Questions

456. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clarify which programme A subheads are included in the €1.01 billion allocation referred to on p122 of the budget book; and to provide a breakdown of the funding allocation and units to be delivered under each of these programme A subheads. [72185/26]

457. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to PQ PQ69374/26, to outline the engagements he has had with DCEE on this matter; to provide the dates on which his officials met with officials from DCEE on this matter since taking office; and the dates on which he himself met the Minister for Climate, the Environment and Energy since taking office, in tabular form. [72086/26]

458. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the child homelessness strategy; when it will be published; and the additional funding for homeless prevention that will be allocated for 2027. [72212/26]

459. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the review of HAP rates; and if changes will be made to the rates or levels of discretion in 2026. [72211/26]

460. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of staffing sanction requests approved by his Department for Kildare, Tipperary, Clare and Leitrim County Councils in the period 1 June 2023 to 1 October 2026, in tabular form. [72141/26]

461. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update and timeline for each stage of the Regeneration Projects in Galway, in tabular form. [72138/26]

462. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on correspondence (details supplied). [72121/26]

463. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to consider inserting an exceptional circumstance clause into the vacant property refurbishment grant scheme to ensure that individuals who experience unforeseen circumstances are not precluded from receiving the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72242/26]

464. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether motions passed and agreed by elected members of local authorities who opposed wind farm or solar farm developments and seeking moratoriums on future developments can be taken into account by planning authorities and by An Coimisiún Pleanála when determining planning applications. [72270/26]

465. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he will consider introducing a moratorium on the approval of new solar farm developments pending the publication of updated national solar farm planning guidelines; and whether such moratoriums or prohibitions are legally possible. [72269/26]

466. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if targets have been established for the number of vacant residential properties to be returned to use for each year from 2026 to 2030; if so, to provide those targets, by local authority, in tabular form; and, if not, the reason progress in reducing residential vacancy is to be measured and assessed. [72349/26]

467. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actual and projected number of residential dwellings and population for each local authority for 2020, 2025 and 2030 under the assumptions used for national and regional planning; and the resulting number of dwellings per 100 persons in each local authority for each of those years, in tabular form. [72350/26]

472. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans in place to recognise the role of allotments and community gardens given it is 100 years since allotments were legislated for in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72454/26]

473. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the timeframe for when guidance to local authorities on the provision of allotments and community gardens will be provided, given the original date was for the guidance to be issued by December 2023, and given that other countries such as Wales and Scotland have had specific guidance issued for …

474. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans for funding to be made available to local authorities through the Housing Activation Office for projects to unlock housing. [72451/26]

475. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has assessed the capacity of local authority building control sections to process the anticipated surge in certificates of compliance on completion in advance of the 31 December 2026 deadline for the development contribution waiver scheme; if he will direct local authorities to publish a standardised appeals process for dec…

476. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department will extend the 31 December 2026 completion deadline to 31 December 2027 for development levy waiver for one off rural developments already substantially progressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72543/26]

477. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for fuel allowance refused to date in 2026. [71445/26]

478. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will urgently review the payment rate for the secondary school meals programme; and his views on whether the secondary school meal rate should be brought in line with the primary school rate and increased to €3.20 per meal. [71435/26]

479. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a schedule of EU Presidency events being hosted by his Department broken down by name of the event, location, date, State agencies or other departments involved in the organising of the event; and cost or budgeted cost of same (including costs borne by state agencies under its aegis), in tabular form. [71411/26]

480. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection to ensure that the full living alone allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied). [71511/26]

481. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will give consideration to removing the mandatory certificate of benefit comparison requirement for straightforward defined contribution-to-PRSA transfers, where there is an identifiable fund value; in situations where the consumer is receiving appropriate regulated financial advice, including the material benefits being surrendered and the reaso…

482. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the mechanism to pay suppliers under the current school meals programme has been modified; and if the Minister is satisfied that all suppliers will be paid within 30 days of invoices having been submitted. [71565/26]

483. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will consider an increase in the secondary dinner rate with a drink in the school meals programme to €3,20 from €2.50 to equalise it with the hot schools meal and backdate it to the beginning of this school year, as providers are finding it difficult to maintain services with the costs incurred. [71653/26]

484. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the length of time it is currently taking for reviews of disability allowance applications to be undertaken. [71652/26]