Parliamentary questions

159. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how he ensures that all websites operated by his Department are accessible to the visually impaired. [4820/26]

160. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if any website or other platform operated by his Department uses an AI-enabled chatbot; if there are plans to use chatbots; in what circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4838/26]

161. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total sums spent for each year from 2016 to 2025, inclusive of advertising, by his Department on social media or online platforms, including identifying separately payments to influencers on such platforms; and to set out the annual totals for that period to each specific platform, including but not limited…

162. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if ECCE-early years childcare and education services that are 100% State funded and effectively not operating for profit are liable for commercial rates; if so, if his Department will provide or subsidise commercial rates for ECCE services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4935/26]

163. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail his plans to develop and support a co-operative housing sector in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5098/26]

164. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will commit to a referendum on the right to housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5099/26]

165. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider implementing a Livret A-style state savings scheme. [5100/26]

166. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will introduce a winter eviction ban; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5101/26]

167. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail his plans to build public construction capacity to ensure Ireland has the workers needed to deliver a housing savings scheme in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5102/26]

168. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when his Department plans to draw down on the EU funding for housing made available through the EU affordable housing plan; his plans for the funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5103/26]

169. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail the way in which affordable housing will be prioritised under Ireland’s EU Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5104/26]

170. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will declassify the vacant property grant issued for rental properties as an affordable housing measure so that it is not counted in statistics published affordable housing delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5105/26]

171. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail his plans to lower cost rental rents, so that they are actually affordable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5106/26]

172. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail his plans to lower the price of affordable purchase homes, so that they are actually affordable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5107/26]

625. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a schedule of derogation licence requests made to the National Parks and Wildlife Service to undertake control measures in respect of protected animal and birds by local authority, to include location sought to conduct control measures in each year from 2019 to date in 2026; if he will inclu…

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 s…

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.…

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…

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]