Written Answers Nos. 274-293
274. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if disability grants are available for a para-athlete (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52510/26]
View answerSport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards, including the allocation of funding across its various programmes. It is responsible for providing funding to elite development and high performance pathways.
For details of the funding streams in place I have referred the Deputy's question to Sport Ireland for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
275. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the funding available to assist sports clubs to meet increasing costs of rental and staff wages while using facilities owned by others; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52527/26]
View answer276. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider options to facilitate a resolution in a case (details supplied) where archaeological costs associated with the discovery of a significant burial site have risen to approximately €400,000; whether he has engaged with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52419/26]
View answer277. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has made an expression of interest in taking ownership of Dunguaire Castle in Kinvara, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52449/26]
View answerThe Department acquires heritage structures and monuments, which are either of national importance or strategic importance, from time to time as resources and opportunities permit. In all cases, the Department assesses potential acquisitions carefully, taking into consideration similar existing properties within the State portfolio, gaps in the State portfolio, conservation needs, and cost.
278. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is concerned that hare numbers are declining; the steps he will take to protect hare numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52198/26]
View answerThe Irish Hare is protected under the Irish Wildlife Acts and under the EU Habitats Directive. As such Ireland is required to ensure the favourable conservation status of the species.
The National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department undertakes monitoring surveys of hares nationally. There is no evidence to suggest that hare numbers are currently declining. In common with other farmland species, there is evidence that the population declined during the 20th century due to agricultural intensification and landscape homogenisation. Nonetheless, the Irish Hare remains widespread and ubiquitous. The latest Habitats Directive Article 17 report concluded that the species is in Favourable Conservation Status. The most recent national survey (completed in 2019) produced a mean density estimate of approximately 3 hares/km2. This is comparable to the 20- year mean density from all surveys since 2000 suggesting the population remains stable.
A new national hare survey is currently underway with results expected in 2027.
279. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the options open to persons who cannot afford to pay for a Fire Service callout and who do not qualify for a full waiver; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52324/26]
View answerThe provision of the Fire Service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under section 10 of the Fire Services Act 1981 and 2003. Under section 35(3) of the Act, it is a matter for each local authority to determine whether to charge users or beneficiaries of a service that their fire authority provides, including attendance at fire incidents.
In many cases the householder/premises owner may recoup charges for attendance of the fire brigade at incidents from relevant insurance polices.
I also understand that fire authorities operate a waiver scheme in respect of call-out charges as the question mentions. Each case is considered on its merits and partial waivers as well as deferred payment options are considered as appropriate. Further information on the operation of these schemes is available from individual local authorities, many of which publish details on their websites or provide information on request.
280. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the local government borrowing ceiling that has been for each year from 2020 to 2026; to detail borrowing sanctions in each year with a breakdown by local authority; and to confirm the status of these sanctions such as approval to borrow or drawdown of actual borrowings [52365/26]
View answer281. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the CEO of Uisce Éireann is set to receive an overall pay package this year of €391,953 which is an overall rise of €118,000 on their pay package for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52375/26]
View answerThe Senior Posts Remuneration Committee was established by Government in March 2024 to perform a review of the remuneration arrangements for the CEOs of Commercial State Bodies.
The remuneration of the CEO of Uisce Éireann was reviewed based on the recommendations of the Committee. The revised pay level is within the range recommended by the Committee and was approved by me with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
The CEO remuneration reflects the scale of responsibility and the challenges and complexity inherent in the role of CEO of Uisce Éireann, including the accountability associated with a multi-billion euro capital programme supporting the delivery of water infrastructure to enable housing and growth.
282. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider concerns raised in correspondence regarding a local authority's methodology for allocating local property tax funding between municipal districts; whether he will examine the rationale for the allocation model adopted; the extent to which objective indicators such as deprivation, population needs and infrastructure requirements were taken into account (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52401/26]
View answerLocal Property Tax (LPT) is administered and collected by the Revenue Commissioners and subsequently transferred into the Local Government Fund (LGF). The funds are redistributed, by my Department, to local authorities in accordance with the Government’s allocation policies. Funding allocations are decided in advance of collection, based on estimates of the LPT yield in individual local authority areas for the following liability year. Accordingly, the allocations are determined on a local authority basis, rather than by Municipal District, or any other geographical area.
Under the current LPT allocation model, every local authority has a minimum level of funding available to it, known as the baseline. There are variances across the country in terms of LPT levels but it is important that all local authorities receive at least this baseline level of funding to help ensure they can deliver adequate levels of service. In some local authority areas, where the expected LPT yield is significantly higher than the baseline, the local authority is required to spend a portion of that yield on self-funding housing and/or roads services in the local authority area, in lieu of Exchequer funding for same. Apart from any self-funding amounts, the remainder of the LPT allocation can be used by the local authority for their own discretionary use. In addition, the power to vary LPT rates locally enables elected members to directly influence the level of LPT income they have to meet their expenditure requirements. Many local authorities use the discretionary income from LPT to fund General Municipal Allocations or to leverage Central Government grant funding of specific projects in the public realm.
It is a matter for each local authority, to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which include adopting the annual budget and authorising borrowing, and are democratically accountable for all expenditure by the local authority. Accordingly, it is a matter for individual local authorities to manage their own day-to-day finances in a prudent and sustainable manner.
The redistribution of discretionary LPT funding by a local authority to a Municipal District, is a matter for the authority itself, in accordance with its own budgetary priorities and I, as Minister, have no function in this regard.
283. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social housing units commenced and completed in County Roscommon and in County Galway between 1 January 2026 and 1 July 2026, in tabular form. [52443/26]
View answerMy 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. These statistics provide delivery data at local authority level, including data on housing delivery versus targets. Data is available to the end of Q4 2025 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/. Data for Q1 2026 is being collated and will be available in due course.
My Department also publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), which provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication is for Quarter 4 2025 and is available on my Department's website: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/. The Q1 2026 CSR is currently being compiled and will be published soon.
284. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications received and approved under the croí cónaithe scheme in County Roscommon and County Galway between 1 January and 1 July 2026 in tabular form. [52444/26]
View answer289. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications received under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant in County Roscommon and County Galway; the number approved; the number completed; and the value of grants paid to date, in tabular form. [52470/26]
View answerI propose to take Question No 284 and Question No 289 together.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, funded under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000. In order to qualify for the grant, the property must be vacant for two years or more at the time of application.
My Department publishes data on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, which includes the number of applications, approvals and the total number and value of grants paid per local authority. This data also includes a breakdown of applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Derelict Property Top-up Grant for every quarter. The Q1 2026 grant statistics were published on 24 April 2026. Quarter 2 data will be published in the coming weeks.
This data can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/vacant-property-refurbishment-grant-statistics/#2025.
285. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications for planning permission for one-off rural dwellings received by Roscommon County Council and Galway County Council between 1 January and 1 July 2026; and the number granted and refused, in tabular form. [52445/26]
View answerThe information sought is not hold by my Department. Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, as Minister I may not exercise any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or the Commission is or may be concerned. Consideration of individual planning cases is a matter for the relevant planning authority and is a matter in which I as Minister have no statutory function.
Roscommon and Galway County Councils may be in a position to provide the information sought.[]
286. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to give favourable consideration to a recommendation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52447/26]
View answerThe Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) has drafted the Short Term Letting and Tourism (STLT) Bill General Scheme in full alignment with the EU Short Term Rental 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.
In line with the proposed introduction of DETE’s STLT Bill, all short-term letting accommodation providers will be required to register with Fáilte Ireland. As part of the registration process, accommodation providers will need to confirm that they are planning compliant.
The Planning Acts provide that the short-term letting of a residential property is a material change of use of the property concerned, thereby requiring planning permission, unless otherwise specifically exempted. A threshold-based approach to consenting by planning authorities is proposed to generally preclude new planning permissions for short-term lets in larger towns and cities with a population in excess of 20,000, amounting to twenty five towns at the most recent Census of Population. It is intended that accommodation providers in all other locations, i.e. outside the largest towns and cities, will be able to avail of an extended period to meet planning compliance requirements.
Furthermore, in line with existing established rights, where it can be proven that a residential property has been operated by a short-term letting accommodation provider for at least seven years and no enforcement action has been taken by the planning authority, planning permission for retention may be sought to regularise an established but unauthorised use.
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 finalising a National Planning Statement (NPS) on Short-Term Letting.
I am satisfied that the draft NPS considers a variety of factors, such as existing planning legislation, the location and potential benefits of the proposed short-term letting property and the overarching aim to balance housing need with the potential impact on tourism and economic development. The draft NPS has been informed by the work of a Working Group (comprising my Department, DETE and the County and City Management Association) and further engagement with relevant stakeholders.
On 16 June, Government noted the draft NPS on Short-Term Letting. This draft is now subject to a Strategic Environmental Assessment process and the EU Services Directive notification process. A finalised version of the NPS, having regard to the outcomes of the environmental assessment and EU notification, will be considered by Government in the coming months.
287. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households on the social housing waiting list in County Roscommon and County Galway, broken down by local authority area and household composition, in tabular form. [52468/26]
View answerDetails on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA).
The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2025, is available on my Department's website, along with all summaries since 2011 at www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/.
Details of households qualified for social housing support for each local authority are included in tables 1.1 in the report. The report shows that there were 297 households qualified for social housing in Roscommon County Council and 1,362 households qualified for social housing in Galway County Council whose need was unmet in 2025.
Tables 2.4 and A1.4 of the report provide details on household size, including a breakdown of the household composition, which provides a granular level of detail regarding the number of persons in each household type.
288. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant local authority dwellings in County Roscommon and County Galway; the length of time each property has remained vacant; and the reason each dwelling remains unoccupied, in tabular form. [52469/26]
View answerData on the quantum of social homes vacant at a moment in time, the length of time they've been vacant, the reasons they're vacant, and the steps being taken to bring them back to productive use, are a matter solely for local authorities. Accordingly, data on the quantum of social homes owned by Roscommon and Galway County Councils, and vacant at any time, should be sought directly from the respective Councils.
That said, data on the management of social homes are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in its Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including levels of vacancy and average turnaround times in local authority owned properties.
The most recent NOAC report for 2024 is available at www.noac.ie/noac_publications/report-77-noac-performance-indicator-report-2024/.
290. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average processing time for planning applications submitted to Roscommon County Council and Galway County Council during 2026, in tabular form. [52481/26]
View answerThe information sought is not held by my Department. Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, as Minister I may not exercise any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or the Commission is or may be concerned. Consideration of individual planning cases is a matter for the relevant planning authority and is a matter in which I as Minister have no statutory function.
The information may be sought directly from Roscommon and Galway County Councils.
291. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of fully completed and occupied units in each local authority area developed by the LDA, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52513/26]
View answerIn line with Section 12(4) of the Land Development Agency Act 2021, the Land Development Agency (LDA) is a statutory body under the aegis of this Department, and is independent in the performance of its functions.
As a key partner in this Government’s Housing Strategy, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, the Land Development Agency (LDA) is continuing to activate and secure the delivery of starter and social homes on State lands, and regenerate underused sites. The Agency is also tasked with unlocking stalled private planning-consented developments via its market engagement and partnership initiative, Project Tosaigh, and working in partnership with local authorities to deliver housing on local authority owned land. Through these various delivery channels, the LDA has delivered almost 3,000 homes to date.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level details on a quarterly basis on starter home and social housing delivery activity in each local authority area by local authorities, the LDA, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), via the First Home Scheme and the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Scheme on the statistics page of my Departments website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision and includes data on a quarterly basis up to and including the end of 2025.
292. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of units currently at construction phase in each local authority area by the LDA, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52514/26]
View answerThe Land Development Agency (LDA) is a statutory body under the aegis of this Department, and in line with section 12(4) of the Land Development Agency Act 2021 is independent in the performance of its functions.
To date, the LDA has delivered almost 3,000 homes, and is working on a pipeline of a further 25,000 homes on over 40 sites, with projects at every stage from design through to construction. Further information on these projects can be found on the LDA's website at the following link: https://lda.ie/projects.
It may be helpful to note that arrangements have been put in place by my Department to ensure that public bodies under its aegis have a dedicated email address in place to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. In this regard, the LDA can be contacted by emailing oireachtas@lda.ie for further details on this matter.
293. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Draft Sustainable Rural and Gaeltacht Housing National Planning Statement will require ongoing verification of Irish language use in Gaeltacht properties granted permission on language-competency grounds, beyond the point-in-time assessment; if any monitoring, reporting, or compliance mechanism is planned to prevent resale or letting to non-Irish-speaking occupiers once the occupancy condition period has elapsed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52521/26]
View answer294. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the proposed minimum residency or employment period an applicant must complete in a destination Gaeltacht area before Inter-Gaeltacht Recognition can be invoked to satisfy local need criteria; if this mechanism has been assessed for risk of enabling applicants to prioritise higher-demand Gaeltacht areas ahead of persons with long-standing multi-generational ties to that area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52522/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 293 and 294 together.
The Government agreed a proposed policy direction for rural and Gaeltacht housing on 30 June 2026. This means that the Draft National Planning Statement (NPS) on Sustainable Rural and Gaeltacht Housing, prepared by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under Section 25 of the Planning and Development Act 2024, can now move to environmental assessment under relevant EU Directives, prior to its approval by Government.
The new draft Statement refines and updates the existing 2005 Rural Housing Guidelines to reflect the 2024 Act and the established policy in the Revised National Planning Framework (NPF), which is to facilitate new rural housing for those with a local rural housing need, balanced with preventing urban generated sprawl in rural areas under urban development pressures, protecting and promoting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Gaeltacht, and the regeneration of rural towns and villages.
The proposed new policy approach seeks to provide more clarity and consistency across the various planning authorities by defining the relevant planning and local needs criteria to be applied in local development plans and in the consideration of planning applications for single rural housing in rural and Gaeltacht areas.
The draft NPS will now be assessed for the purposes of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) under the EU SEA and Birds and Habitats Directives, including any necessary associated consultation, in advance of the planned publication before the end of 2026.
Under Section 25 of the 2024 Planning and Development Act, draft National Planning Statements are subject to approval by Government prior to issue by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Until they are replaced by any final National Planning Statement, the 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines for Planning Authorities, 2005 remain in effect.
One of the four key guiding principles of the Draft NPS is to facilitate Irish speakers with strong local connections to either remain resident within, return to, or move between any Gaeltacht area designated under the Gaeltacht Act 2012.
While the applicant would still need to demonstrate that they have a local housing need in accordance with NPPM 3 and Section 4.4.5 Rural Housing Policy Matrix, the planning authority may apply a level of flexibility in their assessment of local social need, where the required level of language competency can be demonstrated.
Section 5.21 and Table 4.4.4 Rural Housing Policy Matrix of the draft NPS provide that the local social need criteria are generally a 3km radius and 10 years duration, except for Irish speakers where the "local area" may incorporate any designated Gaeltacht nationally, and/or 3km from the proposed site; whichever is more relevant. The standard 10-year substantial duration of residency requirement may also be reduced to 5 years, where the required level of language competency can be demonstrated:
- (a) ‘local area’ is generally 3km distance from the site of the proposed dwelling in a Gaeltacht area– but in the case of an Irish speaker, the planning authority may consider an application from a (current or former) resident of a particular designated Gaeltacht area to move to any other designated Gaeltacht nationally subject to compliance with (b) in line with the principle of the free movement of Irish speakers between Gaeltachts (‘Inter-Gaeltacht Recognition’).
- (b) ‘substantial duration’ is generally a minimum of 10 years living in a Gaeltacht area - but in the case of an Irish speaker, the planning authority can apply the lower threshold of 5 years duration (continuously or cumulatively) if they consider the proposal would have a positive linguistic impact on the area.
To ensure that linguistic integrity is maintained and promoted in a consistent manner, a person seeking to build a new single rural dwelling in a Gaeltacht area may, in order to benefit from this flexible approach to the local social need criteria, provide the appropriate evidence to show that a nominated adult member of their household has achieved a minimum level of B2 in spoken Irish.
The proposed policy direction is intended to reflect the shared linguistic and cultural heritage of all designated Gaeltacht areas, which despite being spread across different counties, share the core purpose of preserving the Irish language as a living community language.
The draft NPS sets out that where permission is granted, an occupancy clause should be included as a condition to any grant of permission to ensure the dwelling remains in use as the applicant’s permanent and primary residence for a period of at least 10 years, and that any use for short-term letting is excluded.
