Questions

726. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the total cost to the exchequer of the housing assistance payment scheme since the scheme was established to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34986/26]

727. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to concerns related to the housing assistance payment scheme, specifically related to the practical accessibility of HAP for single adults in high-cost areas (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34987/26]

728. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the specific mechanisms being used by his Department to address the affordability of housing at a national level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34988/26]

729. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the specific mechanisms being used by his Department to address the affordability of housing in the wider Dublin area, where housing is priced at a particularly high level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34989/26]

730. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a list of all capital projects, including social and affordable housing, water services, heritage and local authority-led projects, funded under the remit of his Department that have been completed on time and within budget in Kildare in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement…

731. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department plans to introduce regulations surrounding the transparency of money paid to property management companies by residents who feel as though their money is not be administered correctly. [35054/26]

732. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 717 of 28 April 2026, if his Department has assessed the cashflow impact on applicants arising from the requirement to complete all works and submit all receipts before any payment under the Croí Cónaithe grant is made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35059/26]

733. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 717 of 28 April 2026, if his Department has examined the feasibility of allowing drawdown of Croí Cónaithe grant funding on the basis of a completion certificate issued by a qualified local engineer, with receipts retained for potential audit, as proposed by Mayo County Council; and if he will …

734. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 717 of 28 April 2026, if his Department has consulted local authorities regarding administrative or operational challenges associated with the current Croí Cónaithe grant payment process, including the requirement for applicants to submit all receipts prior to payment; and if he will make a sta…

735. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 717 of 28 April 2026, if he intends to review the design of the Croí Cónaithe grant process in light of motions passed by local authorities, including Mayo County Council, requesting that applicants be permitted to draw down funds on the basis of a completion certificate issued by a qualified l…

736. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when announcements will be made in relation to the Community Heritage Grant and the overall budget available for this scheme in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35072/26]

737. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the basis on which the current levy arising from public expenditure overruns is being calculated and applied to his Department’s Vote; whether any categories of expenditure, including pay, pensions or staffing-related costs, are exempt from the levy within his Department; and if he will provide a breakdown of the areas against whic…

738. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will sign an activity requiring consent in respect of three bogs (details supplied) to allow families to cut turf providing them with fuel for the winter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35138/26]

739. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how three bogs (details supplied) were designated special areas of conservation when the statutory instrument for each one was signed well after the required timeframe set out in Article 4, section (4) of the Habitats Directive, as ‘within 6 years of 1997’; how such statutory instruments can be valid; and if he will make a statem…

740. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when it is planned to establish the proposed new Countryside Forum for Nature; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35147/26]

741. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the unilateral suspension of the Sustainable Hunting of Wild Bird Stakeholder Forum; if he will arrange for the reconvening of the forum and/or the appointment of a new chair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35151/26]

742. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what stakeholder groups or organisations have not yet been contacted in relation to any review of their Memoranda of Understanding with his Department; the reason for any delay in commencing such engagement; the timeline for completion of the review process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35152/26]

743. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm that he brought a memo to cabinet on 21 April 2026 on the retrospective funding of OMCs who have already funded the remediation of celtic tiger era building defects. [35187/26]

744. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clarify his recent statement that the Department plans to review all existing Memoranda of Understanding it holds with external organisations; whether it is applicable to every MoU agreed with his Department; whether he can confirm all stakeholders involved have been notified; the expected timeline for completion of these reviews…

745. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an application has been made to the Housing Activation Office in respect of the next section of the Athenry Ring Road; when a decision is expected to be made on this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35204/26]

746. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if any local authorities requested additional funding for Housing Adaptation Grants so far in 2026; if he is aware that several local authorities have already closed applications for housing adaptation grants, citing their total funding for the year had already been allocated; to provide a breakdown, by local authority, of Hous…

747. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the review of Memoranda of Understanding currently held between his Department and stakeholder groups or organisations; the criteria being used to assess existing agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35229/26]

748. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the transfer of functions including responsibility for the Multiple Unit Development Act and the Property Services Regulatory Authority from the Department of Justice; Home Affairs and Migration to his Department. [35256/26]

749. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the eight pathfinder projects due to receive retrospective funding for building defects remediation; including a detailed update on where each pathfinder project is at; and the funding that has been approved and the outstanding issues to be addressed before funding will be released. [35328/26]

750. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if long Covid and associated incapacity to work is recognised by his Department as eligible grounds for invalidity pension. [33981/26]