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442. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether every local authority is fully operational in administering the vacant above the shop grant scheme; if not, to identify the local authorities that are not yet fully operational; the reasons therefor, whether a local authority has reported staffing, administrative or operational difficulties to his…

443. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide the average processing time for applications under the vacant above the shop grant scheme; the number and value of grant payments made to date; the estimated number of residential units expected to be delivered through approved applications, by local authority, in tabular form. [50967/26]

444. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51006/26]

445. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of the proposed transfer of responsibility for the regulation of owners' management companies and apartment management from the Department of Justice Home Affairs and Migration to his Department; the actions taken to-date to progress this transfer; the expected timeline for its completion; a…

447. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports that are available from the Government and State agencies for old age pensioners in vulnerable positions whose mortgages and properties were bought by private equity funds and are now being evicted by such funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51077/26]

448. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide details of projects approved from the €650 million allocated to his Department to support improvements in water quality as part of the €3.15 billion of the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund (ICNF); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51106/26]

449. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to concerns that local authority planning policies relating to residential driveways and the protection of mature trees may, in some cases, create unintended barriers to the installation of domestic electric vehicle charging infrastructure; whether consideration has been given t…

451. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will direct his Department to publish the 2017 review into Donegal County Council planning matters by a person (details supplied) with all personal identifying data completely redacted; if not, the specific legal provision that prevents an anonymised version from being made public; and if he will make a s…

452. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the exact date his Department last sought legal advice from the Attorney General regarding the release of a report (details supplied); the specific conditions or legal benchmarks that must be met before this document can be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51181/26]

453. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has exercised his Ministerial discretion to weigh the public interest in transparency against the privacy rights of individuals named in a report (details supplied); his Department's definitive timeline for resolving this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51182/26]

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]

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 ma…

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

478. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will introduce legislation on a directly elected mayor for Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51458/26]

479. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the date on which the preliminary business case for the Cork Event Centre, submitted by Cork City Council in December 2025, was or will be approved by his Department; whether the 12 to 18 month timeframe for completion of the new procurement process, State aid clearance and planning compliance, as set out in the …

480. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of parties that have formally registered interest or submitted expressions of interest in the new Cork Event Centre procurement process to date; the projected date by which a preferred bidder will be selected; and the specific milestones his Department expects Cork City Council to reach in 2026 (detail…

481. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current estimate of total State aid required to deliver the Cork Event Centre, beyond the €57 million already approved; the status of a company's (details supplied) planning permission for the South Main Street site, including whether it has lapsed; whether a fresh planning application will be required; and t…

I want to express my deepest sympathy at the tragic loss of life in Donaghmede in my constituency. I express my hope that all those injured have a quick and speedy recovery. I am aware the gardaí and emergency services responded swiftly and it is an ongoing investigation. I raise something I have spoken about since entering this House, which is water quality in Dublin Bay. I have heard multiple T…

I very much welcome the presence of the National Training Fund. It is important. In the aftermath of the Cassells review in 2016, the identification of the need for an extra billion euro per annum in funding for higher education by 2030 is laudable and something we should strive for. I will be honest with the Minister of State. I am a little bit disappointed by the Bill. It is clearly short. I ex…

I assure the Deputy and the House that the Minister of State and the Government are committed to proactively addressing, along with Cork County Council, the flood risk to homes, businesses and communities in County Cork. These measures are being funded through the Government's €1.3 billion allocation for flood relief measures under the national development plan. The Minister of State will continue…

I commend Deputy Charles Ward on bringing forward this detailed and comprehensive motion. The campaign for 100% redress is one I fully support. It is indicative of the support for that campaign that all the Opposition across the House have supported Charles's motion today. The motion highlights the fact that light-touch regulation, facilitated and supported by the State, is the root cause of the d…

There is a real crisis for people living in unsafe homes with defective concrete blocks. That crisis is far from over, despite what the Government may think. People are still living in fear every time there is a red weather warning, forced to watch as cracks spread and walls shift, as their home crumbles right around them. The Ulster University study summed it up best when it described it as an ea…

At the outset, I want to thank Deputy Ward for bringing forward this Private Members' motion to give us the opportunity for a comprehensive debate, albeit one that is too short. On Friday evening last, there had been no transfer of funds to Donegal. I acknowledge that thanks to the intervention of the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, and the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, t…

Again, I can ask the Minister to talk in more detail with the Deputy, but there is no sense, by the way, that it is the holy grail in terms of housing options. There could be significant issues with converting it to housing units or apartments. There may be lot of issues with building; I am surmising. It is a 200-year-old building and the Deputy knows all that. The HSE clearly did not find a use f…

For the information of Members, the Deputy should not make reference to the President or draw that office into any controversy in this House. That is a ruling. The Deputy also cannot and should not make reference to people outside the House. They are not here to defend themselves or to support what the Deputy might be claiming. The Deputy did mention that the Minister had lied, and that too is som…

First, it is essential that this conversation start with the people - Harvey and his parents Stephen and Gillian and the many more incredible advocates acting with courage on behalf of their children and all those who have been impacted. I understand the Tánaiste and the Minister for Health met a number of weeks ago with Harvey's parents and they agreed to work in partnership on the structure of a…

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to address the House today on the significant challenges facing our tillage sector. Before I outline the Government's response, I will begin by acknowledging the strain that many farming families in the sector face. Coming on the back of two horrendously difficult years weatherwise, thankfully conditions for harvest 2025…

Go raibh míle maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Budgets are as much about political priorities as they are about financial commitments. This year’s budget was one of two halves. There was more for the have-lots and basically nothing for the have-nots. The ESRI has said losses will average 2% for households already struggling to deal with the cost-of-living crisis. It appears the budget for drug…

Exactly. Senior hurling. I am sure you are well able to play it down below in Kilkenny. Someone has to keep Deputy Cleere in check. This is my opportunity to speak about the budget. I have put together many budgets in my time. I have been doing budgets, in some shape or form, for the past 20 years as an accountant. It was nice to have the opportunity to be involved in some step in the process of …

This is not a utopian budget. It is not a budget that solves every problem. Despite what the Opposition proclaims, no budget ever could. The budget serves two main purposes. The first is to rein in public expenditure, which has been on the rise significantly since 2020. I welcome the budget's approach to reducing the trajectory of the spending of taxpayers' money. It is a prudent budget. The secon…

I move the following Further Revised Estimate: Vote 34 — Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Further Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €9,220,194,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage inclu…

There are three significant schemes: the help-to-buy scheme, which is a substantial help; the first homes schemes, which is where the State injects a degree of equity and; third, the derelict and vacant homes grant, which is quite substantial and has enabled about 3,000 houses to become available, whereby people have refurbished such houses and got a substantial grant for doing so. Sometimes, it i…

Deputy Browne is the Minister in charge and the man with the purse strings, but he is blaming everyone else. He is like Pontius Pilate; he is washing his hands. If Deputy Eoin Ó Broin or I was the Minister for housing, we would stand up and be counted. We would accept our responsibility and we would deliver the housing. It would cost €13 million to fix every boarded-up house in the State and the M…

Tomorrow, Friday, 10 October, is World Mental Health Day. It was first celebrated in 1992 as an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health. In many ways, the conversation on mental health has completely transformed since 1992 when I was a teenager. I look with great admiration to the many people who are able to talk about their mental health now. I distinguish between mental health and m…

I welcome the opportunity to examine measures taken in budget 2026 on Tuesday, the first of five budgets expected in this new Dáil term. It aims to steady the economy in challenging times, invest for the future and improve services that families rely on. It attempts to balance day-to-day pressures with long-term capital investment in housing, hospitals, schools and safer streets. Housing funding …

I had just been elected and I had national school principals from Coolock on to me straight away about DEIS Plus, and fair play to them. They were determined to make sure DEIS Plus got off the ground and got funding and support. I was more than happy to raise it in the parliamentary party and directly with the Minister, to work with like-minded colleagues to make sure those working-class areas, wi…

Yesterday, in response to the budget, Focus Ireland said: "Budget 2026 has failed to deliver for the record number of over 16,350 people now homeless as the Government did not take any decisive action on housing to help the most vulnerable in society." The Simon Communities of Ireland in a similar vein said: "It is deeply disappointing that yet again there was no mention of homeless prevention and…

With our new housing plan, we are developing the homelessness prevention framework. Significant work has been ongoing in relation to that, working with all the NGOs. I acknowledge the good work by Focus Ireland and the Simon Communities of Ireland. When I became Minister for housing, the first thing I did was visit all of the homeless organisations at their sites to get the necessary information. …

That is exactly what the Department of Finance did, working with the Department of housing. It looked at how the LDA is financed and how it can be financed into the future and examining the remit of the LDA. We have agreed to expand its role. The LDA will be absolutely critical. It will very soon be the largest housing delivery body in this country. We are fully committed to expanding its role an…

We need to be honest here about what is going on. Someone is spinning something or telling porkies. It was reported on RTÉ's "Prime Time" last May that there were delays. AHBs said there were delays. It cannot be easy for approved housing bodies to be publicly critical of the Department of housing and the delays in because they rely on the Department for their funding. They said it very clearly in…

The Deputy is right that there were differing views on the commission, and well-reasoned views I think on both sides among the commission members as set out in the various reports. While it was a majority it is not that straightforward either due to the different views. We are keeping this under review but my priority is actually delivering on housing. It is a basic necessity, one of the most fund…

If all local authorities were able to match the rate of delivery of Cork county then the rate of delivery of social housing and affordable housing right across the board would be much stronger. I commend the work of the councillors and the local authority there, of which the Deputy was recently a member. There are some specifics in relation to Cork North-West, if the Deputy is interested. The Dep…