrease in the overall grant scheme cap a year after the Act has been commenced by no more than 10%, in accordance with the conditions of Section 11 of the Act.
Last October, the Government increased the amount a homeowner can receive under the scheme by 10% from €420,000 to €462,000. Similarly, the per square metre rates that are used to calculate the grant amount were also increased in November 2024 by between 7.4% and 8.7%.
The Act provides that any increase in the scheme cap or grant rates will apply to eligible relevant owners that are yet to receive a determination in respect of remediation option and grant amount.
My Department sought legal advice that confirmed that extending these increases to a wider group of relevant owners requires amending the Act.
Government approval was granted for the priority drafting of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill which will contain details of the wider group of relevant owners that can avail of increases in the grant scheme cap and rates approved in October and November 2024 along with a number of technical amendments. This legislation is being progressed as expeditiously as possible and the Bill is included in the Autumn 2025 Government Legislation Programme for Priority Publication.
However, it should be noted that amending the Act is ultimately a matter for the Oireachtas.
390. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason a comprehensive review of the national list of invasive alien species is needed before adding a single species, such as Cherry Laurel, given that it has been identified as high-impact by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the National Biodiversity Data Centre, Coillte, and the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50323/25]
View answer391. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to explain the process by which species are added to the national list under the European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50324/25]
View answer392. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if Part 3 (12) of the European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024, which allows the Minister to impose immediate restrictions on invasive alien species not on the EU list if preliminary scientific evidence suggests the species is present or at imminent risk of entering the State, and is likely to meet the criteria for concern, will be invoked to restrict the sale, distribution and planting of Cherry Laurel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50325/25]
View answer393. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the grounds on which Cherry Laurel has not yet been listed as an invasive alien species of national concern, despite repeated recommendations from Ireland's leading environmental and biodiversity bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50326/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 390 to 393, inclusive, together.
I refer to my replies to Question No. 264 of 18 September and Question No. 1216 of 8 September 2025 which set out the position in this matter.
