Parliamentary questions

214. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans within his Department to address the current restriction on one-off planning for rural housing across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54306/25]

215. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will extend the permitted time under S.I. No. 75/2022 to exempt such buildings for conversion to residential use beyond the date set, 31 December 2025, and to allow for another two years of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54247/25]

216. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to advise if social housing rents, including HAP differential rents, are based on a household's gross or net income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54311/25]

217. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of a case (details supplied); and if he will instruct his Department to make postal voting more accessible, especially for disabled and severely ill people. [54319/25]

218. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of external consultancy contracts entered into by his Department in the past five years, including the original estimated cost, the final cost, and the reasoning for contracting this work rather than using internal resources. [54328/25]

219. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide the number of ecologists, ornithologists, hydrologists, hydrogeologists and environmental scientists, respectively, employed as inspectors at An Bord Pleanála at the beginning of 2025. [54339/25]

220. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide the number of ecologists, ornithologists, hydrologists, hydrogeologists and environmental scientists, respectively, employed in any capacity at An Bord Pleanála at the beginning of 2025. [54340/25]

221. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide the number of ecologists, ornithologists, hydrologists, hydrogeologists and environmental scientists, respectively, engaged on a panel of consultants at An Bord Pleanála at the beginning of 2025. [54341/25]

222. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of occasions on which the services of a specialist consultant in ecology, ornithology, hydrology, hydrogeology, or environmental science, respectively, were engaged by An Bord Pleanála in 2024. [54342/25]

223. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide the number of ecologists, ornithologists, hydrologists, hydrogeologists and environmental scientists, respectively, employed as inspectors at An Bord Pleanála at the beginning of 2024. [54343/25]

224. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide the number of ecologists, ornithologists, hydrologists, hydrogeologists and environmental scientists, respectively, employed in any capacity at An Bord Pleanála at the beginning of 2024. [54344/25]

225. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide the number of social housing offers accepted in each local authority per month, by local area, from 2024 to date, in tabular form. [54351/25]

226. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm if any staff devices (laptops, phones, USBs) containing departmental information or sensitive data were reported lost or stolen in the past five years; the number of devices reported; the data risk involved; and the associated cost of mitigation. [54388/25]

227. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail the instances in which software or IT systems procured by his Department or agencies were later deemed unfit for purpose; and the costs of replacement or remediation. [54398/25]

228. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps her Department is taking to ensure that the forthcoming amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, due to take effect in March 2026, achieve a fair balance between landlord and tenant rights; and if she will publish any equality or economic impact assessment carried out prior to their introductio…

229. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the forthcoming amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 will include statutory service-level targets for the Residential Tenancies Board in resolving rent arrears and anti-social behaviour cases; and the targets and resources allocated to achieve them. [54460/25]

230. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department will introduce standardised evidence templates and procedural guidance for both landlords and tenants in termination cases under the March 2026 legislative changes, to minimise procedural errors and ensure fair and efficient dispute resolution; and if he will make a statement on the matter.…

231. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has assessed the impact of private landlord exits on overall rental supply and rent levels nationally; if such assessments are published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54478/25]

232. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans to introduce any targeted measures or supports aimed at retaining small private landlords in the market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54479/25]

233. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has reviewed the cumulative effect of rent controls, registration costs and regulatory compliance requirements on the viability of small-scale landlords; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54480/25]

234. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the guidance provided to planning authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála to ensure wind turbine noise is properly managed to protect public health (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54499/25]

235. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the circumstances regarding grant aid for a property (details supplied); if the person is entitled to a vacant property refurbishment grant or any other funding in these circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54509/25]

236. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the use of online bidding platforms and countdown clocks in house sales; his views on whether they are a positive innovation in the housing market; if he will seek to ban or regulate their use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54528/25]

237. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider an exemption from planning permission for the installation of bike sheds in front gardens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54534/25]

238. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the proposed planning exemption for small bike sheds in gardens; the work ongoing in his Department into this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54543/25]