Thomas Gould
Question:690. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether funding is available for independent mediation between communities and local authorities. [9197/26]
View answerHousing Policy
Questions (690)
Written answers
My Department does not provide specific funding allocations to local authorities for independent mediation purposes as set out in the question.
Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions and the discharge of their governance and other responsibilities. Moreover, local authorities have broad 'general competence' to take action in relation to local matters with little direct involvement of central government.
Local authorities receive income from a variety of sources including grants from Central Government, Local Property Tax proceeds, commercial rates and other locally-raised charges. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities, having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources.
Rental Sector
Questions (691)
Carol Nolan
Question:691. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the protections that will continue to be in place for smaller landlords in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No.2) Act 2024; if he is aware of growing concerns among smaller landlords that the Bill will create challenges for them and may lead to an exiting from the market of smaller landlords; if he will consider conducting a fact-based public information campaign for smaller landlords and tenants with respect to the Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9226/26]
View answerWritten answers
On 27 January 2026, the Government approved the publication of the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026. The Bill will amend the current system of rent controls and provide new measures to protect tenants, including stronger security of tenure, to come into effect for new tenancies (i.e. first time tenancy between parties) created on or after 1 March 2026. Tenancies currently in operation will see no change.
The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 and the related Explanatory Memorandum was published on 3 February 2026 and can be found here:
www.data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/bill/2026/11/eng/initiated/b1126d.pdf;
www.data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/bill/2026/11/eng/memo/b1126d-memo.pdf .
In order to stimulate investment and keep existing landlords in the market, the resetting of rents to market value for most new tenancies created on or after 1 March 2026 will be allowed as part of the reform of rent controls. The linking of rent control to a property, rather than a tenancy, under the current Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) system of rent control makes investment in rental accommodation less attractive in Ireland. A proportion of tenancies in the State are charging below market rent and, under the current RPZ system, can never increase rent to market rent.
By allowing rent resetting for new tenancies from 1 March 2026, existing and new landlords, who are vital for the sector, will be able to ensure that their investment remains viable. Rent re-setting will not apply to a new tenancy where the most recent previous tenancy, if any, of that dwelling during the preceding two years, ended through a ‘no fault eviction’. The aim is to avoid 'economic evictions' by landlords who wish to rise rents.
All landlords will retain the right to terminate a tenancy where there is a breach of tenant obligations or where the dwelling is no longer suitable to the accommodation needs of the tenant household.
Sections 12, 13 and 14 of the Bill includes a number of provisions which allow a smaller landlord (i.e. a landlord who is not a company and has 3 or fewer tenancies). terminate a Tenancy of Minimum Duration (TMD). A smaller landlord will be will be permitted under section 14 to terminate a TMD during its 6-year term on the ground of landlord/immediate family occupation (i.e. spouse/civil partner/(adoptive/step/foster) son or daughter/(step) parent/parent in law).
To avoid undue financial or other hardship, a smaller landlord will also be permitted under section 14 to terminate a TMD during its 6-year term on the ground of intention to sell -
(a) where the landlord requires the sales proceeds to provide a principal private residence for the landlord or the spouse/civil partner of the landlord;
(b) where the sales proceeds are required to enable the landlord, or spouse/civil partner of the landlord to discharge a debt, or make a payment, of more than 15% of the asking price (expected consideration) that is legally required to be paid within 9 months of the tenancy termination date – including a payment to the Revenue Commissioners, for example, to discharge a debt under the Fair Deal scheme or a tax liability; or
(c) where the landlord or the spouse/civil partner of the landlord -
(i) is a debtor who has appointed a personal insolvency practitioner;
(ii) is adjudicated bankrupt or is subject to proceeding for a declaration of bankruptcy or becomes an arranging debtor, or
(iii) makes a composition or arrangement with creditors.
Smaller landlords will be able to terminate a TMD upon/after the expiry of its 6 year term in the usual manner, by serving a notice of termination grounded on one or more of the limited grounds for termination under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2025 (the RTA), giving the appropriate notice period.
One of the key roles of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), which was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the RTA, is to provide information to tenants, landlords and others interested in the rental sector.
A detailed communications campaign by my Department, in conjunction with the RTB, will continue to publicise the new legislative measures from 1 March 2026. My Department will continue to work closely with the RTB on the implementation of these critical reforms and the RTB will continue to provide relevant information to tenants and landlords. Up-to-date information is available at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/government-reforms-to-the-rental-sector-starting-1-march-2026/ .
Invasive Species Policy
Questions (692, 710)
Robert Troy
Question:692. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will be formulating plans to address the recent declaration by the EU of sika deer as an invasive species; if such a plan involves a cull of sika deer; and if so, the State agencies that will be used to assist or carry out such a cull. [9229/26]
View answer
Robert O'Donoghue
Question:710. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will engage and consult with a group (details supplied) regarding S.I. No. 374/2024 - European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024 on the designation of Fallow and Sika deer as invasive alien species; if he will confirm he will apply the lawful EU derogation as intended for Ireland; if he will make no further changes to current open seasons (section 29 of the Wildlife Act, 1976 as amended) for wild deer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9751/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 692 and 710 together.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, as well as the European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024, all of which prohibit the spreading of invasive species.
Sika deer (Cervus Nippon) is listed as a non-native species (invasive species) subject to restrictions on the Third Schedule to the 2011 Regulations and as an invasive alien species on the First Schedule to the 2024 Regulations. It is also an invasive alien species of Union concern, having been included in the most recent update to the Union list in July 2025.
Overgrazing by deer is a serious pressure and threat for native woodlands across Ireland, Deer densities in Wicklow in particular, but also in parts of Tipperary, Waterford, Donegal and Galway, are above a sustainable level for land management activities and are impacting on farming, forestry, nature conservation and biodiversity
Government departments and agencies have been working for some time on national measures. The EU listing provides for Union wide efforts to manage this species.
There are no plans to seek a derogation to this listing. The situation regarding Sika deer in Ireland will not change as a result of it being listed as an invasive alien species of Union concern. The species is already present and widely spread in Ireland. As such, eradication measures are not considered feasible. Where a species is widespread, management measures are more appropriate and are provided for in national and EU legislation.
The NPWS is working with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine through the interdepartmental Deer Management Strategy Group to reduce numbers of all deer species in Ireland, including Red, Sika and Fallow. The group is already engaged in developing management measures to address the adverse effects of non-native deer populations, including Sika, in Ireland. Their report, published in December 2023 is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/press-releases/launch-of-deer-management-strategy-group-report/
Finally, there is no requirement for Sika deer to be culled en masse as a result of the listing
The deer open seasons order was last amended in 2024 (under S.I. 66 of 2024) where the seasons were extended. There are currently no plans to make further amendments to the open seasons order.
Planning Issues
Questions (693, 694)
Robert O'Donoghue
Question:693. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he will consider introducing national planning guidance or legislative requirements to provide for the installation of swift nesting boxes in new residential and public developments; if his attention has been drawn to initiatives led by Fingal County Council, including the provision of swift boxes in new local authority buildings and the designation of 2026 as the Year of the Swift; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9254/26]
View answerRobert O'Donoghue
Question:694. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has examined the potential biodiversity benefits of requiring swift nesting boxes in new developments, given their low cost, minimal maintenance and role in protecting a declining species; whether such measures could be incorporated into national biodiversity or climate adaptation policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9256/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 693 and 694 together.
The Common Swift is a summer migrant, typically arriving in Ireland in early May and departing by late July. They will forage over almost any habitat, but they are perhaps most commonly associated with urban or suburban areas, where suitable nest sites in buildings are available. I am aware that the matter of declining recorded population of Swifts has recently gained attention in England and Scotland, with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) reporting a 68% decline from 1995 to 2023 in the summering population based on common bird surveys, with coverage of 1,007 1km-grid squares; albeit the shorter-term trend (from 2023-2024) is up 12%.
With fewer town and urban centres in Ireland than Britain, Swifts are more patchily distributed here. Annually, they are monitored by the Countryside Bird Survey (CBS), which is akin to the BTO Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). Though the magnitude of population trends here show similar values of decline (i.e. 70%) over a similar time period (1999-2023) to Britain, caution is advised in their interpretation. The more patchy occurrence of Swift in Ireland means that national trends are derived from recorded numbers of Swifts in 1-km grid squares captured by the Countryside Bird Survey – with the species present in just 32 1-km squares per year on average.
Swifts nest in cavities in walls or in spaces in eaves of houses and old buildings, and are colonial, nesting in groups. As a species, the Swift exhibits strong nesting site fidelity, returning to the same nest site for many years, a trait that has left Swifts vulnerable to nest site losses and/or disturbance at nest sites, due to building demolitions, renovations and construction of modern buildings without suitable cavities. The impacts of climate change, including weather patterns and declining insect abundance are also important.
The revised National Planning Framework (NPF) reflects on the capacity of the environment to accommodate development, in particular having regard to the potential for impact on biodiversity and nature restoration. In regards to the spatial planning system, a key role is managing the impact of growth and development on our natural environment, including biodiversity, and mitigating for climate change. The NPF contains several National Planning Objectives (NPOs) that aim to protect and restore biodiversity and are aligned to the objectives of the National Biodiversity Action Plan. There is a commitment under NPO 88 of the NPF to prepare national guidance in relation to Planning and Biodiversity to:
- Plan and manage for integration of biodiversity protection and restoration in future planning and development;
- - Ensure a consistent and strategic approach to biodiversity protection and restoration across planning authorities and administrative boundaries, and
- - Support the implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan (2023-2030) and the forthcoming National Restoration Plan.
There are also specific NPOs (82, 83, and 85) in the NPF to ensure the incorporation of green and blue infrastructure in statutory land use plans, the creation of greenbelts, and measures to provide for connectivity, retention and restoration of habitats in new developments.
My Department has funded many locally-based Swift projects nationwide in recent years through the Local Biodiversity Action Fund), including local and county Swift Surveys (e.g. Fingal in 2024); funding the deployment of new swift nest boxes; nest cameras; and callers to attract prospecting adults to new nesting locations. The National Parks and Wildlife Service will co-fund this year’s International Swift Conference to be held in Mayo in May 2026. My Department is also currently coordinating the preparation of a national Nature Restoration Plan, as required under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation. This includes the identification of measures needed to restore adequate quantity and quality of habitats for a range of bird species showing notable declines in national population and/or distribution, including the Swift.
Question No. 694 answered with Question No. 693.
Rental Sector
Questions (695)
Claire Kerrane
Question:695. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports or grants available to local authority tenants to replace exterior doors when the replacement of such is outside the scope of the rental agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9285/26]
View answerWritten answers
Local authorities are legally responsible for the management and maintenance of their housing stock under s.58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities are also obliged to ensure all their tenanted properties comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.
Accordingly, it is a matter for each local authority, as landlord, to determine what alterations are permitted, if any, to one of their social homes. Further information may be available upon request from the relevant local authority or authorities.
While the management and maintenance of local authority owned social homes, and the funding of such works, is the statutory responsibility of local authorities, my Department will provide some €260 million as a contribution towards the remediation and maintenance of local authority homes this year through a number of programmes, including for estate regeneration, energy retrofitting, disabled person grants for social housing tenants, and refurbishment works to vacant properties so they can be returned to productive use as quickly as possible.
Critically, this funding merely complements local authorities’ own investment in their housing stock. Ultimately, the onus is on local authority elected members and officials to ensure adequate funding is allocated through the annual budgetary process for the upkeep of their social homes.
Rental Sector
Questions (696, 717, 719, 720)
Michael Cahill
Question:696. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider the importance of tourism to Killarney town by urgently reviewing the proposed guidelines in respect of short-term lets and increasing the population of the towns that the new strict planning guidelines will apply to from 10,000 up to 15,000; if this crucial industry for Killarney and County Kerry will be safeguarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9335/26]
View answerMichael Cahill
Question:717. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider the importance of tourism to County Kerry and Killarney town by introducing a planning exemption for those involved in the short-term lets business for three years or longer; if he will increase the population of the towns that the new strict planning guidelines apply to from 10,000 up to 15,000, to safeguard this crucial industry for Killarney and County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9973/26]
View answerMichael Cahill
Question:719. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to urgently review the proposals in relation to short term lets (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10018/26]
View answer
Niamh Smyth
Question:720. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to address matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); the planning concerns with change of use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10104/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 696, 717, 719 and 720 together.
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 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. The proposed STLT Bill will provide the statutory basis for the establishment of a register for short term lets in Ireland and for the implementation of the new EU STR. Following the approval received from Government on the 15 April 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.
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 principle 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 RPZs in June 2025, the legislative requirement to gain planning permission for short-term letting use, as outlined above, has also been extended nationwide.
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, and 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 (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/circulars/spi-012026-short-term-letting-and-the-planning-system/) issued by my Department on 23 January 2026, to all local authorities, set out the current legislative and policy framework for the regulation of short-term letting.
Planning Issues
Questions (697)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:697. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current timeline for bicycle storage to become exempted developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9417/26]
View answerWritten answers
Significant progress on the review of Exempted Development Regulations has been made. A successful public consultation took place last year with over 900 submissions received via the online portal. The details in these submissions have been reviewed and have informed the on-going drafting of the updated Exempted Development Regulations that will be forthcoming across 2026.
The implementation of the update of these regulations is being done on a phased basis, by theme, with priority already having been given to the exemptions relating to domestic dwellings. These domestic dwellings regulations are at advanced draft stage and include exemptions for cycle storage within the curtilage of residential properties. The final decisions on the specifics of these regulations will be communicated and brought forward for implementation as soon as possible.
The new draft Exempted Development regulations will be subject to formal environmental consideration, before being laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. This will also necessitate engagement with the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which is expected to take place during 2026, an appearance will be sought before the Committee at the earliest opportunity once drafting of updated regulations is complete.
It is intended that updated Exempted Development Regulations for residential development, including cycle storage will be signed into law as soon as possible.
Housing Schemes
Questions (698)
Barry Heneghan
Question:698. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 84 of 14 January 2026, whether the level of funding allocated to the tenant-in-situ scheme in 2026 will exceed the funding provided in 2025; whether his Department has assessed the duration for which the 2026 allocation is expected to remain operational based on current demand levels; whether he expects the scheme to remain open to new applications beyond September 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9419/26]
View answerWritten answers
Tenancy sustainment, or tenant-in-situ, is a priority category under my Department's Second Hand Acquisitions Programme. It is not a scheme and there is no application process. Rather it is a policy tool available to local authorities to prevent social housing supported households in the private rented sector from falling into homelessness. It is an emergency measure and should only be used as a last resort by local authorities when all other options have been exhausted.
I expect the parameters of the 2026 Programme to be notified to local authorities in Q1 this year. More than adequate funding was available under the 2025 programme to complete any acquisitions needed to respond to precarious housing situations, with local authorities recouping only €291 million of the initial €325 million available to the programme.
Similarly, I expect the allocations for 2026, when approved, will also be more than adequate to support any emergency acquisitions that may be needed throughout the year.
In the meantime, local authorities are 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.
This flexibility will continue to be available from this year into next, with local authorities authorised to enter into commitments for 2027 up to an agreed percentage of their 2026 allocation. This will allow emergency acquisitions to commence and progress in the latter months of this year that may not complete until 2027.
My Department will continue to engage with individual local authorities as needed regarding the 2025 programme, to inform learnings for the 2026 programme and to ensure local authorities continue progressing acquisitions pending rollout of the full details of the 2026 Second Hand Acquisitions Programme.
Departmental Staff
Questions (699)
Malcolm Byrne
Question:699. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of staff directly responsible for cybersecurity, as distinct from IT, within his Department; if a threat analyst, vulnerability manager and a cyber infrastructure engineer are employed; if not in-house, if this work is outsourced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9434/26]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has both in-house cybersecurity staff and external resources directly available as required in relation to the delivery of cybersecurity services including threat and vulnerability management for our infrastructure.
My Department does not comment on operational security matters, as it would be inappropriate to disclose information that may in any way assist those with malicious intent.
Cybersecurity Policy
Questions (700)
Malcolm Byrne
Question:700. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which his Department examines third party supply chain vulnerability when it comes to cybersecurity. [9452/26]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has threat and vulnerability management in place for third party supply chain vulnerability.
My Department does not comment on operational security matters as it would be inappropriate to disclose information that may in any way assist those with malicious intent.
Housing Schemes
Questions (701)
Malcolm Byrne
Question:701. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authority homes purchased under tenant purchase schemes by local authority area for each year from 2016 to 2025. [9465/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Tenant 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 2016 until the end of 2024, broken down by local authority area, 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.
Local Authorities
Questions (702)
Carol Nolan
Question:702. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the Government funds made available to local authorities in each of the years 2024 and 2025 to support the refurbishment and re-letting of homes; the number of properties remediated under the voids programme in 2015, in tabular form. [9581/26]
View answerWritten answers
The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, is a matter for each local authority under s.58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities must also ensure all tenanted properties comply with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. To this end, they must make adequate budgetary provision for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance utilising the significant housing rental income available to them as part of the annual budgetary process.
Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities, €40 million will be provided as a contribution towards the remediation of local authority housing through my Department's Planned Maintenance and Voids Programme in 2026, with the programme requirements, including target number of units and allocations issuing to local authorities in due course.
Details on funding recouped to local authorities under Voids Programme to end 2024 is available on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme.
Detail of delivery under the 2025 Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme will be published shortly.
Departmental Legal Cases
Questions (703)
Cathal Crowe
Question:703. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress being made by the Government taking landmark legal cases against companies who manufactured and sold defective concrete blocks to the construction sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9654/26]
View answerWritten answers
A number of legal cases are currently ongoing in relation to Defective Concrete Blocks related issues.
As such, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on this particular matter further as these cases are working through the legal process.
Invasive Species Policy
Questions (704)
Thomas Gould
Question:704. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he has met with stakeholders on the implication of SI 374/2024. [9679/26]
View answerWritten answers
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, as well as the European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations 2024, all of which prohibit the introduction and spread of invasive species.
Invasive alien species are one of the main direct drivers of biodiversity loss. Target 6 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD) at COP15 in 2022, recognises the detrimental impact of invasive alien species on biodiversity globally.
In December 2023, the European Commission referred Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for failing to implement key provisions of EU Regulation 1143/2014 on invasive alien species. In July 2024, the European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations (SI 374/2024) were introduced to update and strengthen the existing national legislative framework around invasive alien species, and to give effect to the EU IAS Regulation. Subsequently, the case against Ireland was withdrawn from the CJEU.
Prior to the introduction of the 2024 Regulations, my Department's NPWS has engaged in significant work implementing key aspects of the EU IAS Regulation, including the introduction of Priority Pathway Action Plans for three priority pathways of introduction. Stakeholder engagement was key to the development of these Plans. Work on putting management measures in place for priority species, and any future pathway action plans, will also include stakeholder consultation.
My Department is currently working on further implementation of these Regulations in the national context. This work will involve stakeholder engagement as well as interdepartmental cooperation to put a comprehensive framework in place that effectively manages and controls invasive alien species.
Effective management of invasive alien species is essential to protecting our natural habitats and native species, as well as the benefits that flow from biodiversity. The European Union (Invasive Alien Species) Regulations [SI 374/2024] provide the competent authorities with the tools to put this framework in place.
Invasive alien species of deer, such as Sika and Fallow deer, are dealt with through the interdepartmental Deer Management Strategy Group which brings together a range of national experts and stakeholders with a view to managing the impact of deer populations on our natural habitats. The latest report from the DMSG is available at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/press-releases/launch-of-deer-management-strategy-group-report/
Electricity Grid
Questions (705, 708, 709)
Barry Heneghan
Question:705. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether national housing delivery targets assume electricity infrastructure upgrades that have not yet received planning permission or secured funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9709/26]
View answerBarry Heneghan
Question:708. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether projected housing completions to 2030 assume electricity grid upgrades that have not yet received planning approval or secured funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9743/26]
View answerBarry Heneghan
Question:709. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether regional housing targets have been adjusted to reflect regional electricity grid constraints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9744/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Question Nos 705,708 and 709 together.
The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was finalised and approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The Revised NPF identifies the need to plan for approximately 50,000 additional households per annum to 2040.
The Revised NPF provides the basis for the review and updating of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) and local authority development plans to reflect such critical matters such as updated housing figures or projected jobs growth, including through the zoning of land for residential, employment and a range of other purposes.
To ensure that local authority development plans reflect the requirements of the NPF in respect of housing as soon as possible, I issued the NPF Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 in July 2025. These guidelines set out the housing demand scenario to 2040 for each local authority, by translating the NPF housing requirements into average annual figures and require planning authorities to commence the process of varying their development plan to meet the new housing growth requirements. Local authorities are currently reviewing their development plans and undertaking variation processes in response to the Guidelines.
The NPF Revision process has also given rise to consideration of implementation to date, and the potential need for further support for the implementation of the NPF strategy. In particular, the process highlighted the need to give effect to the efficient coordination and delivery of enabling infrastructure and services.
The Programme for Government (2025) has emphasised the delivery of essential infrastructure as a key driver in attracting and retaining investment in Ireland, growing our economy, fostering regional development, delivering on our housing targets and achieving our ambitious climate goals.
In April 2025, Government agreed a set of key actions focused on accelerating infrastructure delivery, including the review of the National Development Plan, emphasising the Programme for Government’s prioritisation of increased investment in growth-enhancing infrastructure, such as energy grid capacity, water supply, transport connectivity and health digitalisation; the establishment of a new Infrastructure Division within the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; and the establishment of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce. The Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce Report and Plan were published in December 2025, setting out a series of actions under four pillars to address infrastructure delivery.
The Government’s Housing Action Plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, published in November 2025, seeks to significantly accelerate delivery of new homes by focusing on activating land and creating the optimal environment to encourage housing activity – including regulatory reform, tax incentives and the largest ever capital investment in the history of the State, with €275 billion invested in infrastructure over ten years through the National Development Plan.
The Housing Action Plan states that at least 300,000 homes must be delivered over its lifetime and acknowledges that delivery must be in-step with infrastructure provision, including necessary investments in electricity network infrastructure. The Government’s target is based on a broad assessment of the housing system, including factors which are currently acting as constraints such as electricity and other infrastructure.
The updated National Development Plan includes provision for significant investment in electrical infrastructure by Government to meet on-going demand, with €3.5 billion in equity funding allocated directly to grid infrastructure to 2030. This funding will help to future proof Ireland’s electricity system and will enable the delivery of over 500 capital network projects nationwide, support new housing connections and grid capacity for housing growth, integrate onshore and offshore renewables and strengthen grid reliability and decarbonisation. The Housing Activation Office in my Department will work directly with ESB Networks to help coordinate the investment needed to unlock key housing sites nationally.
The Housing Activation Office (HAO) has been established to address the critical need to accelerate housing delivery in Ireland. The HAO includes six experts seconded from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the local government sector, alongside Departmental staff with expertise in planning, project management and administration.
The team is actively engaging with the 31 City and County Councils and with Departments and agencies to develop a full understanding of barriers affecting infrastructure delivery and how the barriers can be addressed. The HAO will be able to identify and target barriers in areas such as roads, water, electricity, drainage and community infrastructure, to get housing developments moving across the country. The HAO will focus on infrastructure needed at a local level to support housing delivery needed to support the development of sustainable communities.
Government also recently launched the first call of the new Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF) on 21 January 2026, inviting applications for grant funding to support direct investment in the critical infrastructure needed to unlock housing delivery in towns and cities across the Country.
The HIIF is a multiannual €1 billion fund and will be managed by the HAO within my Department. It represents the largest housing infrastructure investment announced by the State in many years. The fund is designed to address infrastructure constraints that are preventing or delaying housing development, particularly in locations where housing can be delivered at scale and at pace. It will complement investment by Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks and other agencies as part of a more coordinated, end-to-end approach to infrastructure delivery for housing. It will also operate alongside other existing Departmental programmes such as the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund and the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund.
The HAO will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders to coordinate the delivery of infrastructure projects needed to unlock housing development on sites nationwide.
Housing Provision
Questions (706)
Barry Heneghan
Question:706. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether coordination mechanisms exist between housing delivery bodies, local authorities and electricity network operators to align housing commencements with electricity grid capacity delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9716/26]
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The Government recognises that the delivery of housing must be aligned with the timely provision of supporting infrastructure, including electricity network capacity. Under Delivering Homes, Building Communities, the Government has committed to significantly accelerating housing delivery by activating land and creating the optimal conditions for development, supported by regulatory reform, tax incentives and unprecedented capital investment. The Action Plan acknowledges that the delivery of at least 300,000 homes over its lifetime must proceed in-step with infrastructure provision, including necessary investment in electricity network infrastructure.
The Government’s housing targets are based on a realistic and broad assessment of the housing system, including constraints currently impacting delivery, such as electricity and other enabling infrastructure. Ensuring the continued delivery of grid capacity to support housing growth into the future is therefore a priority for Government and is being addressed through significant investment and coordinated cross-government action. The updated National Development Plan includes provision for major investment in electricity infrastructure. This includes €3.5 billion in equity funding allocated to ESB and EirGrid to 2030, as set out in the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment’s Sectoral Capital Plan for 2026–2030. This investment will support over 500 capital network projects nationwide, facilitate new housing connections, provide grid capacity for housing growth, integrate renewable generation and strengthen overall grid resilience and decarbonisation.
To ensure that these investments result in delivery, the Government has established a dedicated taskforce within the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment that includes officials from my Department. The Government has also established the Accelerating Renewable Energy and Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforces, which aim to accelerate the development of renewable electricity generation and infrastructure and work in tandem with the housing focused delivery mechanisms.
In parallel, I established the Housing Activation Office (HAO) within my Department. The HAO includes expertise seconded from key infrastructure agencies, including ESB Networks, alongside staff with planning and project management expertise. The Office is actively engaging with local authorities and infrastructure providers to identify and address infrastructure constraints impacting housing delivery. Since its establishment, the HAO has held approximately eighty meetings with the 31 local authorities, alongside ongoing engagement with relevant infrastructure agencies. The HAO is also working directly with ESB Networks to coordinate investment required to unlock key housing sites nationally.
To further support coordination, I have convened a Housing Activation Delivery Group comprising senior representatives from Government Departments and infrastructure agencies that include ESB Networks and EirGrid. In addition, my Department launched the first Call under the new Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund on 21 January 2026, focusing on advanced infrastructure projects capable of delivery in the 2026–2028 timeframe to support early housing delivery.
Taken together, these measures demonstrate that coordination mechanisms are in place to align housing activity with grid capacity. This work will continue to be strengthened as part of the Government’s integrated approach to housing and infrastructure delivery.
Urban Development
Questions (707)
Michael Cahill
Question:707. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to proceed as a matter of priority with the development of a theatre and public plaza, on the Áras Phádraig site in Killarney town under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9726/26]
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I refer to my reply to Question No. 407 of 22 January 2026 and confirm that the position remains unchanged.
Question No 708 answered with Question No 705.
Question No 709 answered with Question No 705.
Question No. 710 answered with Question No. 692.
Housing Policy
Questions (711)
Carol Nolan
Question:711. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has engaged with the Departments of Enterprise, Justice, and Further & Higher Education on the cumulative housing impact of employment- and study-related migration following the EU–India free trade agreement; whether any estimate has been made of additional housing demand arising from projected permit, student, and dependant inflows; whether housing delivery targets are being treated as a binding constraint in wider migration-related policy decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9777/26]
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The National Planning Framework (NPF), is the whole-of-Government strategy for strategic planning and sustainable development of our urban and rural areas to 2040, with the core objectives of securing balanced regional development and a sustainable ‘compact growth’ approach to the form and pattern of future development. The revision process was finalised and approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025.
As part of the broader body of work undertaken to inform the First Revision to the NPF, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) was engaged to provide updated population projections to 2040, based on demographic and econometric modelling, and having regard to the results of Census 2022 and other factors with potential to influence fertility, mortality and migration trends. Under the baseline scenario, the research projects that the population of the State will increase to approximately 5.7 million people by 2030 and 6.1 million by 2040. This projection forms the central core trajectory of projected population growth and underpins the strategy set out in the First Revision to the NPF.
The Government's new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, seeks to significantly accelerate delivery of new homes by focusing on activating land and creating the optimal environment to encourage housing activity – including regulatory reform, tax incentives and the largest ever capital investment in the history of the State, with €275 billion invested in infrastructure over ten years through the National Development Plan. The Action Plan sets out a target of at least 300,000 homes to be delivered over its lifetime. The Government’s target is based on a realistic, broad assessment of the housing system, including factors such as migration.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to publish a National Migration and Integration Strategy detailing how Government intends to meet the demands and the opportunities facing Ireland’s society and economy over the next decade. My Department is currently working collaboratively with a wide range of other Government departments, led by the Department of Justice, Migration and Home Affairs, to develop this strategy with the aim to publish Ireland’s first overarching whole-of-government National Migration and Integration Strategy later this year.
Local Authorities
Questions (712)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:712. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he accepts that introducing revised engineering qualification requirements in July 2025, while being aware that serving local authority engineers would not meet the new eligibility criteria and without publishing any quantified workforce impact assessment, represents a failure of workforce planning; whether he will now publish the number of engineers whose career progression has been blocked as a direct consequence of these changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9790/26]
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I am satisfied that the revised engineering and the new construction management qualifications declared under section 160 of the Local Government Act 2001 in July 2025 adequately provide options for eligibility for promotional opportunities for all engineers working in the local government sector. The previous set of qualifications had not kept pace with educational awards and were restricted only to applicants holding an honours degree (level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications) in Engineering.
In addition to the revision of engineering qualifications, other new qualifications declared open up a range of avenues for individuals for promotion which were not available prior to these changes.
In the event that an employee does not currently meet the essential educational requirements for a more senior engineering role as stipulated in the declared qualifications, it is a matter for that individual to pursue further learning opportunities in order to become eligible. The local government sector is supportive of life-long learning for all its employees. In addition, flexibility has been provided to local authorities and their staff to meet operational needs in terms of other new qualifications for posts analogous to Assistant and Executive Engineer in the fields of construction / project management, energy management, facilities management and fleet management. These newly declared qualifications provide additional promotion opportunities for individuals qualified in these particular areas.
My Department does not hold data on the educational awards that local authority employees hold and has no role in assessing if candidates are eligible for competitions; this is a matter for the recruiting authority which is either a local authority or publicjobs depending on the grade and tenure of the post concerned. However, there were extensive consultations with employee representatives as part of this process to ensure that their views were understood and considered as part of the review process.