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roads because of the conditions? People in rural areas, as well as paying for huge fuel costs, are forking out for motor tax, local property tax, which the Government has increased, and soaring insurance prices, yet many local roads are in the worst condition in decades. In that

struggling with the rising cost of food and fuel. This is also the week when the annual direct debit for the local property tax came out of many people's bank accounts. One parent put it to me that the last thing her family needs is another bill

than they were last year even before the recent hike spikes. The Government's decisions to remove energy credits, increase student fees, local property tax and rent, and do nothing about the soaring costs of insurance, groceries and other essentials have meant that households today simply

raised to us. We need to respond and I accept that point. We have taken steps to improve the system but the local authorities themselves have the reserved function to allocate their own resources to these types of programmes and to enhance the housing stock within their areas … west, in County Mayo, for example, in regard to property tax and resources generated on the ground. That said, I take the Deputy's point. We will continue to complement the work of the local authorities on stock improvement programmes. As elected representatives, we need to continue

scheme is a positive and the new parameters are very welcome. The inclusion of the contractor-led approach will give certainty to many local authorities and approved housing bodies. There is a challenge to get small builders and SMEs involved in this type of refurbishment. Many of them … contractors and tradespeople to do this. It is a challenge to bring them into these types of programmes. Along with the derelict property tax, however, it will certainly create an enhanced pipeline for a lot of these types of projects and will inevitably support this scheme. That

provide shelter to people seeking temporary protection in Ireland. It involves a tax-free monthly payment of €600 per property used to accommodate beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine, irrespective of whether the property is vacant or shared with the host. The scheme’s monthly rate … this Act introduces changes to the eligibility criteria for the ARP scheme which are intended to safeguard rental properties for tenants. From 3 March 2026, properties that were registered with the Residential Tenancies Board at any time since 4 March 2022 will no longer qualify

irresponsible. The Ministers, Deputies O’Donovan and Chambers, are required to sign-off on the disposal of an An Post property. That means they have the authority to stop the wholesale sell off of publicly-owned post office buildings. Yet, when we directly asked whether they would prevent … those who simply value face-to-face assistance, the local post office is a lifeline. This is where political will must step in. Let us future-proof our An Post services to breathe new initiatives back in to local services. The Labour Party is pushing for a transformation

credit for renters under budget 2025 to a maximum of €1,000 for each renter in a household. Budget 2026 extends the rent tax credit, which was due to expire at the end of 2025, for a further three years to the end of 2028. The programme … delivery have been achieved in recent years, with preliminary 2025 figures indicating further record levels of delivery. I am providing substantial funding to local authorities, the Land Development Agency and to approved housing bodies to support increased delivery. The national development plan has committed record levels of funding

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will account for the 8,933 homes across 56 sites in Fingal that remained inactive in 2025 despite having … full planning permission; if his Department has audited the total number of such "dormant" permissions nationwide; his plans to ensure the new derelict property tax, set for 2026 legislation, will explicitly target these inactive sites to prevent developers from sitting on land during a record homelessness crisis