Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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304. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to support land acquisition and activation, master planning and enabling infrastructure in towns across County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14853/25]

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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305. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to expand the role of the Land Development Agency as a matter of priority to include initially the two largest towns in County Kerry, Tralee and Killarney, and then progressing to include the towns of Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Dingle, Castleisland, Tralee and Listowel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14854/25]

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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306. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to unlock HSE lands in Killarney, County Kerry for the provision of greatly needed affordable and social housing, including low-cost sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14855/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 305, 304 and 306 together.

This Government retains a strong focus on the use of vacant and underutilised state owned and public land for housing.

The Land Development Agency (LDA) was set up as a commercial semi-state body in 2018, and established on a statutory basis following the commencement of the Land Development Agency Act 2021 (the Act). The LDA represents a key partner in the Government’s delivery of affordable and social homes. Their primary focus is on managing State owned lands to develop new homes, in addition to developing housing on private lands purchased by the LDA. The transfer of 37 sites in public ownership to the LDA to develop social and affordable housing has been agreed.

In accordance with Section 52 of the Act, the LDA are required to prepare and submit a Report on Relevant Public Lands to Government. Relevant Public land is defined in the Act, as land in State ownership in cities and towns with a population over 10,000.

The first report on Relevant Public Lands was published in 2023, and focused on the ten main urban locations - five cities (Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford) and five key growth towns (Drogheda, Dundalk, Athlone, Letterkenny and Sligo).

The LDA are currently preparing the 2nd edition of this report and will shortly furnish it to Government. The 2nd Report will provide an update on those sites identified in the 1st Report, and will also include consideration of additional relevant public land in other towns or settlements with a population over 10,000. State owned land in Tralee and Killarney was considered in preparing this Report.

My Department will make an assessment of relevant public lands identified in the Report. Some of the sites identified may be suitable to progress to design and planning and early transfer for housing delivery, subject to achieving statutory consents and agreement. Other sites may be more complex and/or in operational use. If suitable and prioritised, these sites may require further inputs, such as master planning, enabling works, relocation of existing operations, before applications for statutory consents or development.

I would also note that each Government Department/Agency, including the HSE, has been requested to examine their existing portfolio of properties and place them on the market if they are surplus to their requirements, and may be suitable for conversion to residential accommodation.

To support the delivery of sites and enabling infrastructure in towns, the Ready to Build Scheme, funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, is also available and was launched in September 2022. Under the Scheme, local authorities will make serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build their homes. These sites will be available at a discount on the market value of the site for the purposes of building a property for occupation as the principal private residence of the purchaser. The scheme is managed and administered by local authorities on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.