Written Answers Nos. 757-770
757. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to update on progress to transpose the energy performance of buildings into Irish law; if his Department will meet the deadline to transpose this into Irish law by 29 May 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12683/26]
View answerThe Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EU/2024/1275) (EPBD) is the European Union’s main legislative instrument aiming to promote the improvement of the energy performance of buildings within the European Union. A recast EPBD was adopted by the European Parliament and Council and came into force in May 2024. The main focus of this Directive is the renovation of the entire building stock, the energy performance of existing buildings, additional performance requirements for new buildings and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Significant work is being undertaken across Government and by the SEAI to prepare for transposition.
To date a number of requirements of the Directive have been transposed by regulations including Article 17(15) related to subsidies for fossil fuel boilers and Art 13(10)d related to Building Automation and Control systems.
Draft European Community Act Regulations for transposition of further articles are also expected to be ready shortly and work in respect of any remaining articles is continuing.
758. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the requirements in place to ensure a portion of the target of 12,000 new social homes built on average a year as part of the national development plan are accessible, adaptable and suitable for people with disabilities, such as those in a wheelchair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12815/26]
View answer823. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of wheelchair-liveable houses in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12816/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 758 and 823 together.
My Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 and Implementation Plan with the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality. The Strategy and Implementation Plan may be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/60d76-national-housing-strategy-for-disabled-people-2022-2027
The Implementation Plan sets out the actions to achieve the vision of the joint Strategy for delivering housing and related supports for disabled people to 2027 operating under the new housing plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities.
Delivering Homes, Building Communities aims to deliver 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030, including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable housing supports by the end of 2030. To achieve this, the largest ever housing budget in the history of the State has been secured in 2026, with in excess of €9 billion in capital funding through the Exchequer, the Land Development Agency (LDA) and the Housing Finance Agency (HFA). Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures.
Local authorities play a key role in the planning and provision of social housing in their areas, and decide on the number and types of dwellings to provide, based on identified need including disabled people.
Under Delivering Homes, Building Communities, each local authority will prepare a new Housing Delivery Action Plan (HDAP), reflecting local need identified including within the Housing Needs and Demand Assessment Framework. Within this broad framework, evidence-informed local authority HDAPs provide a detailed picture of the quantum, type, size and location of social homes to be delivered by local authorities and AHBs. Learning from the first round of these plans will help inform and strengthen the next iteration of plans and set clear targets against which local authority and AHB delivery will be benchmarked to 2030. This will include minimum targets for quantity, type and size of social homes; for example, identifying housing for priority groups including disabled persons.
All local authorities have Housing and Disability Steering Groups (HDSGs) whose role is to put in place strategic plans for housing for disabled people and to monitor activity under these plans. The HDSGs are representative of disabled people as well as the Health Services Executive, the local authority and Approved Housing Bodies and are a key driver of the provision of housing for disabled people at local level.
Separately, my Department published a Design Manual for Quality Housing which is available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/b3e02-design-manual-for-quality-housing/
The Manual is intended to guide local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, and their consultants, on the design of social housing including the internal layouts of individual social homes. The manual includes guidance on the approach to ‘Housing for People with Disability’ (Section 5.3.2) and specific design approaches developed with the input of the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design. My Department is working with all local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies to utilise this Design Manual for all new build social housing projects.
While my Department does not hold data on the number of wheelchair-liveable houses in the State, under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, the Government is committed to conducting a national survey of disabled people post-Census 2027, and it is intended this will provide a strong statistical and evidence base to inform public services and design of everyday environments for disabled people. I understand that the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, following consultation with disability organisations (including Disabled Persons’ Organisations), Government Departments, including my Department, is engaging with the Central Statistics Office who is working on the detailed design of the survey in the light of the priorities identified.
759. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to publish the updated planning policy statement on short-term letting as its absence has caused significant levels of confusion and anxiety to owners of short-term lettings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12961/26]
View answer789. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration has been given, in the formulation of the National Planning Statement and its guidance on short term letting (STL), to the position of properties that operate as short term lets but are unlikely to transition to long term residential use, in particular second homes where the owners use the property a number times each year for recreational or holiday purposes; if his Department has assessed the likelihood that such properties will not be converted to long term lets due to the owners' continued need for periodic access to the property; whether he recognises that, in these cases, the proposed STL planning reforms may therefore not achieve the intended residential long term letting supply outcomes; if he has examined the potential negative economic impact on local tourism and rural economies that may result from the withdrawal of such properties from the short term rental market without a corresponding increase in long term rental availability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11896/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 759 and 789 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 (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 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, 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 RPZs 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 - 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, sets out the current legislative and policy framework for the regulation of short-term letting.
760. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the schemes available to local authority to retrofit solar panels on to existing social housing stock. [11590/26]
View answerMy Department's Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) provides grant funding to local authorities to upgrade their social housing stock to a minimum B2 BER rating. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned social homes will be retrofitted under this programme out to 2030.
Eligible works include attic and cavity wall insulation, or external wall insulation where required; windows and doors replacement; heat pump installation; and, ancillary and associated works. These funded measures achieve the minimum B2 BER rating. Accordingly, solar PV installation is not generally supported.
That said, in limited circumstances, for dwellings with a floor area less than 55m2 and where it is not practical to achieve a Heat Loss Indicator (HLI) specified by the SEAI guidance, the maximum HLI may be increased to 2.6 on a pilot basis with additional fabric and air tightness requirements. Where this approach is adopted, installation of at least 1kWp of solar photovoltaic micro-generators on the dwelling with the heat pump is recommended, and is funded as eligible works under the EERP.
While works supported under the EERP are kept under continuous consideration, there are no plans to expand the programme to include additional measures at this stage.
761. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department provides grants to schools engaging in nature-based education for the purchase of necessary equipment such as waterproof clothing, gardening tools, storage equipment and materials for outdoor activities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11609/26]
View answerThe National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department does not provide grants to schools for the provision of equipment to undertake nature-based activities. The NPWS has, however, a number of Education Centres based in National Parks and Nature Reserves around the country where school groups can visit and engage in nature-based activities and learn about nature. National Parks and Nature Reserves regularly run themed nature awareness days for primary schools, and ecology and environmental days for secondary schools. Rangers and Education Guides also visit schools in their areas to give talks about specific projects being undertaken in their areas as well as discussing nature specific to their areas. The NPWS website has some resources available for teachers to use for nature related items.
762. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the new regulations in relation to developer-led wastewater infrastructure plants will be operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11624/26]
View answerThe new developer-led wastewater infrastructure initiative will support housing delivery in areas where Uisce Éireann’s services are currently insufficient or not planned in the near term.
A framework has been agreed setting out the roles of my Department, Uisce Éireann, the Environmental Protection Agency and the private sector. Under the initiative, developers may fund and deliver wastewater infrastructure, with Uisce Éireann overseeing design and construction to ensure regulatory compliance and assuming ownership of the infrastructure once completed.
The necessary regulations to underpin the initiative are being progressed, and it is intended that the initiative, including the operational arrangements, will be in place by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
763. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider introducing a requirement that all new-build residential properties be fitted with solar panels as standard. [11645/26]
View answerAll new dwellings must comply with building regulations, the aim of which is to provide for the safety and welfare of people in and about buildings. The Building Regulations set out the minimum requirements for the construction of new buildings and certain works to existing buildings.
Part L of the Building Regulations, Conservation of Fuel and Energy, implemented the requirements for Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) for dwellings in 2019. NZEB means a building that has a very high energy performance. The nearly zero or very low amount of energy required should be covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby.
Part L of the Building Regulations provide that the nearly zero energy building performance requirements shall be met for new dwellings by achieving an overall energy and carbon emissions performance which is calculated using the Dwelling Energy Assessment Performance (DEAP) published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
The requirement for renewables can be achieved through a range of technologies. “Renewable energy technologies” means technology, products or equipment that supply energy derived from renewable energy sources, e.g. solar thermal systems, solar photovoltaic systems, biomass systems, systems using biofuels, heat pumps, aerogenerators and other small scale renewable systems.
Building regulations are performance based and technology neutral. It is a matter for the specifier/designer to specify the building to achieve compliance with Part L. The primary responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests with the designers, builders and owners of buildings.
764. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current stage of the Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2025; the progress made to date; and the expected timeline for its next legislative steps. [11650/26]
View answerOn 3 December 2025, Dáil Éireann resolved that the Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2025, tabled by Deputy Brian Stanley, be deemed to be read in twelve months, to allow for further consideration of the Bill. This is to allow for sufficient time for full consideration of the Bill and for the development of Government proposals before the end of 2026, specifically the finalisation of the National Planning Statement on wind energy.
A focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines is underway as part of the development a new National Planning Statement on Wind Energy under the new Planning and Development Act 2024. The National Planning Statement will address key aspects of the Guidelines including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections.
National Planning Statements replace Ministerial guidelines, often referred to as s.28 of the Act of 2000 and are subject to environmental screening and assessment 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 draft National Planning Statement, 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 line with EU Directive requirements, a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) will be 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 NPS 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.
765. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the existing requirements for new hires in local authorities to start at the lowest end of the pay scale for any role; his views on whether this may act as a disincentive for candidates to apply for these roles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11672/26]
View answer766. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the existing hiring policy within local authorities that requires new hires to start of the bottom of the pay scale for any particular role; his views on whether this acts as a barrier to unfair competition compared to internal hires; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11673/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 765 and 766 together.
Overall pay policy is set across the public sector by the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (M/PEIPSRD). On 23 December 2010, the Department of Finance (now (D/PER) issued a letter to the Secretaries General of all Government Departments confirming Government policy that starting pay on recruitment from open competition should be at the minimum of the relevant salary scale. In that letter, it was confirmed that this policy applied for all posts within the public service, including the local government sector. All competition notices, advertisements and information booklets must specify that starting pay will be at the minimum of the scale. Such notices and booklets must also specify that the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.
In furtherance of this correspondence, in January 2011, my Department conveyed this instruction through Circular EL02/2011 to all local authorities. It is open to a Chief Executive to make a business case to my Department should they feel a candidate's experience warrants a higher placing on a pay scale; however this is something that is only used in exceptional cases.
Following a policy change from the DPEIPSRD, my Department conveyed an instruction to local authorities through Circular EL05/2016 that, with effect from 1 February 2016, where the appointee has been serving elsewhere in the public service in an analogous grade and pay-scale, and will be moving without break to another part of the public sector at an analogous grade, the appointment may be made at the appointee’s current point of scale.
Circular EL 04/2024 in the Local Sector relates to starting pay on recruitment through open competition to the Public Sector where the appointment of existing Public Servants from the EEA, UK and Switzerland are serving in analogous grades. This is effective from 1 January 2018. Its purpose is to confirm that public servants, serving elsewhere in the EEA, UK and Switzerland, appointed to an analogous grade in the Local Authority Sector through an open competition may be appointed at their current public service euro salary from the public service post the individual is leaving. Where an appointee’s current salary is not an exact match in respect of incremental points, the appointee will be appointed on an off point. The appointee will retain the increment date from the previous role.
767. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether it is appropriate for objections or submissions in relation to localised public infrastructure to come from individuals or organisations that do not live or work in the area impacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11674/26]
View answerI propose to take Question No 767 and Question No 768 together.
Public participation is a long established and key element of all substantive decision-making processes under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Act of 2000) and which will continue under the Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024). It is open to any person to make a submission or observation in relation to a planning application during the public consultation period and on payment of the required fee. Planning authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála (the Commission) must have regard to any valid submission or observation made when making a decision to grant or refuse a planning application. In addition, a person who made a submission or observation on a planning application that a planning authority has decided to grant or refuse may subsequently appeal that decision to the Commission or may make a further submission in relation to an appeal of that decision.
The Act of 2024 will introduce new procedures to address 'spurious' planning submissions, appeals and judicial reviews. Section 587 of that Act prohibits a person from requesting from another person a payment, benefit in kind, or conferral of financial or economic benefit in order for that person to not make a planning submission or take a planning appeal or judicial review, or so that person will withdraw such a submission, planning appeal or a judicial review already made or taken. A person who contravenes this prohibition will be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both. It should be noted that section 587 does not apply to a request made by the owner or occupier of land or a maritime site which is made in good faith for the purpose of compensation for loss of enjoyment of that land or maritime site by the owner or occupier and which is likely to be occasioned by the proposed development.
Furthermore, section 587 also provides that an applicant for planning permission may apply to the High Court for a direction to be issued to a planning authority or the Commission to disregard such a submission or observation and the High Court may direct the Commission to dismiss an appeal in such circumstances. The High Court may also dismiss a judicial review brought where such a request in contravention of section 587 was made.
Section 588 of the Act of 2024 provides that submissions in relation to planning applications, appeals of applications and judicial reviews must be accompanied by a declaration stating that the submission, planning appeal or judicial review is not being made or taken for the purposes of delaying a development or for receiving a payment or other benefit. A declaration must also be made when withdrawing a submission, appeal or a judicial review. A person who fails to comply with these declaration requirements or knowingly makes a false or misleading declaration will be liable, on summary conviction, to a class A fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
I am satisfied that the introduction of sections 587 and 588 will contribute significantly to the intended operation of the planning process while ensuring public participation for genuine purposes is maintained.
My Department is in the processes of commencing of the Act of 2024 on a phased basis to facilitate the transition to the new legislation across the planning system, taking into account the need to liaise with local authorities, planning bodies and other stakeholders. It should be noted that the existing provisions in the Act of 2000 will remain in place until repealed and the relevant provisions in the Act of 2024 are commenced. A detailed implementation plan is available at www.gov.ie/planning.
769. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the publication of updated rural housing guidelines; if he intends to amend the definition of ribbon development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11707/26]
View answerI propose to take Question No 769, 770 and 805 together.
The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) 2025, sets out high-level national policies and objectives, which are essential to achieving proper planning and sustainable development, with a clear vision to guide future development and investment decisions.
The NPF sets out the spatial planning policy approach to accommodating projected population and housing growth to 2040 in a manner which delivers balanced regional development and more sustainable compact growth of our cities and towns, in line with National Strategic Objective (NSO) 1 of ‘Compact Growth’. The national compact growth objective was introduced in response to an identified need to counter the trend of urban sprawl, to support the targeted delivery of infrastructure and services and promote our cities and towns to be self-sustaining and viable places in which to live and work. The NPF notes the high cost of infrastructure delivery and unsustainable forms of development associated with scattered and linear patterns of ‘strip’ or ‘ribbon development’.
With regard to rural areas, the NPF recognises that the Irish countryside is, and will continue to be, a living and lived-in landscape, in line with NSO 3 ‘Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities’, while at the same time protecting the capacity of the environment and avoiding ribbon and over-spill development from urban areas. As set out in Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 - An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness, I intend to publish a National Planning Statement in of the second half of 2026 that will set out relevant planning criteria to be applied in local authority development plans for one-off rural housing, based on the high level policy framework set in the NPF.
My Department is currently preparing a draft National Planning Statement (NPS) for Government approval, to be issued under Section 25 of the Planning and Development Act of 2024 in order to provide consistency in the approach to rural housing across the country.
The NPS will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of the National Planning Framework (NPF), in particular on National Policy Objective (NPO) 28 which relates to rural housing. This objective makes a clear policy distinction between rural areas under urban influence (i.e. areas within the commuter catchment of cities, large towns and centres of employment), and structurally weaker rural areas where population levels may be low or declining. NPO 28 is also aligned with the established approach whereby considerations of social or economic need are to be applied by planning authorities in the assessment of development proposals for new one-off housing in rural areas under urban influence.
Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the NPF) there have been important changes to our planning system and our obligations under European Directives and international agreements. Due care is being taken to ensure the draft National Planning Statement will not conflict with fundamental EU freedoms, will comply with EU environmental requirements and will have due regard to decisions of the European Court of Justice.
When making a decision in relation to an application for permission for a one-off rural house, a planning authority is restricted to considering the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, regard being had to, inter alia, the National Planning Framework, the provisions of the relevant development plan and any relevant Ministerial guidelines.
The NPF objectives together with the 2005 Guidelines, which remain in effect pending the finalisation of the National Planning Statement, enable planning authorities to prepare and adopt local development plan policies for one-off housing in rural areas
