Parliamentary questions

1144. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether the planning exemptions introduced in 2022 have been successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60181/25]

78. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was not increased in line with construction inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57434/25]

79. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing units that have been realised by local authorities from 1 January 2020 to date in 2025 from the refurbishment/regeneration of vacant and derelict residential buildings and from the adaptive reuse of vacant and derelict non-residential buildings i.e. commercial, industrial or heritage buildi…

80. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he intends to review the mortgage-to-rent scheme and the use of private companies in light of the failure of a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57443/25]

81. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of home for life mortgage-to-rent properties inspected by the relevant local authority; the percentage of homes deemed non-compliant and requiring remedial works to meet minimum housing standards, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57444/25]

82. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the future of the mortgage-to-rent scheme given the latest published figures show the lowest number of active cases since the scheme was established and if he has any plans to amend the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57445/25]

83. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a timeline for the transfer of functions, regarding responsibility for the Multi-Unit Development Act 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57458/25]

84. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, in respect of local authority home loans, he will consider increasing the upper limit of the loan from €360,000 to €500,000 for homes in Dublin, where the average property price is higher than the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57484/25]

85. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, in respect of the first homes scheme to assist persons in purchasing new private homes with a market value no greater than €500,000, he will consider increasing that limit for homes in Dublin, where the average property price is higher than that; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57486/25]

86. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider providing for a process of direct election to regional assemblies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57489/25]

87. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to reintroduce the development contribution fees waiver; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57513/25]

88. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the additional funding for a CPO of vacant properties will be eligible for use for properties outside of URDF areas; and if not, the measures that will be in place to alleviate vacancy and dereliction in smaller towns and villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57530/25]

89. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on his Department's review of social housing income eligibility guidelines including the treatment and possible disregard of payments or part of payments such as child maintenance and family income supplement. [57545/25]

90. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to address the planning laws on land fronting on to “N” roads given under current legislation, farming families are unable to secure permission to build on family farmland or other available sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57554/25]

91. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the merits of providing grant funding to encourage the use of water butts; if he will consider this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57558/25]

92. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has projects, contracts, or pilots currently being undertaken or in development that make use of agentic AI; if the use of these technologies is internal only or public facing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57628/25]

93. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine the case of a person outlined in correspondence (details supplied); if a person in such circumstances qualifies for the affordable housing scheme or any other form of Government support with purchasing their first home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57635/25]

94. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of service contracts awarded to private consultancy firms, broken down by projects in IT, management, accounting and auditing, Department and cost, each year to date since 2000, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57661/25]

453. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in view of the recent EPA's report on the ecological collapse of Our Lady's Island Lake (lagoon), a priority area under the EU Habitat Directive, if he will instigate a coordinated response to this report and insure funding is forthcoming to protect and restore this lagoon, as it is of enormous ecological, hist…

454. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to review the 20 year claw back requirement for owners of rental properties that avail of remediation under the defective concrete blocks grant scheme. [56505/25]

455. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the proposed purchase of lands at Glen of the Downs, County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56511/25]

456. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 57 of 9 October 2025, the timeframe in which he intends to progress legislation to amend eligibility criteria for the accommodation recognition payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56542/25]

457. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authorities that consider carers allowance payments as income and include it in the calculation for social housing rent reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56558/25]

458. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to encourage purpose built housing for older adults by designating it as a specific use class or housing typology, as has been done for purpose built student accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56563/25]

459. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to extend the eligibility to avail of the defective concrete blocks grant scheme to homeowners who purchased their primary home in late 2020 and past the current cut-off point of January 2020. [56568/25]