Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
5. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeframe for the implementation of the recommendations of the approved housing bodies strategic forum report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65673/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraWill the Minister outline a timeline for the implementation of the recommendations of the AHB strategic forum report? I ask him this in particular in relation to the gearing issue that is there and in relation to moving the AHB sector towards a sustainable delivery model. There is a real lack of clarity in the Minister's new housing plan on exactly how the Government will deliver its targets. How many direct-build social homes will be delivered under the new housing plan?
The Report of the Approved Housing Body Strategic Forum presents an ambitious and transformative vision for the AHB sector and sets out a detailed roadmap of policy development reforms to enable the realisation of that vision over the years ahead. The forum, which was established in December 2023, undertook a comprehensive review of the AHB sector and concluded its structured engagements and analysis at the end of 2024. These included a series of national workshops involving over 150 participants, broad stakeholder consultations and targeted research into not-for-profit housing association models in four peer European jurisdictions. The work also drew on the relevant recommendations of the Housing Commission and the priorities outlined in the programme for Government relevant to the AHB sector. This report represents the most detailed examination of the AHB sector ever conducted by the State.
While the vision sets out the reform of the sector over the next decade, officials in my Department have been continually progressing policies to strengthen the sector since I came into office. Work is already under way on several policy development reforms outlined within the Report of the Approved Housing Body Strategic Forum, as committed to in the national housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030. Furthermore, my Department will shortly establish a sectoral reform working group, involving key stakeholders, which will be tasked with progressing work on the more transformational policy development recommendations throughout the period of the national housing plan. Upon the conclusion of this intensive scoping and investigation phase, I will present regular policy development reports to the Government for consideration, outlining the feasibility, impacts and proposed implementation plan for the key structural recommendations. I am committed to advancing a sectoral reform programme that will enhance the positive impact of AHBs, address immediate sectoral challenges and support the transformation towards a more resilient, effective and efficient sector.
We know that AHBs are crucial if we are to have any hope of meeting our housing targets, particularly in terms of social housing delivery, but we also know they are approaching the limit of their borrowing capacity. A workable solution has been proposed by replacing the CALF loan element of AHB social housing with a Government-backed CALF equity grant support. It is the same level of funding as a grant equity but not as a loan. When will this be done by the Department? When the Minister appeared at the housing committee a number of weeks ago, he said that his Department had subsequently engaged with the Department of public expenditure and reform on the sanction request and that that Department would like to consider the sanction request in light of the report of the strategic forum. The report has now been finalised and published, so when will this be carried out?
The Minister was in before the committee, but, more specifically, as the report has now been published, the Minister has established a special working sectoral group in this area. There were eight interlinked policy developments. The Deputy has referred to some of them. We want to get the AHBs to go more towards direct delivery to examine the reformed income model for the AHB social housing revolving fund, establishing an AHB sector restructuring sustainable fund and then capital funding to support more sustainability for larger AHBs. That is the area the Deputy is talking about - gearing, direct delivery and reclassification. The big issue here is that the Minister has done a body of work and wants to work with the sectoral group and, specifically, to look at the particular issue in terms of that gearing aspect. As the Deputy is probably aware, in terms of some of the larger AHBs, there is a body of work under way with the UCD Geary Institute and the Housing Alliance. They have allowed potential pathways in terms of the reclassification of some larger AHBs.
I thank the Minister of State for that response. We really need to see action on this from the Government. The gearing and debt levels within some larger AHBs need to be addressed because they are basically putting our capacity to deliver housing at risk.
Specifically, in relation to the recommendation of moving the AHB sector away from turnkey and towards direct delivery, there is a distinct lack of clarity on how the Government will deliver its 72,000 target, which is too low anyway because it does not take in the inbuilt deficit from the Housing Commission.
How many out of the 72,000 will be direct-build social homes?
More specifically on the issue the Deputy has raised about turnkey developments, there is a process being initiated at the moment towards a call for proposals. Through the Department but particularly the local authorities, the State will define the location, the typology and tenure of housing needed as well as specifications and value parameters for any of the scheme proposals. The AHB proposals are aligned with our local authority housing delivery actions. This is about the AHBs getting more into direct build in that space. The other impact of that is that the issue, which has arisen with some people, of competing first-time buyers will be reduced. More particularly, we want to deliver 72,000 units over that period of time. Included in that is that we want the local authorities themselves to get into that self-build area more. If they exceed targets, there will be further funding coming to local authorities for other purposes.
6. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the key measures to increase social housing availability under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65487/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraTá Ceist Uimh. 6, in ainm an Teachta Willie O'Dea á thogáil ag an Teachta Séamus McGrath.
Will the Minister for housing to outline the key measures to increase social housing availability under the delivering homes, building communities plan?
I thank Deputy Séamus McGrath for taking this question on the increase in social housing availability on behalf of Deputy Willie O'Dea.
Since the beginning of 2022, Government has supported the delivery of 35,163 new social homes across thousands of individual projects funded through build, acquisition and leasing programmes. Building on progress made to date, delivering homes, building communities includes a wide range of measures to accelerate new-build social housing delivery to an average of 12,000 new-build social homes a year between 2025 and 2030.
To incentivise local authorities to deliver more own-build projects, a new performance fund will be established. Where a local authority exceeds its own-build target, it will receive additional discretionary funding for the delivery of community and placemaking initiatives and projects. In addition, ring-fenced new-build housing delivery teams in each local authority dedicated to own-build new social and affordable housing delivery will be fully funded by my Department through reimbursement to local authorities on a performance-pay basis.
The new single-approval process for all new-build social housing projects up to a value of €200 million will support local authorities to streamline processes and encourage delivery of larger new-build social housing developments. The land acquisition fund will be reformed, streamlined and expanded to ensure it is fit for purpose and can support the level of ambition in the plan. To this end, the fund will also be increased from the current €239 million to at least €500 million. I will establish a revamped contractor-led renewal programme which will afford opportunities for local tradespersons and contractors to work with local authorities and approved housing bodies to tackle vacancy and dereliction and increase social housing supply.
Delivering homes, building communities will further support additional social housing delivery by mandating the use of standard house layouts and specifications as part of the new approval process and facilitate the use of modern methods of construction, MMC, through a standardised design approach. To further promote the delivery of social housing, I will embed the use of a design-and-build-contract approach in all local authorities and the AHB sector in order to expedite the delivery of social homes.
I particularly welcome the overall target in the housing plan of 12,000 social units per annum, building on the progress made on the Housing for All plan, which, it must be acknowledged, made significant progress in the area of social housing. There are new initiatives in this plan to help deliver social housing such as the performance fund for local authorities, which is critical. Many local authorities do a great job but others not so. It is important that recognition is given to those that do a good job. Having ring-fenced teams is also critically important. The revision of the land acquisition fund is very significant because that is a particular issue across the country in terms of local authorities having a land bank available to them for the development of social housing. Of course, the standardisation of design is critically important to make the delivery of social housing more efficient.
I will be touching modern methods of construction in a further question, but it is welcome to see that also included in the delivery of social housing because we have to embrace that technology.
The absolute priority for me, the Department and the Government is to maximise new builds. That is where we want to be at and, after that, forward-funded schemes to deliver homes where perhaps there is planning permission but which may not otherwise be built. We need to move away from pure turnkey as much and as quickly as possible. A key part of this delivery is the local authority new-build teams. We will ensure they are adequately resourced, fully funded and ring-fenced from other local authority work and dedicated to social and affordable new-build housing projects, which will be absolutely critical in this regard. Accordingly, my Department will support local authorities to establish these new-build teams which will be fully funded by the Department through reimbursement to local authorities on a performance pay basis.
I think the emphasis on new builds is welcome across the House. I particularly welcome the emphasis on local authorities and indeed the approved housing bodies directly building social homes, which is critically important. Of course, to achieve the targets we need a combined approach. There will also need to be continuation of turnkey and, of course, the delivery of social housing through the Part V provision is also important. They all deliver homes for families and individuals across the country. All these measures combined are welcome and it is important that we maintain a sustained focus to ensure that we get delivery and that we achieve the overall ambition within the plan to deliver social housing targets and, of course, ultimately reduce the homelessness that there is in this country at present.
Meeting our social housing targets is absolutely crucial. Meeting them through new builds is best practice and that is where we want to expand as quickly as possible. However, we need local authorities to lead on their own-build programmes as well because that builds resilience into the system no matter what the economic situation may be to ensure that there is not a reliance of delivery through Part V and turnkeys, output under which can be negatively impacted by market conditions or particular conditions in local authorities. We have seen some local authorities really expand on own builds and I give credit to those local authorities. Some local authorities have exceeded past social housing targets but perhaps were overly reliant on a non-own-build properties. We need to see them develop their capacity. Some local authorities are not achieving under either of those. Crucially, we need all our local authorities moving towards own builds.
7. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the key measures to increase usage of modern methods of construction under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65637/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra64. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans in the most recent housing plan, to increase the delivery of housing built using modern methods of construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65665/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra99. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the key measures to increase usage of modern methods of construction under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65568/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraTá Ceist Uimh. 7, in ainm an Teachta Peter 'Chap' Cleere, á thogáil arís ag an Teachta Séamus McGrath.
The Deputy is keeping us busy tonight.
Will the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage outline the key measures to increase the use of modern methods of construction under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 and make a statement on the matter?
I again thank Deputy Séamus McGrath for asking this question on behalf of Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere. I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 64 and 99 together.
The new national housing plan contains a range of actions to increase skills and support modern methods of construction, building on the initiatives already in place. MMC is the term used to describe a range of compliant innovative construction alternatives to traditional construction methods. MMC has the potential to boost productivity, increase efficiency and improve sustainability in the construction sector. It has brought tangible benefits to housing delivery. Reductions in delivery timeframes of up to 40%, greater cost certainty and reduced changes during construction have offered both cost and time savings.
My Department is working closely with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and other relevant stakeholders in progressing work to increase delivery capacity in the residential construction sector through promoting the adoption of modern methods of construction.
Key actions which are included in delivering homes, building communities to increase adoption of MMC are: the use of MMC in at least 25% of all new social and affordable homes built during the lifetime of the plan; support for the use of three-dimensional modular units through pathfinder projects in Limerick and Wexford; optimising the NSAI agrément certification process; promotion of ISIF funding opportunities for manufacturers to support new and existing factories; the delivery of at least 1,500 MMC dwellings through the local authority accelerated delivery programme; renewing the action plan to promote careers in construction and launching a new five-year action plan for apprenticeships; and doubling the overall investment of Enterprise Ireland’s build to innovate programme to drive adoption of efficient construction practices and the use of MMC.
My Department has also recently published the standardised design approaches study.
These standardised design approaches will raise awareness about the benefits and opportunities and promote adoption, of standardised housing design to facilitate MMC.
I welcome the strong recognition for modern methods of construction in the new housing plan. That is critically important. The construction sector is very much up for embracing MMC and the additional measures in the plan to incentivise the construction industry to take up those measures are critically important. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach will know a development in his constituency, Longview in Ballyvolane, where the developers are very much embracing both on-site and off-site modern methods of construction and really delivering quickly in terms of the turnaround time for new houses. That is important and it was a site the Taoiseach visited recently to see first-hand the progress that has been made there. I totally agree that this has the potential to be a more environmental form of construction and increase sustainability but also provide new employment opportunities for individuals as well in the area of modern methods of construction. Furthermore, it does, of course, help us weatherproof some of the delivery in terms of construction so that it can move apace during the winter months, which is one of the key advantages of MMC.
I thank the Deputy for the important question on MMC. A dissemination programme is currently being developed by my Department and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to promote the use of these approaches in the education and construction sectors. These standardised designs build on my Department's existing design manual for quality housing, for example, for social housing and the LDA's Apartment Typology Booklet, which also include designs to promote the use of MMC for social housing and apartments. In addition, my Department's accelerated delivery programme supports the development of new social homes using MMC. The delivery of at least 1,500 new homes across a total of 36 sites and 13 local authorities has been prioritised and enabled through the use of a streamlined design and build procurement approach that facilitates MMC. Approximately 1,250 homes are being constructed using this procurement approach. The Government is committed to supporting all forms of MMC to encourage greater innovation in construction. The 2D approaches using panelised systems are quite widespread, with 3D volumetric approaches still in a more embryonic phase.
I strongly believe the construction sector is onboard for modern methods of construction. It recognises the advantages, cost savings and that it can deliver with greater efficiency, which is critically important. It is also important the Government is leading in this way in the provision in the plan for 25% of social and affordable units to be delivered through MMC. That message is very important. Indeed, other measures such as build to innovate by the Department of enterprise is also very important to help promote MMC. It is a sector that will continue to grow in this country. It can provide employment opportunities and use more sustainable materials as part of that, which is critically important from an environmental point of view, as well as delivering homes in a more speedy and efficient manner.
We will support a number of 3D volumetric pathfinder projects to further explore the potential for these innovative systems. Using MMC, Limerick City and County Council and the mayor’s office will be supported to advance the initial phase of their SMART modular housing project. In addition, Wexford County Council is being supported to commence a project to develop 22 permanent social homes utilising 3D volumetric systems. We will continue to maximise the use of 2D right across our systems due to its importance.
8. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding HAP tenancies where one income earner moves out, to ensure that the remaining tenant is not financially adversely affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65844/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn traditional council housing or social housing if the tenant's income changes or the number of people in the house changes because kids leave or anybody leaves, the tenant does not get thrown out of the house. They do not get threatened with possible homelessness. They do not build up arrears. The rent is adjusted to the tenant's means and to the number of people in the house. That does not happen if the tenant is in the HAP scheme and, by the way, it does not happen if they are in cost rental so tenants can very quickly find themselves in trouble. What is the Minister of State going to do about that?
The HAP scheme continues to play a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of quarter 2, 2025, over 128,500 HAP tenancies had been set up since the scheme commenced, of which 51,736 households were actively in receipt of HAP support. Under HAP,a tenant sources their own accommodation in the private rental market. This accommodation should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Where a tenant’s circumstances change, including their household size, they should notify the relevant local authority. The local authority can then review the household circumstances, including in relation to differential rent charged and the relevant HAP rate to apply. Since 11 July 2022, each local authority has had statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 35% above the prescribed maximum rent limit, or up to 50% in the case of homeless households in the Dublin region. Additional flexibility was also given for local authorities to apply a couple HAP rate to single person households. Recognising that newer tenancies are at a higher cost than existing tenancies, the measure only applied to new tenancies. It is a matter for the local authority to determine if the application of discretion is warranted on a case-by-case basis and the level of discretion applied in each case. Local authorities are encouraged to focus the application of discretion on alleviating financial burden for HAP tenants wherever possible, particularly for those in difficult financial circumstances. I have recently approved a review of existing HAP rent limits to ensure there is sufficient support under the HAP scheme to assist eligible households in accessing accommodation in the private rental sector. My Department is currently finalising the parameters of this review. The Deputy Boyd Barrett might elaborate on the specific circumstances he was talking about.
Sylvia is in a HAP tenancy for five years. From the beginning she was also paying a top-up to her landlord. She used to live with her eldest son. He has moved out. The landlord has also increased the rent and Sylvia used to get a carers' payment for her father, but her father passed away so she does not get that payment. She has been hit three different ways, with increased rent, lower income and now fewer people in the house. She went to the council, as the Minister of State proposed she do, and the officials said: "Tough luck". The rent is €2,000 to the private landlord, because that is the problem with HAP. Is the council willing to help her out? No, it is not willing to because the Government's rules actually preclude it. Therefore, rent arrears are building up and fairly soon she will be threatened with homelessness unless something is done. By the way, the same thing is happening with cost rental for tenants where people move out and they are faced with the same rent and have less income. What are they supposed to do?
It is good to see the Deputy back to his passionate best. The Department and the Minister are very aware of the pressures on existing tenancies and it is existing tenancies the Deputy is talking about. The particular issues around that are currently under active consideration by the Department and it is something we are actively looking at in terms of existing tenancies and affordability. I note the point. I do not know the particular circumstances regarding Sylvia. If the Deputy wants us to follow up with the local authority we will, if we can assist in any way. We recognise the point the Deputy has made.
I appreciate that and I will send the Minister of State Sylvia's details, but, as he can see, there is a more general problem. There is somebody who works in here - I will not give away their identity- who is on a very modest income. They got cost-rental accommodation at €1,200, but their son was living with them who was earning. The son has moved out but they are stuck with a €1,200 rent but with half the income. What are they supposed to do? They have not got the money to pay for their son's rent as well, but cost rental does not work the same way as social housing where the rent is adjusted. Given the Government's new housing plan is proposing essentially to do away with differential rents and social housing in favour of cost rental, this is going to cause a big problem. Itt is going to be much more general and it is happening under HAP. A lot of people are getting caught with this and we are going to see more and more of it, so there is going to have to be a plan because people will end up homeless from cost-rental and from HAP tenancies. That is what going to happen. The Minister of State has got to address it and the councils have to address it.
If the Deputy wishes to send us on the details regarding, Sylvia, the lady he referenced he can. As I said earlier, the Minister and the Department are fully aware of the pressures people are under, particularly in terms of the Deputy's question around HAP. A review is under way in that particular regard. We note the point the Deputy is raising in terms of cost rental as well and it is something we will consider.
9. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on his Department's efforts to fulfil the programme for Government commitment to review the 2001 Childcare Facilities Guidelines for Planning Authorities to ensure childcare spaces are provided and put into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65825/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI seek an update on the Department's efforts to fulfil the commitment in the programme for Government to review the Childcare Facilities Guidelines for Planning Authorities, which date from 2001, to ensure childcare spaces are provided and put into use.
The programme for Government sets out a number of priorities for the Government relating to access to early learning and childcare services, including a commitment to review the 2001 Childcare Facilities Guidelines for Planning Authorities to ensure childcare spaces are provided and put to use. Further to the commencement of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of the Planning and Development Act 2024, on 2 October provisions for national planning statements were introduced to replace the provisions for ministerial guidelines issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. All existing section 28 guidelines will, over time, be revoked and replaced with new national planning statements, including childcare guidelines. The current guidelines will, however, remain in force until revoked or replaced by a corresponding national planning statement.
My Department is working with the Departments of Children, Disability and Equality, and Education and Youth and has established a working group, chaired by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, to create a clear mechanism for sharing information on and discussing current and future policy related to the planning of early learning and childcare services, including examining the role of the existing childcare guidelines for planning authorities. To date, eight meetings of the working group have taken place over the course of 2024 and 2025, with the most recent meeting held in September 2025.
Work to date has included engagement with the planning and land use committee of the County and City Management Association, which supports the interdepartmental working group. The primary focus of this work is to gain a practical overview of the application of the existing guidelines with a view to initiating the drafting of a national planning statement which will complement other work being undertaken by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to support the provision of childcare facilities.
I thank the Minister. A commitment was made in the programme for Government to increase childcare supply by building or acquiring State-led facilities. There are 43,000 children on waiting lists for early learning, childcare and school-aged care places. In our planning system, the only provision to safeguard land for childcare facilities is a basic formula from 2001 which allocates 20 childcare places for every 75 homes. It is rudimentary and littered with loopholes. One-bedroom apartments are not included in the calculation and builders can secure an exemption by pointing to other childcare facilities in an area, even if they have waiting lists. Sometimes facilities are not built.
The guidelines are literal in their application. For example, if there are two adjacent applications for 70 homes there would be no childcare facility. If we are ever to meet the demand for childcare places in local communities, we need to effectively link the delivery of new housing with the delivery of childcare places, and that is our opportunity to acquire State-led facilities. If the Minister is looking for a practical overview of existing guidelines, I have spoken about them extensively in the Chamber.
I thank the Deputy. I am aware that she has spoken about this on many occasions in the Chamber, including with the Minister, Deputy Foley. She is quite consistent in raising the importance of childcare facilities. I can assure her that the Minister and her Department are actively engaging on this. I will meet the Minister, Deputy Foley, in the next week on this matter to see how we can further the pathway. It is a matter for the Department of children to work out the policy. It holds the pen in that respect. The Department of housing is involved in terms of facilitating the national planning statement and ensuring we can deliver these facilities. As the Deputy said, it is important to have State-led facilities.
To assist the Minister with that meeting, I would say it is time our planning authorities were required to scale up their competency in childcare. At present, assessment of childcare needs occupies a low level of priority when it comes to assessing planning applications in large-scale residential developments. That needs to change. There should be mandatory technical guidelines for childcare facilities so that units are suitable and usable as childcare facilities in size, design, regulatory compliance and location. They should not be built at the back of estates, essentially as housing units, for numbers of children that are not viable for childcare providers. We need to end the prevalence of childcare units lying empty in places of overwhelming childcare demand, such as in my constituency of Dublin West where units have lain empty for years. By updating the guidelines, the Minister can create an effective pipeline for State-led childcare facilities that will build the mixed private-public model of childcare that we desperately need.
I again thank Deputy Currie for raising the important matter of childcare facilities. I agree that it is timely and in accordance with the programme for Government that we update the planning guidelines. As I said, we will work with the Department of children. Ultimately, it is the Department of children that will work out the policy on this area. The national planning statements will form an important part of planning for almost every Department across government. As I said, we stand willing and ready to give technical advice on what is necessary for those statements. Those relating to childcare facilities need to be updated. Having empty facilities is totally unacceptable. There is no question that there have been too many instances where developers have technically put a facility in place, but have made it far too difficult or cumbersome for it to be used for its intended purpose. It is something of which I am very much aware.
10. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline his plans to draw up planning guidelines for solar farms for local authorities; to outline the discussions his Department has held with other Departments; if his Department have considered the EU's RED III directive within its plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65840/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra92. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress to date in establishing planning guidelines for solar energy developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65645/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra120. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has considered drawing up planning guidelines for solar farms; if he will outline the stages in this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65841/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis is an important question. On behalf of the people of Cork East, I want to ask about the position regarding the publication of solar guidelines. There has been an explosion in the number of solar projects across Cork East as a constituency, as well as in Deputy O'Sullivan's constituency of Cork North-Central and other parts of the country where developments have occurred, often at very large scale from 500 to 600 acres up to 2,000 acres. Could the Minister please give my constituents some clarity on this urgent matter?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 92 and 120 together.
I thank Deputy O'Connor for this important question on planning guidelines for solar farms for local authorities. The section of the programme for Government on securing Ireland's future reaffirms Ireland's ambitious targets of 8 GW of solar capacity connected to the grid by 2030, to assist with meeting the requirement of 80% of electricity demand supplied by renewables. Solar energy is a growing source of electricity, with approximately 2.1 GW of solar power capacity currently installed in Ireland. However, further solar capacity is required for Ireland to meet its domestic and international targets. For this reason, my Department is preparing a new national planning statement on solar energy under the new Planning and Development Act 2024. My Department has begun an initial scoping process to identify the component factors relevant to the preparation of the national planning statement for solar energy development, including any appropriate environmental assessment and public consultation requirements and other relevant European obligations such as the renewable energy directive, RED III, which will determine the timeframe for publication of said guidelines.
The scoping process remains at an early stage, but I am satisfied that the existing and evolving planning system, supported by Government policy more generally, provides a sufficiently robust policy and legislative framework to facilitate the roll-out of solar energy development in a sustainable manner and to assist with meeting our renewable electricity requirements while balancing the perspectives of local communities and their needs and allowing for public and stakeholder engagement. In the interim, there are currently no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of solar energy development. Proposals for individual solar energy developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and the Planning and Development Act 2024, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments, with planning applications made to the relevant local planning authority or An Coimisiún Pleanála on appeal.
I thank the Minister. I acknowledge that he has provided a response. As a TD, I have no issue with the need for renewable energy and the decarbonisation of our economy but when it comes in the form of using thousands of acres of land in highly commercial agricultural areas - the Cork East constituency has some of the best land in the country - that represents one issue, and the second issue is the scale of these developments. Other countries have pursued very smart strategies such as using the top of commercial and school premises and factories or non-agricultural lands to pursue these developments, but Ireland has a mismatch in terms of policy.
Development is happening in areas where, ultimately, it is not the best use of that land or ground. Does the Minister see the point I am raising? In the east Cork area and other parts of the country, as other Deputies have raised, this is not happening in a prudent or productive way for the agricultural economy and n terms of the impact it is having on residents, given the size and scale of these developments. As I said, they potentially are upwards of 1,000 acres and in one case I am aware of, up to a maximum of 2,000 acres, which is larger than the Phoenix Park.
I certainly hear the Deputy's concerns. Any proposals forthcoming from the Government will be subject to public consultation and consultation with stakeholders, very much including the agricultural community and rural villages. However, in the absence of national planning statements, it falls back to the first principles of planning law, including the relevant Acts, but also the county development plans as set out by the 31 local authorities. At a local level, the city or county development plan sets out where solar energy development is accessible. The making of the city or county development plan is a reserved function of the local authority members. In terms of the setting out of the county development plan by Cork County Council, it is in the council's remit to assess, decide and set out where solar energy can go. Councillors being able to make that decision, effective at the closest point to local people, is an important power.
On the Minister's last point, we have approached Cork County Council collectively at a local level and it is saying that without national guidelines, it will not amend its development plan in terms of governing regulations around the erection of solar farms. There is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation here. The council is saying it will not implement anything about solar development in its development plan. The Minister is saying this evening that it is up to the council to incorporate that into its development plan. The council has already told us locally it is not open to amending it without direction nationally.
I support the point made by Deputy O'Connor. On some of the land he is talking about, with which I share a border, somebody could build a solar farm 100, 200 or 300 acres in size but would struggle to get planning permission for a one-off house or agricultural shed. It is that stark in terms of the development that can and cannot happen there. At this stage, we need to be genuine with people. In the absence of regulation and guidelines, we must stop fooling people. I welcome that there will a scoping exercise but it sounds like it will take an awfully long time. We need to implement guidelines urgently.
It will take more to deter us than a few cheap shots in op-eds in the Irish Examiner criticising me and others for having the courage to come in here and raise these matters. Deputy O'Sullivan is right that we need the guidelines. Local authorities need those guidelines and they need leadership from the Government. A message must go back to the custodians of the status quo who have let this matter carry on for so long, despite its being raised at parliamentary party level and ministerial level before the general election and again now, that we need answers. It seems to me we have been left in the lurch, unable to give constituents answers because we do not have those guidelines. There is a game of pass the parcel between the Department and local government when both need to come together to understand that the scale of development happening in areas such as my own in the Cork East constituency, and the rapid nature of those developments, requires urgent attention for reasons ranging from flooding to the large-scale size of the developments. As Deputy O'Sullivan rightly said, if someone wants to build a house on those lands, the planning process is far more tedious than it is when seeking to swallow up hundreds of acres for the development of these facilities.
On the question of smaller extensions, etc., we are working on a very extensive suite of planning exemptions. I very much recognise that people should have more power to deliver and work on their own local property without having to seek planning permission. That is why we are introducing those exemptions. It is very much not a case of passing the parcel. The reality is that county development plans are decided at a local level. We must be very careful how we proceed in terms of any national planning statement. It cannot be one size fits all. Local authorities and local councillors know what is best for their local areas.
I very much believe in local government, which is why I set up the local government task force to give more power back to local councillors. Any national planning statement, when it is announced, cannot and will not take a one-size-fits-all approach. What is good for Cork East would be very different from what is good for north Wicklow and different again from what works for Donegal. No matter what the planning statement says, there will always be a significant amount of power left to the local authority to decide what to do with the land. There is no reason for any local authority to be waiting for a national planning statement. The law, as it is, says it is up to local authorities to decide what to do with their land in their own county areas under their own county development plans. That is their local power.
12. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has any plans to investigate the rate of home vacancy around the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65819/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI draw the Minister's attention to a number of vacant homes in Ringfort housing estate in Rathmolyon, County Meath. The families concerned did everything right. They paid their deposits, spending tens of thousands of euro, but the builder has refused them their homes. They have been put under massive stress, with some of them putting off starting a family and some having to move back into their parents' home. After all of that, five years later, they are being refused their homes. What can the Minister do to enable these families to move into their homes?
The Deputy's question was about plans to investigate the rate of home vacancy around the country, and that is the question I will answer. Data on vacant properties is available from a number of sources, such as the Central Statistics Office, data from census 2022 and GeoDirectory. My Department has been engaging with the national statistical institute, the Central Statistics Office, which has recently developed a new statistical release on residential vacancy. The release, published in September, provides information on the extent of residential vacancy in 2022 and 2023, using ESB data on residential electricity consumption, with future regular publications planned. In the release, the CSO notes a national vacancy rate of 3.3% at the end of 2023, down from 3.6% at the end of 2022. Local authority and local electoral level breakdowns are also included. Similarly, the latest GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report, for quarter 2 of 2025, recorded that the average vacancy rate across Ireland had dropped to 3.7%, which is the lowest rate recorded since 2013.
The Government has introduced a range of initiatives and funding mechanisms in recent years and these measures are proving successful in reducing the levels of vacancy and dereliction nationwide. One such measure, the compulsory purchase orders, CPO, activation programme launched in April 2023, requires a proactive and systematic approach by local authorities to identifying vacant and derelict properties and engaging with owners to bring those properties back into use. This includes the active use of compulsory purchase powers by local authorities. As part of this programme, almost all local authorities now have a database of vacant and derelict properties identified within settlements in their administrative area that can be used to engage with property owners. The Government's commitment to addressing vacancy and dereliction, and actions in the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, will continue to play a vital role in bringing these properties into use as new homes across the country.
I accept the question I am asking the Minister is tangential to the one on the questions paper. I urge him to go off script for the next couple of minutes to address it. We have a situation where houses that were built are vacant. At the heart of this particular problem is that there are two separate companies with the same owners and directors. One company has bought the debt of another company, giving it secured creditor status. This means many other creditors will receive nothing, including these families, and the houses will remain vacant for now. The families are waiting to move into their homes, which are vacant. There is nothing they can do to get what they are entitled to. There is no mechanism on the part of the Government to get them into their homes. It frustrates me because Home Building Finance Ireland, HBFI, had the initial loan that was given to the builder. It allowed that loan to be bought out, which enabled the particular builder to become a secured creditor and be in charge of the liquidation process. These families are now left with nothing. Will the Minister address this matter?
I accept that these people are in an extraordinarily difficult situation, which I have no doubt is quite traumatic for them. As the Deputy knows, this matter is now going through a legal process.
I cannot comment on individual cases but in any situation, we always have to look at what is happening, take learnings from it and see if there are ways we could strengthen our laws, be it within the Department of housing or a different Department, as the case may be, and see how we can reassure ordinary people who are not expecting to find themselves dealing with liquidation and these types of scenarios, and they are quite complicated legal scenarios. I am very much aware of what those families are going through and I cannot begin to imagine the stress they are all going through.
As I said, I have to be careful about not commenting too much on a particular situation going through a legal process, but we do have to look at those situations and ensure we take learnings from them.
I appreciate that and I am not going to comment on the insolvency process happening at present, other than to say the State is now on the hook for €700,000 because Revenue is one of those creditors. There are tools the State can use to protect its own interests in this, such as the office of corporate enforcement, which can take a High Court challenge to a liquidator that has been selected. Revenue itself can do the same.
It is really unfortunate we have a situation that could well be replicated over and over again in the future. There are plenty of construction companies dealing with the inflating costs of building that could find themselves in difficulty. We need to make sure individuals who put deposits down have those deposits ring-fenced in some manner, maybe in an escrow for example, to prevent them losing that, but also that the contracts are fulfilled. Here is the key: two separate companies with the same directors and owners are using the corporate veil to separate their assets from their liabilities. We have seen it before in the likes of Clerys, Paris Bakery and other situations. We need a mechanism to ensure people are held responsible for what they owe people with these things.
What has happened with these families in a situation of a liquidation process is that there is a ranking of priority within that and they have found themselves very much on the wrong end of it. What I can undertake, albeit not in this specific case because, as I said, it is going through a current legal process, and with the principles being realised out of this situation, I will speak to the Ministers for Finance and enterprise to see how we can look at the particular situation that has arisen here. The Deputy is right; this situation could happen again in the future, so I will undertake to do that.
13. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding allocated to local authorities to bring vacant properties back into public use for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65437/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraWill the Minister update the Dáil on the funding allocated to local authorities to bring the thousands of vacant properties back into public use for social housing, and will he make a statement on the matter?
The management and maintenance of local authority social homes, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, implementing a planned maintenance programme and carrying out responsive repairs are matters for each individual local authority under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities are also statutorily required to ensure all their tenanted homes comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. Notwithstanding these obligations, my Department provides annual funding under the planned maintenance and voids programme to support local authority management and maintenance programmes.
Since 2014 to the end of 2024, over 25,600 vacant social homes were brought back into productive use through an investment of more than €361 million. Some €31 million will be provided in 2025, supporting the refurbishment and re-letting of a minimum of 1,900 social homes, facilitating the quick turnaround of vacant homes and continuing the transition from a reactive voids approach to a planned maintenance approach. Funding will further increase in 2026 and, under a revised voids programme, will focus on the prompt turnaround of casual vacancies and reductions in the level of overall vacancy in the local authority housing stock, while also contributing to stock conditions surveys and supporting works arising from these surveys. This funding should complement local authorities' own resources, and should not be viewed as a substitute for local authority funding or for the requirement for adequate budgeting for housing management and maintenance by local authority officials and elected members as part of their annual budgetary process.
Data on delivery under the 2025 planned maintenance and voids programme, and local authority allocations for 2026, will be available early next year. It is my intention to introduce a new voids programme with a renewed focus on prompt turnaround and re-letting of vacant units by focusing only on those works necessary to ensure compliance with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.
Can I give the Minister of State a bit of advice and provide him with a solution? I sincerely want the Government to take this on board. He has just said the voids programme will be open in the new year. Why is it not open today? Why is the voids programme not open 365 days a year so that when a house comes back, the local authority can fix it up and allocate it out? Opening it just once or twice a year does not make sense. I am trying to be constructive but the Government always criticises us and says there is nothing coming from the Opposition. This is a simple fix here: keep the void programme open for 365 days a year so that houses are not left to rot.
Can I give the Minister of State one statistic? Data I received earlier this year from local authorities showed that one in four vacant houses is idle longer than 12 months. If we open the voids programme all year long, that will stop. We could get a fix here today. We could agree on this. We are trying to be cross-party constructive and that is something we could do together that would make a real difference to social housing and people on the housing list.
I thank the Deputy. I can see his passion. The Minister and the Department want to move to a planned maintenance programme, away from legacy. We want to bring all those units and homes up to a state of repair. The focus from now on will be about a model for planned maintenance such that houses can be re-let promptly, but ongoing works are being done to homes in order that when they become vacant, they are then in a reasonably good state and only a modest amount of work has to be done to re-let them. The Deputy will accept that one of the key problems is the length of time it takes local authorities to turn around voids to re-let them.
The model is moving and I think the Deputy and I are on the same page on that. I expect it is something he would support. It is towards a planned maintenance model rather than a model that is just reactive when properties become vacant. We want to move to planned maintenance. The local authorities are doing surveys of all their stock to get to that point and that is a key body of work the local authorities are returning to the Department.
I am not sure if the Minister of State knows this, but he should. If someone is not telling him this, he should get into the Department tomorrow and ask the question. He talks about preventative maintenance. At the current rate of preventative maintenance, it will take 78 years to do the stock survey of all local authority housing. That is the figure the Government provided to me - 78 years - and he comes in here to answer the question saying this is what the Government has planned. There are people who are living in mouldy, damp houses with leaks in the roof and windows and front doors that are unfit. People have heating systems that are not up to standard and the Minister of State comes in here talking about preventative maintenance. The Department cannot even do the audit. If it cannot do the audit and does not have the information, how is it going to do the maintenance?
Does the Minister of State know how much was allocated for preventative maintenance? It was €67 per house for each local authority. Each local authority is to have €67 to calculate what preventative maintenance needs to be done. Does the Minister of State really think that is going to do the job? I am asking him a straight yes-no question. I am telling him it will not.
I have a couple of figures for the Deputy. A sum of €31 million is being given in 2025 towards voids and planned maintenance. It will be €40 million for next year, 2026. Furthermore, the intention is that local authorities will have these stock surveys done over the next four to five years.
I got the figures from the Department.
We have to be ambitious about getting these surveys completed.
These are the facts.
Ultimately, the key point is that there are two areas here. Number one, the local authority itself has rental income coming in, which is ring-fenced in terms of maintenance for its housing stock. Furthermore, the Department gives additional funding in that regard as well. But we have to move. Everyone talks about future-proofing and coming up with a model that will work into the future. I think the Deputy would accept that we need to get to a space where we have a plan maintenance rolling model rather than a model on voids alone.
14. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to implement new draft wind energy guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65419/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra39. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current regulatory framework governing maximum wind turbine height; whether concerns raised by residents in County Galway regarding the increasing scale of turbine proposals, particularly turbines exceeding traditional height thresholds, are being considered as part of the ongoing review of wind energy planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65792/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra85. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the current regulation on the installation of wind farms were updated; when the current regulations are due to be updated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59353/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra532. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he plans to implement new draft wind energy guidelines;and if he will make a statement on the matter.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60285/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra533. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he plans to implement new draft wind energy guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60322/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current wind energy guidelines date back to 2006. In 2006, turbines were 80 m high. Today in east Galway, communities are fighting applications against 180 m industrial structures using rules from two decades ago. It is regulatory negligence to apply 2006 rules to 2025 technology. My argument is simple. The guidelines must protect people first, through strictly increased setback distances and noise regulation. Only then can we provide the renewables. We cannot continue to regulate modern monsters with obsolete laws. We need the update and we need it now. When can we anticipate the new energy guidelines?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 39, 85, 532 and 533 together.
My Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 wind energy development guidelines which will inform a new national planning statement on wind energy under the new Planning and Development Act 2024. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the guidelines including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections. The key policy area here is with the Department of the Climate, Environment and Energy, which has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters and has been working to advance guidance on the noise aspect of the national planning statement, which is highly technical in nature. This work is now well under way.
In addition to work on the noise aspects of the national planning statement, the evolving policy and technical context including the new Planning and Development Act 2024 and the revision of the national planning framework reinforces the need to ensure that the finalised guidelines, once issued, are fit for purpose. In line with EU directive requirements, a strategic environmental assessment, SEA, is being carried out on the draft national planning statement as part of the review process. In this regard, my Department intends to undertake a public consultation on updated draft guidelines as part of the SEA process whereby all interested parties will have an opportunity to submit observations on the draft national planning statement. A finalised national planning statement will be prepared following detailed analysis and consideration of the submissions received during the consultation phase.
My Department is working towards concluding the finalisation of the national planning statement having regard to the intended public consultation and the impact of associated reforms and reviews including the revision of the NPF. The current 2006 wind energy development guidelines remain in force, pending the finalisation of that review.
I appreciate the update and that the Department of energy and climate is working on the noise aspect. The speed at which this is dealt with is vital. Right now, there is a gold rush and a race to get planning applications through for these wind farms. I am speaking on behalf of the people of east Galway in Killimordaly, Barnaderg, Shancloon, Laurclavagh and Clonbern. There are 27 proposed wind farms in north Galway alone, with up to 150 turbines. The entire character of north Galway would be transformed if these were permitted.
Beyond the social impact, I need to raise the hard economic fact about the viability of these projects. EnergyCloud was before the committee last week. A total of €2 billion worth of electricity is being curtailed. This cannot be allowed to go on. It is not a sustainable model the way we are operating.
I support Deputy Dolan as well. I spoke about solar guidelines previously. It has to be said again that is taking an extreme amount of time to get these guidelines updated. I am here since 2020. I have spoken about this a dozen times at this stage. We have been led to believe that these guidelines are being updated or imminent. The Minister is giving us an update on the progress in relation to that. As I said, it seems to take an extreme amount of time. They are much anticipated and long awaited. Whether it is solar or wind, the only conclusion I can draw is that we seem to be putting things on the long burner. The only conclusion I can draw is that is being done by design by the Department to allow a number of applications. I am surprised to hear there are that many applications in one part of Galway. I thought that we had a heavy number of applications in my part of the country, but nothing comparable to Deputy Dolan's. We seem to do things very slowly. They seem to take an awful long time. I met the industry a number of weeks ago in relation to this. The industry wants these guidelines updated because it wants people to be aware of what is happening and it wants it done transparently. I echo the calls of Deputy Dolan to get this done urgently.
I thank both Deputies for their input in relation to the matter. In relation to my time in the Department of housing, there has been significant engagement with the Department of the environment in terms of developing the wider issues around the guidelines and in relation to updating them through the national planning statements. These are very technical in nature. They are very complex. There is considerable EU environmental legislation to take into account. Most importantly, there are also local communities to take into account. It is about finding that balance of where we can get to a situation where we can deliver and develop renewable energy while at the same time ensuring that local communities and individuals are respected within their local communities as well. This is not an easy balance to find. I have little doubt that if it was an easy balance to find it would have been done a considerable time ago. We are working very carefully, as I said, with the Department of the environment, whose policies are around ensuring that we have necessary renewable energy. I will be working with the Deputies as well and with the House to ensure that we can get that balance in place.
Recently I had the privilege of walking one of the proposed sites in Shancloon near Caherlistrane in County Galway, where what was before me was beautiful open landscape. What amazed me was that this windfarm was proposed to be built on a bog. In order to build a turbine on a bog, a significant amount of peat has to be excavated in order to put in the concrete base to allow for the turbine to go up. The problem here is that this goes against everything we are working for environmentally; digging up bogs to put in wind turbines that ultimately have a useful life of maybe 30 to 40 years before they have to be considered to be taken down at that point. I also highlight that the engagement that happens in advance of these developments going to a planning process where a turbine farm is being proposed at 50 MW. That is the potential output of the turbines. As a result, those planning applications can go through directly to An Coimisiún Pleanála. The reality for a lot of these farms that are proposed is that their output will be a lot less than 50 MW and they should be going to the council first based on output, not based on potential capacity. That is something that needs to be hammered quickly because they are acting as if they are going to put out 50 MW when the reality is it will be a lot less.
I thank the Deputies for their concerns. There is a very large number of national planning statements that are now required over the coming years. Providing one under wind energy is a priority for the Department of housing, but as I said, many of the key principles are also within the Department of environment. We are continuing to work with it. It is about finding that balance where we can deliver renewable energy, which is absolutely critical for our environment - we are in a climate emergency - and ensuring that we meet the EU guidelines around the habitats directive, for example, and other directives, while also ensuring that the local communities are protected and respected. That is not an easy balance to deliver and arrive at. It is a difficult one to ensure that we can balance those competing interests. We have to ensure that we get this right, even if it does take a little bit longer than people might have hoped for. To ensure that we do not have a rushed answer is critical.
15. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to expand access to a remediation and compensation scheme for homes built with defective blocks in Skerries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65211/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere was a protest outside today by homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks from Mayo and Donegal, but also from Fingal.
The homeowners in Fingal met the Minister's predecessor in 2022 and applied to the Housing Agency in 2023. The Housing Agency's report has been on the Minister's desk since June or July of this year. Can he tell us when he is going to make a decision because these homeowners desperately need some certainty about whether hey are going to be included in what is a very imperfect scheme?
One thing I note is how often somebody tells there is something is on my desk when my desk is empty. It seems to be a term of art that something has arrived at the Department of housing somewhere. I can assure the Deputy that the Housing Agency received test results from the properties sampled in Fingal. I have received the final report from the Housing Agency. It literally was on my desk this week. On the basis of the recommendations made by the agency, I intend to shortly bring the matter to Government seeking approval for the making of an order designating the relevant parts of Fingal County Council as being part of the defective concrete blocks scheme so it will literally be within days.
Will the decision be made before or after Christmas?
I reiterate it will be literally within days.
