Parliamentary questions

271. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of mortgage to rent applications to date in 2026 through AHBs, local authorities and any private provider respectively. [54158/26]

272. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on legislative amendments to allow for the renaming of streets. [54178/26]

273. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of WTE vacant homes officers employed, by local authority, in tabular form. [54179/26]

274. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of people employed in the vacant homes unit in his Department in each of the past five years, by grade. [54180/26]

275. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount spent on private planning consultancy firms by his Department, to date in 2026. [54183/26]

276. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons employed in planning roles in his Department. [54184/26]

277. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount allocated under URDF funding, by project; and the amount drawn down to date in 2026, in tabular form. [54185/26]

278. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on a matter (details supplied); if his Department is planning to amend the enforcement of the Spatial Planning and National Roads Guidelines for Planning Authorities, which is prohibiting young couples from farming backgrounds building a house next to the family home along TII routes; and if he will mak…

279. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has considered expanding the eligibility of the defective concrete block grant scheme to homes that are not a person’s principal private residence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54246/26]

383. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the structure of the new Invasive Species Bureau; whether it will be an agency or a unit within his Department; whether it will have its own dedicated staff; if not, if it will be comprised of existing members of the ##Civil Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52658/26]

384. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider extending the vacant homes grant to facilitate applications through small companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52662/26]

385. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has made an expression of interest in taking ownership of Dunguaire Castle in Kinvara, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52663/26]

386. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department or the National Parks and Wildlife Service has undertaken any assessment of the heritage, biodiversity, environmental or public amenity value of Newbury Demesne, Carbury, County Kildare; if his Department has considered the potential of historically and environmentally significant land…

387. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of supported housing units delivered for persons with intellectual disabilities in each local authority area in Dublin in the past five years, including Dublin City Council, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52667/26]

388. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of supported housing units for persons with intellectual disabilities currently planned or in development in each local authority area in Dublin, including expected delivery timelines, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52668/26]

389. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to request Met Éireann to urgently deal with a matter in south Kerry that has delayed the development of a walk on Valentia Island with funding secured from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht through the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme (details supplied); and if he wil…

390. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to review correspondence (details supplied); the grants being introduced to support same; the timeframe for their delivery; when they will open to applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52698/26]

391. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the assessment that has been made of the cumulative impacts of the proposed Eastern and Midlands Water Supply Project on biodiversity, habitats and protected species within the Shannon Callows and wider Shannon catchment, particularly during periods of drought and low river flow; and if he will make a state…

392. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of a site (details supplied); whether any decisions, directions or determinations have issued since the meeting; if not, the reason for the delay; when a determination is expected; whether the excavation works and report submitted will satisfy the landowner’s financial obligations in respect of an…

393. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will introduce a waiver scheme for development contribution fees for first-time planning applicants seeking permission to build their first home, given the huge cost now involved in applying for planning permission and the fact some local authorities have increased the fees; and if he will make a statem…

394. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to review the operation of the cost-rental scheme for tenants who suffer catastrophic, life-changing injuries after entering the scheme; the reason there is no legislative provision or policy within the cost-rental scheme to protect tenants whose circumstances change due to permanent disability or…

395. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he intends to review existing housing policy to ensure that people who become permanently disabled are not left trapped in unsuitable accommodation because of current housing schemes (details supplied) and the lack of flexibility to respond to life-changing circumstances; and if he will make a statement on…

396. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage given that the European Space Agency has confirmed that their satellite measurements are showing a sharp surge in sea-surface temperatures across the Pacific, which signals that El Niño is back, if his Department is putting in place mitigation measures to deal with the resulting weather disruption in Ireland,; …

397. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there is a specific policy within his Department that seeks to preclude those elected to local authorities from any boards that he may appoint; the rationale behind any such policy; the way in which it aligns with encouraging participation in local government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. […

398. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to commit to preparing legislation to not automatically exclude members of local authorities from consideration for appointment to State boards; and to set out the reasons such persons would be excluded. [52876/26]