Written Answers Nos. 261-277
261. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if his Department has plans to re-open applications to the nighttime economy support scheme; if not, the reason that decision has been reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8923/26]
View answerSince the publication of the Report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce in 2021, my Department has been investing heavily in implementing a range of pilot schemes and initiatives to support and develop a diverse and culturally vibrant Night-Time Economy right across the country. The Night-Time Economy Support Scheme was developed to support a range of sectors in the Night-Time Economy which has included pubs, cafés, retail, museums, galleries and live performance venues all with the aim of increasing footfall, creating cultural activity in new spaces and looking at ways to put these initiatives on a more sustainable, long-term footing.
The first Night-Time Economy Support Scheme was launched in 2022 to support licensed and unlicensed premises to apply for funding of up to €10,000 to run cultural events during off-peak hours, to increase footfall and support for local artists. Approximately €2 million was awarded in funding. Applicants for this scheme ranged from pubs, cafés, retail premises, community halls, theatres and local museums. Over 4,883 events took place across the country with the majority of Grantees reporting that they would continue to run off-peak entertainment.
The second iteration of the Night-Time Economy Support Scheme was launched in 2023. The objective of the ‘After Hours Museum’ grant scheme was to support small museums and galleries across the country to open later, host new live events and encourage diversity of offering in small towns and villages across the country. €620k in funding was awarded to over 50 venues across the country. The pilot was successful and gave smaller museums and galleries an opportunity to see if there was an appetite in their area for later events.
In 2025, I launched a third iteration of the Night-Time Economy Support Scheme to support grassroots music venues. This scheme was developed and built on the learnings from the first Night-Time Economy Support Scheme and the subsequent 'After Hours' Museum Scheme. The Grassroots Music Venue Support Scheme was developed in the acknowledgement of the contribution that grassroots venues make to the Irish music ecosystem, our local communities and the Night-Time Economy. I allocated €500k to provide grants of up to €15k to programme events showcasing early-career musicians. The scheme supported 34 established grassroots music venues. Venues in many rural towns and villages were also supported, with funding awarded to 17 venues outside of our major cities.
This year, I have committed €1 million in funding to support independent live performance venues with another edition of the Grassroots Music Venue Support Scheme. This scheme is in recognition of the challenges still faced by this sector, the role they play in the cultural vibrancy in our local communities and in support of providing those much-needed platforms and spaces for Irish artists to develop and build their career. Details of the scheme - the fourth iteration of the Night-Time Economy Support Scheme - are currently being finalised by my Department and will be launched in the coming weeks.
262. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the support measures that are being put in place for those recipients of the basic income for artists scheme, when the current scheme is scheduled to end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9057/26]
View answer263. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if current recipients of the basic income for artists scheme will be allowed to apply to the next such scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9058/26]
View answerI was delighted to launch the successor scheme to the Basic Income for the Arts on Tuesday 10th February following Government agreement at Cabinet. I am grateful to my Cabinet colleagues for their support for the BIA, an initiative which I believe sets Ireland apart in how we support our artists.
The focus of the BIA successor scheme is to support professional Irish based artists. I will publish detailed Guidelines for the scheme in April, however the parameters are broadly as follows:
• 2,000 artists will receive a payment of €325 per week for 3 years;
• Artists must be resident in the Republic of Ireland when applying and their artistic practice must be based in Ireland;
• Participants of the pilot scheme can apply, once they meet the eligibility criteria of the new scheme;
• Applications will open in May with payments starting by year end;
• Guidelines will be published in April setting out detailed eligibility criteria for the new scheme and how to apply.
The period of the Pilot scheme was initially 2022 - 2025, which I then extended for a further 6 months to February 2026, to allow work to begin on the successor scheme. The timelines for the ending of the pilot scheme have been consistently communicated to allow participants to plan accordingly. The BIA is not a social welfare scheme and therefore eligibility does not confer an entitlement to receive the payment.
Eligibility for the pilot does not automatically mean an artist is eligible for future rounds of the scheme. Applicants will need to demonstrate they are eligible under the new schemes guidelines, which will ensure a focus on professional artistic practice.
The BIA research has consistently demonstrated both the positive impact of the payment and I look forward to rolling out the successor scheme in the coming months. The BIA will help to sustain the careers of those artists who will receive it and to retain their talent in the arts sector.
264. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide an update on work his Department is doing to ensure that the agreed pension increases for An Post pensioners will go ahead as planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9110/26]
View answerUnder section 46 of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, the Minister for Culture, Communication and Sport with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, approves any superannuation schemes submitted by An Post. The operation of the schemes is a matter between the management of An Post, staff representatives and the trustees of the schemes.
In accordance with the Act and the relevant Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, An Post must seek Ministerial approval from both Ministers to increase pensions and deferred pensions for members of the An Post superannuation scheme. Section 2.13 of the Code of Practice for Governance of State Bodies Superannuation and Remuneration annex sets out that NewERA advice should be sought in respect of pension amendment proposals, as is appropriate in their role as commercial and financial advisors to the Ministers.
On 23 October 2025, An Post wrote to my Department requesting consent for an increase to pensions in payment and deferred pensions, namely, to increase pensions in payment for members and deferred members of the An Post Superannuation Scheme by 6% per annum with effect from 1st January 2025 and 1% from 1 June 2025, arising from its agreements with employee representative groups.
In line with the Code of Practice, NewERA has provided advice to me on the request. On foot of that advice, I have given my consent to An Post's request. As required under the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation will now be sought.
It should be recognised that the time taken for the pension approval process is necessary to ensure that robust governance procedures are in place, that the Code of Practice is complied with and the relevant legislation is adhered to.
265. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the interim fire safety remediation scheme including the number of schemes that have received a grant award and the value of each grant; the number of applications and units involved in those applications; and for an update on the progress of those projects not designated as pathfinders. [8807/26]
View answerGovernment approval was received on 18 September 2024 for the priority drafting of the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill. The purpose of this legislation is to place the defects remediation scheme on a statutory footing, further to commitments contained in the Programme for Government.
The Scheme will provide supports for the remediation of relevant fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. It is envisaged that 100% of eligible remediation costs will be funded.
The Interim Remediation Scheme has been in place since December 2023 to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings, pending completion of the full remedial works.
As of end of December 2025, 230 applications to the Interim Remediation Scheme have been validated, having met the required eligibility criteria. These applications represent 20,940 residential units, across 29 local authority areas with 77% of units in the Dublin region.
In May 2024, four pathfinder projects were selected from the Interim Remediation Scheme, with three in Dublin and one in Kildare. The pathfinder process was introduced to facilitate the development of templates and standards for documents to be prepared by the Competent Professionals (CPs) working on behalf of applicants. These documents include proposals for fire safety assessments, fire safety risk assessments, interim measures remedial work plans, and other project-related paperwork. The process also allowed Local Authority Fire Services (LAFS) to engage in detail with CPs regarding the development of satisfactory remediation proposals.
Three of the four pathfinder projects, for 533 residential units, have grant agreements in place for a total of €21.3million. Remedial works have commenced at one project location.
The pathfinder projects will continue to be advanced to inform the remaining applications to the Interim Remediation and the forthcoming statutory scheme.
266. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update as of January 2026 on the Programme for Government commitment to tackle vacancy and dereliction; the measures his Department have taken, and have planned, to further tackle vacancy and dereliction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8831/26]
View answerWorking to end dereliction and vacancy is a key priority in the Government's new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The Plan will ensure that the activities and resources used to address vacancy and dereliction are co-ordinated and that legislative powers are used proactively to work to bring dereliction and vacancy to an end.
The range of initiatives and funding mechanisms introduced in recent years are set out in the Vacant Homes Action Plan and they are successfully reducing the levels of vacancy and dereliction right across the country.
A key measure is the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, introduced in July 2022. The grant provides up to €70,000 for the refurbishment of vacant and derelict properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. There has been significant interest in the grant since its launch, with over 16,000 applications made to local authorities as of Q4 2025 and over €246 million of grant funding paid out across the country.
In December, I announced a new enhanced support package of up to €140,000 to bring vacant ‘above shop’ space in our cities, towns and villages into use as homes, which will be made available by end Q1 this year. I have also announced that additional funding for resources of up to €100,000 per annum would be made available to local authorities to support their work tackling vacancy and dereliction.
The CPO Activation Programme, launched in 2023, requires local authorities to take a proactive, systematic approach to identifying and activating vacant and derelict properties. It includes use of their compulsory purchase powers under the Derelict Sites Act and the Housing Act, when engagement with the owners of these properties is not successful in bringing them back into use. In October 2025, my Department published data for 2023 and 2024 on the CPO Activation Programme on its website, which can be accessed at the following link: [Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO) Activation Programme] (www.assets.gov.ie/static/documents/bdfef028/CPO_Activation_Programme_-_LA_use_of_CPO_powers.pdf).
Call 3 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), as well as Social Housing Investment Programme funding, is able to provide the finance required to compulsorily acquire properties in support of a local authority’s wider CPO Activation Programme targets. To date, over 1,370 properties have now been approved for URDF Call 3 programmes, potentially resulting in over 5,600 homes. The Housing Finance Agency can also provide funding to local authorities for these acquisitions.
Delivering Homes, Building Communities reinforces and expands the range of measures being implemented by Government to work to end dereliction and long term vacancy.
As well as the new Vacant Above the Shop Grant and other measures, a new Derelict Property Tax will be introduced - to be administered and collected by the Revenue Commissioners - to bring derelict properties back into use.
Under the Living City Initiative, a tax incentive scheme to encourage people to live in ‘special regeneration areas’, tax relief can be claimed for money spent on refurbishing or converting residential or commercial buildings. The aim of the initiative is to bring back life into the heart of the relevant cities and towns by encouraging people to convert suitable properties. Budget 2026 extended the Living City Initiative to 2030 and expanded it to include residential properties built before 1975 and the towns of Athlone, Drogheda, Dundalk, Letterkenny and Sligo.
I firmly believe the commitment Government has made to addressing vacancy and dereliction and the actions under Delivering Homes, Building Communities will play a vital role in delivering homes across the country.
267. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update as of January 2026 on the Programme for Government commitment to enhance compulsory purchase order powers to increase housing supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8832/26]
View answerLocal authorities and other authorities have powers under various Acts, including planning, housing and transport legislation, to acquire land compulsorily.
The Law Reform Commission published a report in 2023, which sets out a series of recommendations in respect of CPO processes, including draft legislative proposals.
The Government has committed to introducing a new Compulsory Purchase Order Bill with streamlined and strengthened CPO powers to activate under-utilised land for home building. Prior to this bill being introduced, a review of compulsory purchase arrangements will be conducted by the Department of Justice. Once this review has been completed, the appropriateness of specific proposals relating to housing supply will be considered.
268. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update as of January 2026 on the Programme for Government commitment to provide an ambitious grant system to tackle vacancy and dereliction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8833/26]
View answer269. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update as of January 2026 on the Programme for Government commitment to improve the administration of the vacancy and dereliction grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8834/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 268 and 269 together.
Tackling vacancy and dereliction is a key priority for this Government and the introduction of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was a significant measure taken to support bringing existing properties back into use as homes. The grant provides 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 derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.
The grant is administered by the 31 local authorities. My Department provides funding of €60,000 per annum to support a full-time dedicated Vacant Homes Officer (VHO) role in each local authority. 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. In addition, my Department has provided funding of €180,000 to support each local authority in their administration of the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme.
The grant is administered and managed by local authorities, who process and decide on applications in line with the scheme conditions and issue grant payments on completion of approved refurbishment works. VHOs across local authorities are supported in their work by the Vacant Homes Unit in my Department, which provides information and support and facilitates dissemination of information and best practice, including through the VHO Network. Support, advice and guidance is also provided to local authorities by the Property Optimisation Unit in the Housing Agency who have also established a legal and surveyor contract framework that local authorities can avail of to support timely decisions on grant applications and the issuing of payments to applicants.
Comprehensive information on the Grant is available on the Department's website, at the link provided here [Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant] (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/services/vacant-property-refurbishment-grant/) Information is also available from the Vacant Homes Officer in each local authority. The link provided here gives the contact details for the VHO's in each local authority: [Vacant Homes Officer Contacts] (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/vacant-homes-officer-contacts/)
The grant has been extremely successful since its introduction in July 2022. Over 16,000 applications had been received across the country at end Q4 2025, with over 4,500 grants paid and over €246m in grant funding issued.
The new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, will support the refurbishment of 20,000 homes using this grant and commits to providing additional support to local authorities for the administration of the grant. In December 2025 the Government approved additional annual funding of up to €100,000 for local authorities in this regard. My Department has contacted all local authorities advising them of the additional funding available for grant administration.
To fulfil the action in the housing plan and the commitment contained in the Programme for Government, in December the Government approved the introduction of a Vacant Above the Shop Grant with a package of up to €140,000 to be made available in cases where vacant above the shop space is being converted/refurbished for residential use and the commercial element is remaining. The additional grant amount for these properties recognises the complexities involved in bringing this space into use. The package includes an Expert Advice Grant of up to €5,000.
My Department is currently progressing work to introduce the Vacant Above the Shop Grant. I expect that it and the Expert Advice Grant will be made available, for delivery by local authorities, by the end of Quarter 1 2026.
270. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as of January 2026, the number of positions that remain vacant in the housing section of Cork City Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8835/26]
View answer271. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as of January 2026, the number of positions that remain vacant in the housing section of Cork County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8836/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 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. My Department oversees strategic 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 number or grade of staff assigned to specific work areas in each local authority, is not collected and consequently is not available in my Department. The relevant information would be available from the local authorities concerned.
Following extensive work undertaken to identify the additional staff resources required by local authorities to deliver the social housing targets set out in Housing for All, Cork City Council received funding approval from my Department for eleven additional social housing posts and Cork County Council received funding approval from my Department for nine additional social housing posts. Delivering Homes, Building Communities further commits to supporting local authorities by financially supporting fully resourced and ring-fenced housing delivery teams in each authority focused exclusively on new build social and affordable housing projects.
272. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of houses that have been purchased through the tenant (incremental) purchase scheme in 2025 through Cork City Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8837/26]
View answer273. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of houses which have been purchased through the tenant (incremental) purchase scheme in 2025 through Cork County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8838/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 272 and 273 together.
The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Schemes provide for the purchase by eligible applicants of local authority properties which are available for sale under the terms of the particular scheme.
Statistical information regarding the number of homes sold, from the commencement of the schemes until the end of 2024, broken down by local authority area, including for the Cork City Council and Cork County Council areas, is available from my Department’s website: www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#sale-of-local-authority-houses
Data for sales during 2025 is currently being collected and collated and will be published on my Department’s website in due course.
274. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department receives regular reports, briefings, or statistical updates from the Residential Tenancies Board in respect of notices of termination or eviction notices issued by private landlords; if so, the frequency of such reports; the format in which they are provided; whether they include quarterly or annual aggregate data; and the manner in which this information is used by his Department in the formulation, review, or evaluation of housing and rental sector policy. [8856/26]
View answer275. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department plans to compile, hold, or publish a centralised official dataset on notices of termination or eviction notices issued in the private rental sector, drawing on data held by the Residential Tenancies Board; if not, the reasons such data is not centrally maintained by his Department despite its policy responsibility for housing; his views on the way in which transparency and oversight in this area are to be ensured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8857/26]
View answer276. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he considers the number of notices of termination or eviction notices issued in the private rental sector to be a core housing performance and policy indicator; if so, the way in which this indicator is monitored and assessed by his Department; if not, the reasons for his position; and his views on the role such data plays in assessing pressures within the rental sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8858/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 274, 275 and 276 together.
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2025, to regulate the rental sector; provide information to tenants and landlords; maintain a national register of tenancies; facilitate the resolution of disputes between tenants and landlords; and conduct research and provide information to inform policy, including information to me on matters relating to the rented sector.
The RTB publishes reports on Notices of Termination received on a quarterly basis. This information is accessible to all members of the public and can be found on the RTB website at https://rtb.ie/data-insights/rtb-data-hub
My Department continually works with, and uses data provided by, the RTB to keep the operation of the RTB, the Residential Tenancies Acts and the residential rental sector under constant review to ensure that an appropriately balanced policy and legislative framework is maintained.
277. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for details of any guidelines or legislation governing the appraisal of a person’s need in assigning medical priority for the allocation of social housing. [8875/26]
View answerApplications for social housing support are assessed by local authorities in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations, as amended.
Applicants applying on medical or disability grounds must complete the medical/disability HMD-Form 1 specifying the nature of the medical condition or disability and, if applicable, an occupational therapist's report in respect of any specific accommodation requirements. The purpose of the HMD-Form 1 is to obtain sufficient information to allow the local authority to assess the nature of the applicant’s condition in order to award a priority to the applicant if that is merited including determining the most suitable housing solution.
Decisions on the qualification of households for support, the awarding of medical priority, and the allocation of that support, are a matter solely for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation schemes made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. This legislation requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support and to households approved for a transfer, the allocation of which would, in the opinion of the authority, meet the accommodation needs and requirements of the households.
It is the local authority, which assesses housing applicants, taking into account factors such as the condition and affordability of existing accommodation, medical and compassionate grounds, etc. The authority then prioritises the needs of approved applicants in accordance with its allocation scheme.
The purpose of the National Guidelines for the Assessment and Allocation Process for Social Housing Provision for People with a Disability is to assist in streamlining the management of the housing assessment and allocation process for disabled people, including those living in the community and those transitioning to the community from residential care. The Guidelines support housing authorities in carrying out assessments of housing need for disabled people within a planned and structured framework to ensure that their needs can be assessed as effectively as possible in a timely manner.
The Guidelines are available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/national-guidelines-for-the-assessment-and-allocation-process-for-social-housing-provision-for-people-with-a-disability/
