Christopher O'Sullivan
Cork South-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“The aim of the hierarchy of the plan-making, as set out in the Act of 2024, is to improve scope for the various tiers of the planning system to more closely relate to one another, therefore providing greater clarity and consistency for all involved, from individual citizens and residents' groups to landowners and developers and ultimately…”
“My understanding is that a ten-year modernisation programme has already been undertaken by the Courts Service and significant progress has been made in improving the availability and use of court data.”
“Under the Act of 2024, the national planning framework continues to spearhead and explicate the planning agenda and sits at the pinnacle of the plan-led system and structure, whereby all tiers of planning from regional to local align with strategic objectives set out in the national planning framework.”
“The Senator has suggested that such plans would identify strategic development priorities, including settlement hierarchy, infrastructure corridors, climate adaptation measures and areas for regeneration; set out indicative phasing for major infrastructure and public investment; include spatial mapping of long-term development objectives;…”
“The Bill also facilitates the completion of the work of the Valuation Tribunal and the facility for the local authority to issue the levy demand and, where necessary, for An Coimisiún Pleanála to deal with any appeals to the demand that may arise in those existing cases currently with the tribunal.”
“As the system of plan-making in the State has just been revised and is being implemented for the first time, the introduction of another layer of plan-making could undermine the new hierarchy that was carefully arranged and agreed following extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders, including the Office of the Attorney General, an…”
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“Since 2021, more than 10,000 affordable housing supports have now been delivered from a standing start via our delivery partners and schemes such as the affordable housing fund, the first home scheme and the vacant property refurbishment grant are making it affordable for many to purchase a home. To date, nearly 1,300 local authority affordable purchase homes have been delivered and a substantial pipeline is in place to deliver affordable purchase homes. This is being supported with resourcing for the local authorities, with more than 140 additional staff assigned to work on their affordable housing programmes, ensuring we will see delivery ramped up. My Department publishes programme-level statistics on affordable and social housing delivery activity by local authorities and delivery partners in each local authority area.”
“I know from our time shared on Cork County Council the delivery of affordable housing was something on which the Deputy was insistent and I am glad that much of this is coming to fruition. The Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver affordable housing at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. The Government’s ambition is to build on progress to date under Housing for All and deliver more than 300,000 homes in the period from 2025 to 2030 with an annual average of more than 50,000 homes per year building up to 60,000 in 2030. These revised national housing targets will inform the revision to existing social and affordable housing targets at a local authority level and work is ongoing in this regard.”
“The Deputy raised a relevant point about the first home scheme. It is increasing in popularity as reflected by the numbers of people choosing to avail of it. If the goalposts seem to be moving in respect of the cost of houses and many properties are falling outside the scheme, the Minister has made a commitment to be flexible and agile in reviewing the schemes if that is needed. That will be ongoing. Decisions made on an approach to housing will not be set in stone. The previous Government and this Government have shown, and will show, that flexibility and adaptability.”
“The Minister has committed to a flexible and agile approach to this so that if solutions need to be adapted, we can do so.”
“The Deputy is right. The trends relating to the cost of purchasing properties is concerning but we firmly believe the best way to address that is by delivery. That is why we are committed to delivering 300,000 homes from 2025 to 2030. Since Housing for All started we have delivered 10,000 affordable solutions and that is gathering momentum. Keys for many of the affordable housing schemes in our county of Cork have been given out over the past 12 months or so and there are more in the pipeline. That is something we have to focus on. A total of 15,000 starter homes a year will make a difference as well as the expansion of the first home scheme and repurposing the local authority home loan, which people have availed of but we need to make it flexible. The Deputy mentioned reviewing the targets.”
“These tenure-specific targets will both inform the revision of existing affordable housing targets and further inform the development of the starter home programme supports set out in the programme for Government which will be set out in the new housing plan.”
“The Government is fully committed to delivering affordable housing at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. The Government’s ambition is to build on the progress made to date under Housing for All, and deliver more than 300,000 homes in the period from 2025 to 2030 equating to an annual average of more than 50,000 homes per year, building up to 60,000 in 2030. Work on translating these revised national housing targets into local, tenure-specific targets is ongoing and at an advanced stage. This work is expected to be completed in the coming months and will be published after the work on the revised national planning framework is complete.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this question. I know housing delivery in particular is something he is very passionate about and that he has always been dedicated to. As part of the programme for Government, the Government committed to launching a new, comprehensive starter home programme across the public, private and approved housing body, AHB, sector. This promotes home ownership and secures long-term rental tenures for young people and fresh start applicants. As stated in the programme for Government, the starter home programme will support and deliver an average of 15,000 starter homes per year, including through the first home scheme and the help to buy support, in addition to other affordable purchase and cost-rental schemes.”
“The Government is committed to continuing with a targeted second-hand acquisitions programme, which will prioritise the most vulnerable households within the priority areas being supported but which will not act to exclude persons or households. In implementing the programme, local authorities are being asked to and are being given the flexibility to respond to local needs, and single persons and couples can be supported.”
“This Government is dedicated to addressing the housing crisis and is committed to the continuation of the second-hand social housing acquisitions programme for priority needs and, in particular, tenant in situ acquisitions, which can be an important measure in preventing homelessness. This commitment has been demonstrated by the provision of increased funding and the improved arrangements for 2025. In opposing the motion, the Government highlights the success of the programme to date, namely the fact that almost 7,000 second hand-homes have been acquired since 2020 and in the period 2023 to the third quarter of 2024, more than 3,100 second-hand acquisitions have been completed. Of the latter, 2,000 were through the tenant in situ scheme.”
“Funding for works that are not immediately required would prevent the number of acquisitions being maximised. There are a number of funding programmes available for local authorities to improve their social housing stock including the planned maintenance programme, the disabled persons grant, the regeneration programme, and the energy efficiency retrofit programme. Refurbishment funding is available for acquisitions under exits from homelessness, older and disabled persons, and buy and renew, where works are required to ensure the property meets the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 or for adaptation requirements to accommodate the tenant.”
“Refurbishment funding will not be available under the second-hand acquisitions programme for tenant in situ acquisitions. Such properties are the beneficiaries of significant Exchequer funded rent supports every week, are legally required to meet the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and are subject to inspection by local authorities to ensure they meet those standards. Immediate essential repairs, therefore, should not be required. Some refurbishment works may be required in the short to medium term but these should be noted as part of the condition survey and programmed for future planned maintenance works such that the capital funding available for tenant in situ acquisitions is dedicated to maximising the number of acquisitions.”
“The Minister has also requested that local authorities be proactive in acquiring properties for priority categories already mentioned, and buy and renew acquisitions which tackle vacancy. To build on the progress to date, a full review of tenant in situ acquisitions will be undertaken this year. This review will assess the effectiveness of the programme and put forward recommendations on how the second-hand acquisitions programme can, notwithstanding the emphasis on additional supply through new build, become a permanent and targeted policy response for those most in need for whom there are no other options. The targeting of tenant in situ acquisitions in 2025 will provide increased clarity and equity to the programme ensuring those who are most at risk are protected.”
“As such, local authorities can identify suitable acquisitions in line with the local circumstances. Since the Minister obtained approval from Government for additional funding this month, officials in my Department have engaged with the local authorities to ensure that these measures are communicated quickly and clearly to staff in local authorities. This will be following very shortly with a circular outlining funding allocations for 2025. In calculating the funding allocations and to ensure each local authority is adequately supported, metrics such as spend and delivery in previous years, the summary of social housing assessments and the number and spatial distribution of HAP and RAS tenancies have been taken into account. The Minister has asked that funding be used optimally to support the maximum number of affected tenants.”
“These criteria will ensure that priority categories of need such as tenants in situ, older persons, people with disabilities and people exiting homelessness can benefit in a fair and equitable manner from the programme. These criteria include priority for those most at risk, such as families with children, people with disabilities and older or vulnerable persons. It is important to note that the addition of these criteria does not exclude any tenant from the scheme but rather they provide focus for those most in need. Local authorities are being provided with increased flexibility to respond to local needs and priorities through the allocation of capital funding. This allocation will enable local authorities to assess all available options and to decide on the most appropriate actions in each case.”
“Since the introduction of the tenant in situ programme in March 2023, more than 3,100 second hand homes have been purchased with approximately 2,000 of those being tenant in situ acquisitions. It is worth nothing that the Residential Tenancies Board received 16,546 notices of termination in 2024. This was down 13% on 2023. A total of 9,170 of these were issued as a result of landlord intent to sell the property. This was down 20.7% on 2023. The continuation of tenant in situ acquisitions into 2025 is a clear indication of Government's commitment to preventing homelessness for HAP and RAS tenants who have been served a no-fault notice of termination. To ensure the most vulnerable cohorts are protected, eligibility criteria are being introduced.”
“The scheme positively benefits vulnerable tenants who receive a notice of termination from their landlord. I want to reassert the Government’s commitment to the continuation of a more focused and targeted programme to ensure it benefits those most in need. Housing for All makes provision for 200 social housing acquisitions per annum to 2030. In light of the challenges in addressing homelessness and the reported uplift in the number of landlords exiting the private rental market and HAP and RAS schemes, Government introduced tenant in situ acquisitions in 2023 as a temporary short-term measure to address the issue. This was continued in 2024 and has now been extended into 2025.”
“The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new-build social and affordable homes. Increasing the overall housing supply is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long-term homelessness. Notwithstanding this, Government has supported and will continue to support a targeted second-hand social housing acquisitions programme which responds to the needs of the most vulnerable. Government has therefore increased the 2025 budget for the second-hand social housing acquisitions programme from the €60 million available under housing for all to €325 million and is giving local authorities the flexibility required within the programme to respond to needs locally. Tenant in situ acquisitions are recognised as a key measure in the prevention of homelessness.”
“That is not the case. We are giving flexibility, but there will be prioritisation criteria. When dealing with the figures and the sums of money we are talking about which are necessary to ensure that people avoid homelessness, we need to have those guardrails in place to ensure that it is done properly. The upshot and something that has been sought by both Government and Opposition is clarity on this. The clarity is that the tenant in situ scheme will be continuing. I welcome the opportunity to speak here today to oppose the motion on behalf of Government and to outline the progress made to date with the second-hand social housing acquisitions and specifically tenant in situ acquisitions and make clear that the concerns raised are, in fact, already being addressed.”
“I very much welcome this motion. In the last few weeks we have heard calls from Opposition and Government backbenchers to continue the tenant in situ scheme to ensure it is in place and provide clarity on it. That is exactly what we are doing today in that we are continuing the tenant in situ scheme. We are doing it because of the reasons the Deputies opposite have outlined. More than 2,000 families have avoided homelessness because of the scheme. I very much welcome that and it has been a success. That is why we are continuing it with guardrails. We are still giving significant amounts of money to local authorities to acquire homes for those who are at risk of homelessness. However, there must be some guardrails in place. I have heard reference to restrictions and I have heard on many occasions that single people will be excluded.”
“It will be a matter for local authorities to respond to local needs and single persons and couples can be supported; — under revised arrangements for second-hand acquisitions in 2025, local authorities will receive a capital funding allocation for the acquisition of second-hand dwellings; — individual local authority capital funding allocations will help promote best practice in obtaining value for money and provide local authorities with the flexibility to respond to needs and priorities locally within the categories of need being prioritised, and a circular will issue to local authorities imminently outlining their capital allocations for 2025; — funding is available to AHBs to acquire second-hand homes under the programme on the same 100 per cent grant funded basis as that available to local authorities, and funding for AHBs will be provided under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) which reflects the priority needs being targeted; — the introduction of eligibility criteria and priority needs for acquisitions, including Tenant in-Situ, will allow for a more targeted programme of acquisitions and enable local authorities to acquire the maximum number of homes for such needs; — refurbishment funding will not be available under the SHA programme for Tenant in-Situ acquisitions, as such properties are the beneficiaries of significant Exchequer funded rent supports every week, are legally required to meet the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019, and are subject to inspection by local authorities to ensure they meet the said standards, and immediate essential repairs should not therefore be required; — some refurbishment works may be required in the short- to medium-term, but these should be noted as part of the condition survey and programmed for future planned maintenance works such that the capital funding available for Tenant in-Situ acquisitions is dedicated to maximising the number of acquisitions, and funding works which are not immediately required would prevent the number of acquisitions being maximised; — there are a number of funding programmes available for local authorities to improve their social housing stock, including the Planned Maintenance programme, the Disabled Persons Grant, the Regeneration Projects and Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme; and — refurbishment funding is available for acquisitions under exits from homelessness, older and disabled persons and Buy and Renew, where works are required to ensure the property meets the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019, or adaptation requirements to accommodate the tenant; and highlights: — the success of the SHA programme to date: — almost 7,000 second-hand homes have been acquired since 2020, at a capital cost of circa €2 billion; and — in the period 2023 to Q3 2024, just over 3,100 second-hand acquisitions have been completed of which 2,000 have been Tenant in-Situ acquisitions; — the Government is committed to continuing with a targeted SHA programme which will prioritise the most vulnerable households within the priority areas being supported, but will not act to exclude persons or households; and — in implementing the programme, local authorities are being asked to, and are being given the flexibility to, respond to local needs, and single persons and couples can be supported.”
“I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: notes that: — increasing the overall housing supply is key to addressing the housing challenge and preventing and ultimately eliminating long-term homelessness, and the clear focus of Government must therefore remain on increasing the supply of new build social and affordable homes; — notwithstanding, a targeted second-hand social housing acquisition programme has been and will continue to be an important policy response to priority needs such as tenancy sustainment, exits from homelessness, support for elderly and disabled persons and tackling vacancy; — the Government formally introduced Tenant in-Situ acquisitions in 2023, as a temporary response to the reported uplift in sales by landlords of homes which were within the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) schemes in order to prevent potential homelessness where other solutions could not be found for the affected tenants; — the Government extended such acquisitions into 2024, and now 2025, and has repeatedly increased the funding available over and above that set out in Housing for All; and — the Residential Tenancies Board received 16,546 Notices of Termination in 2024, and this was down 13 per cent in 2023, 9,170 of these were issued as a result of landlord intent to sell the property, and this was down 20.7 per cent in 2023; further notes that: — the social housing Second Hand Acquisitions (SHA) programme or tenant in-situ acquisitions were not suspended, and the Programme for Government – Securing Ireland's Future commits to continuing Social Housing Tenant in-Situ acquisitions; — the Government has agreed to continue the programme in 2025, with funding of €325 million being provided, and this funding will provide for the acquisition of second-hand homes for the following priority needs: — Tenant in-Situ acquisitions; — older persons and persons with a disability; — exits from homeless services; and — Buy and Renew acquisitions, which tackle vacancy; — prioritising vulnerable households for support under the second-hand acquisitions programme is important, but it does not mean excluding others.”
“There needs to be an innovative approach specifically for the Gaeltacht areas and the islands, perhaps something like gateway housing, where people are given an opportunity to experience life in a Gaeltacht with an option to stay there longer. The Senator made a good point. I get the sense of urgency about the guidelines and I will bring that back to my Department.”
“I thank the Senator. I appreciate that her matter relates to trying to reduce red tape. That does seem like another layer of red tape, but it really is important that we protect these Gaeltacht areas and ensure that there is some level of Irish spoken in them. On the red tape in general, the Senator raised a very good point. There needs to be a bespoke approach to Gaeltacht areas - and I would say island areas as well - involving some type of innovative housing solution. We are seeing that it is proving more and more difficult for young people, in particular, to establish a connection to an area. They have to jump through hoops. Suitable sites are difficult to obtain. Often, these Gaeltacht areas are visually stunning, so there are issues with site suitability. I appreciate all of that.”
“An interdepartmental group comprising officials from my Department, as well as the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and Údarás na Gaeltachta, has been working to progress the development of specific proposals in this regard. Cognisant of the need to carefully consider the complex matters involved, I must state that any finalised draft guidelines or a national planning statement prepared under the 2024 Act when the relevant provisions are commenced will be subject to mandatory screening under EU law for strategic environmental assessment, as well as for the purposes of appropriate assessment. It is intended that subject to the outcome of these screening exercises, the draft will then be published for public consultation.”
“As part of the preparation, the introduction of an agreed standardised language test for all or some of the occupants of new residential development, to be addressed as part of the planning process in Gaeltacht areas, is being considered in conjunction with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The purpose of this is to create certainty and a level playing field through a consistent and fair approach to language testing, the aim of which is to protect and promote Irish as the community language in Gaeltacht areas. This may involve use of a system known as Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, which provides a series of general Irish language proficiency examinations and qualifications for adult learners of Irish.”
“Their purpose is to provide planning authorities with further practical guidance on the implementation of this requirement through the objectives of their development plans. Part 3 of the recently enacted Planning and Development Act 2024 provides for the preparation of bespoke priority area plans for Gaeltacht areas, while consultation with Irish language bodies has also been reviewed and improved. The new Act is to be commenced on a phased basis this year. My Department is carrying out necessary preparatory work in advance of bringing the legislation into effect, including the drafting of detailed secondary legislation. To supplement the level of guidance available to local authorities, since 2022 my Department has been engaged in the preparation of new planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas.”
“The language planning process, provided for in the Gaeltacht Act 2012, is the primary legislative mechanism by means of which the objectives of the Government’s 20-year strategy for the Irish language from 2010 to 2030 will be achieved. It is a specific objective of the national planning framework to support the implementation of language plans in Gaeltacht language planning areas, Gaeltacht service towns and Irish language networks. In addition, section 10 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires that local authority development plans include objectives for the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht, including the promotion of Irish as the community language. The development plan guidelines for planning authorities were published in 2022.”
“I thank Senator Ryan. It is a really important issue. I am lucky enough to have a bit of Gaeltacht in my constituency in, for example, places like Cape Clear. I appreciate that this is an issue. The Senator backed up what she had to say with statistics on the number of Irish speakers. What I will outline here are the immediate plans in respect of tying in with the recent planning legislation passed by the Houses, and also the guidelines that are forthcoming. The Irish language is the first official language of the State, as recognised under Article 8 of the Constitution. The language has a rich cultural heritage and continues to be an important expression of our shared national identity.”
“I appreciate the Senator's points. We are all encountering this problem in our constituency offices across Ireland, in that people could once apply for these grants but cannot now. Obviously, there is a point to it, in that we have to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, but I will take the Senator's suggestion back to the Minister. The Minister for climate action and the environment will also have a role to play. However, if there is potentially a window for hydrotreated vegetable oil and there is a 90% reduction in emissions from such a small adaptation, it needs to be looked at. I cannot say now whether it is possible, but it could help in providing a solution for older people in older houses.”
“Obviously, there is that option for second-hand boilers as well, which may show the real flexibility, but I will take the points about hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, back to the Minister as well as to the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins.”
“Grants continue to be paid out in respect of non-fossil fuel heating, such as electric or biomass heating solutions - for example, wall-mounted electric heaters and wood pellet stoves - where these are deemed to be a suitable option in line with the applicant's circumstances. The detailed administration of the schemes is the responsibility of the local authorities. Therefore, the qualifying works are a matter for consideration and decision on a case-by-case basis by the local authority within the scope of the grant scheme. Grant funding for insulation works and associated heating systems appropriate to the schemes are available from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. That outlines the transposition of the legislation and where we stand at the moment.”
“Any application for grant funding in respect of the purchase of a new fossil fuel boiler received and approved by a local authority prior to 1 January 2025 can still be paid to the applicant after January 2025. Importantly, the grant scheme continues to be available for a broad range of measures, including costs relating to the repair of an existing fossil fuel boiler or the purchase and installation of a second-hand fossil fuel boiler by a qualified contractor. Grants under the scheme may also continue to be paid in respect of the repair or replacement of all other parts of a central heating system, such as new radiators, oil tanks or pipework, regardless of connection to an existing fossil fuel boiler.”
“A European Union regulation of 2024, signed by the Minister for the Environment, Climate Action and Communications in December 2024, transposes into Irish law Article 17(15) of the recast EU directive on the energy performance of buildings. The regulations provide that from 1 January 2025, public bodies shall not provide any financial incentive for the installation of stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels other than those already approved under the EU funds. As a result of the recast directive and the transposition regulations, no financial incentive can be provided for the installation of stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels. Therefore, under the housing aid for older people grant scheme, grants can no longer be provided for the installation of new stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels.”
“The Department provides funding to local authorities under the suite of housing adaptation grants for older people and disabled people to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants, which includes the housing adaptation grant for disabled people, the mobility aids grant and the housing aid for older people grant, is funded by the Department with a contribution from the local authority. The housing need for older people grant scheme provides grants of up to €10,700, depending on household income, to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have essential necessary repairs or improvements carried out.”
“I thank Senator Byrne. I welcome the fact she has raised this issue because she is quite right to point out it has raised its head throughout the country. People are in homes that are probably not suitable for heat pumps as they have to be at a certain building energy rating, BER, for the heat pump to work and many older homes just do not have this option. I appreciate the point. I do not think we will reverse it completely, as Senator Byrne has asked for, but there are technologies that we could look at exploring, such as hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, which requires a simple adaptation of existing boilers. I will give Senator Byrne an update to explain exactly where we stand and why this change has come about.”
“Whatever we need to do to get these vacant properties into the rental market, we should do. I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue.”
“In tourism towns in my constituency, as I am sure is the case in the Deputy's constituency, there are rows of houses that are completely vacant. I am sure that, when canvassing, the Deputy knocked on doors and found about ten houses in a row where there was no one there. A lot of those houses are used for Airbnb accommodation and short-term lets. We need short-term lets. Places like Kerry need them for tourism - that is 100% correct - but we have to strike a balance. We cannot have whole streets taken up with Airbnb accommodation, which is what has happened in some towns. Whether through taxation or other measures we take, I agree with the Deputy there are issues and people are having difficulties in renting out their properties. We may need to review the croí cónaithe fund or increase the number of grants available.”
“I thank Deputy Healy-Rae. He made some good suggestions and they have to be taken on board, especially his point on partaking in any reviews. There has to be a question of balance, in particular of tenants' rights. We cannot overdo it and take away tenants' rights. They are entitled to have a right of tenure so they are not in precarious situations. The regulation of landlords has to be balanced. It has to be worth someone's while to stay in the rental sector; otherwise, we will lose properties to private sale, etc., to people who may not necessarily need them as a primary home. That has to be taken into account, and the Deputy has made that point well. Regarding vacant houses, we will have to make a very difficult decision.”
“They are not making extraordinary amounts of money out of it, but at the same time it has to make sense for them to stay in the market. That is why we have an issue. Many of these rental properties are being sold into private ownership and that may not necessarily be someone with a housing need or who is looking for a first home. We need to do it. We need to listen. We need to go back to the Minister for Finance and look at taxation, etc. This is an issue not just in Kerry but in west Cork as well and it needs to be addressed. We need to get vacant properties back into the rental market.”
“Any potential future policy options that arise from this review will be considered by the Government. The Minister for Finance has responsibility for taxation measures but recent tax measures have been of benefit to the sector. These include the amount of tax deductible pre-letting expenditure being doubled to €10,000 in respect of a property that lay vacant for six months, which was reduced from 12 months; the introduction of the residential premises rental income relief to benefit landlords with relief worth up to €600 this year and rising to up to €1,000 from 2026; and the rent tax credit being increased to €1,000 per renter, backdated to 2024. There are, therefore, measures there. I have set out the situations where a tenancy can be ended, but the Deputy is right. Most landlords out there have perhaps one or two properties for rent.”
“The Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2024, provides a tenancy dispute resolution service. In 2024, my Department completed a review of the rental sector. This review noted clear challenges with the current system of rent controls while acknowledging the need to ensure the regulatory system for the rental market adequately balances the interests of landlords and tenants. My Department requested that the Housing Agency undertake a review to assess the operation of rent controls and it is expected that this review will be completed by the end of March 2025. The review will also consider the recommendations of the Housing Commission relating to rent regulation.”
“The Government appreciates a landlord may sometimes need to take back possession of their property. Where a tenancy is of less than six months' duration, a landlord is not required to cite a reason for any notice of termination. In general, after six months the landlord must state in the notice of termination one or more of the following reasons: the tenant has failed to comply with the obligations of the tenancy; the dwelling is no longer suited to the needs of the occupying household; the landlord intends to sell the dwelling within nine months of the termination date; the landlord requires the dwelling for own or family member occupation; vacant possession is required for substantial refurbishment of the dwelling; or the landlord intends to change the use of the dwelling.”
“That is only on one road. It is something we need to tackle. We have the croí conaithe grant. That was an effort to bring more of those properties back into the rental market, but clearly we need to do more. My answer covers many of the situations where a house can be taken back from a tenant and covers some of the taxation, but obviously a lot of the tax matters the Deputy mentioned would be for the Minister for Finance. I will certainly bring it back. I assure the House that as set out in the programme for Government, this Government remains focused on growing the supply of much-needed rental accommodation and commits to continuing its support for renters and landlords, along with tackling vacancy and dereliction with enhanced compulsory purchase order powers and an ambitious grant system.”
“The Office of Emergency Planning has established a critical infrastructure committee to oversee the EU critical infrastructure resilience directive. The OEP has engaged with regulators and established national competent authorities to reinforce compliance with these new regulations across the public sector and semi-State organisations with an emphasis on cross cutting and integrated forward planning. This includes ESB Networks and Uisce Éireann to improve infrastructure resilience, regular reviews and updates to improve resilience measures and aligning preventative measures and resilience across all measures and key sectors. We believe the Government's response was timely given the circumstances and every effort was made to minimise disruption to all those effected, to the greatest degree possible.”
“While many key sites had battery back up to maintain services, once battery capacity was exhausted, some network areas would have experienced outages. The deployment of generators maintained connectivity at core sites across the country. At peak, over 281,000, or 10%, of fixed broadband customers were completely without services. Also, a peak of 2 million, or 35%, of mobile customers experienced some level of degradation of service. ComReg has monitored the situation and liaised with operators throughout Storm Éowyn and the repair operation, receiving regular reports on restoration of services and updating the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. Like all other sectors, telecommunications oversight and resilience will be reviewed as part of the overall review learnings for Storm Éowyn.”
“The service is working closely with local service directors in local authorities and community welfare officers are visiting people in their homes, where necessary, to provide support. The Department of Social Protection's community welfare service was also represented in the emergency response hub, set up by the local authorities. The programme for Government commits to developing an extreme weather event assistance scheme for homes, community organisations, farmers, and businesses. Work on the development of this new scheme will commence as a matter of priority through the relevant senior officials' group. The estimated effect of Storm Éowyn on telecom networks was the largest in ComReg recorded history. A significant number of outages experienced on the telecom networks were due to the lack of power to fixed and mobile infrastructure.”
“As previously stated, the Government continues to support those severely impacted, including individuals, families, communities, businesses, and sports clubs through the Department of Social Protection humanitarian assistance scheme. The programme for Government includes a commitment to develop an extreme weather event assistance scheme for homes, community organisations, farmers and businesses which will be brought forward as a matter of priority. To date, the community welfare service has issued more than 5,000 stage one payments, totalling almost €1 million, to people who, at the time their application was approved, did not have any power or water supply during Storm Éowyn.”
“This includes an increase in spending on asset management, underground cables and the replacement of ageing overhead lies and poles. ESB Networks plans to massively scale up its timber cutting programme. Uisce Éireann is committed to protecting and future-proofing Ireland's water infrastructure. Although pre-emptive actions were taken with reservoir levels and 420 permanent and over 600 mobile generators were used to mitigate the impact of Storm Éowyn, they will have a post incident review providing opportunities for improvement and further resilience. As part of this review, Uisce Éireann will examine requirements for additional generators and alternative power solutions and will continue to work with all relevant Government Departments and State agencies to ensure enhanced levels of readiness for extreme weather events in future.”
“Following on from this meeting, specific energy related actions have been prioritised to be delivered once the initial storm response has been completed. These include an enhanced winter 2025 grid resilience plan, a full review by ESB Networks and by the CRU of the planned grid enhancement and the priorities within the next five years. A final decision on the CRU strategic workforce plan 2025-2027 is to be taken by the end of quarter 1 of 2025. The Government has previously approved a €4 billion investment in the onshore electricity grid for 2021-2025. A baseline investment of €10.1 billion for 2026-2030 has been sought by ESB Networks and the onshore grid with scope to raise this to €13.4 billion. A final decision on this is expected from the CRU in 2025.”