Written Answers Nos. 455-476
455. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has received any reports regarding governance or financial concerns relating to a facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51241/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not have a role in examining matters of this type or nature relating to individual Approved Housing Bodies. Any such concerns should be directed to the statutory regulator for the sector, the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA), which operates independently in the performance of its functions.
The Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 (the Act) was enacted to provide for the regulation of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the purposes of protecting certain housing assets provided or managed by such bodies and to establish the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA).
AHBRA is tasked with providing the regulation of AHBs for the purpose of supporting stronger governance and the financial viability of the AHB sector.
It is open to anyone to raise a concern about an AHB with AHBRA, including AHB board members, employees or volunteers, members of the public, tenants, third parties, public representatives, funding bodies or other authorities. The concerns process forms part of AHBRA’s overall regulatory oversight and is an integral part of its monitoring programme, it is used to inform AHBRA’s assessment programme, and other regulatory actions.
456. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he will consider introducing additional statutory protections for older persons living in approved housing body accommodation to ensure that tenants on fixed incomes are not subject to excessive rent increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51242/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSocial housing rents, including those set by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), are generally linked to a tenant's income, providing an inherent protection for tenants on fixed incomes, including older persons.
My Department provides a range of funding streams, through local authorities, to assist AHBs with the delivery of social housing. These include the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF), operated in conjunction with a Payment and Availability Agreement, and the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS). The Capital Loan Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) closed to new applications in 2011.
The terms and conditions of these funding schemes, including the basis for rent setting, are set out in my Department's Memorandum on Capital Funding Schemes for the Provision of Rental Accommodation by Approved Housing Bodies (Voluntary and Co-Operative Rental Housing); VHU: 2/02 of May 2002 and related circulars, together with the relevant mortgage, loan agreements and Payment and Availability Agreements in force between the relevant local authority and AHB. AHB rents may accordingly vary from a local authority differential rent.
Oversight of AHB compliance with these funding conditions, including rent setting and allocations, is a matter for the relevant local authority. AHB tenants with queries in relation to how their rent is calculated should in the first instance contact their AHB landlord directly.
Local authorities set and collect rents on their own dwellings in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. The making or amending of local authority rent schemes is generally a matter for individual 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 discretion is inherent in the devolved administration of these schemes, and decisions on rent calculation; including any reduced rate arrangements for pensioners, are matters for individual local authorities in line with their own Differential Rent Scheme.
Separately, the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as amended) regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in both the private rented and AHB sectors, setting out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants, including through third-party dispute resolution services. AHB tenants may contact the RTB and avail of this service; further information is available at www.rtb.ie.
Taken together, the combination of income-linked rent setting, funding-agreement oversight by local authorities, regulatory oversight by AHBRA, and the dispute resolution and tenancy protections available under the Residential Tenancies Act provide a robust framework of protections for AHB tenants, including older persons on fixed incomes. I have no plans, therefore, to introduce additional statutory protections at this time.
458. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he has examined extending rent pressure zone protections, or introducing equivalent rent increase limits, to approved housing bodies providing social housing under the capital assistance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51244/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2026 (RTA) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the RTA to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.
Sections 19A, 20A and 22A of the RTA provide for the setting of rents and rent reviews in Approved Housing Body (AHB) tenancies. Section 19A provides for the setting of rent in AHB tenancies; section 20A provides for reviews of rent in AHB tenancies; and section 22A provides for the notification of a change in the amount of rent following a review under section 20A.
The Memorandum on the Capital Funding Schemes for Approved Housing Bodies (Memorandum: VHU: 2/02 May, 2002) sets out general conditions that apply to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) when they seek funding under capital schemes for the provision of housing. Part 9 of the Memorandum covers terms and conditions for the management, letting policies, rents and maintenance of dwellings provided under CAS. Section 9.6 sets out the parameters under which rent for the CAS housing units should be set. It states "AHBs should fix rents for the units provided at levels which are reasonable having regard to tenants’ incomes and the outlay of the AHB on the accommodation including the on-going costs of management. It should be a condition of advancing a loan under the CAS that the housing authority has clear rights of consultation in relation to the fixing of rents generally". Such a rent is referred to as an 'economic rent', which is not a market rent or a differential rent.
An AHB tenant may refer a dispute regarding the setting or review of rent to the RTB for resolution under Part 6 of the RTA.
459. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he intends to undertake a review of the approved housing body sector to examine governance, financial sustainability, value-for-money, asset management, rent-setting practices and tenant protections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51245/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Report of the Approved Housing Body Strategic Forum (AHBSF) was published on 13 November 2025, alongside the National Housing Plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The Report represents the most comprehensive examination ever undertaken by the State of the AHB sector and sets out an ambitious transformative vision for the sector's evolution over the decade ahead, underpinned by a detailed roadmap of eight interlinked and mutually reinforcing policy development reforms.
The report of the AHBSF is available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/report-of-the-approved-housing-body-ahb-strategic-forum/
Action 6.3 of the National Housing Plan commits to "Support Approved Housing Bodies by initiating a programme of priority reforms as detailed in the Approved Housing Body Strategic Forum Report that will deliver sectoral scale, resilience, efficiencies and long-term sustainability." The reform programme will continue for the full lifetime of the Plan.
Progress within these reforms over the period of the National Housing Plan will enhance the positive impact of AHBs, address immediate sectoral challenges and support the transformation towards a more resilient, effective and efficient sector.
The report has been very well received by both the sector and key stakeholders, and there is broad support for advancing the policy development reform programme outlined in the report so that the sector can continue to play its role as a key delivery partner in meeting the ambitions outlined under the new National Housing Plan.
The programme of policy development reform is well underway and will continue for the lifetime of the National Housing Plan. My Department has formalised quarterly engagement with the sectoral representative bodies and other key stakeholders, to advance quick win reforms and the advancement of structural reform proposals.
Regarding the matter of AHB Governance, an independent Regulator for the AHB sector, AHBRA was established by Government and has statutory functions under the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019.
Following its establishment in 2021, AHBRA’s statutory regime was introduced on a phased basis between 2021 and 2024. This allowed both AHBRA and the sector time to build capacity. AHBRA established governance structures, staffing, systems and the national AHB register, while AHBs adapted to the new Standards and reporting requirements. Four statutory Standards were approved by my predecessor Minister Darragh O'Brien in 2022, covering Governance, Financial Management, Property and Asset Management, and Tenancy Management.
The regulatory regime is comprehensive, robust and will continue to evolve in line with international best practices, to ensure that it remains in a position to provide strong oversight. AHBRA delivers sectoral regulation through a series of connected programmes, with the Annual Monitoring Framework (AMF) at the centre of the system. The AMF gathers annual financial, governance and operational information from every registered AHB, creating the core evidence base for regulation. It provides a comprehensive view of the sector and allows AHBRA to identify emerging risks, monitor trends and oversee compliance with the Standards.
This information is strengthened by the Notifiable Events regime, which requires AHBs to report significant events that may affect governance, financial viability or service delivery, such as board changes, financial stress or operational disruption. In parallel, AHBRA accepts concerns from tenants, stakeholders and the public where there may be evidence of governance failures or risks to tenants or assets. Together, these mechanisms ensure that AHBRA is not relying solely on annual returns but has access to live and responsive regulatory intelligence. The Assessment Programme builds on this data and is the principal mechanism for testing compliance against the Standards.
The regulatory regime is now demonstrating measurable impact. Since March 2025, AHBRA has published assessment outcomes, improving transparency and accountability across the sector. Several AHBs initially found non-compliant were able to demonstrate significant improvement and return to compliance within 12 months. Others required formal compliance plans where progress was insufficient.
This provides a clear regulatory signal while maintaining a proportionate approach focused on improvement rather than enforcement alone.
Any actions taken by the Regulator have focused on achieving positive outcomes for tenants, the AHBs and the state, which demonstrates the importance of Regulation.
461. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the annual cost of the housing assistance payment in 2024, 2025, and projected cost in 2026; and the number of tenancies in receipt of HAP in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51262/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support available for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP. Eligible households can source their own accommodation in the private rental sector which should be within the HAP rent limits provided to them by the local authority.
|
|
2024 |
2025 |
|
Annual HAP cost |
€523.4m |
€493.3m |
|
Active HAP tenancies |
53,742 |
49,663 |
The latest available data covers the period to the end of Q4 2025.
The 2026 budget allocation of €470 million will enable continued support for existing tenancies along with funding for 7,000 new households to be accommodated in HAP supported tenancies.
462. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the annual cost of the defective concrete blocks grant scheme, the pyrite remediation scheme, and the interim remediation scheme in each of the years 2024, 2025; expected total cost in 2026; the number of properties completed in each year; the number of properties still to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51263/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Defective Concrete Block (DCB) Grant Scheme, the Pyrite Remediation Scheme and the Interim Remediation Scheme are significant in their remediation of building defects in homes across the country.
The DCB Scheme covers dwellings which are damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. Under this Scheme there are five potential remediation options, with a bespoke solution potentially required for each affected home.
The Pyrite Remediation Scheme relates to dwellings that have been significantly damaged as a result of pyritic heave caused by the swelling of hardcore, with one remediation option.
The Interim Remediation Scheme is for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013.
These Schemes are demand led and applications are accepted based on strict eligibility criteria. There is a pipeline of applications approved for remediation in 2026 and Government funding for this work continues to be provided, as and when required, on an annual basis.
More than €348m has been spent on the DCB Scheme to date. Almost €60 million was recouped under the Scheme in 2024, €155 million in 2025, with a record €175 million allocated to fund the Scheme in 2026.
More than 500 homes have been completed to date under the DCB Scheme, 22 in 2024, 317 in 2025, 134 to date in 2026 and there are currently 750 homes at various stages of remediation work.
Over €210 million has been spent on the Pyrite Remediation Scheme over its circa 13 years in operation to date representing the remediation of circa 2,950 homes. 101 remediations were completed in 2024 at a cost of €9.1 million, 81 remediations were completed in 2025 at a cost of €8.7 million. For 2026 the total budget available is €18 million.
The Interim Fire Safety Remediation Scheme for Apartments and Duplexes is currently progressing four pathfinder projects to inform the workings of the forthcoming broader statutory scheme. The Scheme was introduced in December 2023, and expenditure was minor for 2024 and 2025 as the Scheme process was developed and refined. For 2026, the total budget available is €100 million.
463. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount that was spent by local authorities on social housing maintenance in each of the years 2023, 2024, 2025; the projected spend in 2026; and the number of properties that received necessary works in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51264/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe management and maintenance of local authority social housing, including planned maintenance works, pre-letting repairs and the re-tenanting of vacant properties, is a statutory responsibility of each local authority under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities are also responsible for ensuring that all dwellings comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and must make adequate budgetary provision for housing maintenance and repairs from their own resources through the annual budgetary process.
Notwithstanding, my Department will provide some €260 million as a contribution towards the remediation and maintenance of local authority homes through various funding programmes in 2026. This includes €40 million under the Planned Maintenance and Voids Programme, comprising over €24 million to support the turnaround of vacant homes and almost €16 million for Stock Condition Surveys and associated planned maintenance works.
The amount spent on maintenance of social homes from their own resources is the responsibility of local authorities however data on funding provided by my Department under the Planned Maintenance and Voids Programme between 2014 and 2025, including the amounts drawn down by each local authority, are available on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/collections/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme.
Work in relation to the 2026 programme is ongoing and full details in relation to delivery will be published early in 2027.
464. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average market price of a derelict property in 2024, 2025; the estimated price for 2026; the number of properties that remain derelict in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51265/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Section 8 of the Derelict Sites Act 1990, local authorities are required to maintain a Derelict Sites Register, for any land which is a derelict site in the opinion of the local authority. A property can be placed on the derelict site register where it is deemed by a local authority to satisfy the criteria for a derelict site under section 3 of the Act.
Local authorities may use the Derelict Sites Act 1990 to financially levy such sites and also to secure their public control/ownership where appropriate. The Derelict Sites Levy is charged at 7% of the market value of the land concerned.
Local Authorities are required to submit an annual return to my Department providing information on the operation of the Derelict Sites Act 1990 in their functional areas and this is undertaken in the following year.
Derelict Site returns for 2024 received by local authorities are available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/annual-returns-for-2024-received-from-local-authorities-under-the-derelict-sites-act-1990/. However, this data request does not include details of the value of properties on the derelict sites register.
Local authorities are required under section 8(1)(e) of the Derelict Sites Act 1990 to enter onto the register '...particulars of the market value of urban land as determined by the local authority, or by the Tribunal on appeal...'. Under section 8(5) of the Act, a copy of the derelict sites register for any local authority can be inspected at the offices of that authority during office hours.
465. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated full year spend on retrofitting of housing by local authorities; the total number of units retrofitted in 2024, 2025 and estimates for 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51266/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) adopted a holistic approach in 2021, aligned with the Government commitment to retrofit 500,000 homes by 2030, including 36,500 local authority-owned homes, for which grant funding is provided by my Department.
The EERP is well established and continues to maintain strong momentum across local authorities. By the end of 2025, more than 11,000 social housing retrofits had been completed under the programme. Given progress to date, and the growing appetite and capacity in the local government sector, I am confident the target of 36,500 social housing retrofits will be achieved by 2030.
Annual data on funding allocations and completed units from 2013 to 2025 is available on my Department’s website at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/668c1-energy-efficiency-retrofitting-programme-expenditure-output/.
Additionally, details on the Midlands Energy Retrofit Pilot Programme can also be accessed at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/b86b3-midlands-energy-retrofit-programme-expenditure-and-units/#.
Some €140 million has been allocated local authorities under the EERP this year. This is an increase of more than 50% year-on-year and should support the retrofit of 3,500 local authority social homes this year. Output data on the 2026 EERP will published on my Department’s website in early 2027.
466. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of hectares of land zoned under the residential zoned land tax that are currently undeveloped; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51267/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) is a tax introduced in Finance Act 2021 which seeks to increase housing supply by encouraging the activation of development on lands which are suitably zoned and appropriately serviced. It aims to bring those lands which have benefitted from investment in services and are capable of being developed forward for housing. The ongoing implementation of the tax is an action contained in Delivering Homes, Building Communities, the Government’s plan for housing, to increase housing supply and is supported in the Programme for Government.
The tax applies to land that is:
• zoned suitable for residential development whether it be solely or primarily for residential use, or for a mixture of uses, including residential use, and
• serviced (that is: reasonable to consider may have access, or be connected, to public infrastructure and facilities, including roads and footpaths, public lighting, foul sewer drainage, surface water drainage and water supply, necessary for dwellings to be developed and with sufficient service capacity available for such development)
A final map indicating land liable to the tax for 2026 was published on 31 January 2026. The tax is administered and collected by the Revenue Commissioners.
Overall, the land available for development on the final maps for 2026 comprises circa 5,130 hectares of ‘undeveloped’ residential zoned land and circa 1,400 hectares of ‘vacant and idle’ mixed use, including residential zoned land.
Figures provided by the Revenue Commissioners (Sept 2025) indicate that approximately €70m of the €120m declared liability in 2025 was deferred due to a recent grant of planning permission, a commencement of a planning permission or a request to rezone land, indicating that housing development is being activated on land liable to the tax. Updated figures are expected to be published by the Revenue Commissioners in 2026.
468. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated full-year cost of funding National Parks and Wildlife Services in 2024, 2025; the estimated cost in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51355/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe voted allocations and outurns for the National Parks and Wildlife Service are set out below.
|
Year |
Allocation €m |
Outturn €m |
|
2024 |
72.15 |
77.995 |
|
2025 |
78 |
76.624 |
For 2026, the allocation is €107.42 million. These figures are not inclusive of staffing costs.
469. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider adding public art as planning exempt under the revisions of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (details supplied). [51361/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll development, unless specifically exempted under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act of 2000), or the associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Regulations of 2001), requires planning permission.
Public art, including street art such as the painting of a gable wall or front façade of a building or structure, on private structures or lands and which results in a material change to the character of that building or structure (regardless of quality or content) requires planning permission. In some cases, murals may be presented as public art but may contain promotional or advertising material, albeit of a more subtle nature.
In certain instances, under section 4(1)(f) of the Act of 2000, public street art may be exempted from the requirement to secure planning permission if it is carried out on behalf of, or jointly or in partnership with the relevant planning authority. In such cases, the street art will be approved by way of a written agreement or contract.
There is a balance to be struck in providing for exemptions from planning permission, between streamlining the consent process for minor works and supporting proper planning and sustainable development, including the need to ensure adequate third-party participation rights as necessary.
It is not currently proposed to amend the existing planning exemptions further as there may be consequences for the character, visual and residential amenity, architectural heritage, and public and traffic safety of residential areas, which would all be relevant in individual cases, with no opportunity for public participation.
470. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the proposed social housing defective concrete blocks remediation scheme; if approved housing body-owned or operated properties, including supported accommodation and rehabilitation centres will be eligible for inclusion under this scheme; the anticipated timeline for the establishment and commencement of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51385/26]
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.
The 2022 Act also provides for the Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme.
This is a scheme for the purpose of enabling a designated local authority or an Approved Housing Body with dwellings located in a designated local authority area to remedy damage caused to dwellings, owned by the local authority or Approved Housing Body, by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction.
The 2022 Act defines a dwelling as a house, and does not mean an apartment, maisonette or duplex.
The manner in which the Scheme will be operationalised in practice by local authorities has been the subject of careful consideration before the Scheme can be finalised. This work is now complete, with the Scheme being developed by my Department in conjunction with relevant stakeholders.
The work of the drafting of the Scheme, by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, is underway and matters are currently being progressed by my Department. Once this process is finalised I plan to bring the Scheme to Government for approval so as to enable the remediation of social housing stock to begin in the near future.
471. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost (both CREL and all-in cost) of the delivery of a cost rental home in 2025. [51389/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSpecific delivery costs of delivering cost rental homes by Approved Housing Bodies under the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) scheme are variable given the differing typologies, locations and layouts in each scheme.
The level of CREL funding varies from scheme to scheme in order to obtain cost-covering rents that are both at least 25% below the prevailing market rate for comparable local rental properties and also at a level that is reasonably deemed to be affordable for the target cohort of households. The average cost to the Exchequer for delivery of homes with CREL support, which were delivered in 2025, was approximately €215,049 per home. The average capital cost per home was €392,175.
472. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost of the delivery of an affordable purchase home in 2025. [51390/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department publishes programme-level statistics on affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and delivery partners in each local authority area. Data for the years 2022 up to Q4 2025 is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/?#affordable-housing-delivery.
As included in the report, 935 affordable purchase homes were delivered by local authorities with the support of the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) in 2025. This delivery incudes Part V affordable delivery and Land Development Agency/Local Authority partnership arrangements.
The AHF subsidy is available as a direct subvention on local authority housing development costs at rates of €50,000, €75,000, and €100,000 per affordable purchase unit depending on the density of housing units per hectare on the development, and its location (The higher rate of AHF subsidy of €150,000 per affordable unit applies to cost rental units only). 95% of the approved subsidy is met from Exchequer funds via the AHF scheme and the remaining 5% subsidy is paid by the local authority concerned from its own funds.
On this basis, the average cost to the Exchequer in respect of the 935 affordable purchase homes delivered in 2025 with AHF support was €67,284.
473. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost per unit of accommodation to carry out a social housing stock condition survey. [51391/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra482. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the high-level data on stock audits to date [51471/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 473 and 482 together.
Ultimately, the management and maintenance of local authority housing stock is the statutory responsibility of each local authority. Accordingly, they must make adequate budgetary provision as part of the annual budgetary process, drawing on the substantial rental and other income available to them, to address the maintenance and improvement needs of their social homes.
Notwithstanding, my Department is working closely with local authorities to promote a preventative and planned approach to the maintenance of social housing, informed by the findings of stock condition surveys. Local authorities continue to progress these surveys, with almost 18,000 completed to date. It is intended all local authority social homes will be surveyed over the next five years.
In 2026, €40 million has been made available under the Planned Maintenance and Voids Programme to complement local authorities' own investment in the maintenance and improvement of their social housing stock. Of this, €24 million is available to support the refurbishment and re-letting of vacant properties, while €16 million has been ring-fenced to support the completion of Stock Condition Surveys and the delivery of associated planned maintenance works arising from survey findings.
The Department provides a contribution of €150 towards the cost of each completed stock condition survey. This increases to €250 per survey where a local authority has completed surveys on at least 15% of its housing stock by the end of 2026, and has incurred the relevant expenditure. This contribution should be sufficient to meet the cost of surveys.
An average cost per survey taken has not been determined. The cost of completing a survey will likely vary from area to area; depend on the relative dispersal of the stock, whether the surveys are conducted directly by a local authority, contracted with external providers, or a mix of both; and, where contracted externally, will be informed by the scale of programme being tendered by the relevant local authority.
While my Department has access to high-level information, including the number of surveys completed, underway or tendered, and whether follow-up action has been identified, the detailed survey findings and the condition of individual local authority housing stocks are matters for the relevant local authorities.
474. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total allocation for sub head A39, DPGs/Improvements/Remedials in Budget 2026. [51392/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe gross total allocations for my Department for 2026 are set out in the Revised Estimates Volume for the Public Service (REV) published by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. This is available at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/e20037-revised-estimates/?referrer=http://www.per.gov.ie/en/rev/#about-the-rev.
An allocation of €28.5m was provided to subhead A.29 Disabled Persons Grant Scheme (DPGs) / Improvements / Remedials in 2026. This is detailed on page 157 of the 2026 REV.
475. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average gross and net cost to the Exchequer per year of the 2,328 homeless HAP tenancies set up in 2025. [51393/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), homeless households or those at risk of homelessness may be eligible for additional supports. To qualify for specific additional supports, a household must have been determined by the relevant local authority to be homeless within the meaning of section 2 of the Housing Act 1988. The operation of local homeless services, including the Place Finder Service, is a matter for each local authority.
Expenditure on the initial set-up costs of 2025 homeless HAP tenancies was €12.1m. This comprises of rent in advance, deposits and associated costs.
Once a homeless HAP tenancy is set up, the ongoing cost of the tenancy is provided for under the general HAP scheme monthly landlord payments. The costs of homeless HAP tenancies are not differentiated.
At the end of Q4 2025, over 131,600 HAP tenancies had been set up since the scheme commenced, of which there were 49,663 households actively in receipt of HAP support. In 2025, 6,556 new HAP tenancies were set up. Of these, 2,328 were Homeless HAP. The monthly gross average cost per HAP tenancy at the end of Q4 2025 was €1,027. The monthly average cost per HAP tenancy funded by the Exchequer i.e. net of average differential rent, at the end of Q4 2025 was €762.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website. Data in relation to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), including funding provided to end Q4 2025, can be found on my Department’s website at this link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#housing-assistance-payment.
Q1 2026 figures are currently being compiled and will be published when that process is complete.
476. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total cost to the development levy waiver and water utility connection for each year the waiver has been in operation, the number of homes against which the waiver was claimed in each year; and the average cost of the waiver in each year. [51394/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and waste water connection charges.
The Government recognised that measures needed to be put in place to help address cost and viability with a view to incentivising the activation of a pipeline of new housing commencements, and assisting in the delivery of supply as quickly as possible. The Development Contribution Scheme (DCS) waiver applied to all permitted residential development including multi-unit developments, self-build houses and one-off houses, student accommodation and sheltered housing.
The following table provides the total cost of the development contribution scheme waiver and water connection refund scheme for each year of the operation of the schemes and the number of units/developments that availed of the waiver/refund by local authority in respect of the schemes.
|
2023 Cost of DCS Waiver |
€54,488,969 |
|
2024 Cost of DCS Waiver |
€384,828,668 |
|
2025 Cost of DCS Waiver |
€158,644,529 |
|
2023 – No. of units that availed of the DCS Waiver |
8,251 |
|
2024 – No. of units that availed of the DCS Waiver |
55,249 |
|
2025 – No. of units that availed of the DCS Waiver |
19,313 |
|
2023 - Cost of Water Connection Charge Refund |
€1,670,704 |
|
2024 - Cost of Water Connection Charge Refund |
€76,596,502 |
|
2025 - Cost of Water Connection Charge Refund |
€173,967,681 |
|
2026 (to date) - Cost of Water Connection Charge Refund |
€60,075,781 |
|
2023 - No. of Units that availed of the Water Connection Charge Refund |
421 |
|
2024 - No. of Units that availed of the Water Connection Charge Refund |
16,246 |
|
2025 - No. of Units that availed of the Water Connection Charge Refund |
32,168 |
|
2026 (to date) - No. of Units that availed of the Water Connection Charge Refund |
10,139 |
The data indicates that the average cost of the development waiver scheme was just over €7,200 per residential unit to which it was applied and the average cost of the water connection waiver was just under €5,180 per unit to which it was applied, over the full period of operation.
