Questions

98. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the promised updated wind energy development guidelines; the timeframe for their completion; if he is concerned by the number of planning applications for wind farms that were refused by local authorities and later had the decision overturned by ACP; if these decisions indicate a lack of understanding or interpretat…

108. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the promised updated wind energy development guidelines; the timeframe for their completion; if he is concerned by the number of planning applications for wind farms that were refused by local authorities and later had the decision overturned by ACP; if these decisions indicate a lack of understanding or interpreta…

393. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will introduce a waiver scheme for development contribution fees for first-time planning applicants seeking permission to build their first home, given the huge cost now involved in applying for planning permission and the fact some local authorities have increased the fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. […

115. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will take immediate steps to strengthen local democracy by reconstituting boroughs or corporations similar to the structures that once operated; and if he will consider Kilkenny city as a pilot project. [48286/26]

180. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will examine the merits of bringing the local authority audit system under the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General. [48287/26]

315. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is satisfied that his Department has an effective high level of oversight on the procurement processes and public accountability relative to the local authorities and agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40601/26]

638. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the regulations and guidelines being considered relative to the development of on shore wind farms; and if an indicative timeframe will be provided for their implementation [37644/26]

162. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if and when he became aware that the HSE 2017 position paper; Wind Turbines and Public Health had been withdrawn; if he is aware that developers continue to rely on this now-withdrawn document in planning applications; the steps he will take to address the resulting regulatory gap to maintain public confidence in the planning pr…

641. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1133 of 4 November 2025, if he has been given the completed report and recommendations from the housing agency which commenced drafting in May 2025 , relative to the concrete block test results from properties sampled in County Carlow, in 2024; if the individual reports and recommendations w…

445. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of civil servants and appropriate professionals involved in drafting the regulations governing wind farm developments; if the qualifications of each person involved in the work of drafting the regulations will be provided; if the input of affected communities already impacted by such developments will be sought; the t…

351. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to allow the use of private waste water treatment systems for developments in locations where there is inadequate or no public infrastructure provided by Irish Water; if large scale housing projects and such developments as nursing homes will be included for consideration; his plans to provide financial support for dom…

1133. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the inclusion of Carlow and Kilkenny in the defective block scheme; the known number of households affected in each county; if the lab results for each house tested by the UK company will be released on request to the individual households; if he is aware that the lack of decisions by his Departm…

660. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total amount of funding allocated by his Department to each local authority under the housing adaption grant scheme in each of the past five years; if the allocations by his Department were categorised whereby specific amounts were ring fenced for priority 1, 2 and 3, applications; if it is a matter for each local authority …

1201. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has received a report on the results of investigations that have taken place on a number of houses in Carlow that have or are suspected of having pyrite; if so, when the results will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45844/25]

382. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline the process by which the home of a person (details supplied) will be included in the defective blocks scheme; if he will give a timeline for a resolution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40444/25]

853. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the planning development charges imposed by county councils on successful applicants for one off houses will be suspended for a period to encourage the construction of homes and to reduce the costs involved; if a nominal flat once off charge will be considered; if an analysis of the impact of these charges will be undertaken …

871. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the documents proposing the review of the 2019 wind energy and development guidelines and the outcomes of the analysis to date, with all relevant working papers, will be published; the cost to date in developing these guidelines; if the process is near completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30917/25]

241. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline the number of agencies or quangos established by his Department in each of the past ten years and the cost to the State of funding each one. [24937/25]

703. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the creation of the proposed housing activation office has been costed, and if so, if he will set out the projected costs for each of the first five years; including the number of individuals to be employed by the office and the list of skills or professional qualifications that will be required by those involved; and if he w…

704. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide the status as promised on the intentions of Government to bring forward new guidelines to replace the 2006 guidelines on wind energy; if further changes to the planning process are being considered in respect of the need to ensure that the views and concerns of local communities affected by large scale wind fa…

1329. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of houses purchased by each of Carlow County Council and Kilkenny County Council under the tenant-in-situ scheme in each year since the scheme was launched; if his Department refused any such purchase during the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20679/25]

605. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the recently introduced regulations that have had the effect of disqualifying pensioners on a low income from seeking financial assistance by way of a grant from a local authority to replace a household boiler that is beyond economic repair will be reversed as the cost of an alternative system like air to water is not financi…

27. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing projects submitted to his Department by Kilkenny County Council and by Carlow County Council that are currently awaiting approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12880/25]

113. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a breakdown, on a local authority basis, of the number of tenant in situ purchases made by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12881/25]

816. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the temporary waiver scheme in respect of development contributions for planning for houses will be continued for the foreseeable future. [12977/25]