Questions

590. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage given the recent confirmation that homes in Dublin Fingal are now to be included in the defective concrete blocks grant scheme, whether Fingal County Council have been instructed on the implementation on the scheme by his Department; and when applications can be made from residents in Dublin Fingal. [74425/26]

357. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of the formal complaints mechanisms available to residents of emergency accommodation where they have concerns regarding the conduct of accommodation providers or staff (details supplied); if complaints can be made directly to the relevant local authority, the regional homeless executive or his Department; the proc…

380. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he will consider mandatory follow-up of sale-based terminations, including requiring the former tenant to be offered the tenancy back where the sale does not proceed. [70336/26]

373. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of EU Presidency policy and administrative officers now employed on temporary contracts across his Department, in Ireland and abroad; if these individuals can apply to internal civil service competitions for these temporary contracts; the plans being developed to retain these individuals once their contracts cease, …

112. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total amount of derelict sites levy assessed, collected and outstanding within the Fingal County Council administrative area in 2025 and 2026 to date; the number of sites liable for the levy in each year ahead of the planned transfer of responsibility for the collection of the derelict sites levy from local authorities to …

113. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he has assessed the potential financial impact on Fingal County Council arising from the transfer of derelict sites levy collection over to the Revenue Commissioners; the estimated amount of derelict sites levy revenue that Fingal County Council would forego under the new arrangements; the alternative funding mechanism…

119. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he has assessed the potential financial impact on Fingal County Council arising from the transfer of derelict sites levy collection over to the Revenue Commissioners; the estimated amount of derelict sites levy revenue that Fingal County Council would forego under the new arrangements; and if he will make a statement o…

599. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the 2026 Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) Circular requires local authorities to include a mix of properties across a range of building energy ratings (BERs) when selecting dwellings for retrofit works; whether this approach means that estates with the poorest-performing homes are not prioritised for …

1120. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in regard to the new rules for rural housing, the definition of a rural area under urban influence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43210/26]

136. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage given the recent confirmation that homes in Dublin Fingal are now to be included in the defective concrete blocks grant scheme (details supplied); whether Fingal County Council have been instructed on the implementation on the scheme by his Department; when precisely applications can be made from residents in Dublin Fingal; an…

690. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the proposed rural housing guidelines; whether consideration is being given to allowing non-farming families to apply for permission for an additional dwelling on their family land, by reasons of close family ties to an area, increasing the current provision from one to two houses; and if he will make a statem…

583. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason women and children residing in domestic violence refuges are not included in the official homeless figures; if he acknowledges that their exclusion may underrepresent the true scale of homelessness, particularly among women and families; and if he will consider revising the methodology used in the compilation of hom…

245. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of emergency accommodation facilities currently in use nationwide; the proportion of these facilities that have been inspected in the past 12 months; the body or bodies responsible for carrying out such inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27835/26]

246. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the standards and regulations governing emergency accommodation; the mechanisms in place to ensure compliance with these standards; the number of facilities found to be non-compliant in the past two years; the nature of such non-compliance; the actions taken in response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27836/26…

247. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the frequency with which emergency accommodation facilities are inspected; whether inspections are announced or unannounced; the number of inspections carried out in each of the past three years; the outcomes of these inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27837/26]

248. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the procedures in place for residents of emergency accommodation to make complaints; the bodies responsible for handling such complaints; the number of complaints received in each of the past three years; the average time taken to resolve such complaints. [27838/26]

249. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the oversight mechanisms in place to monitor the quality of emergency accommodation; whether independent audits are conducted; the steps being taken to improve transparency and accountability in the provision of such accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27839/26]

250. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the enforcement actions available where emergency accommodation providers fail to meet required standards; whether any providers have had contracts suspended or terminated due to non-compliance; the details of such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27840/26]

325. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the eligibility population threshold for towns applying under the newly announced Towns and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund; to confirm whether the threshold is 10,000, 9,000, or another figure; the basis for the threshold applied; whether it is based on Census 2022 settlement populations; and whether towns with a populati…

986. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of shark fin products and derivatives under Irish Law; the person or body responsible for enforcement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20058/26]

1044. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in light of the ongoing homelessness crisis and the Government's decision to restrict the tenant-in-situ scheme; the specific alternative mechanism put in place at the time of the restriction to prevent tenants at risk from entering homelessness; the date this mechanism become operational; and if he will make a statement on t…

1045. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in light of the ongoing homelessness crisis and the Government's decision to restrict the tenant-in-situ scheme, the number of households that would previously have qualified under the tenant-in-situ scheme that have since presented to homeless services following the restriction of the scheme; and if he will make a statement …

1046. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in light of the ongoing homelessness crisis and the Government's decision to restrict the tenant-in-situ scheme, the evidence-based assessment, risk analysis or modelling carried out by the Department prior to the decision to restrict the scheme, particularly in relation to projected increases in homelessness presentations; a…

1047. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in light of the ongoing homelessness crisis and the Government's decision to restrict the tenant-in-situ scheme and given the continued rise in homelessness figures, will the Minister acknowledge that restricting the scheme has exacerbated housing insecurity and commit to urgently restoring the tenant-in-situ scheme in full, …

1048. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in light of the ongoing homelessness crisis and the Government's decision to restrict the tenant-in-situ scheme, the projected additional number of households expected to enter homelessness in 2026 as a direct consequence of the policy change if the scheme is not going to be restored; and if he will make a statement on the ma…