Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 November 2025
618. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing units currently delayed due to planning appeals, water-connection issues, environmental assessments, or inter-agency approvals; the average duration of delays; and the actions being taken within the next 12 months to clear these blockages. [63878/25]
View answer625. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the issues that have arisen between planning authorities, Uisce Éireann, the National Transport Authority, and other statutory bodies that have delayed housing delivery in the past three years; and the mechanisms being introduced under Delivering Homes, Building Communities to prevent such delays. [63891/25]
View answer689. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of Housing Land Availability zonings currently prevented from activation due to wastewater, water, road, or transport capacity; and the measures planned to address these infrastructure gaps. [63967/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 618, 625 and 689 together.
The extent of population and economic growth in recent years has placed pressure on infrastructure, including infrastructure needed to support housing delivery.
In response to this, I have established a new Housing Activation Office (HAO) in my Department, to coordinate the delivery of public infrastructure projects needed to support housing development. The HAO includes senior specialists from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the local government sector who will support the work of the office.
I have also announced a €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund under Delivering Homes, Building Communities to enable direct investment in housing enabling infrastructure at a local level. This fund will complement investment by infrastructure agencies such as Uisce Éireann and ESB Networks as part of a more coordinated approach.
The establishment of a dedicated Infrastructure Division in the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to advance a programme of reforms needed to accelerate infrastructure delivery will also greatly help to address barriers to the delivery of vital public infrastructure projects.
