Results 561-580 of 1,061 for speaker:Séamus McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Exemptions (17 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 227. To ask the Minister for Finance to review and remove VAT on sunscreen protection products, as they are an essential health product; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40441/25]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Unions (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 160. To ask the Minister for Finance the role credit unions play in supporting the delivery of social housing through the Credit Union Approved Housing Body Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39014/25]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Tolls (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 294. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will request that the barrier tolls on the M7 and M8 be waived on Sunday, 20 July 2025, the day of the all-Ireland hurling final; if waiving of the fees is not possible, if he would recommend a system of online self-declaration and barrier-free travel on that day; and if it is intended to introduce barrier-free tolling on a...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 295. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there is any arts fund or other community fund to be created as part of the M28 motorway project, given it is such a large infrastructure project. [39059/25]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tax Yield (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 298. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the total amount collected from each county or local authority area from motor tax in 2023 and 2024; and if he will clarify where the funding was spent. [39066/25]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 355. To ask the Minister for Finance the total number of renters who claimed the rent tax credit for 2022, 2023 and 2024 and the estimated percentage of those eligible to claim it in each of those years. [39018/25]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 357. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of families who claimed the home carer tax credit for 2022, 2023 and 2024; and the estimated percentage of those eligible to claim it in each of those years. [39050/25]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vacant Properties (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 372. To ask the Minister for Finance the level of compliance activity in relation to the vacant homes tax; the number of cases of default that have been established; the value of penalties that have been applied in total; the average amount per property collected on the tax in 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39647/25]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sports Funding (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 527. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the sport capital grants process will open for new applications. [38958/25]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 564. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will review the Croí Cónaithe scheme or vacant property grant so that more than one grant may be payable in the case of an original single property where more than one unit is developed as part of a refurbishment; and if he will review upwards the grant amount, taking into account the inflationary pressures...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Data (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 565. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline the number of vacant, derelict or dangerous properties that each local authority has compulsorily purchased in 2023 and 2024. [38960/25]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Derelict Sites (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 596. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider transferring the derelict sites levy for collection by Revenue in the same way the residential zoned land tax is collected by Revenue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39015/25]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 699. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Gardaí deployed on regular policing units in each Garda division in June 2023, June 2024 and June 2025 (details supplied). [39067/25]

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I thank the Chair, the Minister and his officials. I will focus on housing elements at the outset. The figure €6.8 billion is a significant sum without question and it puts us very high across Europe with regard to our expenditure on housing. However, we are in an emergency. The Minister has said he is treating the housing crisis as an emergency and I very much welcome that. ...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: With regard to the national development plan, NDP, review, where would the Minister like to see the funding go for meeting the challenges we have?

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I will turn to the Land Development Agency. The Minister has said publicly that he wants to see its role expand, which I fully support. Will he comment on where he would like to see the role of the LDA go and the funding implications of an enhanced role for it?

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: The Minister referred to affordable housing in his opening statement. The target for this year is 6,400, which is very welcome compared with where we were in the past. Where would he like to see affordable housing go? As he knows, I have been a long-time advocate for increasing our affordable housing targets to try to provide support to that cohort who are above social housing income...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I welcome the focus on water infrastructure because it is directly related to housing delivery. Permission being given to the greater Dublin drainage scheme is obviously very welcome, but that will have a very significant capital draw as regards funding. How will we prepare for that? Is there a concern that large scheme will use up a lot of the capital funding Uisce Éireann will have?...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: On the additional posts in the planning field, I recently met with An Coimisiún Pleanála, where significant progress is being made in turning around planning applications and planning appeals much faster. That is very welcome. It shows that when the resources are put in, it gets results in turnaround time. The Minister mentioned that he would support additional posts in...

Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised)
Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised) (15 Jul 2025)

Séamus McGrath: The URDF was referred to in the Minister’s statement. When was the last call for the URDF and when is the next one anticipated? As the Minister knows, this is a critical fund for local authorities to bring forward applications. In many cases, it addresses issues around dereliction and vacancy by allowing local authorities to purchase properties and revitalise town centres. Will the...