Parliamentary questions

94. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the efforts of the Government to highlight the potential economic impacts of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive; if the Government has outlined any concerns about whether the Directive adheres to the polluter pays principle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33186/25]

95. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the recent comments from European Health Commissioner, Olivér Várhelyi (details supplied), which indicate that the European Commission is now reassessing the expected impacts of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive; if there are plans for his Department to reassess or pause its implementation p…

96. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if landlords who improve BER ratings for existing tenants will continue to be able to seek increases to market level rent rates following the implementation of the Government’s new rent control measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32873/25]

97. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider implementing legislation to compel landlords or housing bodies to notify tenants of overpayments and promptly return such payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32875/25]

98. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the €50 million in funding announced in 2022 for wastewater infrastructure in areas without existing public sewerage systems (unserviced or “unsewered” villages), such as Craughwell and Clarinbridge; the amount of this funding that has been spent to date; to provide a breakdown, by year, l…

99. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on whether Fingal local authority will be included in the defective block scheme; the timeline as to when the decision will be signed off; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32913/25]

100. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide updated figures on the installation of heat pumps in new homes, from 2021 to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32924/25]

102. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider reducing the time necessity from two years to one year for vacant properties to qualify for the vacant homes grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33100/25]

106. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will implement measures on the policy and local and city council level to ensure hedge-cutting during nesting season is further discouraged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33153/25]

491. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a reason must be given by a person when making an objection to planning permission as was the case in the past (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31798/25]

492. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a site has extensive growth of an invasive species, and the landowner deliberately and recklessly disrupts and spreads the contaminated soil onto neighbouring properties, public footpath road; other sites, then, what does it take for the National Parks and Wildlife Service to take action to investiga…

493. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the policies in place that local authorities must comply with and enforce when a site with a planning application has significant non-native invasive species growth, specifically Japanese knotweed; the responsibilities of the planning authority for planning applications for such sites; the person or bod…

494. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a site has extensive growth of invasive species, the conditions or stipulations that must be applied to the granting of permission prior to commencement of construction such as, should a knotweed management plan be mandated prior to construction especially when an expert report submission advocates f…

495. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an appeals process is in place for homeowners who wish to appeal the awards they have received under the defective concrete block scheme, are appeals currently being assessed; the estimated timeline for appeals from the date of submission to the date of decision; and if he will make a statement on the mat…

496. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the Department has plans to classify additional rivers, lakes, and estuaries as 'Heavily Modified Water Bodies' (HMWBs); and if so, the measures that will be taken to restore and support their natural features, habitats, fish, and wildlife.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31850/25]

497. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on his Department’s efforts to fulfil the Programme for Government’s commitment to establish a unit in the Housing Agency to regulate owners’ management companies to ensure effective governance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31909/25]

498. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the report of AHB Strategic Forum has been finalised; if has considered its contents; if he will publish the report and its recommendations; if he will outline the proposed next steps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31955/25]

499. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details of all capital plans for the development of fire services within County Kildare. [31968/25]

500. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for a list of all land purchased by the National Parks and Wildlife Service over the past five years, including the number of acres; the price paid for each parcel of land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31975/25]

501. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authority tenants, living in a part V home, can purchase their home under the tenant purchase scheme; if he intends to review this policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32023/25]

502. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on his Department’s approach to river conservation in light of reports that hundreds of Irish rivers are to be effectively written off as unsuitable for nature restoration; the criteria being used to make such determinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32056/25…

503. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on short-term letting and tourism legislation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32090/25]

504. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of self-build mortgage loans issued annually for each of the past five years; and if such loans are tracked distinctly from other residential mortgage types in departmental or agency-level statistics. [32146/25]

505. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to list each of the current government schemes in operation that are intended to support home ownership or assist individuals to buy or build a home (including, but not limited to, the first home scheme, help to buy, local authority home loan, and the affordable purchase scheme); for each scheme, to specify what…

506. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the merits of providing low interest, Government-backed bridging loans for people seeking to move to home and are unable to do so due to the cost of finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32178/25]