As the Deputy is probably aware, under the RAS scheme, it is the responsibility of the councils to keep people housed, even if a RAS tenancy has been terminated. That appears to contradict what the Deputy stated, so we might discuss further the details of the case. We want to keep people in their homes and certainly, as the Deputy is well aware, under RAS it is up to the local authorities to ensure people continue to be housed in RAS tenancies. Furthermore, where people are on HAP, we want to ensure that if they ge…

This a matter in which the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy O'Brien, is taking a personal interest. He is aware of the particular issues the Deputy has raised and it is a matter I will take back to him. We very much value the work of the fire service and the retained fire service so it is a matter we are keeping under constant observation.

The Government is very committed to bringing vacant sites back into use for residential housing. I am taking a tour of all the local authorities. I have asked every single local authority to set up a specific vacant homes unit, which will deal with derelict and vacant sites. It will deal with the Croí Cónaithe scheme, which has proven to be hugely successful. There have been nearly 1,800 applications to date. This is a matter we take very seriously. A residential zoned land tax, RZLT, will be coming in as well. Wha…

I thank Deputy Bacik for the question. Section 48(2)( b ) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides that the level of contribution, and the types of development to which development contributions should apply, including any exemptions from charging in specific circumstances if that is deemed appropriate, are determined at local authority level. Local authorities' development contribution schemes may include a provision to waive or reduce contributions for homes provided by a co-operative housin…

Which council is this?

The tenant in situ scheme is hugely successful. Going back to the Deputy's case, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council provides an exemption for social housing units provided by a co-operative body. The Deputy’s councillor colleague is correct. The measure relating to development contributions and refunds is an activation measure and is about getting sites under construction now. The Deputy is referring, I assume, to a development that is completed. The individual development contribution scheme is the sole preroga…

Many local authorities, including Limerick City and County Council, Sligo County Council, the already-mentioned Dublin City Council, Galway City Council and South Dublin County Council, effectively provide exemptions from development contributions for all forms of social and affordable housing. The Deputy’s colleague is obviously a member of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. It is the councillors who make this decision. The Government brought out an activation measure to get housing projects under way. We want…

I thank Deputy Gould for bringing forward this question. My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities to support the suite of housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability which supports older and disabled people living in private houses to adapt their homes to meet their needs. Housing for All commits to reviewing the grants scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. The review was informed by engagement with external stakeholders including the …

There are obviously two aspects. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is the senior Minister so he obviously received the report as well. Looking at housing adaptation grants falls under my specific remit. The Deputy will have to take my word. I have only recently received the review. I am actively working on it. I am actively meeting officials to see how we can progress it. I take the Deputy’s point in regard to individual local authorities. We want to see these schemes working. Some colleagues have said that som…

We are looking to have the review concluded very quickly. It would then become a budgetary matter in regard to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. We will progress it. We do not want to see that situation such as the Deputy's example happening again.

I see it on the ground. For me on the ground the housing adaptation grant is a very good scheme. It has not been reviewed since 2014. I take that on board. We now have a report from the officials and we are working with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to go through it forensically. From that we want to bring forward a proposal that we will have to bring to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in the normal way. We will look to do that as quickly as possible.

We want houses to get commenced.

Housing for All - A New Housing Plan for Ireland is the Government's housing policy to 2030 and the most effective way of accelerating housing supply. Pathway 4 of Housing for All specifically looks at making the most efficient use of our existing housing stock. My Department provides private housing grants to assist older or disabled people who wish to stay in their own homes or those on low incomes who are on social housing lists. For example, up to €30,000 is available under the housing adaptation grant for peop…

We have many measures that provide additional supply, including 30,000 new homes last year. The Minister referenced record commencements and completions in the first quarter of this year. Nearly 1,800 applications to date have been made to the Croí Cónaithe scheme. The target was 2,500 applications up to 2026 but 1,800 have come in to date, of which 702 have been approved. We want to bring old buildings back into use where they were built prior to 2007 and, effectively, have been vacant for two years. That scheme c…

We are always open to good ideas. If the Deputy could flesh out his suggestion a little more and come forward with the actual proposal, the Department will consider it. We very much take that on board. Deputy Gould has left the Chamber. It is open to local authorities to build extensions, although they may take different decisions. It is something local authority members should take up with their management and executive. There is no reason local authorities cannot do extensions. Some choose differently but that de…

I thank the Deputy for his question. Under Housing for All, in the period 2022 to 2026, the Government will deliver: 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing; and 28,500 new affordable homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of more than €4 billion per annum, through an overall combination of €12 billion in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5 billion in funding through the LDA and €5 billion funding through the Housing Finance Agency. Under Housing for All, each lo…

Such a scheme is in place in terms of the rural site scheme, which is administered through the local authorities. It is something that I can discuss with the Deputy at a later date. I know it is something he is very interested in.

I thank Deputy Tully for raising this very important issue. The new joint National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 was developed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and was published, as the Deputy said, on 14 January 2022. The strategy places an emphasis on disabled people having choice and control over their living arrangements. It demonstrates the Government's commitment to…

I thank Deputy Tully for raising this important issue. I will deal with the two items. Regarding Part M, and it providing for "visitable" rather than "liveable", the Deputy might forward to me precisely what she has in mind in that regard. We have carried out a review on the housing adaptation grants and I am looking at it in partnership with and working with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. Once again, I wish to reassure and to give that firm commitment to both Deput…

I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this very important matter of the protection of our European sites and the nature directives. Obviously, his issue is specifically around Killarney National Park and the Burren National Park, which have enjoyed the full protection afforded to special areas of conservation for several decades. From the date of public notification, sites proposed for designation as special areas of conservation enjoy comprehensive protection under the birds and natural habitats regulations 2011 and …