Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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7. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on the housing activation office and its work and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53635/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for the question. Significant progress has been made on establishing the housing activation office. Senior specialists from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the NTA, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the local government sector are in place. In addition, senior staff from my Department with expertise in planning and project and programme management are assigned to the office. Further administrative support is in place and staff from the wider Department are continuing to support the office across corporate functions. The appointment of a head of office is also being progressed as a priority.

The office is actively engaged in identifying barriers to housing delivery and is co-ordinating with local authorities and infrastructural agencies to address these barriers. This includes engagement with the 31 city and county councils over a series of meetings scheduled across September and October to get an understanding of the infrastructural requirements across each area.

In the coming months, I will be bringing forward a new housing infrastructure fund with multi-year funding being made available and will provide up to €200 million next year to support direct investment in critical housing infrastructure where it can be accelerated and delivered.

I intend to convene the housing activation delivery group in the coming weeks, bringing together senior representatives from Departments and infrastructure agencies to support the work of the office. I will also convene a housing activation industry group that will provide regular engagement with the industry. I look forward to engaging with all the stakeholders through these forums and ensuring that infrastructure for housing is prioritised and accelerated.

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I very much welcome the establishment of the housing activation office. This idea came from the work of the Housing Commission. The Minister took it on board and brought forward his own proposals in relation to it, and that is very welcome. As he says, working under the one roof and having the various forms of expertise from the local authority sector, the utilities sector, the Department officials themselves and the infrastructure sector, such as transport and so on, is critical. I also welcome the fact that, in the budget yesterday, over €200 million was secured for the work of the housing activation office, as was over €300 million in additional funding for the URDF, which is very important in unblocking some of the barriers to supply. That is critical because, as we all know, housing is the number one priority of the Government. We have to unblock those barriers. I welcome the Minister's establishment also of the housing infrastructure fund, which is critical to addressing some of the infrastructural deficiencies out there in order that we can get development, particularly large-scale development, under way.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The housing activation office is just one piece of an important set of measures we will take to ensure we can unlock housing delivery. We have our State agencies, but the housing activation office will be able to work with those Stage agencies where they identify that land can be freed up very quickly for housing delivery to ensure that utilities are in place. The HAO itself has that fund where it needs to spend money quite quickly on key infrastructural projects to unlock land in order that we can get it delivered as quickly as possible. Really, it is a troubleshooter but with a lot of high-level expertise and capacity behind it as well as key funding to ensure that everybody is on the same page and delivering what needs to be delivered so we can deliver homes as fast as possible.

Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his update on the work of the office. I want to get a sense of the work plan over the coming months of the office and the level of activity that will be undertaken in trying to unblock some of these barriers. I ask the Minister to clarify when he feels that the head person of that office will be in place to lead it and the very important work it undertakes.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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That work remains ongoing, but the head is not critical to this. As has been demonstrated, all the key experts are in place. The departmental staff are in place. The work is already well under way. We are engaging with local authorities. We are meeting with the relevant groups. That activity is being driven now as quickly as possible.