Parliamentary questions

290. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total expenditure by his Department on social housing acquisitions in 2025; and to provide a breakdown of the number of homes purchased with this funding, by type including tenant-in-situ, vacant homes acquisition, housing first, age-friendly right sizing, and so on. [7144/26]

291. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total capital allocation for social housing acquisitions for 2026. [7145/26]

292. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he accepts that a growing cohort of working households in private rental accommodation are effectively excluded from both social housing, affordable housing supports and cost rental; the targeted policy responses that exist for this group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7166/26]

293. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average length of private tenancies in Ireland; how this compares with other EU jurisdictions; and if he accepts that short-term tenancies, and annual leases, contribute to housing insecurity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7168/26]

294. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he accepts that greater long-term, secure rental options are required for households not eligible for social housing but unable to access home ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7170/26]

295. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of private landlords who exited the rental market in each of the past five years; and what assessment has been made of the impact on rental availability and rents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7171/26]

296. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he accepts that continued reliance on both small-scale private landlords and large institutional and investment funds may not be sufficient or appropriate to meet long-term, secure rental demand; and if alternative, non-profit or social-purpose delivery models are under consideration to provide stable,…

297. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reasons a development (details supplied) remain vacant almost one year after their completion; the specific factors preventing their allocation, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7173/26]

298. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total estimated cost to the State of leaving a development (details supplied) unoccupied to date including lost rental income, maintenance and depreciation costs, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7174/26]

299. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current timeline and action plan for the allocation of all vacant social housing units in a development (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7175/26]

300. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department plans to set a mandatory deadline by which all vacant social housing units in a development (details supplied) must be occupied; the way in which compliance with such a deadline will be enforced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7176/26]

301. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether planning conditions for developers operating within an area (details supplied) require social housing units to be allocated within a defined period following completion; if no such requirement exists the reason for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7178/26]

302. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the assessment which has been carried out on the impact of leaving newly built social housing units vacant on local communities housing demand and homelessness in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7180/26]

303. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the income accrued by social housing tenants renting a room in their property and availing of the rent a room tax relief is also disregarded for the purposes of calculating the social housing tenants differential rent. [7202/26]

304. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if modular homes will be given favourable consideration for planning permission (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7204/26]

305. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as part of the solution to the housing crisis and in addition to allowing planning exemptions for modular homes in back gardens, to allow modular homes be given favourable consideration in the context of obtaining planning permission as a replacement for one off housing (details supplied); and if he will make …

306. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when his Department first issued formal guidance to local authorities on the operation of the tenant rent-a-room scheme for local authority tenants; which local authorities formally confirmed to his Department that the scheme had been implemented; and the steps his Department took to ensure the scheme was operati…

307. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department required local authorities to submit data on the tenant rent-a-room scheme, including applications received, approvals granted, and rooms made available; whether any regular monitoring or reporting framework was put in place by his Department for this scheme; and if not, the reasons no such…

308. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has carried out any internal review or evaluation of the tenant rent-a-room scheme for local authority tenants since its introduction; whether the significant gap between projected housing supply and actual delivery has been examined; and the policy changes or corrective actions which are n…

309. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department issued any circulars, directives, or follow-up instructions to local authorities where no applications were received or where the tenant rent-a-room scheme was not operational; and the steps that were taken by his Department to address non-implementation by local authorities. [7210/26]

310. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department assessed administrative, insurance, tenancy, or welfare interaction barriers faced by local authority tenants under the tenant rent-a-room scheme prior to its rollout; whether such barriers contributed to the extremely low uptake; and the responsibility his Department accepts for the failur…

311. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when local authorities will receive their budget for housing acquisitions for 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7251/26]

312. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeline for the preparation of a national planning statement regarding rural housing and housing within Gaeltacht areas, as promised by the Government in its national housing plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7280/26]

313. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the grants which are available for community groups to upgrade existing wastewater treatment system/septic tank to a bio system on land owned by the group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7309/26]

86. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the research or evidence he has that demonstrates than an increase in high-cost private rental accommodation will, over time, bring down rents. [6639/26]