Parliamentary questions

603. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, given spiralling building material and tradespeople costs, he will consider substantially raising the maximum adaptation grant of €40,000, which older and disabled people report as being significantly inadequate to cover the costs of necessary adaptations of their homes to facilitate independent livi…

604. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a house that had block work completed before 2008 will be considered substantially complete for the vacant property grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54871/25]

605. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 598 of 15 July 2025, if there is a further update on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54921/25]

606. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will respond to calls from homeowners engaging with the defective concrete blocks grant scheme that engineering and other mandatory professional fees be excluded from the grant cap and covered separately; that storage and temporary accommodation supports be made available to all applicants during …

607. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of derelict properties in counties Longford and Westmeath in 2023 and 2024. [54957/25]

608. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are any technical, legal, operational, or policy constraints preventing his Department, when publishing quarterly reports of payments or purchase orders over €20,000, from including additional columns that link each payment to its underlying procurement process specifically tender/contract title; name a…

609. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if all contracting authorities under the aegis of his Department are in full compliance with Circular 05/2023, in particular the mandatory requirement to publish contract award notices for all contracts above €25,000; and if he will provide details of the monitoring or enforcement arrangements in place to ensure…

610. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the measures his Department is taking to address homelessness among the over 65s and to prevent people retiring into homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55086/25]

611. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the euro amount estimated to be collected by Revenue from residential zoned land tax; the amount of revenue lost to local authorities from the vacant sites levy as a result of its replacement by residential zoned land tax; if his Department plans to compensate local authorities for loss in revenue and costs …

612. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the euro amount collected nationwide through the vacant sites levy in 2024 by local authorities (at 7% market value); the euro amount estimated to be raised from the same sites through residential zoned land tax in 2025 by Revenue (at 3% market value), by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make…

613. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 87 of 1 July 2025, if he will provide an update on the homes in County Meath seeking inclusion in the defective concrete blocks grant scheme; the number of properties being assessed; the timeline for a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55138/25]

614. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will support the continuation of the rates subvention paid to Offaly County Council on foot of the closure of the Shannonbridge power station beyond 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55146/25]

615. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which the discontinuation of long-term leasing agreements will help to address the housing crisis. [55147/25]

616. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the alternatives that will be put in place to support landlords and tenants currently in long-term agreements. [55148/25]

617. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a list of all studies, research and reports commissioned by his Department that were outsourced, in each of the past five years, in tabular form; the names of the companies to which each study, research and report was outsourced; the total cost for each; the number of reports finalised and presented …

618. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount that has been recouped for the State through the derelict site levy since its introduction to date; whether this levy will remain in place until it is replaced by the newly announced derelict property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55173/25]

619. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding streams that may be open to construct the planned northern relief road at Gorey, County Wexford, in order to open up the St. Waleran’s area for housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55194/25]

620. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are guidelines around the provision of pre-planning meetings by local authorities; if he will urge local authorities to make provision for such pre-planning meetings to help those considering making an application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55202/25]

621. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider providing for a process of election of local authority members to regional assemblies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55207/25]

622. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider imposing a requirement on members of regional assemblies to issue periodical updates to the local authorities in their jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55208/25]

623. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider providing for municipal districts in each of the Dublin local authorities, Galway City Council and Cork City Council in order to improve the decision making facilities in each of those local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55210/25]

624. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the process for selection for members of the European Committee of the Regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55211/25]

625. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons who have applied for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant in each month since its establishment, the number who have been refused a grant; the number to whom money has been paid out; and the number waiting for a determination on their application, in tabular form. [55225/25]

626. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department provides specific funding to local authorities for the purposes of refurbishment of vacant social housing stock; if he will detail the amount which has been made available to each local authority for this purpose; and the amount which has been drawn down in each of the past five years. [55226/…

627. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average length of time a planning permission applicant for a single house has waited for a decision from An Bord Pleanála in each of the past ten years. [55227/25]