Written Answers Nos. 669-692
670. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the share of new social housing units completed in 2023 and 2024 that meet universal design standards; the expected rate of compliance to 2030; and whether the Department plans to increase universal design requirements. [63947/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy 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. This data is available to the end of Q2 2025 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
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 was for Quarter 2 2025. All CSRs are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/.
A version of the CSR file can also be downloaded for analysis by local authority, location etc. at this link: https://opendata.housing.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q2-2025.
My Department does not collate data on the number of social homes delivered to universal design standards.
Delivering Homes, Building Communities, published 13 November 2025 commits to ensuring that the increased supply of social homes includes homes that reflect universal design principles, fostering inclusivity.
My Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 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 Strategy and 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.
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 encouraging all local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies to utilise this Design Manual as the best way to ensure funding support for the wide range of housing situations that can arise.
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.
The National Disability Authority is undertaking an economic and social evaluation of the Universal Design housing model. My Department will consider this analysis when published.
671. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households with disability needs currently accommodated through the housing assistance payment; and whether the Department plans reforms to ensure disability-appropriate housing is prioritised over temporary supports. [63948/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. Under HAP, a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rented market. At the end of Q2 2025, over 128,500 HAP tenancies had been set up since the scheme commenced, of which there were 51,736 households actively in receipt of HAP support. The Department do not hold data on the number of households with disabilities currently in receipt of HAP.
Delivering Homes, Building Communities, published 13 November 2025, is Ireland’s new national housing plan. It is a wide-ranging action plan focused on housing supply and targeting homelessness, encompassing two pillars activating supply and supporting people. Within Pillar 2, which details how Government will support people, is a commitment to implement the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 in conjunction with housing actions identified in the new National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025 - 2030.
My Department jointly published the NHSDP 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. It supports the primary objective of the Strategy which is ‘to facilitate disabled people to live independently with the appropriate choices and control over where, how and with whom they live, promoting their inclusion in the community.’
674. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the annual retrofit targets for social housing to 2030; the number of retrofits completed in 2023 and 2024; and the expected cost of meeting all retrofit commitments. [63952/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra675. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social housing units currently below BER C; the number upgraded in 2023 and 2024; and the plan to bring the remainder to compliance by 2030. [63953/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra677. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social and affordable homes fitted with heat pumps in 2023 and 2024; the expected annual installation rates to 2030; and whether these rates align with national climate targets. [63955/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 674, 675 and 677 together.
The Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme provides grant funding to local authorities to upgrade their social housing stock to a minimum B2 BER rating. These measures provide warmer and more efficient homes, and help reduce energy poverty for local authority tenants and reduce GHG emissions. Government is targeting the retrofit of 36,500 local authority owned homes by 2030 under the programme.
The number of local authority social homes currently below C BER rating may be obtained directly upon request from the respective local authorities.
Heat pumps were installed in 2,215 social homes in 2023, with a further 2,393 installed in 2024. The number of homes targeted and funding provided under the EERP, and subsequent heat pump installations, are subject to funding availability as part of the annual Estimates process.
The programme is well established, with indicators shows continuing strong appetite in the sector. By end 2025, we anticipate some 11,000 homes will have been retrofitted under the programme.
An annualised breakdown of the units retrofitted from 2013-2024 is available on my Department's website at:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/668c1-energy-efficiency-retrofitting-programme-expenditure-output/.
www.gov.ie/en/publication/b86b3-midlands-energy-retrofit-programme-expenditure-and-units/.
678. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether energy network capacity, including electricity grid upgrades, is sufficient to support the new housing targets; and the planned upgrades required for Cork city and Cork county. [63956/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment published their Sectoral Capital Plan for 2026-2030 on 12 November 2025 (https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/bd95ab8a/DCEE_Sectoral_Capital_Plan_2026_to_2030.pdf). As part of this, the Government has provided a total equity investment of €3.5 billion into ESB and EirGrid.
This funding will help to future proof Ireland’s electricity system. It will help to enable the delivery of over 500 capital network projects nationwide, support new housing connections and grid capacity for housing growth, integrate onshore and offshore renewables and strengthen grid reliability and decarbonisation.
The Housing Activation Office in my Department will work directly with ESB Networks to coordinate in relation to the investment needed to unlock key housing sites nationally, including key housing sites in Cork.
680. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the additional cost imposed on housing delivery by NZEB standards; the inflation impact of these standards; and whether the Department has assessed the cumulative cost for all units to 2030. [63958/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) details requirements for the application of minimum energy performance requirements to new buildings and requires Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) performance for new buildings since 31 December 2020. This NZEB requirement typically equates to a BER of A2.
As required by the EPBD, performance requirements are set at cost optimal level, which is the lowest lifecycle cost taking account of capital, energy, maintenance and disposal costs over a period of 30 years.
A Regulatory Impact Assessment including the cost of improved energy performance requirements for dwellings were published as part of the preparation of Part L of the Building Regulations 2019 and is available at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/calculations-for-part-l-2018-technical-guidance-document-dwellings/.
The construction of new dwellings to an NZEB ‘A’ rated Buildings Energy Rating "BER" ensures that as we deliver new housing we will also be providing quality sustainable homes with very low energy bills. These homes will be healthier and more comfortable, do not contribute to carbon emissions, and ensure that homeowners pay the lowest cost over the lifetime of the building.
682. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total amount of land zoned for residential use in each local authority area; the number of homes this land could support; and whether this supply is sufficient to meet the delivery targets set in Delivering Homes, Building Communities. [63960/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra683. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether Cork City Council and Cork County Council have zoned sufficient residential land to meet the housing targets allocated to the region; and if not, what actions will be taken to ensure compliance. [63961/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra688. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of hectares of fully serviced residential land available for immediate development in each local authority area; and the actions planned to increase serviced land availability where shortages exist. [63966/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra691. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the quantity of zoned, serviced, and infrastructure-ready land nationally is sufficient to support the delivery of 303,000 homes to 2030; and if not, the estimated shortfall and the actions planned to close it. [63986/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 682, 683, 688 and 691 together.
The local authority Development Plan is the principal planning strategy document which sets out the relevant policies and objectives to guide the physical development of each city and county over a six-year period and is required to be consistent with the NPF and the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy.
Through the Development Plan, planning authorities include relevant objectives, policy support, as well as identifying suitable locations, for such various purposes through the zoning of land for a range of uses. The 31 local authority development plans include maps, which are published online, to identify which lands across the city or county are zoned for particular uses, including for the purposes of developing housing, and in each case, land is required to be identified for these purposes. The statutory development plan, including zoning objectives, forms the basis for decision making within the planning system. Currently, local area plans (LAPs) may also be prepared for individual settlements or areas within the local authority administrative areas, and may include zoning objectives. The relevant development plans and local area plans may be viewed on the website of each local authority.
In relation to the specific issue of land use mapping and housing, it should be noted that a nationally standardised approach to urban land use mapping has been in place for many years. All land use plans prepared by local authorities, as outlined above, are also aggregated into a standardised national map (available on www.myplan.ie) using a classification system - the Generalised Zone Type (GZT). This standardised system was developed specifically for the Myplan.ie project and represents a consistent scheme for categorizing land use zonings across all local authorities, and complement the existing statutory zonings used for each individual plan.
To ensure that local authority development plans reflect the requirements of the recently Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) in respect of housing as soon as possible, I issued the NPF Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 in July 2025. These Guidelines set out the housing demand scenario to 2040 for each local authority, by translating the NPF housing requirements into average annual figures and set out the requirement for planning authorities to commence the process of varying their development plan to meet the new housing growth requirements.
In addition to the baseline housing growth requirement, planning authorities have also been requested to address the scope for additional provision of up to 50% in excess of the baseline housing growth requirement, in light of the urgent need to increase housing delivery and to optimise the ability to deliver on the housing requirements of the Revised NPF. This approach recognises the fact that, for a variety of reasons, a relatively significant proportion of zoned lands are not activated over the period of a development plan.
Planning authorities including Cork City Council and Cork County Council are currently assessing their current development plans and undertaking a review of the adequacy of existing zoned lands to cater for the new Housing Growth Requirement figures and the potential for ‘additional provision’. Several local authorities have already commenced a process to vary their development plan to provide additional zoned land.
In due course, local authorities will be required to begin the process of preparing 10 year development plans under the relevant provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2024, which is being implemented on a phased basis. These 10 year plans will also be required to take the updated planned housing growth requirements arising from the Revised NPF into account.
As part of the process for identifying land liable to Residential Zoned Land Tax, a measure which applies to lands that are zoned for housing and are considered to be ‘serviced’ as defined in the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (as amended), all local authorities published annual draft maps on 1 February 2024 that identified lands considered to fall within the scope of the tax, as well as lands which they propose to exclude from the annual final maps for 2025. Landowners and other interested parties had until 1 April 2024 to make a submission to the relevant local authority about whether or not land on this annual draft map meets the criteria for being subject to the tax. Further to determinations relating to these submissions and any related appeals to An Coimisiún Pleanála, the maps were finalised and a final map indicating land liable to the tax for 2025 was published on 31 January 2025, in advance of the tax coming into effect on 1 February 2025.
Overall, circa 46,300 hectares of land comprising residential and mixed use including residential zonings are identified on the maps. Under the legislation, local authorities are required to publish the total area of land in hectares contained on their maps.
It should be noted however that a significant quantum of the overall land included on the maps is land that is zoned for existing residential development and is occupied by existing housing, including housing estates. Where a residential property is subject to Local Property Tax (LPT), the relevant land is not liable for RZLT, which excludes a significant amount of the 46,300ha from liability to the tax. The table below breaks it down by Local Authority:
|
Local Authority |
Final RZLT Map for 2025 |
|
Hectares (approx.) |
|
|
Carlow |
165 |
|
Cavan |
465 |
|
Clare |
1,085 |
|
Cork City |
3,195 |
|
Cork County |
3,140 |
|
Donegal |
1,680 |
|
DCC |
4,510 |
|
DLRCC |
3,285 |
|
Fingal |
3,695 |
|
Galway City |
1,120 |
|
Galway County |
1,060 |
|
Kerry |
1,195 |
|
Kildare |
1,690 |
|
Kilkenny |
550 |
|
Laois |
1,145 |
|
Leitrim |
320 |
|
Limerick |
1,805 |
|
Longford |
410 |
|
Louth |
1750 |
|
Mayo |
880 |
|
Meath |
2030 |
|
Monaghan |
625 |
|
Offaly |
980 |
|
Roscommon |
105 |
|
Sligo |
605 |
|
SDCC |
2,705 |
|
Tipperary |
1,260 |
|
Waterford |
1,545 |
|
Westmeath |
1,150 |
|
Wexford |
380 |
|
Wicklow |
1,735 |
While it is not possible to provide a definitive figure, it is estimated that approximately 7,100ha of land that may be considered ‘undeveloped’ is identified on the 2025 final RZLT maps. This includes greenfield residentially-zoned land, undeveloped infill land and mixed use ‘vacant and idle’ land. The location of the land will determine the densities to be applied.
I have also established a Housing Activation Office in my Department. The team comprises senior and experienced staff from within my Department, in addition to senior specialists seconded from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the local government sector.
The Office is actively engaged in identifying barriers to housing delivery and is coordinating with local authorities and infrastructure agencies to address these barriers. This includes engagement with the 31 City and County Councils over a series of meetings scheduled across September and October to gain an understanding of key housing sites and infrastructure requirements across each area.
In the coming months I will be bringing forward a €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund under the National Development Plan to support direct investment in critical housing infrastructure. This new fund will operate alongside existing investment programmes such as the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund and the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, which will work with the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund to support housing activation and urban regeneration.
This joined-up approach will help accelerate housing delivery by unblocking infrastructure constraints and ensuring that investment is targeted to where it can have the greatest impact. This will help support local authorities in achieving their housing targets in line with the Revised National Planning Framework.
Building 300,000 new homes will require a sufficient pipeline of available land, including the land available for development identified above. As set out in Delivering Homes, Building Communities, Government will take action across a range of areas, including, from a planning perspective ensuring that a sufficient quantum of zoned and serviced land is available for housing development in line with the National Planning Framework and updated Housing Growth Requirements issued in July 2025. In addition, a greater level of certainty in relation to the planning process and timelines for decision making will be achieved through the introduction of statutory timelines for decision making for all types of planning applications and appeals in the Planning and Development Act 2024 and the provision of additional resources within the statutory planning system.
685. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reasons for delays in implementing zoning objectives in Development Plans; the number of housing sites delayed due to unresolved zoning issues; and the steps being taken to expedite zoning compliance. [63963/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe zoning of land for particular purposes is an exercise undertaken by local authorities as part of their overall statutory plan-making function. This takes place primarily through the local authority’s development plan. The power to make or vary a development plan is a reserved function and accordingly the decision to zone land for particular purposes rests with the elected members of each local authority. The relevant statutory provisions governing these processes are set out in sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended).
In accordance with section 15 of the Act, it is a statutory duty of each planning authority to take such steps within its powers as may be necessary for securing the objectives of its development plan. To this end, the Chief Executive is required to give a report to the elected members on the progress achieved in securing the objectives of the development plan not more than two years after the plan is made. It is through this statutory progress report that any blockages to implementation are identified and from which any necessary interventions are informed.
Section 95 of the Act requires each planning authority to ensure that sufficient and suitable land is zoned for residential use, or for a mixture of residential and other uses, to meet the requirements of the housing strategy and to ensure that a scarcity of such land does not occur at any time during the period of the development plan.
Local authorities are independent in their functions under the Planning and Development Act and the Local Government Act, and in accordance with section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), 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. As such, any particular matters relating to specific sites should be raised with the relevant local authority.
To ensure that local authority development plans reflect the requirements of the revised National Planning Framework in respect of housing, I issued the NPF Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 in July 2025. These Guidelines set out the housing demand scenario to 2040 for each local authority, by translating the NPF housing requirements into average annual figures. Local authorities are currently in the process of varying their development plans in response to the guidelines.
In recent months I have also made significant progress in establishing the Housing Activation Office with senior specialists from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the local government sector now in place. In addition, senior staff from my Department are assigned to the Office.
The Office is actively engaged in identifying barriers to housing delivery and is coordinating with local authorities and infrastructure agencies to address these barriers. This includes engagement with the 31 City and County Councils over a series of meetings to gain an understanding of key housing sites and infrastructure requirements across each area.
In the coming months I will be bringing forward a €1 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund under the National Development Plan to support direct investment in critical housing infrastructure. This new fund will operate alongside existing investment programmes such as the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund and the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, which will work with the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund to support housing activation and urban regeneration.
This joined-up approach will help accelerate housing delivery by unblocking infrastructure constraints and ensuring that investment is targeted to where it can have the greatest impact. This will help support local authorities in achieving their housing targets in line with the Revised National Planning Framework.
686. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the State-owned and local-authority-owned sites zoned for residential development but not yet activated; the number of homes each site is expected to deliver; and the timeline for activation. [63964/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe zoning of land for particular purposes, including housing, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development plan or an LAP is a reserved function of the elected members of each authority.
It should be noted in the first instance that the zoning of land within a development plan or a local area plan is not broken down on the basis of individual sites or parcels of land in individual ownerships. My Department therefore does not have the requested details for local authorities available.
However, the Land Development Agency (LDA) has developed the State Lands Database which provides a detailed and mapped representation of the extent and location of lands owned by public bodies including local authorities in Ireland.
Details of the zoning status of lands identified in the State Lands Database are available as part of the information provided by the LDA. This zoning information is sourced from the MyPlan.ie platform which amalgamates the zoning information from statutory City and County Development Plans nationally.
The LDA has also completed the Register of Relevant Lands, being lands owned by local authorities and bodies listed under Schedule 1 and 2 of the Land Development Agency Act 2021, in urban population areas greater than 10,000.
Both the State Lands Database and the Register of Relevant Lands are also available in an online map format on the LDA website at the following link: www.lda.ie/register-of-relevant-lands/map/.
It should also be noted that all Local Authorities publish annual Residential Zoned Land Tax maps for identifying land that is liable for the tax. However, these maps do not provide a breakdown of land ownership categories, so they cannot provide the information requested.
The Deputy may wish to contact the relevant agencies and local authorities to seek further information.
687. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether local authorities are meeting their obligations under Housing Need and Demand Assessments; the number of authorities in full compliance; and how these assessments informed the new housing targets. [63965/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) provides Local Authorities with evidence-based insights into housing needs across all tenures analysing demographic trends, affordability data and housing stock pressures. This framework allows local authorities to make informed decisions about future housing requirements, and provides evidence to inform revised housing strategies and plans.
The HNDA is intended to be the central evidence base used to inform Housing Strategy preparation, which will in turn inform the housing policies of the county or city development plan. It was used as one of the components to identify the emerging demand for housing, and informed the targeted delivery of 300,00 new homes by 2030.
Circular Letter Housing 14/2021 was issued in April 2021, regarding use of the HNDA by local authorities. The majority of Local Authorities subsequently used the HNDA framework or tool as part of their housing strategies - the degree of incorporation related to the timeframes of their housing strategy cycles.
The HNDA is currently undergoing a review and is at an advanced stage. As well as updating the tool to make it more useable, the review expects to update the data underpinning the HNDA tool using housing demand data provided by the ESRI as part of their paper, "Population projections, the flow of new households and structural housing demand" published in 2024. Additional changes to the tool are expected to include revised CSO and RTB data on incomes and prices, as well as revised assumptions within the tool.
The revised tool and guidance are expected to be published by the end of the year in tandem with an outreach to each local authority to provide guidance and workshops. It is expected that each local authority will use this revised version in their revised housing strategies and plans.
690. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the density and height assumptions used in setting regional delivery targets; whether these assumptions vary for Cork City and Cork County; and the basis for these planning assumptions. [63968/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Planning Framework (NPF), which was first published in 2018 and was revised in 2025, sets out the need to plan for increased population and housing growth, and a spatial strategy to guide the future development of the country to 2040. The Revised NPF (April 2025) sets out the need to plan for the delivery of an average of approximately 50,000 additional housing units per annum to 2040. The strategy includes population targets for the regions and cities and in July 2025, the NPF Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines were issued to local authorities, including Cork City Council and Cork County Council. The Guidelines set out local authority level housing requirements that are required to be reflected in development plans, through variation of the relevant plans.
The NPF has, since 2018, also includes policies and objectives relating to ‘compact growth’, setting out the need to promote a more compact and sustainable approach to development patterns to counteract decades of sprawl.
In support of the NPF objectives, the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities, were issued as Ministerial Guidelines in January 2024, under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). Planning authorities are required to have regard to these guidelines in performing their functions under the Act, and to apply any Specific Planning Policy Requirements contained within the Guidelines.
The Settlement Guidelines state that to achieve compact growth, it will also be necessary to increase the scale of new buildings in all parts of our cities and towns, with highest densities at the most central and accessible urban locations, particularly in city centres and close to public transport nodes and interchanges. The Settlement Guidelines contain density ranges that respond to settlement size (e.g. cities, towns and villages), general locality in each settlement (i.e. central areas, urban neighbourhoods and suburban areas/areas of urban extension) and access to public transport services. In smaller settlements, the Settlement Guidelines state that densities may be tailored to reflect local characteristics.
The Settlement Guidelines state that all density ranges should be further refined with regard to centrality and accessibly to services, public transport and site-specific considerations regarding character, amenity and the natural environment. This approach provides planning authorities with a degree of flexibility so they can operate a plan-led approach and take the circumstances of a plan area or an individual site into account as part of the decision making processes prescribed under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), or relevant parts of the Planning and Development Act 2024, once commenced.
Building heights are the subject of separate guidance contained within the Urban Development and Building Heights Guidelines, issued in December 2018 under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). The Building Height Guidelines expand on higher-level policies of the National Planning Framework to encourage compact growth through increased building heights in urban areas. The Building Height Guidelines set out strategic policy considerations and performance criteria for determining appropriate locations for taller buildings.
Section 2 of the Building Height Guidelines states that the preparation of development plans, local area plans and Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) Planning Schemes and their implementation in city, metropolitan and wider urban areas must be proactive and flexible in securing compact urban growth through a combination of facilitating both increased densities and building heights. Section 3 of the Building Height Guidelines states that when assessing individual planning applications and appeals, there should be presumption in favour of buildings of increased height at suitable locations. In support of these objectives the Building Height Guidelines also set out development management criteria requiring applicants to demonstrate that a proposed development is of a scale that is appropriate for its location based on proximity to transport services, local context, density requirements, design quality and environmental impact.
692. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing units that have been realised in the past five years from projects that availed of the vacant homes refurbishment grant in County Wicklow and County Wexford, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64003/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, introduced in July 2022 under the Croí Cónaithe 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 Q3 2025 grant statistics were published on 17 October 2025. This data and previous years data can be accessed at the following link: Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant statistics.
