Parliamentary questions

411. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will introduce a compassionate hardship clause or legislative amendment to the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme to accommodate families who have inherited a defective property from a relative who was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and subsequently passed away before they were medically o…

412. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the conservation covenants in use in England and Wales under the Environment Act 2021; if he plans to introduce a similar scheme here in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46872/26]

413. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to review and increase the income thresholds for social housing to better reflect the current cost-of-living, to ensure the thresholds are future proofed; when the last such review took place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46900/26]

414. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will publish 2025 derelict sites levy data. [46902/26]

415. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that different definitions of dereliction are being used in the vacant and derelict property refurbishment grant and the derelict sites register; and if he will give a commitment to review the definition in order to align them in order that his Department operates a single definition of derelictio…

416. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his Department’s plans to counter coastal erosion, dealing with the potential of coastal erosion on housing and infrastructure; and the contingency plans being put in place to relocate people from unsafe coastal areas in view of increasing climate change impacts; and if he will make a statement on the matter…

417. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current enforcement powers and legal tools, in his Department or related semi-State bodies, which can be used to tackle and seize abandoned or derelict vessels on inland waterways; his Department’s plans to measure the scale and scope of this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46959/2…

418. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to include the replacement of double glazed windows under the housing aid for older people's grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46966/26]

419. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether a regulatory impact assessment was carried out on the Housing and Residential Tenancies Amendment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026; if so, to provide a copy of the assessment; and if not, the reason, such an assessment was not undertaken. [46972/26]

420. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans to extend the cost rental scheme to County Mayo in view of the amount of persons that do not qualify for social housing but find themselves homeless and unable to afford market rent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46982/26]

421. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether it is the intention of his Department to allow retained firefighters to continue to work until 65 years-of-age; if so, if he will detail the work undertaken by his Department to date; and whether he has consulted with a union (details supplied) on the matter. [47012/26]

422. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that the cost of doing the initial pyrite assessment for a homeowner is currently €3000 which is not refundable, if the home is not entered into the remediation scheme; his views on whether that this is unaffordable for many households; if he is aware of supports in place to assist with the cos…

423. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that the erection of solar panels on commercial buildings may render the surface area of those panels part of the rateable valuation of a commercial building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47063/26]

424. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacancy officers and other such vacancy and dereliction-related staff in each of the 31 local authorities, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47090/26]

425. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of new HAP tenancies created in 2025; the number of these that were homeless HAP tenancies; the number that were based on the 30% financial hardship ; the number on the standard rate; and the average costs for each three categories, standard, 30% uplift, homeless HAP 50% uplift. [47103/26]

426. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if grants are available to local authorities to assist with dereliction in towns within their areas of responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47111/26]

427. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities can step in to improve the appearance of derelict shops and businesses in towns and villages within their administrative areas, where the owner might not be cooperating or where the owner may not be known, allowing an improvement in the street scape; and if he will make a statement on the matte…

428. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if grants are available to local authorities to assist with dereliction in towns within their areas of responsibility; if there are plans to create such funding; if so, the timeline involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47113/26]

429. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities can, following the CPO of derelict buildings and closed businesses, allow community groups without their own property to take on the responsibility of the CPO property; if grants are available to set up such community group pop-up shops; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47114/26]

430. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a local authority can reduce, defer or suspend a rate demand for a business within their administrative area who are taking over a former derelict building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47119/26]

431. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if supports are available to local authorities to purchase and develop industrial and warehouse lands and estates within their administrative areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47121/26]

432. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to provide additional funding to the housing aid grants for local authorities who have now closed these grants, quoting lack of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47125/26]

433. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if all funding is in place to progress the new wastewater treatment system for Beaufort village, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47129/26]

434. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the remediation scheme for apartment and duplex owners affected by fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects; the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the scheme; when payments are expected to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47152/26]

435. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has ever considered changes to planning laws to make the provision of solar canopies mandatory when planning permission is being granted for large outdoor carparks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47159/26]