Questions

254. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he will identify any AI training offered to people working in the Department; the level of take-up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18437/25]

255. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he will detail how many physical letters the Minister’s offices and the customer service team in the Department received from the public in 2024; whether those letters are digitised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18462/25]

256. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he will detail how many emails the Minister’s offices and the customer service mailbox the Department received from the public in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18479/25]

257. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he will detail whether any surveys have been carried out to estimate the amount of time taken up with administrative tasks where such time could be used more efficiently; if so, in which areas of the Department has this examination been carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18496/25]

258. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide the detailed expenditure for the purchase of the Ukrainian community cars through the network of local development companies; the number of cars purchased for this purpose; the number of drivers that have been employed for this purpose; if all the vehicles and drivers have been used for this purpose; if any vehicl…

259. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the ‘Evaluation of applicability of the water reuse regulations in Ireland’ consultation which was awarded a tender in 2023, and due to be completed in early 2024; to provide details of the results and recommendations of the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18093/25]

260. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the measures he is taking to increase housing supply in Wexford, including social housing and affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18115/25]

261. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount allocated to Wexford County Council for the tenant in-situ-scheme for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18116/25]

262. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant homes officers employed in each local authority; the number of posts that are vacant; the cost of employing each officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18152/25]

263. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount that is owed as of March 2025 to each local authority for expenditure on the provision of housing, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18174/25]

264. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has carried out, sought or received reports or analysis on the impacts, or potential impacts, that the accommodation recognition payment may be having on the private rental sector; if he will publish any such documents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18180/25]

265. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in respect of any reports or analysis on the impacts, or potential impacts, that the accommodation recognition payment may be having on the private rental sector that were carried out or received by his Department, the other Departments and agencies that were engaged with prior to conclusion of same, the other Departments or agencie…

266. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in respect of any reports or analysis on the impacts, or potential impacts, that the accommodation recognition payment may be having on the private rental sector that were carried out or received by his Department; the dates in which these were sought and received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18182/25]

267. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage following the Taoiseach’s recent announcement that will be appointed imminently, the powers the Housing Czar will have (details supplied) ; the function of the position; the remuneration for the position; the breakdown of the appointment process; the qualifying criteria; the person or body that carried out the appraisals; and if h…

268. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 56 of 20 March 2025, if he will provide an updated and more detailed reply to the question (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18205/25]

269. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount spent to date by Uisce Éireann on the water supply project eastern and midlands region. [18238/25]

270. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are plans to introduce affordable housing schemes for self-employed persons. [18267/25]

271. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if regulations on service charges and sinking funds, which were drafted by the Housing Agency in February 2022, will be issued by the end of Q3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18280/25]

272. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has identified sufficient resources to put in place in Q4 2025 to enable the unit in the Housing Agency to regulate owners’ management companies, as envisaged in the Programme for Government, to commence its work on an administrative basis in Q1 2026. [18281/25]

273. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his Department's position on Dublin City Council's proposal to restrict care leavers' access to social housing, particularly excluding those coming from foster care. [18294/25]

274. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are plans to issue national guidelines to ensure that care leavers across all local authorities are adequately supported in accessing social housing. [18295/25]

275. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department is taking to support care leavers who are not eligible for housing priority under Dublin City Council's new criteria, particularly those leaving foster care, to prevent them from becoming homeless. [18296/25]

276. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will review planning regulations around hoarding and advertising on protected structures, such as the railway bridge at Ballybough, the only protected structure in the community, which is currently dominated by large-scale commercial advertising; if he will engage with Dublin City Council and Iarnród Éireann to exp…

277. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of Dublin City Council’s recent decision to restrict priority social housing status to care leavers coming solely from residential care, thereby excluding those transitioning from foster care; the measures his Department is taking to ensure that all vulnerable young people exiting State care, regardless of their care …

278. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the establishment of the Local Democracy Taskforce, as announced by his Department on 26 March 2025; the specific terms of reference for this taskforce; the timeline and mechanisms through which it intends to implement the Government’s commitments to rebalance power between elected councillors and executive officers…