Written Answers Nos. 57-82
57. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he will take to ensure a clear and consistent approach to rural housing and rural planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65479/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030- An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness, we will publish a National Planning Statement in H2 of 2026 that will set out relevant planning criteria to be applied in local authority development plans for rural housing, based on the high level policy framework set in the NPF.
Rural Housing Guidelines were last issued in 2005 as Ministerial Guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. These Guidelines provide that people who are an intrinsic part of the rural community, on the basis of an economic or social need, should be facilitated in all rural areas. In areas under strong urban influence, the policy is to direct urban generated housing into cities, towns and villages. In a rural area suffering persistent and substantial population decline, the policy is to accommodate anyone wishing to build a house, subject to normal planning and environmental considerations.
Historically there has been a strong tradition of rural housing construction in Ireland, with approximately one-quarter of all delivery nationally for the last 30 years falling within this category. Rural housing continues to be an important component of new housing delivery with on average c.4,000-5,000 new rural dwellings being built annually.
Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the National Planning Framework) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment and adapting to and mitigating climate change have become more central to the operation of the planning system.
Updated policy direction and guidance in respect of rural housing, initially in the form of a section 28 Guideline which will now be reviewed and prepared as a National Planning Statement, is currently being considered by my Department. The updated policy approach will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of the National Planning Framework (NPF), in particular on National Policy Objective (NPO) 28 which relates to rural housing. This objective makes a clear policy distinction between rural areas under urban influence (i.e. areas within the commuter catchment of cities, large towns and centres of employment) on the one hand, and structurally weaker rural areas where population levels may be low or declining, on the other. NPO 28 is also aligned with the established approach whereby considerations of social or economic need are to be applied by planning authorities in rural areas under urban influence.
The draft National Planning Statement will set out relevant and consistent planning criteria to be applied in local authority development plans for rural housing, based on the high level policy framework set by the NPF.
While planning policy is a national, as opposed to an EU competence, due care is being taken to ensure the updated guidelines will not operate to conflict with fundamental EU freedoms, comply with EU environmental legislative requirements and have due regard to decisions of the European Court of Justice. The draft National Planning Statement will address these complex environmental and legal issues, while also providing a framework for the sustainable management of housing in rural areas.
58. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans to conserve the high crosses at Monasterboice, County Louth, which are experiencing significant deterioration; if he will consider a preservation approach similar to that used in Kilfenora, including the possibility of relocating the crosses to the derelict church on-site with protective overhead covering to safeguard their biblical and Celtic carvings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65628/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe significance of the high crosses at Monasterboice is well established and are monitored on a continuous basis. All cut stone that is located outdoors is naturally exposed to the elements and gradually weather over time. The issue is witnessed at many sites nationwide and is a shared concern with exposed stone monuments across Europe.
The project in Kilfenora was completed in 2005. With some high crosses, the approach has been to encase them in a perspex or glass structure, or to relocate them to a controlled indoor environment, such as a museum, with replicas being exhibited in their original location. However, there is currently no such proposals for the high crosses at Monasterboice.
A comprehensive conservation study was undertaken in 2009 and the report examined the proposal to move the high crosses into the church and cover them with a roof. It concluded that given the height of the crosses compared to the surviving heights of the church walls this was not a viable option.
Decisions to move monuments require much consideration due to the complexities involved with these interventions. Any such discussions would include my Department in addition to the OPW, as managers of the monuments at Monasterboice.
The OPW has undertaken several remedial measures in the graveyard to protect the high crosses, including, the relocation of headstones and vegetation management. This has greatly improved the immediate environment around the high crosses. In 2019, the OPW erected a scaffold around Muiredach’s Cross to allow for a stone conservator to examine the Cross in detail. The conservator had examined the Cross ten years previously and reported the monument remains in a very stable condition. The OPW intends to have the stone conservator return to carry out a detailed condition survey of the Tall Cross.
59. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline any involvement his Department will have with the special purpose vehicle established to implement the recommendations of the Dublin City Taskforce roadmap for delivery, as discussed in the recently published housing plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65838/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Dublin City Taskforce Report, published in October 2024, recommended ‘10 Big Moves’ for regeneration with a focus on the revitalisation of O’Connell Street and the environs across a range of areas including addressing dereliction, improved services and visibility in security.
Implementation of these recommendations is being supported by new dedicated delivery structures in Dublin City Council and is being underpinned by NDP investment funding.
Action 8.1.1 of Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030: An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness supports the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), operating under the auspices of Dublin City Council, to implement the Dublin City Centre Taskforce recommendations and the Roadmap for Delivery.
Responsibility for the establishment of the SPV lies with Dublin City Council and, in doing so, the Council will need to adhere to the legislative requirements.
Section 66 of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) refers to the establishment of subsidiary companies by local authorities.
Section 66(4)(i) provides that a local authority may “enter into such contracts and make such other arrangements (including the incorporation of one or more than one company) as the authority considers necessary or expedient either alone or jointly with any other local authority or public authority or any other person”.
My Department will work collaboratively with Dublin City Council and any established special purpose vehicle established by Dublin City Council.
60. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department is taking to strengthen local authorities capacity to respond to tenancy management issues and anti-social behaviour. [65642/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra83. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the mechanisms by which local authorities can address anti-social behaviour in social housing tenancies. [65641/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the first instance, my colleague, the Minister for Justice has overall responsibility for policy and legislation relating to serious incidents of anti-social behaviour through the criminal code which is enforced by An Garda Síochána.
Local authorities are, however, responsible under the Housing Acts for the management and maintenance of their housing stock and the management of their estates, including taking appropriate measures to counter anti-social behaviour.
The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997 was introduced to provide for a range of measures to assist local authorities and AHBs in addressing problems arising on their housing estates from serious anti-social behaviour. The 1997 Act was designed to assist local authorities discharge their housing estate management functions in a positive manner in conjunction with other initiatives to promote improved estate management while working towards the avoidance, prevention and abatement of anti-social behaviour. The 1997 Act also provides for the issuing of court orders to exclude a household member engaged in anti-social behaviour from the dwelling and, if appropriate, the estate in question, and empowers a local authority to refuse to allocate or sell a dwelling to a person engaged in anti-social behaviour.
Under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, all local authorities are required to develop anti-social behaviour strategies, to be updated every six years, that set out the measures that they have in place to prevent and reduce anti-social behaviour, and the actions that they are taking to counter anti-social behaviour.
Furthermore, the powers of local authorities were significantly enhanced by Part 2 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, which provides for the issuing of a tenancy warning requiring that tenants cease any anti-social activity. Part 2 of the 2014 Act also gives local authorities the power to recover possession of their dwellings from households in serious breach of their tenancy agreements, including engaging in anti-social behaviour.
A comprehensive suite of guidance documents and circulars have been prepared and circulated to the local authority sector to strengthen their capacity to respond to tenancy management issues and anti-social behaviour.
61. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is currently reviewing ways to reduce the duplication of planning applications needed to be attained to construct energy generating sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61063/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Planning and Development Act 2024 represents the largest update to Irish planning legislation in a quarter century. The new Act, which was underpinned by a detailed review and advice of the Office of the Attorney General as well as extensive engagement with stakeholders and other relevant Government Departments, contains key reforms aimed at improving confidence, clarity and consistency within the planning system.
There is a clearer distinction between different categories of consents and most importantly there are statutory time periods for decision making for all consent processes, including, for the first time, for An Coimisiún Pleanála. This will bring increased certainty to planning consent processes, for both the public and stakeholders involved in the delivery of key infrastructure such as housing and renewable energy.
New provisions in the Act, such as Government approved National Planning Statements, which will over time replace current s.28 Ministerial Guidelines, will ensure greater consistency across all tiers of planning whilst requirements for environmental assessment for planning have been made clearer for all consenting processes. My Department will be bringing forward National Planning Statements, subject to completing the relevant consultation and environmental assessments in the areas of Wind and Solar Energy, which will further enhance clarity on these matters and approve alignment of national policy and local implementation across all tiers of planning.
63. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures that the National Parks and Wildlife Service is taking to avoid pollution in saltwater lagoons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65855/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraCoastal lagoons, a priority habitat listed in Annex I of the Habitats Directive, are lakes or ponds that are fully or partially separated from the sea by a permeable barrier.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department has selected and designated 25 coastal lagoons as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), encompassing more than 90% of that habitat occuring in Ireland. The NPWS has published site-specific conservation objectives for all 25 designated coastal lagoons outlining the ecological attributes, including water quality, that contribute to the favourable conservation status of this habitat. The NPWS collaborates and works with a range of public authorities and agencies with responsibility for water quality, across the country, to restore or maintain favourable conservation status at all coastal lagoons in SAC sites.
Further information about coastal lagoons and other protected sites in Ireland is available at www.npws.ie/protected-sites.
65. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the new measures contained in the housing plan to activate the SME builder developer sector to build more good quality homes for people to buy. [65688/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraDelivering Homes, Building Communities, is Ireland’s new national housing plan. It is a wide-ranging action plan focused on housing supply and targeting homelessness. The Plan aims to create the conditions needed to increase private investment and development to support the delivery of 300,000 homes. This includes the provision of more zoned land, providing more housing-related infrastructure, reforming the planning system, measures to address viability and improving access to finance to support the residential construction sector. The Plan also encourages and supports the development of the SME homebuilder sector directly in a number of ways.
To improve access to equity finance, the Plan commits to a new €400 million equity risk capital investment programme for homebuilding over the next three years.
To ensure that Home Building Finance Ireland has the capacity to provide finance to homebuilders across the country, particularly SME homebuilders, Government has committed a further €200 million of additional external funding.
To increase SME participation and competition in public procurement, a new national procurement strategy will be introduced.
To support the growth of SME homebuilders, the Land Development Agency will actively seek to engage the sector in the roll out of its regional programme of work.
Enterprise Ireland will also double overall investment in SME firms in the residential construction sector, under its Built to Innovate programme, to drive adoption of efficient construction practices and the use of MMC.
They will also introduce a tailored training and mentorship programme on Strategic Financial Leadership to assist with financial management in ambitious SMEs.
Additionally, I will establish a contractor-led renewal programme which will afford opportunities for local trades-persons and contractors to work with local authorities and AHBs to tackle vacancy and dereliction and I intend to expand the Ready to Build Scheme, opening it up to SME homebuilders.
Taken together, this action will create the conditions for the expansion of private sector activity, particularly SMEs.
66. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plan to support single persons through Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030. [65790/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAffordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of Government’s housing policy, as embodied within the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030.
In recent years, Government has introduced several schemes to help people to buy or rent homes, supported by Housing for All. Since 2021, close to 16,900 supports nationwide have been provided via these measures. Under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030, these supports will be retained, streamlined and expanded to form a Starter Homes Programme to ensure that first time buyers and renters in need of support, are supported by Government.
Single adult households account for around two thirds of households on social housing waiting lists and this proportion is steadily increasing. Studios and one-bedroom apartments provide much needed housing options for these households. In addition to significantly increasing the supply of social homes, the new housing plan will deliver an appropriate mix of house types and sizes, which will ensure that the needs of all social housing qualified households can be met.
To this end, local authorities will be required to develop new Housing Delivery Action Plans (HDAP's), setting out details of both social and affordable housing delivery to 2030. The intent is that these HDAP's will include information relating to the number of one bed homes each local authority intends to deliver, in line with local need.
68. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the specific steps he is taking as part of the Government’s new housing plan to reduce the number of single adults in long term homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65671/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra124. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the key measures to tackle homeless under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 - 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65542/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 124 together.
Supporting individuals and families experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness is a priority for my Department and Government.
Our new housing plan, ‘Delivering Homes, Building Communities: An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness’ is an integrated housing and homelessness plan. The new plan is based on two key pillars: activating the supply of 300,000 more homes; and supporting people to have a home of their own.
Increased supply is key to addressing homelessness. Government is focused on making sure that everyone has access to good quality, affordable and secure homes that suit their needs. Over €9 billion in capital funding will be made available for housing in 2026.
Our new Plan recognises that homelessness is the single most pressing social issue that we face and introduces a number of key measures to address homelessness.
Prevention of homelessness in the first instance is an absolute priority. There are many preventions initiatives already underway in my own Department and across Government. This includes the provision of social and affordable housing, HAP and homeless HAP, and our strong tenancy protection legislation. In order to ensure a fully aligned all-of-Government approach under the Plan, we are committing to develop a national Homelessness Prevention Framework within which homelessness can be prevented in a structured and planned way with tailored prevention measures for each potential at risk cohort. This Framework will be in place in 2026.
Addressing family homelessness is a key priority for Government. Our new housing plan commits to the development of a Child and Family Homelessness Action Plan. This will bring together key stakeholders to drive the continued focus on preventing children and families entering emergency accommodation, providing enhanced supports for children experiencing homelessness, as well as measures to accelerate exits and reduce the time spent by children and their families in homeless emergency accommodation.
The Plan also provides dedicated capital funding of €100 million which will be ring-fenced to support local authorities to acquire properties to tackle long-term homelessness. It will be used specifically to acquire suitable units to exit families the longest in emergency accommodation and for Housing First, units for individuals with complex needs experiencing homelessness.
Housing First is a key policy response in our efforts to reduce homelessness amongst our most
vulnerable individuals. A key initiative under this Plan will be the further expansion of the Housing First programme to create 2,000 tenancies. An updated implementation plan will specify targets for each local authority for Housing First tenancies in the coming months.
The Plan also recognises that individuals experiencing homelessness with complex supports needs often become entrenched in emergency homeless services. Under the Plan, the Department of Health will provide increased health support to households experiencing homelessness through the implementation of the HSE National Strategic Plan to Improve the Health of People Experiencing Homelessness.
Budget 2026 provides a total allocation of €563.5m to address homelessness. This includes €513.5m in current funding to ensure local authorities can provide sufficient emergency accommodation as well as essential related services including Housing First supports, homelessness prevention supports, day services, and tenancy sustainment measures. Additionally, €50 million in capital funding will allow local authorities to invest in the provision of local authority or NGO owned emergency accommodation facilities, developing a more sustainable approach to the delivery of emergency accommodation and ensuring that services are tailored for the needs of clients.
69. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will issue an order to allow the cutting of turf at bogs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65447/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EU Directive on the Conservation of Habitats, Flora and Fauna (92/43/EEC), commonly known as “the Habitats Directive” requires Member States to select sites, for the protection of habitats and species which are considered threatened in the EU territory and listed on the annexes to the Directive. Annex I of the Habitats Directive includes priority habitats such as active raised bog, which are considered to be in danger of disappearing within the EU.
Under the Habitats Directive Member States shall take appropriate steps to avoid, in the special areas of conservation, the deterioration of natural habitats.
These protected Special Areas of Conservation are wetland ecosystems of high ecological value. The main threats to their conservation arise from any actions that remove the vegetation, drain water and cause them to dry out. In the case of Active Raised Bog (peat forming areas which is an Annex 1 habitat under the Directive), mean water levels need to be near or above the bog surface for most of the year in order for it to survive. Turf cutting consist of the direct removal of peat and the vegetation on top. In addition, drainage associated with the activity compromise the hydrological integrity of these bogs, leading to the lowering of the water table. These changes to the bog structure result in the loss of the unique raised bog ecology.
Arising from this legal obligation on the State to ensure that these sites are adequately protected and due to the damaging effect of turf cutting and associated drainage on these protected bogs, as Minister I am legally prohibited from granting consent for activities which would have an adverse effect on the integrity of these sites.
70. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which his Department’s new housing strategy will deliver additional cost rental housing units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65856/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraDelivering Homes, Building Communities, published on 13 November 2025, is Ireland’s new national housing plan. It is a wide-ranging action plan focused on housing supply and targeting homelessness and places Government focus on measures to activate supply alongside actions to support people who are homeless or experiencing housing challenges.
Crucially, the new plan seeks to significantly accelerate delivery by focusing on activating land and creating the optimal environment to encourage housing activity, including regulatory reform, tax incentives and the largest ever capital investment in the history of the State, with €275 billion invested in infrastructure over ten years through the National Development Plan.
The Government is investing an unprecedented level of funding to support housing supply, which will underpin, inter alia, the new Starter Homes Programme, delivering an average of 15,000 affordable housing supports annually to 2030. With a strong focus on deliverability, the Plan will enable housing delivery partners to accelerate the supply of new starter home supports, providing thousands of individuals and families with increased access to secure and affordable housing solutions nationwide.
Cost Rental forms a key aspect of Pillar 1 of Delivering Homes, Building Communities which focuses on activating the supply of 300,000 homes. Cost Rental dwellings are more affordable to tenants being at least 25% below market rents in a given area and are targeted at households whose annual net incomes are not in excess of €66,000 in Dublin and €59,000 in the rest of the country).
As the tenure continues to be rolled out, it provides more options for long-term rental accommodation with secure tenures for thousands of renters, assisting eligible households in the private rental sector. It is also expected that the development of the Cost Rental sector will have a moderating impact on the wider rental market, putting downward pressure on market rents over the longer term.
71. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action he will take to prevent rent hikes by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65489/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal authorities set and collect rents on their dwellings in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. This system is known as the ‘differential rents’ system. It is a critical piece of State’s welfare apparatus, subsidising housing costs and supporting households who can’t meet their long-term accommodation needs from their own resources. The system currently comprises 32 income-based schemes which differ across local authorities, with amounts charged and approaches to calculating rent varying considerably.
The making or amending of such rent schemes is a matter for local authorities within broad principles set out by my Department, including that rent levels should be based on income and reflect tenants’ ability to pay. Local authorities carry out regular rent reviews to ensure that the rent payable by tenants reflects their income and their ability to pay. The carrying out of rent reviews and any resultant increases in the rent charged are entirely matters for individual local authorities in line with the rent scheme it has in place.
The new Housing Plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, commits to reviewing the rents paid by social housing tenants with a view to introducing an equitable system of rents which is fair, progressive, sustainable, and which protects the most vulnerable.
72. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will confirm whether the properties in Red Island, Skerries sampled by the Housing Agency meet the criteria for inclusion in the defective concrete blocks grant scheme; the next steps for affected homeowners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65700/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 which underpins the enhanced Defective Concrete Block Scheme was commenced in June 2023.
The Scheme is currently open to applications in five counties, namely Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo.
When a local authority that is not currently designated under the Scheme determines that homes within their area may have been damaged by defective concrete blocks, they can seek to have the Scheme extended to include any such county or part of that county.
Section 5 of the Act contains details on this process. The statutory designation process can commence upon a request by a local authority or by myself, as Minister, to the Housing Agency. The Agency thereafter carries out technical testing of dwellings.
After the completion of any testing, the Housing Agency makes a recommendation to the Minister as to whether an order to designate the whole or part of a local authority's area should or should not be made by the Government.
I understand that Fingal County Council, in accordance with the Act, submitted a request to the Housing Agency for inclusion in the Scheme and this request related to a small number of properties in their area.
The Housing Agency appointed a Chartered Engineer from their panel to assist in their investigations. The investigations included concrete block testing, as required under the Act.
Subsequently, the Housing Agency received the test results from the properties sampled in Fingal and I have received the final report from the Housing Agency. 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 DCB Scheme.
73. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the implementation of his housing plan, ‘Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030’, thus far, and set out the timeframes by which the plan will be fully implemented. [65820/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraDelivering 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. It encompasses two pillars.
Pillar 1, activating supply, focuses on activating the supply of 300,000 homes. This will be achieved through activating more land, providing more housing-related infrastructure, securing more development finance for home building, addressing viability challenges particularly those seen in apartment delivery, increasing the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction, increasing the skills in the residential construction sector and working toward ending dereliction and vacancy.
Pillar 2, supporting people, sets out a series of key actions that work towards ending homelessness, support affordability and address the housing needs of people as they progress through life. In partnership with local authorities, the LDA and AHBs, the Plan will address the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities, make buying and renting homes more affordable and support the development of villages, towns and cities across the country.
The implementation of each action in the plan will be led by a named Government department, State Agency or other body. The actions are designed to deliver on the objectives outlined throughout the Plan, supporting the Government’s overall vision for a sustainable, inclusive, and well-functioning housing system. Progress on the implementation of these actions will be regularly monitored and reviewed by the Cabinet Committee on Housing, ensuring effective oversight, accountability, and the timely delivery of all actions.
Reaching our target will only be achieved through the individual and collective effort of the key delivery partners. Local authorities, together with Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and the construction sector, will be critical to delivering and enabling the delivery of the homes needed over the lifetime of the plan. Central government will provide the policy, regulatory and funding frameworks to support housing delivery.
74. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his Department’s plans to deliver housing, accommodation and residential facilities for people with disabilities; the timeframes for delivery; the supports available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65786/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 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 operates under the framework of Delivering Homes, Building Communities, published 13 November 2025.
My Department supports local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to deliver social housing for disabled people to live independently in the community through varied funding programmes. Housing for disabled people is funded under the capital schemes for local authority housing through the Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP) and, in particular, the AHBs through the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) for the provision of independent living accommodation to meet the needs of people requiring specific categories of needs, including disabled people.
The delivery of the disability services supports is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality.
75. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of direct build affordable purchase homes which will be delivered within the lifetime of building homes delivering communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65672/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAffordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of Government’s housing policy, as embodied within the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030. Government is investing an unprecedented level of funding to support new housing delivery, which will underpin the new Starter Homes Programme, delivering an average of 15,000 affordable housing supports annually to 2030.
To further drive the delivery of affordable housing under the plan, local authorities will shortly commence the preparation of new Housing Delivery Action Plans.
It is intended that the Plans will set out how the Starter Homes Programme will be implemented in each area, including the full suite of affordable housing supports to be provided by local authorities and delivery partners, including the Land Development Agency and Approved Housing Bodies, and will take account of local and national affordability needs. It is further intended that the Plans will set out proposals by local authorities to deliver affordable housing schemes on local authority land holdings.
The Affordable Housing Fund continues to be available to assist local authorities towards meeting the development costs of making homes available for affordable purchase or cost rental purposes, whether local authorities own land suitable for developing schemes or are in a position to enter into affordable housing delivery arrangements with private developers.
Funding is also available to local authorities to buy land suitable for the development of affordable housing through the Land Acquisition Fund administered by the Housing Agency.
Quarterly housing delivery reports will continue to be published on the Department's website, tracking the progress of affordable delivery output in each local authority area.
The delivery of 300,000 homes and 15,000 Starter Homes supports annually, over the lifetime of the plan, is ambitious but achievable and this Government is determined to do everything necessary to achieve this objective.
76. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans he has to reform local government funding, in particular with regard to commercial rates. [65824/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraCommercial rates income makes a significant contribution to the funding of services provided by local authorities such as roads, footpaths, the public realm, litter management, public lighting, development control, parks and open spaces; all essential elements to create the environment in which businesses can prosper. Rates income provides between 13% and 43% of total funding at individual local authority level, averaging 24% nationally.
The Government recognised the need to modernise the collection of commercial rates and the Local Government Rates and Other Matters Act 2019 was passed by the Oireachtas and enacted on 11 July 2019. Local authorities are levying and collecting rates under the new legal rates framework since 1 January 2024.
In line with commitments in the Programme for Government, a Local Democracy Taskforce has been established to reform and strengthen local government. Its Terms of Reference sets out an ambitious and detailed work programme, which is expected to give rise to a series of reforms in the local government sector. The Taskforce will bring forward proposals for Government consideration, including in the area of enhancing local authorities’ fiscal autonomy. The Taskforce met for the first time on 26 June 2025, and is to deliver its recommendations early next year. I look forward to engaging across Government on this important issue next year.
78. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which he will support local authorities to provide more housing under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65639/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraDelivering Homes, Building Communities aims to deliver 300,000 new homes in the period to 2030, including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 starter home supports.
To incentivise local authorities to deliver more ‘own build’ projects a new performance fund will be established. Where a local authority exceeds their ‘own build’ target they 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 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 €200m will support local authorities to streamline processes and encourage delivery of larger new build social housing developments.
The new approval process mandates the use of a standardised design approach, as per my Department’s published Design Manual for Quality Housing and the Employer’s Requirements for Detail Design of Quality Housing, for all new build social housing projects being developed by Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.
This provides for a standardised design approach by local authorities and AHBs in all new build social housing projects which facilitates:
• a streamlined approval process which removes the requirement for additional detailed submissions for review and approval throughout the project lifecycle resulting in a more efficient sign-off on project proposals;
• greater control over costs by local authorities and AHBs and greater cost certainty for the Exchequer;
• benefits for industry through efficiencies in tendering, supply, and programming;
• and greater use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in new-build social housing projects in line with the Programme for Government ambition
Regional Design and Build contract frameworks for consultants and contractors have been introduced to support local authorities, securing greater cost certainty, supporting the greater use of MMC and achieving significant time savings in the delivery of projects of between 9-18 months, depending on the project scale.
Sufficient levels of zoned and serviced land in public ownership will be critical to delivering the amount of social homes needed in the coming years. While the Land Acquisition Fund has been an important support for local authorities and AHBs for the acquisition of land for social and affordable housing, the fund needs to be reformed, streamlined and expanded to ensure it is fit for purpose and can support the level of ambition reflected in the new projections.
To this end, the fund will be increased from the current €239m to at least €500m. The increased capacity will help establish the fund as a revolving fund, ensuring it will operate in perpetuity and help secure a sustainable pipeline of land for delivery of social and affordable housing over the long-term.
Building on the existing private and public housing focused measures supported through Housing for All, Government will establish a revamped contractor-led renewal programme focused on tackling dereliction and vacancy.
The scheme will afford opportunities for local trades-persons and contractors to work with local authorities and AHBs to tackle vacancy and dereliction and increase social housing supply. Local authorities and AHBs will be empowered to enter into early stage ‘agreements for purchase’, which will help de-risk and remove barriers to such projects for local tradespersons and contractors.
Affordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of Government’s housing policy, as embodied within the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030.
In recent years, Government has introduced several schemes to help people to buy or rent homes, supported by Housing for All.
Since 2021, close to 16,900 supports nationwide have been provided via these measures. These supports will be retained, streamlined and expanded to form a Starter Homes Programme to ensure that first time buyers and renters in need of support, are supported by Government.
The new housing plan reinforces and expands the range of existing measures being implemented by Government to tackle the issues of supply and affordability, thereby supporting the increased provision of new homes to purchase and rent.
In addition to a keen focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction, the plan provides for an expanded remit for the Land Development Agency, the extension of the First Home and Help to Buy Schemes to 2030, an increase in affordable tenancies and an expanded local authority delivered starter homes for purchase programme.
The record level of investment for the delivery of housing will continue in 2026 with €5.2bn in Exchequer capital funding complemented by investment through the Land Development Agency (LDA) and lending from the Housing Finance Agency (HFA), bringing the total capital funding for housing in 2026 to over €9 billion.
This record level of funding is supporting the delivery of social, affordable and cost rental homes. The 2026 capital funding will be supplemented by over €2 billion in current funding to address housing needs.
79. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to address the issue of void houses; if central funding to local councils will be increased to repurpose these houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65488/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of 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 of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2019.
Some €31 million will be provided to local authorities in 2025 to support the refurbishment and re-letting of a minimum 1,900 homes this year. This funding will increase to €40m in 2026 to continue support for the prompt turnaround of casual vacancies in local authority social homes and support the ongoing transition to planned maintenance.
My Department is working, in line with Programme for Government commitments, to introduce a new voids programme in 2026. I am focussed on building on the strong progress made over recent years to tackle local authority vacancy levels. This progress has been enabled by significant funding from my Department over the last decade, with over €360m recouped to local authorities under the voids programme since 2014 and supporting the refurbishment and re-let of 25,672 dwellings.
Given the significant scale of investment over the decade, all legacy long-term vacancy issues should have been dealt with local authorities at this stage. Accordingly, local authorities should be in a strong position regarding long-term vacancy and, with the ongoing support of my Department, be able to further transition to a strategic and planned stock management and maintenance approach.
80. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the work underway to accelerate housing supply in rural areas; if he will consider introducing additional measures to assist the construction of one-off housing in rural areas; if he will outline his national strategy for rural housing development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65846/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030- An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness, we will publish a National Planning Statement in H2 of 2026 that will set out relevant planning criteria to be applied in local authority development plans for rural housing, based on the high level policy framework set in the NPF.
Rural Housing Guidelines were last issued in 2005 as Ministerial Guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. These Guidelines provide that people who are an intrinsic part of the rural community, on the basis of an economic or social need, should be facilitated in all rural areas. In areas under strong urban influence, the policy is to direct urban generated housing into cities, towns and villages. In a rural area suffering persistent and substantial population decline, the policy is to accommodate anyone wishing to build a house, subject to normal planning and environmental considerations.
Historically there has been a strong tradition of rural housing construction in Ireland, with approximately one-quarter of all delivery nationally for the last 30 years falling within this category. Rural housing continues to be an important component of new housing delivery with on average c.4,000-5,000 new rural dwellings being built annually.
Since the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the National Planning Framework) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment and adapting to and mitigating climate change have become more central to the operation of the planning system.
Updated policy direction and guidance in respect of rural housing, initially in the form of a section 28 Guideline which will now be reviewed and prepared as a National Planning Statement, is currently being considered by my Department. The updated policy approach will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of the National Planning Framework (NPF), in particular on National Policy Objective (NPO) 28 which relates to rural housing. This objective makes a clear policy distinction between rural areas under urban influence (i.e. areas within the commuter catchment of cities, large towns and centres of employment) on the one hand, and structurally weaker rural areas where population levels may be low or declining, on the other. NPO 28 is also aligned with the established approach whereby considerations of social or economic need are to be applied by planning authorities in rural areas under urban influence.
The draft National Planning Statement will set out relevant and consistent planning criteria to be applied in local authority development plans for rural housing, based on the high level policy framework set by the NPF.
While planning policy is a national, as opposed to an EU competence, due care is being taken to ensure the updated guidelines will not operate to conflict with fundamental EU freedoms, comply with EU environmental legislative requirements and have due regard to decisions of the European Court of Justice. The draft National Planning Statement will address these complex environmental and legal issues, while also providing a framework for the sustainable management of housing in rural areas.
Furthermore, my Department is a key participant in the development of the new Our Rural Future policy, which will take effect from 2026. My Department and I regularly engage with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht on housing and the necessary infrastructure to support housing development.
Finally, in addition to supporting rural housing, the Programme for Government includes a significant number of commitments in relation to the development of housing in rural areas, which my Department will address, where necessary, in conjunction with Agencies such as Uisce Éireann and other Government Departments as required. In particular, the Government is committed to the provision of infrastructure to support housing across the country in order to meet housing need.
82. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the co-funding contribution expected of local authorities for the provision of wastewater infrastructure; if his Department will assist Galway County Council with their contribution for the Craughwell and Clarinbridge projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65448/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraGovernment has recently approved revised funding for the Measure A8 Demonstration Projects, including the wastewater projects at Craughwell and Clarinbridge in County Galway.
Under this decision, local authorities will continue to contribute co-funding based on the original project costs, while my Department will fund the additional amounts required to meet the revised increased costs.
This means that Galway County Council’s co-funding requirement for the Craughwell and Clarinbridge projects remains unchanged, with the higher costs being met by my Department. The projects will continue to be delivered by the Council in consultation with Uisce Éireann, which will take ownership and responsibility for operation of the completed infrastructure.
