Written Answers Nos. 297-309
297. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications received for the vacant property grant in 2024, and to date in 2025, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14821/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra300. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of croí cónaithe grants that have been processed to date to help address vibrancy of town and village centres, vacancy, accommodation and dereliction across County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14849/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra301. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of croí cónaithe grants that have been applied for to date to help address vibrancy of town and village centres, vacancy, accommodation and dereliction across County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14850/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra302. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of croí cónaithe grants that have been paid out to date to help address vibrancy of town and village centres, vacancy, accommodation and dereliction across County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14851/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra303. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of all croí cónaithe grant applications applied for since the scheme was first introduced to help address vibrancy of town and village centres, vacancy, accommodation and dereliction across County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14852/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra307. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to simplify the Croí Cónaithe scheme so as to help this excellent scheme reach its full potential in addressing vibrancy of town and village centres, vacancy and dereliction across County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14859/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra308. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of croí cónaithe grants refused to date across County Kerry, the reasons these applications have been refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14860/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 297, 300, 301, 302, 303, 307 and 308 together.
Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant introduced in July 2022, 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.
Take-up of the grant has been significant since it was launched and by the end of December 2024 over 11,300 grant applications were received with over 7,700 approved. Payment of grants by local authorities commenced at the end of 2023 as refurbishment works started to be completed and this has steadily increased with 1,449 grants paid by Q4 2024.
My Department publishes quarterly statistics on the grant which include the number of grant applications received, approved, rejected and paid broken down per Local Authority. The Q1 2025 grant statistics will be published in April. Grant data can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/4bbe4-vacant-property-refurbishment-grant-statistics/#:~:text=A%20grant%20of%20up%20to,property%20up%20to%20%E2%82%AC70%2C000.
298. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of tenant-in-situ purchases made by Carlow County Council and Kilkenny County Council, and nationally, in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14822/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraTenant in Situ Acquisitions were introduced by way of Government decision in 2023 as a short term response to the reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes which were within the HAP and RAS schemes in order to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions could not be found for the affected tenants.
A further Government decision extended such acquisitions into 2024 with approval granted for 1,300 Tenant in Situ acquisitions in addition to the 200 priority acquisitions target for 2024 contained in Housing for All.
Tenant in Situ acquisitions have been an important measure in the prevention of homelessness since their introduction in 2023. Government has therefore agreed to continue such acquisitions in 2025. My Department has notified local authorities on the extension of the programme and a circular setting out the arrangements will issue shortly.
Local authorities take appropriate steps to ensure that their first response will be to support households to prevent homelessness in cases where tenants have been served with a notice of termination by their landlord. A local authority will assess the options available in each case and decide the appropriate action.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. Comprehensive data on social and affordable housing is published on my Department's website up to Quarter 3 2024, including completed acquisitions: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
Data for all of these schemes up to Q4 2024 is being collected and collated.
299. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will provide support to Galway County Council to purchase Dunguaire Castle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14841/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department received correspondence from Galway County Council wherein the matter of my Department’s support in respect of the Council’s proposed purchase of Dunguaire Castle was raised.
My Department responded to the Council’s request confirming willingness to meet with the Council in order to discuss further the Council’s proposed purchase of Dunguaire Castle. This offer to meet Galway County Council executives remains open.
304. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to support land acquisition and activation, master planning and enabling infrastructure in towns across County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14853/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra305. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to expand the role of the Land Development Agency as a matter of priority to include initially the two largest towns in County Kerry, Tralee and Killarney, and then progressing to include the towns of Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Dingle, Castleisland, Tralee and Listowel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14854/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra306. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to unlock HSE lands in Killarney, County Kerry for the provision of greatly needed affordable and social housing, including low-cost sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14855/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 305, 304 and 306 together.
This Government retains a strong focus on the use of vacant and underutilised state owned and public land for housing.
The Land Development Agency (LDA) was set up as a commercial semi-state body in 2018, and established on a statutory basis following the commencement of the Land Development Agency Act 2021 (the Act). The LDA represents a key partner in the Government’s delivery of affordable and social homes. Their primary focus is on managing State owned lands to develop new homes, in addition to developing housing on private lands purchased by the LDA. The transfer of 37 sites in public ownership to the LDA to develop social and affordable housing has been agreed.
In accordance with Section 52 of the Act, the LDA are required to prepare and submit a Report on Relevant Public Lands to Government. Relevant Public land is defined in the Act, as land in State ownership in cities and towns with a population over 10,000.
The first report on Relevant Public Lands was published in 2023, and focused on the ten main urban locations - five cities (Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford) and five key growth towns (Drogheda, Dundalk, Athlone, Letterkenny and Sligo).
The LDA are currently preparing the 2nd edition of this report and will shortly furnish it to Government. The 2nd Report will provide an update on those sites identified in the 1st Report, and will also include consideration of additional relevant public land in other towns or settlements with a population over 10,000. State owned land in Tralee and Killarney was considered in preparing this Report.
My Department will make an assessment of relevant public lands identified in the Report. Some of the sites identified may be suitable to progress to design and planning and early transfer for housing delivery, subject to achieving statutory consents and agreement. Other sites may be more complex and/or in operational use. If suitable and prioritised, these sites may require further inputs, such as master planning, enabling works, relocation of existing operations, before applications for statutory consents or development.
I would also note that each Government Department/Agency, including the HSE, has been requested to examine their existing portfolio of properties and place them on the market if they are surplus to their requirements, and may be suitable for conversion to residential accommodation.
To support the delivery of sites and enabling infrastructure in towns, the Ready to Build Scheme, funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, is also available and was launched in September 2022. Under the Scheme, local authorities will make serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build their homes. These sites will be available at a discount on the market value of the site for the purposes of building a property for occupation as the principal private residence of the purchaser. The scheme is managed and administered by local authorities on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
309. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many Ministerial consents (ARC 02 stocking or re-stocking of fish) have been issued to Inland Fisheries Ireland under S.I. No. 545/2018 - European Union Habitats (Lough Arrow Special Area of Conservation) Regulations 2018 for the re-stocking of invasive pike into Lough Arrow SAC during stock management operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14886/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe ARC process for granting Ministerial consents for certain activities as provided for under the Birds and Natural Habitats Directive, is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department. The NPWS has confirmed that no Ministerial consents/ARCs for the stocking or restocking of fish have been issued to Inland Fisheries Ireland in relation to Lough Arrow SAC.
It should be noted that certain activities such as scientific research, fishery development and fishery restocking, require a Section 14 Authorisation under the Fisheries Act from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. Where the proposed activity requires such a consent, further consent under Regulation 30 of the Birds and Natural Habitats Directive - an ARC - would not be required.
