Emer Currie
Question:278. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of a vacant property (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8920/26]
View answerVacant Properties
Questions (278)
Written answers
In April 2024 my Department provided approval funding for the purchase and refurbishment of the property referred to in the Question.
Dublin City Council's AHB section supported De Paul Housing in their proposal to advance the delivery of six apartments for social housing at the address referred to. The project includes purchase and refurbishment of the property.
The funding application for this scheme was supported by DCC under the CAS (Capital Assistance Scheme) based on the demonstrated social housing need for one and two bedroom homes in this area and an assessment on the budget proposed for the refurbishment of the units.
It is a matter for the Local Authority to work with the Approved Housing Body to ensure the completion of necessary refurbishment works and to allocate appropriate social housing tenants. The Local Authority have confirmed to me that these properties have not been refurbished to date but that the AHB have provided now provided the City Council with a plan for their refurbishment in the coming months.
Rental Sector
Questions (279)
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:279. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has any plans to protect pet ownership in private rental accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8925/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2025 (the RTA) regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the residential rental sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants.
The RTA applies to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. Dwellings covered by the RTA include the private rental sector, the cost rental sector, the approved housing body sector and student accommodation (including tenancies and licences in student specific accommodation). The RTA make no reference to animals.
Generally, it is “house rules” agreed between a landlord and a tenant at the start of a tenancy that might deal with keeping pets. Landlords and tenants should discuss how pets can be best accommodated in a rental property before the tenancy commences and include any relevant terms in the tenancy agreement.
Section 18 of the RTA provides that no provision of any lease, tenancy agreement, contract or other agreement may operate to vary, modify or restrict in any way the obligations of landlords under section 12 or the obligations of tenants under section 16. However, more favourable terms for the tenant than those that apply by virtue of section 12 can be included in any lease or tenancy agreement. Also, obligations additional to those specified in section 16 may be imposed on the tenant by any lease or tenancy agreement but only if those obligations are consistent with the RTA.
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the RTA, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.
My Department reviews the operation of the residential rental sector and keeps the RTA under continuous review.
Planning Issues
Questions (280)
Claire Kerrane
Question:280. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will publish details of the criteria needed for an accommodation provider (details supplied) to obtain the necessary planning permission in advance on new regulations coming into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8945/26]
View answerWritten answers
The EU Short Term Rental (STR) Regulation was adopted by the EU on 11 April 2024 and is applicable from 20 May 2026. This Regulation lays down harmonised rules on the collection and exchange of data on short-term rental services for member states, hosts providing short-term accommodation rental services, and online platforms that offer services to hosts providing short-term accommodation rental services within the EU.
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) has drafted the Short Term Letting and Tourism (STLT) Bill General Scheme in full alignment with the STR Regulation. The introduction of the STLT Bill will provide a more effective legal and administrative basis to regulate short term lettings. This Bill when enacted will provide the statutory basis for the introduction of a register for all Short Term Lettings in Ireland, which will be implemented and managed by Fáilte Ireland from 20 May 2026.
In 2019, my Department brought in Regulations, (SI 235/2019), to provide for new arrangements for Short Term Lets within Rent Pressure Zones (RPZ). The regulations provided for the following:
• Short term letting is defined as the letting of a house or apartment, or part of a house or apartment, for any period not exceeding 14 days.
• Homesharing (the letting of a room or rooms in a person’s principal private residence) will continue to be permissible on an unrestricted basis and be exempted from the new planning requirements.
• Homesharers will be allowed to sub-let their entire principal private residence (house or apartment) on a short term basis for a cumulative period of 90 days where they are temporarily absent from their home. Where the 90 day threshold is exceeded, change of use planning permission will be required.
• Where a person owns a property in a RPZ which is not their principal private residence and intends to let it for short term letting purposes, s/he will be required to apply for a change of use planning permission unless the property already has a specific planning permission to be used for tourism or short-term letting purposes.
With the nationwide extension of RPZ's in June 2025, the legislative requirement to gain planning permission for short-term letting use, as outlined above, has also been extended nationwide. Prior to this, several counties and large towns were designated as RPZs. The most recent list can be found at the following link - Rent Pressure Zones | The Housing Agency
Following the approval received from Government on the 15 April 2025 to generally preclude new planning permissions for Short-Term Lets in large towns and cities, my Department is working to give effect to this decision. This involves a review of the current Planning Acts with a view to remove references to Rent Pressure Zones in respect of short-term lets.
To ensure that there is a clear view, both at national level and local authority level, as to the overall policy approach to determining planning applications for Short-Term Lets, my Department is currently developing a National Planning Statement (NPS) for the Short-Term Letting sector to supplement and support the introduction of the STLT Bill. It will consider a variety of factors, such as existing planning legislation, the long term housing need in the local authority area, the location of the proposed short term let and balancing housing need with the potential impact on tourism and economic development.
It should be noted that in advance of the publication of the NPS, local authorities can continue to make decisions on applications for change of use in respect of short-term letting properties. The decision of the local authority will be informed by local policy contained in the city and county development plans and local area plans, where applicable.
A recent Circular SPI 01/2026 Short-Term Letting and the Planning System issued by my Department on 23 January 2026, to all local authorities, sets out the current legislative and policy framework for the regulation of short-term letting and is published on the Department's website.
Wind Energy Guidelines
Questions (281)
Louis O'Hara
Question:281. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the development of wind energy planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9013/26]
View answerWritten answers
My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines which will inform a new National Planning Statement on Wind Energy under the new Planning and Development Act 2024. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections.
Chapters 1 through 4 of Part 3 of the Planning and Development Act 2024, came into effect on 2 October 2025, providing the statutory basis for the National Planning Framework and Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, and introduces provisions for National Planning Statements. These National Planning Statements replace Ministerial guidelines, often referred to as s.28 of the Act of 2000. These are subject to environmental screening and assessment and where appropriate, stakeholder and public consultation and require approval by Government such is the central importance of planning matters to delivery of objectives across a wide range of areas.
My Department, in conjunction with the Department of the Climate, Environment, and Energy (DCEE) which has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters, has been working to advance guidance on the noise aspect of the National Planning Statement, formerly known as the revised Wind Energy Development Guidelines, which is highly technical in nature. As part of their work, which is now substantially complete, the noise consultants have assessed the impact of human health from turbine noise having regard to international best practice and standards, including the current World Health Organisation (WHO) standards on noise.
In addition to work on the noise aspects of the National Planning Statement, the evolving policy and technical context including the new Planning and Development Act 2024 and the revision of the National Planning Framework reinforces the need to ensure that the finalised Guidelines, once issued, are fit for purpose.
In line with EU Directive requirements, a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is being carried out on the draft National Planning Statement as part of the review process. In this regard, my Department intends to undertake a public consultation on updated draft Guidelines as part of the SEA process whereby all interested parties will have an opportunity to submit observations on the draft National Planning Statement. Finalised National Planning Statements will be prepared following detailed analysis and consideration of the submissions received during the consultation phase.
My Department is working towards concluding the finalisation of the National Planning Statement having regard to the intended public consultation and the impact of associated reforms and reviews including the revision of the NPF. The current 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines remain in force, pending the finalisation of the review.
Solar Energy Guidelines
Questions (282)
Louis O'Hara
Question:282. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the development of solar energy planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9014/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future reaffirms Ireland’s ambitious targets of 8 GW of solar capacity connected to the grid by 2030, to assist with meeting the requirement of 80% of electricity demand supplied by renewables. Solar energy is a growing source of electricity with circa 2.1 GW of solar power capacity currently installed in Ireland, however further solar capacity is required for Ireland to meet its domestic and international targets.
For this reason, my Department will prepare a new National Planning Statement on Solar Energy under the new Planning and Development Act 2024. My Department has begun an initial scoping process to identify the component factors relevant to the preparation of the National Planning Statement for solar energy development, including any appropriate environmental assessment and public consultation requirements and other relevant European obligations such as the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), which will determine the timeframe for publication of said guidelines.
This scoping process remains at an early stage but I am satisfied that the existing and evolving planning system, supported by Government policy more generally, provides a sufficiently robust policy and legislative framework to facilitate the rollout of solar energy development in a sustainable manner and to assist with meeting our renewable electricity requirements while balancing the perspectives of local communities and allowing for public and stakeholder engagement.
In the interim, there are currently no statutory planning guidelines in place in respect of solar energy development. Proposals for individual solar energy developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and the Planning and Development Act 2024, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments, with planning applications made to the relevant local planning authority, or An Coimisiún Pleanála on appeal.
The Programme for Government also committed to a Land Use Review to ensure that optimal land use options inform all relevant Government decisions. The second phase of the Land Use Review, which is currently underway, will seek to identify the key demands on land (both public and private) to inform policies for land use across key government objectives, improving socioeconomic, climate, biodiversity, water, and air quality outcomes. The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine are working towards the conclusion of the second stage of the review. Any National Planning Statement on solar energy development will take into careful consideration the findings of the Land Use Review.
Wastewater Treatment
Questions (283)
Louis O'Hara
Question:283. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on his Department’s efforts to address deficits in wastewater infrastructure in the villages of Craughwell and Clarinbridge in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9026/26]
View answerWritten answers
I have approved a significant increase in funding under my Department's Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, for the Craughwell and Clarinbridge wastewater project, to address both village’s collection and treatment needs.
My Department has written to Galway County Council clearly setting out the requirements for the project and responsibility now rests with the Council, working with Uisce Éireann, to progress and deliver the project in accordance with the approved funding.
Housing Provision
Questions (284)
Louis O'Hara
Question:284. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social and affordable homes built in County Galway in the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9027/26]
View answerWritten answers
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, including in Galway City Council and Galway County Council. This data is available to the end of Q3 2025 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at this link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
The Q4 2025 statistics are currently being collated and verified and will be published in due course, following the usual timeline of Q4 publications. For reference the Q4 2024 statistics were published in April 2025.
Defective Building Materials
Questions (285)
Malcolm Byrne
Question:285. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of homeowners in County Wexford that are expected to access the revised defective blocks scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9052/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 which underpins the enhanced Defective Concrete Block Scheme was commenced in June 2023.
The Scheme is currently open to applications in five counties, namely Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo.
When a local authority that is not currently designated under the Scheme determines that homes within their area may have been damaged by defective concrete blocks, they can seek to have the Scheme extended to include any such county or part of that county.
Section 5 of the Act contains details on this process. The statutory designation process can commence upon a request by a local authority or by myself, as Minister, to the Housing Agency. The Agency thereafter carries out technical testing of dwellings.
After the completion of any testing, the Housing Agency makes a recommendation to the Minister as to whether an order to designate the whole or part of a local authority's area should or should not be made by the Government.
I understand that Wexford County Council, in accordance with the Act, submitted a request to the Housing Agency for inclusion in the Scheme and this request related to a small number of properties in their area.
The Housing Agency appointed a Chartered Engineer from their existing framework panel to assist in their investigations. The investigations included concrete block testing, as required under the Act.
Subsequently, the Housing Agency received the test results from the properties sampled in Wexford and I received the final report from the Housing Agency on 11 September 2025. On the basis of the recommendations made by the Agency I intend to shortly bring the matter to Government seeking approval for the making of an Order designating the relevant parts of Wexford County Council as being part of the DCB Scheme.
Rental Sector
Questions (286)
Ken O'Flynn
Question:286. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any rental accommodation scheme tenant whose tenancy ends through no fault of their own is guaranteed an offer of alternative accommodation or housing support sufficient to prevent homelessness; to set out the specific statutory, policy, or administrative basis for such a guarantee, if it exists; to clarify the criteria by which a household is deemed "vulnerable" or an "emergency case" for the purposes of tenant-in-situ acquisitions; to provide the number of RAS tenancies where tenant-in-situ was pursued or completed in each local authority, in each of the past three years; to state the average timeframe between receipt of a valid notice of termination and the provision of alternative accommodation or support; and to indicate when confirmed 2026 funding allocations for homelessness prevention and second-hand acquisitions will be communicated to local authorities. [9075/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is operated and administered directly by each local authority. Where a RAS tenancy ends through no fault of the tenant, the local authority is, and remains, responsible for finding an alternative housing solution.
Local authorities work with RAS tenants who receive a valid Notice of Termination and offer available supports, which may include support to obtain an alternative tenancy (including a HAP or RAS supported tenancy) or a tenancy in a local authority or approved housing body social home. These arrangements operate under existing policy and administrative frameworks, which are reviewed and updated by my department from time-to-time as appropriate.
Local authorities have delegated sanction to pursue individual priority acquisitions without recourse to my department, where these acquisitions are in line with the broad parameters and criteria of the Second Hand Acquisitions Programme. A decision to progress an acquisition or otherwise, including an acquisition to help prevent social housing households become homeless, is solely a matter for the relevant local authority having regard to the local circumstances and the availability or otherwise of more suitable options, including the allocation of a local authority or an approved housing body social home.
I expect the parameters of the 2026 Second Hand Acquisitions Programme to be notified to individual local authorities in Q1 this year. In the interim, local authorities have been authorised to enter into commitments for 2026 up to a value of 30% of their original 2025 acquisitions budget. This flexibility effectively provides for a multi-annual approach to programme delivery, facilitating local authorities to plan and progress acquisitions between annual programmes, and from one year to the next, with a higher level of certainty vis-à-vis future funding availability.
Data on the number of RAS tenancies where tenant-in-situ was pursued or completed, and the average timeframe between receipt of a valid Notice of Termination and the provision of alternative accommodation or support, should be sought directly from local authorities. My department does not collect these data.
Programme-level statistics for social housing delivery, including for social housing acquisitions, are published on my department's website. Data are currently available to end Q3 2025. Q4 2025 data are currently being compiled and validated and will published in due course.
Fisheries Protection
Questions (287)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:287. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 620 of 27 January 2026, in view of the Court of Justice of the EU ruling on case C-444/21 EU Commission v Ireland if he will deliver individual conservation plans for each SAC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9119/26]
View answerWritten answers
Under the 2023 European Court Judgement in Case 444/21, (“the Measures Case”), Ireland was found in breach of its obligations under the Habitats Directive in relation to 423 protected European sites across the country. There are three main elements to the case and significant progress has been made by Ireland , across all areas of the case – further information is available on the [NPWS website] (www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/files/SAC%20quick%20reference%20table(1).pdf).
To date, 418 out of 423 SACs have completed the formal statutory designation process. Site-specific objectives are published for all sites. Conservation Measures for the first batch of 40 SAC sites were published in 2025 and work is ongoing to collate, transmit and publish relevant conservation measures information for all 423 SAC sites, in accordance with the timeframe agreed with CION. Ireland continues to liaise with the EU to resolve all matters identified in the Judgment.
Article 6.1 of the Habitats Directive relates to the appropriate management of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). There are site specific conservation objectives (SSCOs) published for all SACs in Ireland. These are tailored to the site in question, taking account of the threats and pressures on the protected habitats and species for which the site is designated. The SSCOs form the basis for conservation planning and protection of relevant habitats and species at the site, setting out concrete targets to be reached in order for those habitats and species to maintain or reach favourable conservation status. Neither the Habitats Directive nor the judgement mentioned contains an obligation on member states to publish conservation plans for all SAC sites.
At present there is no commitment to the publication of individual conservation plans for each SAC in Ireland. There are conservation measures in place, in progress and planned for many habitats and species across the SAC network. Many of these are being delivered by landowners who are participating in schemes and programmes such as Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) under the CAP Strategic Plan, European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Scheme, NPWS Farm Plan Scheme and the LIFE programme. Participation in these is voluntary and landowner involvement is essential for their successful design and implementation at site level. It is envisaged that this will continue to be the case, including where detailed planning is required to design bespoke conservation plans for specific sites.
Home Care Packages
Questions (288)
Michael Cahill
Question:288. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to investigate a matter (details supplied) and allow for home caring credits to be used in both ways in the calculation of the state pension, as by not allowing this, persons are missing out on their full pension entitlement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8795/26]
View answerWritten answers
State Pension contributory is funded from the Social Insurance Fund from contributions paid by workers. The rate of pension is based on a person's social insurance record over their working life.
The Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and remains fully committed to supporting them. The State pension contributory system provides a range of measures to recognise caring periods outside of paid employment, such as awarding PRSI contributions and credits.
The Homemakers Scheme was introduced to allow SPC applicants to apply for up to 20 years to be disregarded in the yearly average pension calculation for periods out of the workforce since 6 April 1994 spent caring for children under age 12 or other incapacitated persons.
With the introduction in 2018 of the total contributions approach to calculating state pension contributory, HomeCaring periods were introduced. Up to 20 years of HomeCaring Periods can be considered, including periods prior to 1994. Both the Homemakers disregard (for use in the yearly average method) and HomeCaring periods (for use in the total contributions method) may only be used to enhance or increase the rate of entitlement where claimants meet the other qualifying conditions, including the number of full-rate paid contributions, currently 520.
Since January 2024, Long-Term Carers Contributions can be awarded to a person who has cared for an incapacitated person for 20 years (1040 weeks) or more. These contributions are treated the same as paid contributions for State pension (contributory) entitlement only, giving an entitlement to SPC or to a higher rate of payment where the claimant has other reckonable contributions.
In this case, the person concerned was awarded HomeCaring Periods from 21/3/70 to 30/5/85, giving them an increase of over 11% in their rate of pension from 30 March 2018 under the total contributions calculation. Homemaking periods do not apply as the periods of care were prior to 6 April 1994, the date from which this scheme applies.
It is open to the spouse of the person concerned to apply for them as a qualified adult on their contributory pension. An increase for a qualified adult is means assessed based on the means of the qualified adult only. The current maximum weekly rate is €268.20.
It is also open to the claimant or their spouse to apply for the fuel allowance if this is not already in payment to the household. Entitlement to the fuel allowance is based on an assessment of household means and is payable for the Winter months from October to April.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Public Sector Pensions
Questions (289)
Charles Ward
Question:289. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if a pension matter can be examined (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8866/26]
View answerWritten answers
The person concerned reached pension age on 21 November 2023. An application for State pension (contributory) was received from the person concerned on 2 August 2023. A decision letter issued on 31 October 2023 to advise that they qualified for a reduced rate of pension based on their reckonable contribution record.
Public service employees employed prior to 6 April 1995 pay modified social insurance contributions. In cases where these employees have subsidiary employment for the same periods, they are liable for Class J PRSI which provides cover for occupational injuries only. Irrespective of the class of PRSI paid for the subsidiary employment, their modified social insurance from their primary employment takes precedence in the calculation of pensions, as in the case of the person concerned.
The records of my Department show that the claimant has 589 full-rate paid contributions, 45 full-rate credited contributions, 1961 modified-rate paid contributions and 14 modified-rate credited contributions. They have a yearly average of 13 full-rate contributions and credits, giving entitlement to 40% of the maximum rate of pension, currently €119.60 per week.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (290, 291)
Eoin Hayes
Question:290. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has considered abolishing the means test for disability allowance, or excluding income generated from work from the means testing formula, in recognition of the fact that disabled people who are able to work still endure the same higher cost pressures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8868/26]
View answerEoin Hayes
Question:291. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide any analysis conducted by his Department which compares best practice on the structuring of disability payments with similar allowances in other jurisdictions, particularly with regard to weather abolishing the means test for the disabilities allowance has been considered in light of the lack of a means test for the personal independence payment in the UK. [8869/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 290 and 291 together.
Supporting disabled people is a key priority for the Government and for me as Minister for Social Protection. That is why the Programme for Government contains a range of measures to support disabled people.
Disability Allowance is my Department's primary disability related social assistance scheme. The payment is subject to a medical assessment, a means test, and a habitual residency requirement.
The means test takes account of the income a person or couple has in terms of cash, property – other than the family home – and capital.
Applying a means-test ensures that the recipient has an income need and that scarce resources are targeted to those with the greatest need. This approach supports an economically sustainable and socially equitable allocation of scarce resources.
Disability Allowance has one of the highest capital disregards operated by the Department of Social Protection. A recipient can have up to €50,000 in savings and still receive the full rate of payment. This compares with €20,000 for most social welfare payments.
Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are designed so recipients can take up employment or self-employment and continue to receive all or part of their income support, depending on their income. A person can earn up to €165 a week and keep their full rate payment. Earnings between €165 and €375 from employment are assessed at 50%, and any earnings over €375 are fully assessed as means. This means a person can earn up to €527.60 a week and still keep their entitlement to the minimum rate of payment and their secondary benefits. Earning disregards have increased by almost 38% since Budget 2021 from €120 to €165 currently.
The Programme for Government commits us to reforming the Disability Allowance Payment and remove anomalies in the current means test. My Department is currently reviewing means testing across all its social assistance schemes. The outcome of this review will be used to inform decisions regarding any further changes to means testing.
It is always informative to look at and learn from best practice in other jurisdictions. However, comparisons can be misleading at times as payments and systems are so different.
We know that disabled people are at a much higher risk of poverty and have a higher cost of living and we want to address that. For that reason, there are also commitments in relation to the rate of payment and the development of an annual cost of disability support payment.
In Budget 2026, I provided for a €1.15 billion package of new social protection measures. This contained significant targeted measures to support disabled people, including:
• A €10, or 4.1%, increase in the weekly rates of payment, bringing the personal rates of payment to €254 per week from this month.
• A €5 increase or 15% increase in the Fuel Allowance, bringing it to €38 per week or €1,064 per annum from this month.
• Both of these increases were ahead of cost increases. They compare to a general inflation rate reported by the Central Statistics Office of 3.2% in the year to the end of November 2025 and an energy costs increase of about 3.5% for the same period.
• Under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People, my Department will lead a Strategic Focus Network on the Cost of Disability. The work of this network, which will include disabled people and their advocates, will inform the approach to be taken in delivering on the Programme for Government commitment to introduce a permanent Annual Cost of Disability Support Payment. I have asked my officials to expedite this work with a view to bringing a proposal to Government in the first half of next year. My officials have held a number of meetings to discuss issues in relation to the Strategic Focus Network Summit as well as cost of disability issues more generally. A public consultation process on how a cost of disability payment can best be delivered will also be launched shortly.
• Our commitments in both the Programme for Government and the new strategy will be progressed over the lifetime of the Government, having regard to the available resources.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.