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1087. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of serviced sites delivered by each local authority for each of the years 2022 to 2025, in tabular form. [19797/26]

1088. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he intends to publish the National Planning Statement, which is required in order for the publication of the Planning Guidelines in order to enact Section 44b of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19810/26]

1089. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 767 of 17 February 2026, his views on whether submissions in relation to localised public infrastructure that come from individuals or organisations that do not live or work in the area impacted are in contravention of the guidelines issued for inclusive community engagement …

1090. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether it is appropriate for objections or submissions in relation to localised public infrastructure to come from individuals or organisations that do not live or work in the area impacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19821/26]

1091. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views of the adequacy of the existing public submission aspect of the planning system; his views on whether it should be more targeted in terms of who any potential change will most impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19822/26]

1092. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide clarity on the application of current planning regulations governing the installation of solar PV panels on non-domestic structures, such as agricultural sheds; if he is aware that the requirement for a 500 mm clearance at both the top and bottom of panels can dramatically reduce the number …

1095. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that the refund process for a location (details supplied) will commence as soon as possible to allow the residents to repair the roofs in their apartment block. [19955/26]

1096. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the statutory oversight mechanisms that exist where a property managing agent appears to be operating in place of, or without effective oversight from, an owners' management company in a residential estate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20006/26]

1097. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to governance concerns raised by residents in relation to the management of an estate (details supplied), including the role of a managing agent and the apparent absence of regular AGMs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20008/26]

1098. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the financial contribution scheme; and the rationale to no longer fund this scheme. [20062/26]

1099. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the ongoing review of I.S. 465, the Irish standard used for the assessment and remediation of dwellings affected by defective concrete; the current status of this review; whether any interim findings or updates will be made publicly available; the estimated timeframe for the completion an…

1100. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the eligibility rules for State supported home purchase schemes in respect of applicants over seventy years of age; the policy rationale for age based exclusions where applicants are working and in good health; whether an equality impact assessment has been undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the mat…

1103. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will review eligibility criteria, including age limits, for State backed purchase supports with a view to accommodating mixed age households where one applicant is over seventy years of age but both applicants are working and creditworthy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20201/…

1104. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the apartment and duplex defects remediation scheme will be in operation; when he expects that applicants will be able to draw down funding from the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20242/26]

1105. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the interim remediation scheme will be in operation; when he expects that applicants will be able to draw down funding from the scheme; if any funding been drawn down already; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20242/26]

1106. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding Pathfinder projects with respect to apartment remediation; if any funding been drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20242/26]

1107. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether fire risk caused by water ingress qualifies for a block of apartments to apply for the interim remediation scheme with respect to apartment remediation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20244/26]

1108. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the criteria for awarding protected status to any animal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20259/26]

1109. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the protected status of seagulls; if it is under review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20260/26]

1110. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has assessed the impact of the new tenancy rules introduced on 1 March 2026 on the volume of notices of termination issued in the weeks preceding that date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20464/26]

1112. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will amend the capital assistance scheme to remove the current restriction on the acquisition of second-hand properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20502/26]

1114. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will permit the use of the capital assistance scheme for the acquisition of properties intended for use as respite centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20504/26]

1115. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of the retrospective defective concrete blocks scheme; the timeline for the final approval and full sign off of the scheme; the steps being taken to ensure that once approval is granted funding will be made available without delay; whether the relevant teams administering the scheme are ful…

1116. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he will review the provision within the defective concrete blocks scheme that limits eligibility in respect of rental properties where the dwelling has been rented for more than 20 years; whether he accepts that this provision may exclude homeowners whose properties were rented for periods but are sti…

1117. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the rule within the defective concrete blocks scheme that restricts applicants to eligibility in respect of one rental property only; whether his Department has examined the impact of this restriction on families who may own more than one affected property due to inheritance or family circum…

This was not a budget for the ordinary worker, the fleeced generation or the hoodwinked masses whom the Government fooled into voting for it last year. I got an e-mail from a constituent of mine in Malahide yesterday afternoon. It might interest the Minister because this individual is not a voter of mine. She is actually a voter of the Minister's party. This constituent wrote to me and said she w…

In this budget, the Government has clearly prioritised big business interests and big developers over ordinary people, ordinary families and ordinary businesses. It is a "McBudget". It is hard to swallow what has been put forward, particularly when the Government had the chance to lift 40,000 children out of poverty, help families who are struggling by providing targeted energy credits, introduce …

I welcome the opportunity to speak here in the Dáil today to recommend the budget from the point of view of its impact on our sporting sector as well as our postal policy and post office network. The Government remains committed to supporting our sporting ecosystem in order that more people can participate in, and benefit from, sport and fulfil their potential, from grassroots right up to high-per…

During the year, spending runs out of control and the Government acts like it is normal. There are billions more spent but no more houses built. There are overruns and overruns but no improvement in services. There is a breakdown in financial management in this State, from the hundreds of thousands of euro on bike sheds to the tens of millions spent renting empty offices to the billions of euro on…

That is outrageous. How that can be done is unconscionable. The fact that the two Ministers delivered the policies of today and did not mention homelessness is beyond belief, but it is probably not beyond the belief of all those people who are in homelessness because that is what they expect. Homelessness is not an inevitability; it is the result of having a weak, broken housing system that fails …

As the Government well knows, its exclusive retrofit scheme is out of the reach of many, particularly people who are living in energy poverty and all those with homes that were seriously damaged during Storm Éowyn and that remain extremely cold as a result. The Government should replace the current scheme with a tiered and targeted vision that would allow people on middle and low incomes to retrof…

The absence of the Ministers is not a sign that there is an interest in what we have to say. An independent life is what we all aspire to. What hope can young people have of an independent life and a home of their own after this budget? Two thirds of people under the age of 35 live at home with their parents. What hope can a disabled person have? What hope can a family paying €3,000 euro on avera…

People may know me as passionate. I am actually speechless after seeing what the Government has brought into the budget, and I am not often speechless. I also feel empathy for the people who work in this country. I have had families on to me again today saying they were hoping they would have something in this budget that would help them to survive. Instead, the more they work - and they are takin…

Every budget tells us who matters, what matters, and who does not matter. This one tells us that far too many Irish people do not matter to the Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and Lowryite Administration. Yes there are some good measures in the budget, until we scratch the surface of it. There is a €10 increase for pensioners and social welfare recipients, a €5 increase in fuel allowance, and a 9% VAT rat…

The Minister is absolutely correct. There are planning permissions for 40,000 apartments that have not yet been commenced. The Minister claimed that this measure is to activate those permissions. Why then provide a VAT reduction in respect of apartments under construction? All the expenditure being provided for this measure next year is for apartments that are currently being built. It takes appro…

It is absolutely extraordinary that this measure is being brought in for apartments currently under construction, some of which are near completion. In the context of many of those apartments, the prices are locked in. Those purchasing them - approved housing bodies or whomever - have already agreed a price. This will create a windfall profit for developers, and that money will go straight into th…

-----and to activate more housing nor have I ever seen a Government that was not allowed to do more than the programme for Government. We may stray beyond the programme for Government from time to time, so be warned. Meath County Council has surpassed its housing targets with the support of Government. We will work with it to do even more. Coming from a county with a growing young population, just…

I move: (1) THAT the Value-Added Tax Consolidation Act 2010 (No. 31 of 2010), be amended— (a) in section 46(1) – (i) in paragraph (a), by the insertion of “(cab),” after “(caa),”, (ii) in paragraph (c), by the insertion of “, (cab)” after “(caa)”, and (iii) by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (caa): “(cab) during the period from 8 October 2025 to 31 December 2030, 9 p…

The Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage has completed its consideration of the following Further Revised Estimate for Public Services for the service of the year ending on 31 December 2025: Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

I want to briefly refer to the criminal actions that happened overnight where Israel kidnapped Irish citizens and other humanitarian personnel and illegally seized 14 vessels carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Government must now implement serious sanctions against Israel. There can be no more impunity. Colleagues of ours in this House and in the other House have been kidnapped in internationa…

I thank the Deputy. He is correct. On Monday, the Tánaiste and I met with the parents of Harvey Morrison Sherratt, along with other advocates who were there to support the family. The Tánaiste and I listened carefully to what his parents said. It must have been a particularly difficult time, as all of this period has been for them, but also recognising it has been two months since the death of the…

I updated the House earlier. They should be fully in sympathy. I also recognise that whoever is leading the inquiry will need to clarify the terms and make a final decision on what they need to be. I anticipate a comprehensive and transparent inquiry where the terms of reference are developed in partnership. The Government is one piece. The advocates are another piece, as is the person leading fro…

Yes. We are having the third meeting today. I will meet the hip dysplasia advocacy group on Tuesday, 14 October in Leinster House. I will also make clear to all parents who may not wish to be part of an advocacy group, or be connected to that, I am here to hear from them at any stage as well. It is also important to update the House that a meeting was held with the DDH advocacy group and the HSE …

I join the Deputy in expressing my sincere sympathy and absolute condemnation in relation to what has happened at the synagogue in Manchester. The information is still developing as we are in this House, but I understand that two people have now died. Today is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. That adds to the horror of an attack and brutal murder outside of a synagogue. I send t…

First, if I may, I want to mention two constituents of mine, Thomas McHugh and Louise Heaney, at least one of whom has been taken by Israel Defense Forces, following the actions of the IDF against the flotilla. Our minds are very much with them. Their families and a lot of constituents have been in touch with my office this afternoon. I wanted to put their names on the record and say that we will…

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Mark Wall - To discuss the provision of an hourly train service for Athy. Deputy Paula Butterly - To discuss the rule preventing widows, widowers and surviving civil partners from receiving illness benefit. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - T…

Once again, I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. Addressing vacancy and dereliction is a key priority for the Government. As I stated, I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. As I mentioned, with to regard to dereliction and vacancy in Ireland, particularly in small towns and villages, the Government is ta…

I am glad to have an opportunity to debate this issue. I thank the Social Democrats for putting the motion before the House. It certainly is very timely with the budget happening next week. I have been and am appealing to the Government to get rid of the means test for people who are caring for loved ones. We are talking about human beings. When people become carers, they must, in many instances, …

There is less than a week to go before the budget is announced and it is apparently "elbows out" at the Cabinet table, or at least that is what the newspapers are reporting. We are told there are battles going on behind the scenes as Ministers try to secure money for their Departments. You would swear this was a Government that made every single penny count. Of course, then we read the latest damn…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis an t-eolas is deánaí a thabhairt don Teach faoi na pleananna forbartha atá againn don spórt agus táim ag súil le tuairimí na Dála a chloisteáil. I am glad to be here for these statements on investments in sport, a sector which is vital to our society both at local and national levels, and on the major sports events that Ireland hosts. The community sport facilities fun…