Parliamentary questions

Housing Provision

Marian Harkin

352. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 42 of 11 April 2024, of the 12 local authority areas that have been provided funding under the cost rental equity loan scheme, to provide details of which specific local authority areas have been provided with funding; how many houses have been built through this scheme in each of the relevant local authority areas to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17425/24]

Housing Provision

Marian Harkin

353. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 42 of 11 April 2024, to provide details of which specific local authorities the thirteen projects of 1,437 cost rental homes are spread over; how many cost rental homes each of the projects will deliver for each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17426/24]

Planning Issues

Paul Murphy

354. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he agrees that planning applications for sites within industrial estates should be required to prominently display planning notices at the entrance to the industrial estate rather than within the estate itself. [17442/24]

Departmental Schemes

Cathal Crowe

355. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of a scheme (details supplied); and when he expects it to be open for applicants with water ingress issues to be repaired. [17476/24]

Grant Payments

Richard Bruton

356. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline the number of grants issued by local authorities under each of the grants for older people, housing aid, mobility aid and adaptation grant in each of the past five years; and whether he has information on the extent of a waiting list for these schemes. [17477/24]

Departmental Funding

Matt Carthy

357. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider making an increased allocation to Castleblayney care group through the capital assistance scheme in order to provide a community centre or facility in conjunction with the housing development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17496/24]

Housing Policy

Richard Bruton

358. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of councils that offer a contribution scheme under which persons in homes too big for their needs can sell or offer the home to the council and, in return for a contribution from the proceeds of a sale, secure a council tenancy in a secure complex; and the number of homes that have been processed under this scheme in the past three years. [17499/24]

Derelict Sites

Neasa Hourigan

359. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the work of the Derelict Sites Act working group; the engagements it has had and plans to have with local authorities; the timeline for when the group will present recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17542/24]

Wastewater Treatment

Ivana Bacik

360. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to the European Commission's announcement of 7 February 2024 that it was sending Ireland a letter of formal notice (INFR(2023) 2178) for failing to fully comply with its obligations under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (Directive 91/271/EEC), the eight towns with a population of more than 2,000 where wastewater is not properly treated before being discharged and the three towns of more than 10,000 in which wastewater is being discharged into sensitive areas without the more stringent treatment required by the directive; if he has responded to the Commission's letter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17548/24]

Research and Development

Catherine Murphy

361. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update in respect of research his Department is funding regarding activities by Met Éireann; if he will detail the recommendations Met Éireann has made to him in respect of pluvial flooding (details supplied); and the amount he has funded to Met Éireann for this research from 2020 to date in 2024. [17555/24]

Housing Policy

Niamh Smyth

362. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the terms and conditions for purchasing your own home from Westmeath County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17576/24]

Grant Payments

Cathal Crowe

363. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the rules surrounding the housing adaptation grant (details supplied) will be amended so that an invalidity pension is not included in the means test for adapting a home for disabled access; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17585/24]

Planning Issues

Ged Nash

364. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 416 of 30 May 2023, if he plans to provide city status for the town of Drogheda; if he has reviewed his position on the matter since his reply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17603/24]

Local Authorities

John McGuinness

365. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the process in place to check the standard of work carried out where a grant from a local authority is being paid; if he is satisfied all regulatory requirements are met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17630/24]

Vacant Properties

John Lahart

366. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are plans to consider allocating grants based on energy ratings for vacant houses, particularly in cases where the property was not vacant for the required duration to meet the requirements for the vacant home grant due to recent purchase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17677/24]

Housing Policy

Richard Boyd Barrett

367. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the policies and supports in place for individuals who previously met the threshold for a cost-rental property and who are permanently housed in a cost-rental unit, if the person’s income falls significantly due to illness or injury; the procedures in place to convert a cost-rental property into a social home where this is necessary due to a change in the ability of the occupant to pay for cost-rental tenure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17693/24]

National Parks and Wildlife Service

Michael Ring

368. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when payment will issue to a person in County Mayo (details supplied) for work this person carried out in view of the length of time the person is waiting for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17733/24]

Vacant Properties

Willie O'Dea

369. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider amending the Croí Cónaithe vacant property refurbishment grant scheme to allow it to be paid in stage payments when certain works are completed, as this would require much less funds to be put in place up front as access to finance is a significant impediment to many people who wish to take on the renovation of a vacant or derelict property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17763/24]

Planning Issues

Ivana Bacik

370. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of strategic housing developments still undecided by An Bord Pleanála; his plans to ensure the backlog of cases is cleared; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17826/24]

Wastewater Treatment

Paul Kehoe

371. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update (details supplied) on the scheme targeting the wastewater collection and treatment needs of villages and settlements without access to public wastewater services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17830/24]