Written Answers Nos. 432-451
433. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if all funding is in place to progress the new wastewater treatment system for Beaufort village, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47129/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have approved funding under my Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, on a co-funding basis, for Kerry County Council in respect of wastewater solution for Beaufort village, Co. Kerry.
The approved funding remains available to the local authority for this project, subject to the terms and conditions of the Programme.
434. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the remediation scheme for apartment and duplex owners affected by fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects; the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the scheme; when payments are expected to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47152/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraGovernment approval was received on 18 September 2024 for the priority drafting of the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill. The purpose of this legislation is to place the defects remediation Scheme on a statutory footing, further to commitments contained in the Programme for Government.
The Scheme will provide supports for the remediation of relevant fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. It is envisaged that 100% of eligible remediation costs will be funded under the Scheme.
Only defects that are attributable to defective design, defective or faulty workmanship, defective materials (or any combination of these) and were in contravention of the Building Regulations applicable at the time of construction will be eligible for inclusion in the Scheme.
The Scheme will not cover defects arising from the building not being adequately maintained, sinking funds not being adequately funded to replace building and safety systems when they expired nor later building work not being managed correctly, leading to defects.
The General Scheme of the Bill completed pre-legislative scrutiny in December 2025, and I expect the legislation to be placed before the Oireachtas this year.
An Interim Remediation Scheme (Scheme) has been in place since December 2023, to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings pending introduction of the Statutory Scheme and completion of the full remedial works. The Scheme is for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013. The Scheme is being administered by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis. Applications can be made via the Housing Agency’s website at www.housingagency.ie
As of the end of May 2026, 273 applications to the Interim Remediation Scheme have been validated, having met the required eligibility criteria. These applications represent 23,325 residential units, with circa 74% in the Dublin region.
Four pathfinder projects have been approved for funding, in the amount of €23.7million and remediation works have commenced at two project locations. Payments in the amount of €3 million have been made to date. Payments will continue to be made for remediation works, where commenced and certified.
In February 2026, the Government announced significant changes to the interim Scheme which simplify procurement and cut through administrative hurdles, allowing works relating to fire detection and alarm systems to be completed more quickly while ensuring residents can remain safely in their homes until full building remediation is finished. The remediation process will prioritise the installation of fire detection and alarm systems ahead of full building remedial works which will follow under the upcoming statutory scheme.
435. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has ever considered changes to planning laws to make the provision of solar canopies mandatory when planning permission is being granted for large outdoor carparks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47159/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future has reaffirmed Ireland’s targets of 80% of electricity demand to be met by renewables in the near term, with plans to move to net zero by 2050. The deployment of renewable electricity, including solar energy, is vital for Ireland to meet its ambitious domestic targets and international commitments. Solar energy is a growing source of electricity with circa 2.1 GW of solar power capacity currently installed in Ireland, however there is no doubt that further solar capacity is required and the Programme for Government reaffirms Ireland’s ambitious targets of 8 GW of solar capacity connected to the grid by 2030.
From a planning perspective, for which my Department is responsible, the Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce new planning guidelines for solar energy development which will also consider the issue of battery storage.
In respect of sectoral national planning statements there is also an important role for the parent policy Department, in collaboration with my Department, on the development of an NPS. In that context, my Department will be working closely with my Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, who hold overall responsibility for renewable energy policy in order to identify the component factors relevant to the preparation of this National Planning Statement, including any appropriate environmental reporting and public consultation requirements, European obligations such as the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), battery storage facilities and the possible timeframe for publication of the National Planning Statement. My Department, in conjunction with DCEE, will have to establish if solar canopy development will be included within the scope of a Solar Energy NPS.
More generally, large areas of surface parking would not be encouraged in urban areas. As noted in the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlement Guidelines for Planning Authorities, “the Settlement Guidelines”, issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) the quantum of car parking in new developments should be minimised in order to manage travel demand and to ensure that vehicular movement does not impede active modes of travel or have undue prominence within the public realm. The provision of car parking can also add significant cost to the development by consuming additional land.
There are no specific planning guidelines that deal with solar energy development or, more specifically, solar canopies, as is currently the case with many development types. My Department is 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 rollout 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 allowing for public and stakeholder engagement.
436. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to extend the current waiver on the street furniture charge, which is due to expire at the end of September 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47204/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe hospitality and restaurant sector, and indeed the wider tourism sector, suffered the brunt of the measures to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in recent years and the ongoing impacts of cost inflation. The Government is committed to providing support to assist these sectors, where appropriate, and these regulations date back to the measures first introduced in 2021. The current Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 367 of 2025) which were signed in July 2025 act as a continued support for the hospitality and tourism sector in the current challenging economic climate facing that sector, while also facilitating increased vibrancy and commercial activity in urban areas.
This is the fifth year in which the Government has brought these regulations forward to assist the hospitality sector by reducing the cost of maintaining outdoor dining in public spaces. As a result, there is currently no fee for awnings, canopies and heaters that are used in conjunction with the tables and chairs.
These Regulations continue to amend the fees chargeable for street furniture licences under section 254 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended ‘the Act’, and Schedule 12, Part 1 of the associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, in order to assist in reducing the cost burden for hotels, restaurants, public houses and other establishments where food is sold for consumption on their premises outdoors. In this regard, the street furniture licence fee for tables and chairs to facilitate the consumption of food outside such premises is waived from €125 per table to €0 per table for the duration. This waived fee arrangement, which extends the waiver originally introduced in 2021, will apply until 30th September 2026. There are no plans to extend the waiver beyond this date.
437. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the cost to the Exchequer on average for the delivery of an affordable purchase home (via APF) and a cost rental (via CREL) home in 2025; and with respect to CREL the average all in cost of the unity (ie CREL plus HFA borrowing). [47255/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to my reply to Dáil Question no. 329 of 18 June.
To underpin the delivery of the Starter Homes Programme, under Delivering Homes, Building Communities, the Government is investing an unprecedented level of funding, including in a number of important affordability measures. This is by way an investment package of direct Exchequer funding, investment through the Land Development Agency and lending by the Housing Finance Agency.
This funding is supporting expanded delivery under the new housing plan and, will build upon the significant progress already made under our previous plan Housing for All.
In total, last year, 17,757 supports were delivered across the Starter Homes Purchase Scheme, the Cost-rental scheme, the First Home Scheme, the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Help to Buy Scheme. This represents an increase of 21% compared to the 14,604 supports delivered in 2024. This delivery exceeds the Governments target of 15,000 supports annually, between 2025 and 2030, under the new housing plan.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis, including for social housing provision and starter home delivery activity by local authority and delivery partners, for each local authority area. Data from 2022 to 2025 is currently published on the statistics page of my Department’s website.
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/overall-social-and-affordable-housing-provision/
The finalised costings for expenditure pertaining to the delivery of affordable homes are currently being validated. These expenditure figures are provisional until scheduled publication, following completion of the relevant Comptroller & Auditor General's audit.
The 2026 Exchequer allocations for my Department are published in the Revised Estimates Volume for the Public Service 2026 and can be accessed at the following link.
https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/653f8c26/Revised_Estimates_for_Public_Services_2026.pdf[]
438. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost of a buy and renew social home delivered in 2025. [47259/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to my response to Dáil Question No. 330 of 18 June 2026 which sets out the position in this matter.
439. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost to the Exchequer in 2025 of the delivery of a one person age friendly new build social home and of a two person age friendly social home. [47261/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not collect disaggregated data on expenditure by specific cohorts, such as persons with disabilities, older persons and care leavers.
My Department assesses, approves and records local authority social housing delivery on a project basis, rather than on the basis of individual unit types.
As SHIP-funded construction projects by local authorities must, like all publicly-funded construction programmes, comply with the Infrastructure Guidelines (Public Spending Code) and Capital Works Management Framework, my Department periodically issues Basic Unit Costs for each local authority area, for use as a key benchmark for the development and costing of scheme designs at capital appraisal stage. While not a record of actual delivery costs, BUCs are based on an analysis of returned data from tendered social housing schemes over an extended period and updated based on published tender index information as required.
To monitor tender cost trends and to inform BUC levels, my Department analyses the tender data for the construction cost element of new build schemes approved under the SHIP & CAS approval processes for each unit type, where sufficient information is available to allow such costs to be extrapolated and where the information available is appropriate for comparison purposes.
Outlined in the tables below are average construction costs (incl. VAT), recorded as part of the aforementioned analysis for projects tendered in 2025 (for 1 and 2-bedroom apartments generally).
The table also sets out the range of average unit costs (across different projects). The range of costs recorded vary, depending on size of scheme, location, etc. and on the level of abnormal requirements for each scheme, for instance existing site conditions, demolitions, service diversions, site access requirements. Average abnormal costs are also separately identified in the below tables.
2025 construction costs (including abnormals)
|
|
Average Cost Per Unit € |
Range of Costs per Unit € |
|
1 bed apartment 2 bed apartment |
327,132 342,491 |
158k - 468k 206k - 475k |
2025 abnormal costs
|
|
Average Cost Per Unit € |
Range of Costs per Unit € |
|
1 bed apartment 2 bed apartment |
34,893 29,837 |
6k - 72k 7k - 72k |
The costs in the above tables relate to the construction element only of the all-in delivery cost. Other items that make up the all-in total include:
• Design/technical fees: Design fees vary from project to project, depending on the location, size and complexity of a scheme (and depending on whether design services are provided by a local authority in-house or via external appointment). As a guideline/indicator, design fees are generally expected to range between 7.5% to 12.5% of construction costs.
• Land cost: Land costs will vary significantly from project to project, depending on location and ownership status (i.e. land costs could vary from existing local authority land at no cost to land purchased at market value).
• Utilities: Connection fees for Irish Water, ESB, gas, etc. As a guideline/indicator, utility connection costs are generally in the order of €7k per unit.
• Other Costs: Other items that make up the all-in delivery cost can include site investigations/surveys, archaeological requirements, Percent for Art contributions - and will vary from scheme to scheme.
My Department has provided over €4.5 billion for AHB social housing delivery between 2020 and 2024 inclusive, through varied funding streams, including Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). The details on 2025 expenditure for the range of AHB funded programmes will be available on publication of the Department’s 2025 Appropriation Account.
While CAS provides specifically for priority category needs, including people with disabilities; CALF indirectly supports specialised cohorts, where units are designed to accommodate general and specialised needs.
In 2026, my Department will provide some €575 million for AHB delivered social housing through CALF, and €181 million specifically for specialist needs cohorts via CAS, with €50 million of this ring-fenced to support urgent acquisitions of second hand homes for persons with disabilities, older persons, and care leavers.
440. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authorities that received additional funding from the Exchequer due to LPT collections below the baseline. [47263/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset, it is important to note that Local Property Tax (LPT) funding allocations are decided in accordance with Government approved distribution policies, and are based on the baselines and estimates of the yield in individual local authority areas.
If the estimated LPT yield in a local authority area is lower than an authority’s baseline, the authority is topped-up or equalised to that baseline by the Exchequer via the Local Government Fund. Accordingly, the equalisation funding requirement varies from year to year in line with estimated yield, as the specific amount is the shortfall between the baseline and the estimated yield in a local authority area. In 2026, 21 local authorities need equalisation support to bring their income from LPT yield up to the baseline level, at a total cost of €142.3m to the exchequer.
Detailed information regarding LPT allocations for each year, LPT baselines and equalisation funding, where applicable, is published by my Department at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/ea27d-local-property-tax-allocations/
441. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of authorities that ran a surplus in 2024 or 2025. [47264/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal authority surplus and deficit data is published annually by local authorities in their Annual Financial Statements (AFS) and the information is generally available on each individual local authority’s website. Each local authority is required to prepare an AFS by the end of March following year end and to publish it by the end of June. These financial statements undergo an independent audit by the Local Government Audit Service. When all audits are complete, my Department publishes a consolidated Annual Financial Statement, compiled from the AFS published by each local authority.
2024 is the latest year for which audited local authority AFS data are available. Audited data for 2025 is not yet available in my Department. According to audited local authority data from 2024, 28 local authorities had an overall surplus for the year, as set out in the table below.
|
Local Authority |
Overall Surplus/ Deficit for year |
|
Carlow County Council |
€47,823.32 |
|
Cavan County Council |
€301.28 |
|
Clare County Council |
€139,110.05 |
|
Cork City Council |
€15,451.22 |
|
Cork County Council |
€86,681.29 |
|
Donegal County Council |
€1,199,999.00 |
|
Dublin City Council |
-€5,250,039.00 |
|
Dun Laoire/ Rathdown County Council |
€36,756.55 |
|
Fingal County Council |
€277.65 |
|
Galway City Council |
€27,914.63 |
|
Galway County Council |
€1,544.90 |
|
Kerry County Council |
€84,013.75 |
|
Kildare County Council |
€7,204.49 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
€31,774.76 |
|
Laois County Council |
€42,332.04 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
-€1,400.62 |
|
Limerick City & County Council |
€26,925.00 |
|
Longford County Council |
€34,443.42 |
|
Louth County Council |
€178,815.58 |
|
Mayo County Council |
€935,393.58 |
|
Meath County Council |
€278,326.09 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
-€239,934.35 |
|
Offaly County Council |
€401,537.08 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
€28,470.31 |
|
Sligo County Council |
€387,482.30 |
|
Sth Dublin County Council |
€33,237.00 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
€4,215.73 |
|
Waterford City & County Council |
€313,302.56 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
€18,467.88 |
|
Wexford County Council |
€57,954.60 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
€600,671.47 |
443. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the overall non-specific funding provided to local authorities in 2026. [47266/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe funding system for local authorities is a complex one, as authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services, Local Property Tax (LPT) as well as funding from Government Departments and other bodies. Central Government funding of local authorities similarly presents a complex picture, with transfers, both current and capital, coming from a wide range of Departments and Offices for a variety of purposes.
Central Government has traditionally provided non-programme funding to local authorities; in the form of an annual contribution towards meeting the cost of providing a reasonable level of service in their area. Up until 2014, this was in the form of a General Purpose Grant (GPG), and in 2015, it was replaced by LPT allocations.
My Department, by way of LPT allocations from Local Government Fund, will be providing over €767 million to support the local government sector in its vital work during 2026, of which, €623.4 million is set-aside for the local authority’s own discretionary use. Details of this non-specific programme funding, broken down by local authority, is set out in Column K (revised portion of LPT for the authority’s own use) of the 2026 Local Property Tax Allocations table as published on my Department’s website at the following web link: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/local-property-tax-final-allocations-to-local-authorities-for-2026/
444. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will publish the local Government Taskforce Report. [47267/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Local Democracy Taskforce, a key commitment in the Programme for Government, was established in July 2025 with the purpose of bringing forward a suite of reforms across the Local Government Sector. The Taskforce was to build on the considerable body of work previously undertaken by the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG), CLARE (Congress of Local and Regional Authorities) and Seanad Éireann.
The Local Democracy Taskforce presented its final report to me on 4 March 2026. A key consideration by the Taskforce when considering its Terms of Reference was that the recommendations made would be made in a manner that would allow for the successful implementation of the recommendations.
An implementation plan is currently being drafted with a view to bringing the report and implementation to plan to Government for consideration shortly. Following this, the report and implementation plan will be published and the process of implementing the reform policy ultimately agreed by Government will commence.
445. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total cost to the Exchequer arising from the staffing of An Coimisiún Pleanála in 2025; and the number of staff that the funding covers. [47290/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn Coimisiún Pleanála (An Coimisiún) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under Planning and Development Act 2024, as amended, and certain other Acts.
The information requested is currently not available to my Department as the audit process is still underway at An Coimisiún. The total allocated budget for An Coimisiún Pleanála for 2025 was €40.6 million. In 2026 the allocated budget is €48.477 million.
There are now more people working in An Coimisiún than at any time previously. Between October 2021 to the end of 2025 my Department approved 117 new staffing posts in An Coimisiún giving rise to a total of 313 posts sanctioned.
My Department has sanctioned a further 33 posts in 2026 which will bring the total to 346 posts. An Coimisiún has advised that there are 303 individuals working in An Coimisiún the end of May 2026.
Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost-effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The contact email address for An Coimisiún Pleanála in this regard is Oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie
446. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total cost to the Exchequer for the staffing of local authority planning and building control functions in 2025; and the number of staff that the funding covers. [47291/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt should be noted that, under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible including progressing appointments that have been sanctioned by my Department as appropriate. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels.
My Department gathers aggregate quarterly data on staff numbers in each local authority on a whole time equivalent basis. However, granular data, in terms of the numbers of staff assigned to specific work areas or the cost of these posts in each local authority, is not collected and consequently is not available in my Department. The relevant information would be available from each local authority.
On 15 October 2024, the Department published a Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources to respond to capacity challenges in the planning sector. This Action Plan provides a detailed roadmap to increase the pool of planning and related expertise needed to ensure a planning system fit for future needs. It sets out 14 high-level actions that provide a coordinated pathway to ensure a sustainable pipeline of planning and related expertise into the future, addressing the areas of education, recruitment and retention, as well as measures to encourage greater innovation and efficiency.
Funding was secured in Budget 2025 and Budget 2026 to support the delivery of the recommendations set out in the Action Plan and a Steering Group established to coordinate and oversee the development of this Action Plan remains in place to oversee the implementation and ongoing review of the Action Plan.
The Department is currently working on a number of measures to increase staffing levels in the local government planning sector. In this regard, officials are collaborating with the local government sector and key stakeholders on the delivery of a programme of supports to planning authorities. These supports include the provision of staffing resources and expertise to enable planning authorities to perform their functions efficiently and effectively.
In October 2023, approval was conveyed to the filling of an initial 101 posts in the local authority planning sector under the first tranche of a programme of supports for planning resources. A further approval issued in January 2025 for 112 posts - 56 graduate planner posts and 56 staff officer posts - to support the Planning function within local authorities.
In May 2025, a national recruitment campaign was launched to attract graduate planners into Ireland’s local authorities, (Action 4 of the Ministerial Action Plan) which was supported by the Department. Regional interviews were held in late July 2025 and most of these posts are now filled.
More recently, under Phase 3 of the programme of supports, 31 new full-time posts in the local authority planning services were approved across the 31 local authorities and funding for local authorities to support a summer intern programme for second and third year University planning students was also recently approved.
Approval has also recently been conveyed for six graduate planner posts across the three Regional Assemblies to resource Planning and Economic Development functions at those levels.
In 2025, under the programme of planning supports, claims in the sum of €6,604,815.48 for pay and non-pay were paid as follows:
|
Pay |
Additional Planning Resources |
€6,189,221.54 |
|
Non-Pay |
Training, Graduate Planner Campaign |
€415,593.94 |
447. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total cost to the Exchequer from the staffing of local authority housing departments in 2025; and the number of staff that funding covers. [47292/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.
448. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of new long term social housing leases entered into by local authorities in 2025; and the total annual cost of these leases in a full year. [47293/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt was announced in September 2021 that, under Housing for All, Long Term Leasing (LTL) would cease on 31 December 2025. From this date no further new LTL units will be brought into LTL schemes. Those units in operation under LTL schemes at 31 December 2025 will continue in payment until the term of their lease agreement expires.
The Government is focused on the delivery of new build social homes and, accordingly, housing targets are primarily focused on new build delivery. The LTL scheme has been actively phased out through reduced targets since 2022, and ended on 31 December 2025.
In 2025 a total of 150 LTL units were delivered by local authorities.
The average monthly payment for these 150 units is €1,340.35. The total annual cost for all 150 units is €2,412,624.
449. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of delays within Tailte Éireann in processing mapping, registration and related property matters that are affecting homeowners’ ability to progress applications under the defective concrete blocks grant scheme; the number of applications that have been delayed as a result; the average waiting time being experienced by applicants; the measures being taken by his Department and Tailte Éireann to address these delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47311/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of my Department. Tailte Éireann provides a property registration system, property valuation service and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. Under section 8 of the Tailte Éireann Act 2022, Tailte Éireann is independent in the performance of its functions.
It should be noted at the outset that Registration on the National Land Register occurs at the end of the conveyancing process, post purchase and draw down of funding. Registration of the legal effect of a property transaction should be done after the documents are executed and, in the vast majority of cases, should not result in any delay in conveyancing.
It is not possible for Tailte Éireann to provide details of applications lodged which are related to the defective concrete blocks grant scheme as these details are not required for registration purposes and the scheme does not fall under the remit of Tailte Éireann.
The continued increase in applications received for registration by Tailte Éireann year over year, and challenges in recruitment for some time, have resulted in longer processing times for certain application types, however these delays are alleviating, with significant progress achieved to date in reducing the age profile of applications on hand.
Applications for registration on the National Land Register must first meet Tailte Éireann’s minimum requirements to proceed to registration. A significant percentage of applications continue to be lodged that do not meet the minimum requirements as outlined on various checklists available on www.tailte.ie. This results in an administrative burden for Tailte Éireann and longer processing times for all applicants.
Tailte Éireann aims to complete initial validation checks on all applications within 15 working days of receipt of an application. Where avoidable errors are identified, the application is returned efficiently to the lodging party for amendment and re-lodgement.
Applications which meet the minimum requirements for lodgement will pass through validation and on to the next stage of processing in date of lodgement order in accordance with Rule 58(1) of the Land Registration Rules 2012-2021 as amended.
Applications for registration which involve a transfer, charge, or release of registered lands, where no change to the registry map is required, and applications submitted electronically through eRegistration account for approximately 78% of applications for registration. These applications are typically processed within 15 working days where the application is lodged in order.
Processing times for applications which do require a change to the Registry map are improving due to the impact of additional resourcing and implemented procedural efficiencies throughout the registration application process.
In cases where any delay in registration could have a potential impact, Tailte Éireann make every effort to expedite applications where valid grounds exist, and where doing so does not impose a conflict in regard to priority given to any prior lodged dealing. Lodging parties may contact Tailte Éireann in relation to a specific case by email at info@tailte.ie.
Further information in relation to specific cases may be obtained by Oireachtas members by contacting the dedicated e-mail address in respect of Tailte Éireann at oireachtas@tailte.ie.
450. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will confirm whether the issue of homeowners under the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme who have reached the maximum grant cap and are unable to reclaim engineering and professional fees incurred, in some cases up to €6,000 and paid prior to scheme approval, will be considered as part of the upcoming review of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47313/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 as amended by the Act of 2025 underpins the Grant Scheme which provides grant funding to people whose homes have been affected by Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB).
A number of amendments contained in the Act of 2025 came into operation on 25 February 2026 and more recently further provisions commenced on 27 May 2026.
I understand the question is referring to transitional applicants from the previous grant scheme that incurred costs relating to engineering reports.
These applicants can now apply to their designated local authority for recoupment of the cost of their engineer’s report up to the value of the lesser amount, between either the amount of money the applicant spent on the engineer’s report or €7,000 and is not restricted by the max cap of the remediation option grant.
451. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which the approval by his Department of new staff posts impacts on the annual allocations to local authorities; if there is latitude for changes following the LPT baseline review 2023 for staffing and other changes approved by his Department; if the baselines are fixed pending the next baseline review; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47314/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra452. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authority staffing is still subject to workforce planning; if so, if he will provide the criteria used and the documents underpinning the workforce plan; the baselines used; if this is reviewed post the publication of a census of population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47315/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together.
It is essential that each local authority proactively manages their current and future workforce to enable the sector to respond to its strategic challenges. Strategic Workforce Planning (SWFP) is a dynamic process which enables the ongoing review and re-organisation of the current workforce capacity and capability as fresh challenges materialise and service demand evolves. The SWFP process enables the appropriate organisation and deployment of existing skills, competencies, experience and headcount, and facilitates identification of gaps in capacity and capability and the measures required to fill those gaps, such as the development of or the upskilling of existing staff and / or sourcing new talent.
My Department is obliged to manage employment numbers in the local government sector in accordance with a delegated sanction granted by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. One of the conditions attaching to the delegated sanction is the requirement for local authorities to undertake strategic workforce planning. To assist local authorities in undertaking meaningful strategic workforce planning, SWFP Guidelines for the Local Government Sector were published in 2024 and are available on my Department's website at the following link: https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/strategic-workforce-planning-guidelines.pdf. These guidelines build upon the “Our Public Service 2020 Strategic Workforce Planning Guide” previously published by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
Where the completion of a SWFP identifies additional resource requirements, it is a matter for the Chief Executive, who under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible, to submit staffing sanction requests for new posts to my Department. In order for a local authority to submit a staffing sanction request, a local authority must be in a position to confirm that funding is in place for the post either from the local authority's own resources or from external sources.
Following a review in 2023, Local Property Tax (LPT) baselines for each local authority were adjusted in accordance with five criteria: population, area, deprivation levels, an authority’s locally raised income and achievement of National Policy Priorities, with every authority receiving a minimum increase of €1.5m. Building on the baseline increases of 2024, there was a further increase of €42m to the overall baselines in 2026, in line with the expected increased yield from revaluation expected in each local authority area.
Local Property tax replaced the General Purpose Grant, and as such is intended as a contribution to day-to-day operational costs of the local authority. While LPT may contribute to salary costs in the sector, it is a matter for each local authority to determine how this allocation is spent. It should be noted that this is a finite income source, mostly dependent on the LPT collected across the State, and the discretionary income from LPT represents just 6% of the overall revenue income of the sector.
