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334. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of properties that have been refurbished under the repair and lease scheme in each local authority area to date. [48572/26]

336. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of complaints made by his Department to social media or online marketing companies about specific online posts or accounts for each year from 2020 to 2025, and to date in 2026. [48616/26]

337. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a breakdown of the estimated full-year cost of employing one FTE, per staffing grade, in regard to workforce planning in An Coimisiún Pleanála, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48730/26]

338. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of biodiversity officers in each local authority; to provide a breakdown of the estimated cost to hire one additional FTE climate action officer in each local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48733/26]

339. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost to double the funding for biodiversity officers, broken down by cap ex and op ex, in tabular form. [48734/26]

340. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has considered the review of local Government and that Ireland has fewer councillors per capita than any other European country; and his plans to increase the number of councillors prior to the next local elections. [48748/26]

341. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to list all powers that have been devolved to local authorities; and all powers that have been taken from local authorities since he came to office. [48749/26]

342. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the specific measures taken or planned to increase the accountability of local authority Chief Executives and Directors of Services to elected councillors for executive decisions, in line with the Programme for Government; when councillors can expect to see practical changes; and if he will make a statement …

388. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps that remain before the Protection of the Native Irish Honeybee Bill 2021 can proceed through the Houses of the Oireachtas; whether the Government intends to advance the Bill following consideration of the research and review undertaken; whether any precautionary measures are under consideration pending a f…

411. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the Living My Life pilot housing project for people with intellectual disabilities; the progress to date; the number of participants involved; and the plans for further expansion of the model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48639/26]

437. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the current number of mental health crisis response services, including crisis resolution teams, crisis cafés, crisis houses and emergency department liaison services, by health region; the additional services planned under existing policy commitments; and the estimated full-year cost of extending such services to provide nationwide 24/7 cover…

194. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the latest EPA report on water quality; the measures his Department is taking to improve water quality in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47915/26]

195. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the concerns (details supplied) of the substantial sums spent to improve Ireland's water quality yet despite this no progress is being made; the measures he is taking to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47916/26]

196. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a detailed breakdown of the funding allocated to improving Ireland’s water quality by his Department broken down by programme allocation, CapEx and OpEx in each of the years 2020 to date in 2026, in tabular form. [47917/26]

197. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a detailed breakdown of the funding his Department provided to the water advisory body in each of the years 2020 to date in 2026, in tabular form. [47918/26]

198. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of derelict sites levies collected and outstanding in Kerry County Council in each of the years 2022, 2023 and 2024; the reason for the significant difference between the amount of unpaid levies reported at the end of 2023 and the amount reported for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47…

203. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current criteria for acceptance of residential properties to the historic thatch grant scheme; the maximum funding available to households under the scheme; when he expects the scheme to reopen for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48089/26]

204. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applicants who have availed of the €24,100 lump sum payment under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, by year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48266/26]

205. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applicants who have availed of the €1,500 annual payment under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48267/26]

206. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide the total level of expenditure for the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme since its establishment; to provide an annual breakdown of this expenditure from its establishment to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48268/26]

207. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable purchase and affordable cost rental homes delivered in each local authority area in the past five years; the projected number of affordable purchase and cost rental homes to be delivered in each local authority area over the next five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a state…

86. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department is aware that private ECCE only childcare providers are now liable for commercial rates; and if she will raise this issue with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. [46908/26]

97. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her plans to have an Ireland House Model in Berlin. [46838/26]

134. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has ever engaged with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding potential 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. [47…

203. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport to report on the delay in introducing Route 85 of the A-Spine of BusConnects; if he is concerned that new housing developments have been approved and built on the basis that the route was due to be operational in 2024; the expected commencement date of the route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47610/26]

Is big tech's insatiable demand for energy to power data centres being put before the need to address the housing crisis? The recent CRU report suggests housing delivery is at risk because of the inability to connect new houses to the electricity grid as a result of the insatiable demand of data centres.

Let me quote from the recent CRU paper on policy on the connection of data centres: ESB Networks has highlighted risks that, in the absence of an adequate policy response, the potential level of data centre demand could significantly impact its ability to accommodate demand connections required to support Government policy targets such as 550,000 new homes by 2040 … It goes on to give the exampl…

We are all aware that the high population growth and strong economic growth led to increased demand in terms of housing and also for our economy. Particularly with regard to delivering housing and the supporting infrastructure, there has been a growth in energy demand and the energy intensity required for modern manufacturing and large-scale servers. Delivering electricity infrastructure is absolu…

4. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will reverse the decision to cut funding for social housing acquisitions, including housing first and the tenant in situ schemes. [24905/25]

I thank Deputy Gould for raising this important matter. There is no question that utilising existing stock at a time of such need is just as important as developing new social housing stock. The programme for Government commits to the introduction of a new voids programme and also to supporting the ongoing work to transition to a strategic and informed maintenance approach to the management and ma…

As the Minister said, there is a significant difference between some of the local authorities. He referred to counties Laois and Kerry, for example, between which there is a significant disparity. That is something we certainly have to delve into because how some local authorities can do it much faster than others needs to be examined to see how best practice can be applied across the local author…

I thank the Deputy again for raising this question. It is a matter he has worked very hard on and has campaigned on to ensure we can have those affordable homes, which are an essential part of our housing delivery and to ensure we have private homes people can afford to buy, affordable homes people can access, and social homes across the spectrum so everybody has access to a home they can afford. …

Galway County Council is not short of ambition when it comes to affordable housing. Our chief executive set out an ambitious plan last year. At the time, I was a councillor. We approved loans for affordable housing across our local authority and sought departmental approval for them. We do not lack the ambition. We have the ambition to deliver the homes. In the town of Athenry, the county council …

How quickly will the new national planning framework, NPF, housing targets be given to the county councils so they can amend their county development plans? Currently many planning permissions are being refused because the development plan's core strategy has population targets too low. Given this delay, I have seen a planning application for 335 houses in Blessington, County Wicklow, supported by…

I often see a gap between the way the councils operate and what happens here in Leinster House. The councils need to be closely involved in the delivery of housing. Delivery must be micromanaged. These targets must be drilled down further, with monthly figures produced by all local authorities of actuals versus targets, and explanations given. This is the only way to deliver a large number of hous…

I thank Deputy Daly for raising this important question in relation to Roscommon County Council and the funding allocated for the tenant in situ scheme for 2025. I thank the Deputy for his ongoing engagement in relation to this important issue. The Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for priority categories of…

We have all seen modern methods of construction, such as, for example, 3D concrete printing in Muirhevnamore, in operation. Whether we are talking about modular 3D printing or timber-frame housing, we need to see a plan for a significant ramp-up, while accepting that all of these solutions represent only a percentage of housing supply. Could we get some sort of detail on this matter? I agree with …

I thank Deputy Cahill. He has covered many of the matters I wish to cover in the context of housing choice for older persons. On inclusion, we have older persons councils - through Age-Friendly Ireland - which very much engage with the local authorities. I am involving all older person representative organisations in the work I am doing in the context of the policy group on stakeholder engagement…

14. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to urgently review the cut in funding for the social housing acquisition programmes, given its negative impact on key homeless schemes like tenant in situ and housing first. [24433/25]

Much of the discussion around social housing acquisitions has been on the tenant in situ scheme but there is also a very real concern the housing first programme will be affected. The programme for Government commits to increasing the targets for housing first. Will the Minister tell us what those targets are? Does he have any concern the restrictions on funding for acquisitions will make it diffi…

The housing first programme is vital in getting single people, in particular, who are long-term homeless out of emergency accommodation. It has worked best in previous years when it was a mix of new build and acquisitions led by approved housing bodies using the capital advance leasing facility, CALF, and capital assistance scheme, CAS, funding mechanisms. There is real concern among local authori…

I take the housing first programme very seriously. I engage with my officials daily in relation to homelessness, in particular, which is an absolute priority for me, both preventing people going into homelessness and people exiting homelessness. The housing first programme for people who have particular difficulties is something I am very aware of and have dealt with both as a TD and now as Minist…

The programme for Government seeks to build 300,000 homes by 2030. It is an ambitious task and one that will need every tool available to Government to deliver. Every week I hear from local builders who want to help Government to deliver on that ambition by building houses in hundreds of rural communities, helping the Government reach its housing target as well as ensuring the viability of our ru…

We hear today that rents are up again 5.5% nationally. The new average rent in Dublin is €2,177 per month. A worker earning €30,000 per year would have to spend their entire take-home pay to cover that amount and that still would not be enough. Renters across this country are struggling. How can they keep paying higher rents? They are stressed and terrified about the potential removal of rent caps…

I will take a moment to mention Kyran Durnin who should be celebrating his ninth birthday with his family and loved ones today but who instead is subject to a major Garda investigation to try to determine his whereabouts and whether he is even still alive. I know Kyran's family is holding a candlelit vigil in Drogheda this evening. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. There is a need for addit…

I thank the Deputy. Allocations have been made to local authorities in the last week in relation to housing adaptation grants. There has been significant change in grants following a review last year. The mobility aid grant has gone from €6,000 to €8,000, the housing aid for older persons grant has increased from €8,000 to €10,700 and the housing adaptation grant has gone from €30,000 to €40,000. …

I will take this matter on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton. I thank Deputy Ellis for raising this important issue and offering the opportunity to respond. I know of the Deputy's personal interest in the matter. He has been a long-time campaigner on these issues in his time in the House. Organisations such as An Saol Foundation are inv…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Water supply in the greater Dublin area is dependent on large abstractions, as he knows, from the River Liffey and the River Vartry. To address this, Uisce Éireann is progressing long-term projects to secure our water supply for the future, including two major projects for Dublin and the eastern and midlands region. The water supply project east…

The Deputy's interest in this matter is very clear. His desire to address issues in his area on behalf of his constituents is commendable and is noted. As I said, our water and wastewater infrastructure requires substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to bring the systems up to the standard required of a modern service, to provide for population growth and to build…

How much more do homeowners impacted by the defective blocks in Mayo and other counties have to endure, whether they have partially completed their rebuilds or whether they are trying to get into the scheme? At every age homeowners are given assurances that they would not be disadvantaged by the timing that they entered the schemes. Now homeowners, who are in the middle of rebuilding their homes a…