Questions

368. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the mechanism in place for members of the public and legitimate operators to report suspected non-compliance with the safety requirements for commercially hired inflatable amusement equipment under the Planning and Development (Fairgrounds and Fairgrounds Equipment) Regulations 2025; if operators advertising inflatable equ…

369. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures being taken to enforce the safety-certification requirements for commercially hired inflatable amusement equipment, including bouncy castles, under the Planning and Development (Fairgrounds and Fairground Equipment) Regulations 2025; the number of inflatable-hire operators inspected since the regulations came …

481. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason local authorities with limited resources, that serve economically disadvantaged counties, such as Donegal County Council, are expected to co-fund multi-million capital projects, funded by central Government to the same level as all other local authorities. [68037/26]

432. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider a review option and compensation scheme for homeowners who proceeded with an option 1 demolition and rebuild of their home under the defective concrete blocks grant scheme, in line with the recommendation of their engineer but not in line with the option provided for by the Housing Agency, following the…

162. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when a scheme will commence to relocate nine families, living in defective concrete block homes away from a location (details supplied); when his Department officials will consult with the homeowners on the design of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47952/26]

166. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, in light of the revision of I.S. 465, he will direct that all appeals currently before the Defective Concrete Blocks Appeals Boards continue to be determined and issued without delay, given that appellants have already endured lengthy delays in the scheme and continue remain living in deteriorating homes. [47953/26]

335. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the defective concrete block scheme for social housing will commence. [48592/26]

199. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he acknowledges that the revision of I.S. 465 strengthens the position of homeowners whose applications were downgraded by the Housing Agency and who have consistently argued that such downgrade decisions were legally and scientifically flawed; and if he will confirm that all downgrade appeals will continue to be heard …

200. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will confirm that the defective concrete blocks appeals boards will continue to hear and determine outstanding downgrade appeals without interruption or delay, given that all downgrade appeals determined to date have resulted in the Housing Agency's decisions being annulled; that those appeals were lodged and adjudic…

201. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, in light of the fact that all downgrade appeals heard to date have resulted in the Housing Agency's decisions being annulled, he will direct that cases returned to the Housing Agency for re-assessment be dealt with immediately and as a priority; given that some homeowners have been engaged with the defective concrete b…

207. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on when his Department will provide the funding to Donegal County Council to proceed with affordable housing projects in the county. [37484/26]

222. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on when a scheme will commence to relocate nine families, living in defective concrete block homes away from a location (details supplied); and when his Department officials will consult with the homeowners on the design of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37483/26]

645. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will bring forward the necessary regulations that will allow for side-by-side construction of homes under the defective concrete blocks grant scheme to allow some families to remain in their defective home while a new home is built on an adjacent site. [37729/26]

688. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant or derelict hotel and guesthouse properties in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34354/26]

524. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will finally commence the defective concrete block scheme for social housing. [32840/26]

525. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason families who are currently rebuilding/ remediating their homes under the defective concrete block grant scheme cannot avail of the increased cap of €462,000 all at once rather than having to work to the previous cap of €420,000 and then separately apply for the difference of €42,000; and if he will amend the reg…

1832. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on his Department’s plans to relocate families living in defective concrete block homes (details supplied) away from this dangerous flood plain; with clear timelines; and how those affected homeowners are to be included in the drafting of the plans. [27242/26]

1833. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which the State can assist homeowners living in thatched cottages to continue to live in and sustain these heritage properties, considering the escalating cost of insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27243/26]

159. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will request that the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, SCSI, draft a follow-up report on construction costs for the defective concrete blocks grant scheme, considering that the last one was almost two years ago and costs have considerably increased in that period. [17183/26]

163. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will advance the plans to relocate the families at a location (details supplied), living in defective concrete block homes, away from the dangerous flood plain they were built on. [17184/26]

608. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which the defective concrete blocks grant scheme complies with the State’s current building regulations and the EU’s revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in that the defective concrete blocks grant scheme only adheres to the 2007 Building Regulations for the purposes of eligible costs, incentivising…

616. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which he can assist older people who are eligible for the defective concrete block grant scheme but who are unable to uproot at this advanced stage of their lives; if he will consider allowing them to transfer their eligibility on to a beneficiary in their will, or to a purchaser who has paid the fair market pri…

156. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when homeowners who have spent money since March 2024 under the defective concrete block grant scheme will be reimbursed up to the new maximum cap, following the passing of recent legislation. [15384/26]

402. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to review the 20-year claw back for owners who seek to remediate their properties that are not their primary home, under the defective concrete block grant scheme. [11131/26]

662. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when homeowners who have spent money since March 2024 under the defective concrete block grant scheme will be reimbursed up to the new maximum cap, following the passing of recent legislation. [8018/26]