John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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70. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will apply the local authority contribution waiver to planning applications for the development of housing, which were delayed by An Bord Pleanála due to a “significant backlog of cases” and which then subsequently missed the 31 December 2024 deadline to avail of the aforementioned waiver; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12935/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and waste water connection charges.

The schemes originally applied for one year to all permitted residential development that commenced on site between 25 April 2023 (the date of the Government Decision approving the measure) and 24 April 2024, and that are completed not later than 31 December 2025. On 23 April 2024, the Government approved an extension for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions in respect of residential development commenced not later than 31 December 2024 and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and waste water connection charges in respect of residential development commenced not later than 30 September 2024. In April 2024, the final date for the completion of development works on qualifying houses under the schemes was extended from 31 December 2025 to 31 December 2026.

The temporary measures were always intended to be time-bound. At this time, it is not proposed to extend the terms or timeline of the scheme beyond those as approved by the Government in its Decision of 23 April 2024.