Questions

626. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has examined the role of Sport England's planning and advisory functions, particularly its engagement with local authorities in ensuring adequate provision of sports and recreational facilities; if lessons from this model are being considered in the Irish context; and if he will make a statement on the matt…

627. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding any review of the qualifying income thresholds for cost rental housing developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3326/26]

628. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the research and analysis that informed the decision regarding the qualifying income thresholds for cost rental housing developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3327/26]

629. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to cases whereby an individual cannot qualify for cost rental housing due to being below the income threshold but if they apply with their partner, they are over the income threshold; the actions he will take to address cases like this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3328/26]

630. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the responsibilities a county council continues to have for people on their housing list after they allocate them housing with a housing body where issues with maintenance or other works arise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3337/26]

631. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to bring in planning exemptions for the installation of solar panels on public buildings or community buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3338/26]

632. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the new draft wind energy guidelines, due for publication next year, will address setback distances, shadow flicker and noise; the work has been carried out to address same with regard to these specific aspects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3340/26]

633. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to his confirmation that Fingal County Council will be admitted to the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme, the precise status of the designation process; the steps remaining before Fingal County Council is formally designated under the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act…

634. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of the Local Democracy Taskforce; the dates of meetings held; which key milestones have been completed to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3376/26]

635. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the expected timeline for the publication of the Local Democracy Taskforce’s recommendations; if the recommendations will be provided to Government and published in the first half of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3377/26]

636. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to list the stakeholder organisations that have submitted to the Local Democracy Taskforce consultation; to provide an outline of the key themes emerging from the consultation submissions date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3378/26]

637. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether new six-year tenancy terms will apply to those renting out homes while undertaking the fair deal scheme; and if so, the way in which this will be applied upon their death given the responsibility to repay the fair deal loan most often facilitated through sale of the home. [3380/26]

638. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the regulations on sinking funds and service charges will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3484/26]

639. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the additional funding that was provided to the Housing Agency in Budget 2026; if this will allow the agency to commence regulation of the owners' management company sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3485/26]

640. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether a full assessment of the carbon impact of all measures contained in the programme Delivering Homes, Building Communities will be undertaken and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3518/26]

641. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social rental housing units being provided in 2022, 2023, and 2024 under payment and availability agreement arrangements (P&A); the total cost of these agreements in these years; and the average P&A cost per unit in these years, in tabular form. [3544/26]

642. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the Wind Energy Guidelines; when they will be updated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3553/26]

643. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the delay in permitting people to move into homes in Domville Crescent, Cherrywood, that they were allocated over 14 months ago; the legal issues between the AHB Oaklee and the developer that appear to be stalling access to homes for the families who urgently need to be housed; if he will agree that this i…

644. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to list the roles within public or semi-State organisations under his Department that are excluded from the single public service pension scheme; the number of people employed in those roles, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3621/26]

645. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that 24 of the 27 Member States of the European Union require photographic ID to be produced by all voters at polling stations; his views on whether it is acceptable for Ireland to be one of three outliers who do not have such a requirement; and his plans to amend the law to bring Ireland in line with virtually all ot…

646. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which the 3,504 non-EEA persons referenced in his Department's homelessness statistics for November 2025 qualify for emergency accommodation; the legal duty the State owes to non-EEA nationals to provide them with housing; the criteria which non-EEA nationals must meet in order to qualify for emergency accommodation; and …

647. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to review the house price ceilings under the local authority home loan. [3745/26]

648. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount allocated and amount spent for the tenant-in-situ scheme for 2025, broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3749/26]

649. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the assistance available for a family who have received a notice of termination from their landlord and are over the income threshold for social housing support and who cannot avail of the cost rental tenant-in-situ scheme as the landlord requires the property back for a family member; and if he will make a statement on the matter. […

650. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason a pre-school (details supplied) operating under the ECCE scheme has received a commercial rates bill; whether this is now the standard for all ECCE pre-schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3859/26]