Questions

386. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of the retrospective costs pathfinder project; the stage it has reached; when its findings are expected to inform decisions on retrospective payments under the statutory apartments and duplex defects remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2989/26]

387. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the legal challenge to the 2025 Section 28 guidelines on apartment design standards including an assessment of the impact of the referral of the matter to the European Court of Justice on the use of the NEE standards; and an update on when the National Planning Policy Statement on apartment design standards …

388. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is tracking the number of planning applications submitted using the 2025 section 28 design standards for apartments; if so, to confirm the number of such planning applications lodged to date; and the total number of units involved in these applications, separating out new applications from applications to change e…

389. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost of social homes delivered in 2025 broken down by delivery stream, including SHIP Construction, SHIP Turnkey, CALF Construction, CALF Turnkey, CAS Construction, CAS Turnkey, and social housing acquisitions. [3003/26]

390. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost of affordable homes delivered in 2025 broken down by delivery stream, including cost rental equity loan, affordable purchase scheme and Local Development Agency, LDA, cost rental. [3004/26]

391. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of cost rental and affordable purchase homes delivered in County Waterford in each year from 2020 to 2025, and the pipeline for 2026, in tabular form, by funding stream and-or acquisition type. [3007/26]

392. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of new social housing homes delivered in County Waterford in each year from 2020 to 2025, and the pipeline for 2026, in tabular form, by funding stream and-or acquisition type. [3008/26]

393. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of tenant-in-situ purchase applications received, completed and refused in County Waterford in each year from 2020 to 2025; and the number of instances for each refusal reason type. [3009/26]

394. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the review of the grant support arrangements for septic tanks, especially for those currently not eligible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3056/26]

395. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress of exempted development regulations; when the details of what is included in the new regulations will be provided for modular garden units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3059/26]

396. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount his Department, or agencies under its remit, spent on advertising on a social media platform (details supplied) in each of the years 2024 and 2025, respectively; to outline any expenditure on verification or premium accounts on the platform in those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3106/26]

397. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of preschool providers who operate under ECCE, and not previously paying rates, now being contacted by Tailte Éireann informing them that their buildings will be measured and assessed for the purpose of rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3116/26]

398. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage , further to Parliamentary Question No 216 of 21 November 2025, the way he can equate that response with the reply by his Department to Kildare County Council (details supplied) which states, that KCC does not have authorisation to make exceptions; his views that his reply to this Deputy is at odds with his official's reply to …

399. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can provide details of the options open to a person or family in need of housing who earn over the income limit to qualify for social housing, who are paying rent and not able to save for a deposit yet are under the income threshold for housing deemed to be affordable by the Government; and if he will make a statement on t…

400. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider increasing the current income threshold for studio apartments under the cost rental scheme, given issues regarding the current threshold (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3187/26]

401. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider matters raised in correspondence relating to archaeological costs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3201/26]

402. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the exempted development regulations, given that public consultation closed in August 2025. [3220/26]

403. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in view of the rapid population growth in the Donabate and Portrane area, and the strain this will put on existing services, if he will establish a cross-departmental review to ensure that essential services are properly aligned with population growth in Donabate and Portrane. [3231/26]

404. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in light of his Department's policy requiring local authorities to review, or vary, their development plans to provide additional land zoned for residential development, the reason some local authorities have advised their members that the variation process cannot facilitate zoning of lands within local area plans or LAPs, ther…

405. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider increasing the capital means threshold for women over 70 years entitled to a non-contributary pension who had previously been entitled to a full pension as part of the deserted wives' payment. [2991/26]

406. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider the case of a student requiring access to the back-to-education allowance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3243/26]

407. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on his attendance at the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions-the Foundation Forum 2025. [66789/25]

408. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection to report on his recent meeting with the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee. [68343/25]

409. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is considering any additional legislative measures to end enforced deprivation and poverty of disabled people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72864/25]

410. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is considering any emergency measures to help people with disabilities and their families to deal with increasing cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72863/25]