Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:152. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to reduce unaffordable rents in the private sector. [17818/26]
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Rental Sector
The Minister has introduced legislation allowing landlords to reset rents upwards, which is unbelievable when rents are already unaffordable for the vast majority of people and we have an unprecedented homelessness crisis. Does the Minister have any plans to make rents affordable in the private rental sector or is he just admitting this is a Government that is about increasing rents in order to benefit landlords who profit from the housing misery that results from unaffordable rents?
Affordability very much is at the heart of the Government's housing policy, as embodied within the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030. The Government is targeting the delivery of 300,000 new homes by 2030, including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable supports. The plan reinforces and expands the range of existing measures being implemented by Government to tackle the issues of supply and affordability, thereby supporting the increased provision of new homes to purchase and rent. Further Government measures introduced to support renters include the increase in the tax credit for renters under budget 2025 to a maximum of €1,000 for each renter in a household. Budget 2026 extends the rent tax credit, which was due to expire at the end of 2025, for a further three years to the end of 2028. The programme for Government commits to extending it. Record levels of social and affordable housing delivery have been achieved in recent years, with preliminary 2025 figures indicating further record levels of delivery. I am providing substantial funding to local authorities, the Land Development Agency and to approved housing bodies to support increased delivery. The national development plan has committed record levels of funding for new social and affordable housing, totalling almost €20 billion. Since the launch of cost rental in 2021, around €2.25 billion in Exchequer funding has been approved for cost rental projects. Beyond my Department, very significant loan funding is also being provided from the State's Housing Finance Agency. The lowering of VAT on new apartments to 9% under budget 2026 will also assist in the delivery of new homes into the cost-rental sector at lower cost.
The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 2026 came into effect on 1 March, introducing a new national rent control for all tenancies which limits rent increases to inflation as measured by the consumer price index up to a maximum of 2%. For new-build apartments and student-specific accommodation, however, rent increases are capped at the level of inflation CPI only. These changes were introduced to promote greater investment in the rental market, to increase supply of rental properties.
That is all just meaningless drivel for the people out there looking for affordable rents.
Hear, hear.
It is unbelievable. Average incomes in this country are €55,000 to €60,000. Many if not most people earn less than that. Take-home pay is €3,300 to €3,600 a month after tax. If you are looking for a three-bedroom apartment in Dún Laoghaire, you will not find anything below €3,000 today. Most of them are €4,500. I will read out a few figures in my area: €3,800, €3,050 and €3,650. More than 100% of the take-home income of the average worker is needed for the rents that are being looked for today. Suzanne, whose family is in an overcrowded two-bed, is looking for a three-bed. She is paying €1,700 and that is what is available for her and her two kids. She is going to end up homeless or staying in overcrowded accommodation, as are many people. It is an impossible situation and the Minister has got nothing at all to say to people.
We do have a lot to say to people. We have already delivered a record number of homes last year. Since Housing for All came in, we delivered 36,000 homes last year. We have provided tax breaks for renters as well. We know the only way we can address the homeless crisis, the rent crisis and the housing crisis is through increasing the supply. We cannot calcify the current situation forever. I know it is popular for Deputies opposite to say they want an eviction ban and to freeze rents. They are just going to exacerbate the situation as the population increases as a result of more people coming into this country, which is fantastic. The diversity is wonderful for our country but we have to drive the supply. The State cannot provide all homes to deliver that.
Seriously, young working people looking for accommodation are goosed with this Government. The Minister says supply is the answer. I am on the budget scrutiny committee. The Department of Finance in the Future Forty report is projecting that supply will not reach the level where it is possible, theoretically, that prices could come down until the end of the 2030s. We are stuck. Suzanne, who is looking to get from an overcrowded situation and is facing those rents, is goosed until the end of the 2030s. Another couple I am dealing with, who have two kids, got a notice to quit and are now living with neighbours. They have to wait until the end of the 2030s. We can actually control rents. They do it in other countries. Why will the Minister not control rents? Why does he allow rents to reach these unaffordable levels? Why does he allow people to be evicted? Why does he allow landlords to reset rents up to the highest levels when there is nowhere that can be afforded by average working people looking for a roof over their head?
Short-term protectionism is only exacerbating this situation. I want to give people hope. We delivered over 36,000 new homes last year. That is the highest number of homes since Housing for All came in. We delivered an awful lot more homes 20 years ago. In my view, the kind of protectionism we brought in has undermined the supply of those homes. We need to get back to delivering at least 50,000 homes a year. Going back 20 years, at one stage it was 90,000. I think those numbers were questionable, which is why we now rely on CSO data. There was still significantly more than we are delivering now. We need to ensure we have that framework and deliver the supply of homes people need right across the country. We are in a housing crisis. I am the first to admit it. The only way to get out of it is through supply, not through more and more protectionism.
Question No. 153 taken with Written Answers.
Vacant Properties
Tony McCormack
Ceist:154. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications received and approved under the vacant property refurbishment grant and the croí cónaithe fund nationally to date; the total funding allocated and drawn down; the average processing time for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17619/26]
Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Ceist:156. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the operation of the croí cónaithe scheme in Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17327/26]
Joe Neville
Ceist:169. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of properties which have been brought back into use under the vacant property refurbishment grant in north Kildare since 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17855/26]
Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Ceist:191. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the operation of the croí cónaithe scheme in Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17328/26]
Brendan Smith
Ceist:198. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications that have been approved for the vacant property refurbishment grant in Cavan and Monaghan since its introduction; the number of grants that have been paid out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17477/26]
Colm Burke
Ceist:207. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the vacant above the shop grant will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17539/26]
Martin Daly
Ceist:255. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average processing time for vacant property refurbishment grant applications in Roscommon–Galway; the number of applications awaiting decision or payment; and the steps being taken to address delays. [17593/26]
My question is about the number of applications received for vacant property refurbishment grant and the croí cónaithe fund since the launch of the scheme, the number of applications approved to date, the total amount of funding allocated and drawn down under both schemes, and if the Minister of State will make a statement on it.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 154, 156, 169, 191, 198, 207 and 255 together.
Tackling vacancy and dereliction is a key objective of this Government as reflected in the new housing plan, delivering homes and building communities. The vacant property refurbishment grant, which is funded under the croí cónaithe towns fund, provides a grant of up to €50,000 for the refurbishment of vacant properties for the occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to €70,000. In order to qualify for the grant, the property must be vacant for two years or more at the time of application. Since its introduction in 2022, the vacant property refurbishment grant has been a key support to bring back vacant and derelict properties into use as homes. To the end of 2025, over 16,000 grant applications have been received nationwide and over 4,514 were paid out, amounting to €247 million. My Department publishes data on applications for the 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.
Prior to the decision being made on grant applications, local authority reviews the applications to ensure that grant conditions are met and the required supporting documentation has been submitted. They will then arrange for a qualified person to visit the property to check the refurbishment work being applied for and to assess the proposed cost.
Once this process is complete, the local authority will make its decision on the grant application, which is then issued to the applicant. Applicants have 13 months to complete the works from the date of approval but in exceptional circumstances where an applicant cannot complete the works applied for under the grant within this 13-month period, the local authority may grant an extension of the approval period at its discretion. Following confirmation of a successful application and the works being completed, the local authority will conduct a final property visit to review that the work has been completed in line with the grant application. Once the local authority is satisfied all required documentation is in order, it will then pay the grant. Payment of the grant at the end of the process is to ensure the applicant has carried the works applied for and approved and to safeguard that the grant is related to the works completed. The average processing time for applications received in the past year from date of receipt to date of decision is 67 days. The average processing time for applications received where all required information to support the application is received at the outset over the same period is 48 days. I propose to attach the information requested as part of the Official Report.
The vacant homes unit in the Department monitors delivery of the grant and engages with local authorities on an ongoing basis, identifying issues and providing support and guidance in relation to the administration and processing of grant applications. Support is also provided to local authorities by the property optimisation unit within in the Housing Agency. This engagement supports efficient delivery of the grant and a consistent approach by local authorities in grant administration throughout the country. In line with the action contained in the housing plan, additional annual financial support of up to €100,000 per annum will be provided to local authorities to assist with grant administration. Building on the success of the grant and in line with the agreed action in the new housing plan, the Government in December approved extending availability of the grant to 2030, with 20,000 grants to be paid. Approval was also given for the introduction of a vacant above-the-shop grant, with a package of up to €140,000 to be made available in cases where a vacant above-the-shop space is being converted or refurbished for residential use and the commercial elements remains. The additional grant amount for these properties recognises the complexities involved in bringing this space into residential use. The package includes an expert advice grant of up to €5,000. Alongside these changes, approval was also given to provide an additional top-up of existing grant levels where an entire commercial building is converted into more than one residential unit. An additional €20,000 will be made available for the creation of a second residential unit and a further €20,000 where three or more units are created in the building. This will be on top of the existing grant of €50,000 to €70,000 as appropriate. The Department is progressing work on the vacant above-the-shop grant and the expert advice grant. It will be for made available for delivery by local authorities in the coming weeks.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
The vacant property refurbishment grant is one of the many measures introduced and being introduced to tackle the scourge of dereliction and vacancy head-on. It has proved very successful and the changes now being made, build on that to maximise the number of vacant and derelict properties being brought into use as homes across across our villages, towns and cities.
I recognise what the Minister of State and his Department are doing and that he is doing everything in his power to speed up housing delivery. The vacant property refurbishment grant and the croí cónaithe fund are important initiatives in that regard. Bringing vacant and derelict homes back into use in many respects should be the low-hanging fruit in tackling the housing crisis. These homes already exist within our communities and with the right support they can be turned back into homes relatively quickly. However, a number of applicants have contacted me to say the application and approval process can take quite a long time and there can be uncertainty around timelines for decisions and payments. For people trying to organise building works and financing, that uncertainty can create real difficulties. Will the Minister outline if the Department monitors processing times across local authorities and if there are differences between these areas? What steps are being taken to ensure local authorities have the resources and guidance necessary to process applications quickly so that these homes can be brought back into use without unnecessary delay?
From a Department perspective we are monitoring processing times by local authorities. There is a significant discrepancy between the lowest and highest. I have outlined that the average processing time is eight weeks but I acknowledge that some local authorities are significantly above that. We are working with them to ensure we can get that down to the average. I understand the complexities and difficulties associated with projects like this from a financing perspective, trying to line up contractors and difficulties that can occur. We are providing funding to local authorities. We are trying to assist them in reducing processing times to ensure what is an excellent scheme is rolled out effectively across the country.
While these schemes are very welcome, their success ultimately depends on local authorities fully buying into them and driving them on the ground. Does the Minister of State believe all local authorities are engaging with the scheme to the same extent? Are there areas where uptake or processing is slower than expected? If there are differences, what steps is the Department taking to ensure best practice is shared and that every council actively supports applicants so that we can maximise the number of vacant homes brought back into use?
Every local authority is engaging with the scheme and has paid out grants but, as I said, processing times at both the front end and back end of the process vary from local authority to local authority. That is a challenge. We are working with local authorities to ensure all of them come within a much shorter range than is the case at the moment. We will continue to work with the local authority sector from a financing perspective in terms of the staffing required, and every local authority has a vacant homes officer and has been provided with €100,000 for support and administration of this grant scheme. An excellent scheme has been introduced by the Government, with16,000 applications, 12,000 approvals and 4,500 grants paid out. That is 4,500 vacant and derelict homes that now have families and individuals living in them today, with up to €70,000 in grant support provided by the Government.
Regeneration Projects
Eoin Ó Broin
Ceist:155. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the funding for inner-city flat complex regeneration in Dublin. [17587/26]
As the Minister knows, some of the worst quality rental accommodation in the State is the inner-city flat complexes owned by Dublin City Council built in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. There is widespread damp, sewage problems, overcrowding and decades of poor maintenance. While Dublin City Council has a comprehensive and ambitious plan to address those issues, the Department continues to put far too many barriers in its way. Will the Minister provide an update on funding applications and approvals specifically for the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s inner-city flat complex regeneration proposals?
Within the programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland's Future, a commitment was specifically made to continue to accelerate social housing regeneration schemes in Dublin. This commitment is reiterated in the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. Where local authorities propose the complete redevelopment of flat complexes such as O'Devaney Gardens and St. Teresa's Gardens, my Department is making a number of funding channels available to local authorities and approved housing bodies for such regeneration, including the social housing investment programme, the affordable housing fund, the capital advance leasing facility and cost-rental equity loans.
For flat complexes proposed for refurbishment and remedial works, my Department is making funding available through our estate regeneration programme. Dublin City Council has completed a number of regeneration projects, including 72 units at Dominick Street east and 100 units as part of Dolphin House regeneration.
The council has contractors on site for a number of other regeneration projects, such as Constitution Hill and Dorset Street and mixed-tenure redevelopments including the Donore project at St. Teresa's Gardens, An Droichead Órga at St. Michael's Estate and the Montpelier development at O'Devaney Gardens. These three mixed-tenure regeneration projects will deliver over 2,000 homes once all phases are completed. I have provided funding approval for a number of regeneration projects where the council is working on the design, planning and tendering, including Dolphin House phase 1b, School Street, Constitution Hill and Glovers Court.
My Department is working with the council on a remedial works programme for four existing blocks in Pearse House. A funding proposal is with my officials for review, with a decision to be made in the coming weeks.
The Department is also working with Dublin City Council on a proposal for remedial works on three blocks in Oliver Bond House and for the future regeneration of the remaining blocks. The Department remains committed to the regeneration of flat complexes in Dublin city and will continue to support well-conceived regeneration projects put forward by the city council.
The Minister is developing a terrible habit of spending most of his time talking about everything other than the actual question, which relates to the currently tenanted flat complexes, such as Oliver Bond House, St. Michan's House and Pearse House, where the Department is preventing, blocking and delaying the approval of funding. Initially it was because the national planning framework required that density be increased, and following the intervention of Dublin City Council and many of us on this side of the House that policy shifted. The current policy is that there can be no decrease in density as part of bringing these older flat complexes up to standard. That is simply not possible. We cannot ensure that the hard-working, rent-paying residents in Oliver Bond House, St. Michan's House, Pearse House and others get 21st-century minimum standards for rental accommodation without reducing density. There is no urgency or understanding, in my view, of the scale of the problem. What we want to know is when funding will be released so that the State, the largest landlord in the country, has the highest possible standards for its rental accommodation when, right now today in Dublin, the worst rental accommodation in our city is rental accommodation the State owns and the Minister is refusing to fund.
I thank Deputy Ó Broin and I am surprised at his comments. The national regeneration and refurbishment programme is the largest regeneration programme in terms of funds in the history of the State. The remediation of local authority social housing estates and flat complexes in the country's most disadvantaged communities is one of my key priorities. This includes those defined by the most extreme social exclusion, unemployment and other issues in these local communities. That said, given the critical shortage of housing across the State, unnecessary or unjustified reductions in density are not supported where such reductions result in a significant loss of homes. We cannot stand over or justify this. The local authorities know the Department's position. We are moving at speed but we need the local authorities to put forward plans that meet the Department's requirements for what we will fund, which is regeneration but not losing homes. We cannot afford to lose homes in the current situation of a housing crisis.
The only surprise that will be expressed following this debate is the surprise of the residents in the inner-city flat complexes listening to a Minister who clearly does not understand the scale of the problems. Someone living in an overcrowded flat that was built to 1930s or 1940s standards, which is riddled with damp, stinks of sewage and has a range of problems from rats to crumbling façades, needs to have that apartment fixed. This is not a question of density; it is a question of providing the funding so the State's own social rental homes meet minimum standards. If the properties were in the private rental sector, the local authorities would inspect and enforce. If these properties were in the AHB sector, the tenants would take their landlord to the Residential Tenancies Board. Right now, because of what the Minister has just said, because he has admitted what the barrier is, we are forcing social housing tenants, council tenants and working and rent-paying tenants to live in substandard and what are effectively illegal properties. When will the Minister wake up and realise the scale of the problem and release the funding to do one thing and one thing only, which is to bring these homes up to modern standards?
I very much do understand the scale of the problem. The funding is available to address every one of those issues and they need to be addressed because it is totally unacceptable that people are living in these types of conditions, but it has been made about-----
"But". That is the problem. It is the "but".
It has been made about density instead of being about regeneration. We fully support and will fund the regeneration. It needs to happen. It could have happened by now. We want it to happen at speed-----
But the Department is not approving the funding applications.
Because the local authority made it about density instead of regeneration.
No, the national planning framework makes it about density.
This needs to happen and it needs to happen quickly.
We told you. There is a national planning objective, legally binding, in the national planning framework.
It needs to happen in terms of ensuring people have the quality homes, updated homes and upgraded homes they deserve to live in, instead of it being made about density, which Deputy Ó Broin has made it about and so has the local authority in the past.
No. Your national planning framework made it about density. What utter nonsense.
Question No. 156 taken with Question No. 154.
Further and Higher Education
Catherine Callaghan
Ceist:157. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the development of the national centre of excellence for traditional skills; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16774/26]
The 2025 programme for Government includes a commitment to explore the creation of a national centre of excellence for traditional skills. In furtherance of this commitment the Heritage Council established a task force on traditional skills. The task force met five times during the course of 2025 and is due to meet again later this month. The task force has to date commissioned three pieces of work, including an audit of available traditional skills courses and an assessment of the current and future demands for traditional building skills.
A key finding of the group to date is that the market for skilled traditional tradesmen is experiencing an acute supply shortage driven by an ageing workforce, insufficient new entrants and the long-term erosion of training pathways. It is envisaged that policy recommendations aimed at addressing these issues will be made to the Government by the Heritage Council later this year. It is important to note that in addition to their importance for heritage, the transmission of traditional skills from one generation of practitioners to the next relies on an effective system of education and training. As such, and alongside stakeholders such as the Heritage Council, the Department intends to work closely with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to address the supply of skilled traditional tradespeople. To this end, and in parallel with the work of the task force, Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board has an active further education and training college application, with plans to develop a national centre for traditional building skills. The application was lodged with SOLAS in 2024, and in February 2026 my colleague the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science announced that Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board would be in a position to appoint a design team for this important centre later this year.
I thank the Minister of State. He has almost answered my next question. It is very heartening to hear we are all thinking along the same lines. It is very important we recognise that over recent years there has been a growth in appreciation for the role of traditional craft works in Irish society. Skills such as thatching and stonemasonry have often been looked at in a nostalgic way as cherished emblems of an older Ireland. I believe, however, and I recognise from the comments of the Minister of State, that traditional skills have a place not only in Ireland's past but in its future as well.
Traditional skills will play an important role in the 21st century through the development of the specialist courses in Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board, which the Minister State mentioned. Recently it held the first thatching course in 15 years in Sheepstown in County Kilkenny. That is probably a testament to the rich potential the sector has. As the Minister of State has said, it is critical that apprentices can learn these skills while there are still expert craft persons to train them. He has given some assurance already, but he might reiterate that every possible measure is being taken to expedite the delivery of the national centre of excellence and training in traditional skills.
I thank Deputy Callaghan. It is a programme for Government commitment, which is as strong a commitment as we can get, to explore the creation of a national centre of excellence for traditional skills. A task force has been established and it has commissioned work. There will be a report from the Heritage Council to the Government in respect of the work of the task force later this year. By way of interest, one of the items of work the task force completed was a survey of skills by RED C. It indicated very strong public support for traditional skills, with 91% of people saying traditional skills should be preserved and 88% people saying they should be taught in schools. In 2024, Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board made an application to SOLAS to develop a national centre for traditional building skills.
In February 2026, the Minister for further and higher education announced that the board would be in a position to appoint a design team for the centre later this year.
I was at the announcement when the Minister, Deputy Lawless, came to KCETB. It was a brilliant announcement and a very positive day. Deputy John McGuinness was also there. I emphasise that we would like to see it delivered to ensure progress continues.
There is a unique cultural value to Irish traditional craft. Irish craft is renowned worldwide for its intricate design, high level of cultural significance and unbeatable quality. In Carlow, Borris Lacemakers provides an excellent example of a unique local product that has achieved international significance, with the lacemakers recently being chosen, alongside other craftspeople, to represent Ireland in the European Parliament.
Despite the unique opportunities that exist in the craft sector, a recent Heritage Council survey noted that only 9% of respondents advised they had enough apprentices to satisfy consumer demand. For example, there are only 15 to 20 experts to service more than 2,000 thatched buildings in Ireland. Without people and training, this conservation work will be tendered overseas. That will cost the Irish Exchequer an awful lot more.
With regard to the ongoing work of the task force, I mentioned the RED C survey on public attitudes to traditional skills. There was also an audit of traditional skills courses on the island in 2025. More particularly, there is an economic assessment of the demand for traditional skills, which goes back to the point Deputy Callaghan made. The report on the public attitude to the provision of courses is complete and the demand survey is in its final stages. That very much feeds into this. I have no doubt that, like Deputy Callaghan, the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Deputy McGuinness, will have a keen interest in the Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board progressing its application for a national centre for traditional building skills with the Department of further and higher education. As I have said, the Department and the Minister gave the go-ahead in February 2026. The board will be in a position to appoint a design team for this important centre later this year.
Housing Provision
Louise O'Reilly
Ceist:158. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the direction to local authorities will issue to allow victims and survivors of domestic abuse to move from one local authority list to another and retain their years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17577/26]
The Minister will be aware that last month, as I have done many times before, I raised the issue of victims and survivors of domestic abuse being able to carry time they have accrued on waiting lists from one local authority to another, primarily where that is necessary for their own safety and that of their children. The Tánaiste confirmed that the Minister would be issuing a direction to rectify this. I am looking for an update on that.
I thank the Deputy for her question in relation to this matter. Supporting individuals and families who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing homelessness, including victims and survivors of domestic abuse, is very much a priority for me, my Department and the Government. The response to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a cross-departmental multi-agency issue, with the Department of justice co-ordinating overall policy. Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims rests with my colleague the Minister for justice, working in conjunction with Cuan, the statutory domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency, which is under the remit of the Department of justice.
It is currently not possible for a household that was previously on one social housing waiting list to carry over the time spent on that list when applying to another local authority. However, in line with a commitment in the housing plan, a protocol to allow households fleeing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence to transfer time spent on a social housing waiting list to another local authority will be established and implemented this year. My Department has already engaged with local authorities and the County and City Management Association to develop this protocol. The structures to progress this commitment are in place. This includes a dedicated group of local authority directors of housing, which is working with my Department to ensure the protocol is workable, meets the needs of those who can benefit from it and is finalised as soon as possible.
Notwithstanding this commitment, local authorities will prioritise allocations to those households they consider to be most in need at any moment in time. Local authorities may also provide for exceptional or emergency cases, allowing immediate housing for qualified households outside of normal waiting list priorities should circumstances require. Households may also move and relocate between housing authority areas under the housing assistance payment, HAP, scheme where the household income is within the relevant income limits.
Furthermore, in 2017, my Department issued policy and procedural guidance to local authorities on the role they can play in assisting victims and survivors of domestic violence. The issuing of this 2017 policy guidance was a significant action under the section national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, which was for the period 2016 to 2021. It has since played an important role in addressing the housing needs of victims.
That is not exactly what the Tánaiste said. He said, "the Minister for housing has said he will issue a direction to all local authorities to make sure that issue is rectified." It should have taken the Minister two seconds rather than two minutes to answer. Either it is going to issue or it is not. What the Minister is saying is that a protocol is being developed. That is very welcome, but the Minister might provide some clarity in his follow-up. It seemed there was a little bit of slippage there as regards the normal rules on allocation applying. I know exactly how houses are allocated, as does the Minister.
I have used the example of a woman in my own constituency and I am going to use it again. I do not know how many names I have now used for her. Jesus, I will nearly use the woman's correct name; I have raised the issue that many times. Let us call her Margaret for the moment. Margaret has been on the Dublin City Council housing list for almost 13 and half years. She is about to be housed in the area where her former partner, who is out of prison after nearly killing her, is living. She cannot go back there. The Garda has told her not to. While she waits for the protocol to be developed and possibly issued at some point, what should she do?
I assure the Deputy that there is no slippage on this. This will be established and implemented this year. Once the protocols are finalised, I will be issuing that direction to the local authorities to ensure that people can travel from one local authority to another when fleeing domestic violence without losing time spent on the first authority's list. In fairness, I have generally found my own local authority quite reasonable and understanding in this regard. However, there has been an inconsistency across local authorities. We want to ensure we are not dependent on the views of an individual director of services or head of housing. We want consistency right across every local authority so that, when people are fleeing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, there will be a level of compassion and understanding. As I have said, people will not have to depend on compassion and understanding; rather, they will have this as a right.
I fully agree with the Minister. The officials I deal with in Fingal County Council lack neither understanding nor capacity but they do lack basic direction from the Government. As the Minister has said, basic and all as this is, it will take at least until this year to get that done, although it is welcome. As I have said, it is an issue I have raised many times. The Minister will be aware of it. It is not going to affect a huge number of people but it will have a serious impact for some people. I trust it is in order to send my own local authority a transcript of this debate to show that this is coming because I do not want this woman to lose out for the sake of a couple of weeks. I hope the council will be able to fully adhere to the protocol when it is issued.
I recognise that the Deputy has raised this on many occasions. She has been very consistent on it. This protocol is coming. It would be welcome if, in anticipation of the protocol, local authorities accepted what they know is now going to come.
Defective Building Materials
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Ceist:159. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will request that the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, SCSI, draft a follow-up report on construction costs for the defective concrete blocks grant scheme, considering that the last one was almost two years ago and costs have considerably increased in that period. [17183/26]
The Minister will know that his predecessor, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, asked the SCSI for the costs of building a typical home in the areas affected by defective concrete blocks. That was two years ago and the costs have increased substantially. That means the gap between what the State will pay families through the grant scheme and the actual costs is getting ever wider. Will the Minister ask the SCSI to get this done?
I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn for raising this important issue with regard to the SCSI and the draft follow-up on construction costs under the defective concrete block grant scheme. My Department keeps costs relating to the defective concrete blocks scheme under continuous review. As the Deputy is aware, following updated costs reports from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and advice from an expert group established to consider the matter, a further increase from the original grant rate set down in the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 was provided for on 23 October 2024. The scheme cap has risen by 10% to €462,000. Increases in the scheme grant rates of between 7.4% and 8.7%, as set out in the 2023 regulations, were also approved on 7 November 2024.
It was agreed the uplift in the rates would be applied retrospectively but primary legislation was required to amend the original Act to allow for this. The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill was initiated in Dáil Éireann on 2 October 2025, passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas and signed into law. The main provisions of the 2025 Act provide that increases in the grant scheme cap and rates from October and November 2024 can retrospectively benefit homeowners who incurred qualifying costs under the grant scheme since 29 March 2024. I have signed the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Act 2025 commencement order to give effect to these provisions, which came into operation on 25 February 2026, with related regulations also adopted on that date.
As for provisions of section 51 of the 2022 Act, a full review of the Act will commence later this year following its first three years in operation. It will offer an opportunity to review various issues arising in terms of the remediation of defective concrete blocks. I will consider whether the area of rates should form part of that review or a separate review.
The Minister and his Department officials continue to insist the people of Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Clare and Limerick are receiving 100% redress based on SCSI costings. It should be remembered that does not include the foundations and other matters. This has to be based on real-world prices. The prices he is working off are at least two years out of date. Indeed, the data used in the March 2024 SCSI report are from 2023. I am going by his standards. He tells me he is giving people 100% redress based on SCSI costings, but those costings are at least two years out of date. It is very simple. The SCSI is a tremendous organisation and has always been professional and co-operative. The Minister should ask the society to do an up-to-date report so people are not tens of thousands of euro short. It is a simple request. Can he do it?
We continuously keep the scheme under review through consistent and regular stakeholder engagement. An implementation steering group for the defective concrete blocks grant scheme has been in place since 2023 and comprises officials from relevant local authorities, my Department, the Housing Agency and homeowner liaison officers. This regular stakeholder engagement is augmented by regular meetings.
We have done a review of the costings, implemented it and passed the legislation. I am looking at whether such a review will form part of the wider review this year or will be done as a separate review, but it will be done this year.
Please just accept our testimony. I can only speak with authority about Donegal but I listened to families in Mayo and Clare recently when they were before the Oireachtas housing committee. It is crystal clear we do not have anything near 100% redress in the west. That means the scheme currently benefits those of a certain age who can project-manage or can access €40,000, €50,000 or €100,000. The Minister heard me give an example and I could give many more of people having to find almost €200,000 and being locked into mortgages for another 15, 16 or 17 years. That is the reality and it is cruel.
The last time SCSI reported, it took a year and a half for legislation to be brought forward for people going through the scheme. I ask the Minister right now to send a letter to the SCSI. It is a tremendous organisation. It will carry out the work, which is to the benefit of the people, once he asks it. Will he do it now? What would delay him any longer?
I am very conscious of the distressing situation people in Donegal and other counties are going through. I have been to Donegal and spent considerable time listening to people and getting a better understanding of the distressing situation they are in. The wider review has to start on or before July 2026. It may start sooner if the review comes in in relation to IS 465/2018 being changed because that in itself triggers a review. There is another review in relation to the cost. It will be a question of the most effective way of getting the review of rates done.
Questions Nos. 160 to 162, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.
Defective Building Materials
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Ceist:163. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will advance the plans to relocate the families at a location (details supplied), living in defective concrete block homes, away from the dangerous flood plain they were built on. [17184/26]
This issue relates to Elm Park in Buncrana. I thank the Minister for his engagement to date on the issue. He met with the families in Donegal. I thank the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy Moran, and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan. I welcome the announcement before Christmas that the Minister is agreeing to relocate the families. They have been waiting a long time, first, for co-operation of all families in agreeing to relocation and then they had to get all their houses tested. Every house is affected by defective blocks. They are just pressing for a time frame.
I thank the Deputy for the question, which relates to Elm Park in Buncrana and advancement of the plans to relocate families. The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 commenced on 22 June 2023. It underpins the current grant scheme and the related regulations that were adopted on 29 June 2023. I visited Donegal last year and met with many of the affected residents. I understand the flooding issue pertaining to Elm Park, where nine homeowners are particularly affected. Some of the homeowners impacted are eligible to avail of the defective concrete blocks scheme funded by my Department but they are understandably worried about availing of the scheme and remediating their homes without the flood risk being addressed. The OPW has a plan to undertake flood relief works. The residents are understandably concerned about the length of time before the flood works would be completed and have asked that consideration be given to relocation options. I appreciate the genuine concerns of residents based on their experience of recent years; indeed, I have seen the videos myself. Therefore, I am disposed towards finding solutions to the flooding issue based on the needs of those affected and to finding a workable solution. In the past, the OPW has used relocation schemes in some small and specific circumstances and I have asked officials in my Department to find a method of relocating the families that come under the scheme.
The Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, worked with the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, who was in Donegal in recent weeks, where he met with residents and saw the condition of these houses. There is an urgency in that some of the houses are in appalling conditions, are clearly unsafe and families are still living in them. At the same time, they live on a dangerous flood plain. Of course, those houses should never have been granted planning permission. We inherit the legacy of what came before us.
I appreciate the Minister has agreed to the principle of relocation but there is anxiety that this could drag on for a long period. This is urgent. The residents need a solution. They have worked in partnership with the Minister and demonstrated that all the homes are affected and have to be demolished. It is a common-sense proposal. The flood defences will not have to be built and the area will return to a flood plain. It ticks every box in relation to common sense but we need urgency. I appreciate the Minister's forbearance and work on this to date but getting this over the line would be a huge relief for everybody.
I thank the Deputy and the other Deputies in Donegal for their work in this area. I have met with the families and seen the videos. We know flood relief schemes take a considerable time. That relocation proposal needs to be advanced. I will continue to work with the residents and with the Deputies from Donegal on coming up with a scheme as quickly as possible. The current legislation did not necessarily envisage relocations but we have brought forward new regulations that will allow a relocation model in very limited circumstances.
Is féidir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scríofa ar www.oireachtas.ie.
Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.