Questions

460. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider the preparation and issuing of a circular on best practice recommendations in relation to Irish language provision, and implications for workforce planning, for local authorities. [13679/25]

477. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide the extent of commercial rates arrears carried by each local authority, for each of the past five years; the local authorities carrying arrears outside of that five year period; the extent of commercial rates arrears written off by each local authority, each year for the past five years, in tabular form. [14210/25]

824. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authority pensions are index linked; when the increases take effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10768/25]

873. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of local authority access officers; if this role is filled in each local authority; whether the role is full-time or part-time; and what grade the access officer role is in each Local Authority [11335/25]

881. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the person or body responsible for enforcing tree protection orders in local authorities and the process for members of the public to report infringements. [11442/25]

889. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the completion of local authority strategies for the creation, improvement and preservation of sustainable places and communities for the functional area of the planning authority, as detailed in the Planning And Development Act 2024, including when they will be published; and if he will make a statement on th…

890. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the publication date for a guide to the provision of allotments and community gardens by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11572/25]

904. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has concerns that local authorities are preventing genuine farmers from building on their own lands (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11703/25]

922. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the means by which he will encourage and incentivise local authorities to deliver a greater focus and budget on nature restoration; and the enforcement measures available should local authorities not comply with their obligations in this regard. [11930/25]

978. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide for municipal districts in the six local authorities that currently do not have them (details supplied) in order to improve decision-making within these local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12799/25]

107. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the allocation of the general municipal allocation (details supplied) by individual councillors, particularly in relation to any differences in practice between municipal districts; and if he will outline the framework governing such allocations. [9956/25]

440. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will reconsider the recent directive to local authorities around housing aid grants for the elderly whereby funding will not be provided for the replacement of an old oil boiler (heating system) with a new model boiler; if funding will only be provided for second-hand boilers; and if he will accept that this pr…

272. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of planners employed by each local authority on 1 February 2025. [8741/25]

177. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify the required qualifications for executive engineering positions within local authorities; if he considers a BSc in civil engineering to be an appropriate qualification given that it is accredited by two professional organisations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8282/25]

186. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a BSc degree in civil engineering is an eligible qualification for executive engineer and other engineering roles in local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8540/25]

503. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to make disability access training compulsory for technical and planning staff within each local authority. [7316/25]

504. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to make funding available for each local authority for accessibility auditing and accessibility improvements to services to the public. [7317/25]

505. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to make funding available for each local authority to ensure each event organised by the local authority would have individuals’ accessibility needs addressed. [7318/25]

506. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to make disability equity and awareness training compulsory for all local authority staff. [7319/25]

553. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will extend the temporary waiver on development contributions payable to local authorities for those building homes in 2025; if he has assessed the impact that these contributions have on individuals trying to commence home construction, particularly in rural areas; and if he will consider further measures to alleviate financ…

234. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if funding for cost rental tenant-in-situ scheme was suspended to local authorities at any period in October, November and December of 2024; the amount allocated to local authorities for the scheme across each month of 2024; the number in each local authority for cost rental purchase either underway, completed or in the pipeline, in…

235. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address the lack of funding in Galway City Council for extensions on council properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6893/25]

466. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he intends to supply additional funding for priority-3 adaptation grants to local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6222/25]

470. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 852 of 9 September 2024, if the review of the working group has been completed; if a Level 8 BSc in Construction Project Management is to be included in the list of approved qualifications for engineering roles within Local Authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6264…

202. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, given the increase in adaptation grants as announced in Budget 2025, it is a necessity of those who had previously applied under the old limits and were proceeding through the process, to submit a new application to their local authority. [5239/25]