Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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638. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the average wait time for decisions from An Bord Pleanála on developments (details supplied); the number of inspectors on An Bord Pleanála on 1 January 2020; and the number on 1 April 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17338/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts.

The Planning and Development Act 2024, includes a number of new provisions relating to the Board, which will be renamed An Coimisiún Pleanála, as part of a significant restructure. The Act will introduce statutory time periods for decision making for all consent processes, including, for the first time, for the Board/An Coimisiún Pleanála. This will bring increased certainty to the planning consent processes, for both the public and stakeholders involved in the delivery of key infrastructure such as housing and renewable energy.

For Coimisiún processes, timelines are being introduced for appeals as well as the various consents applications made directly to the Coimisiún, including Strategic Infrastructure Developments. It is intended that they will be introduced on a phased basis, starting with those for Strategic Infrastructure Developments (including energy and transport projects).

While the specific information requested is not held by my Department, data reported to my Department confirms that significant progress is being made by the Board in addressing historic backlogs and processing delays. The total number of cases on hand on 28 February 2025 was 1,457, down from 2,361 on the equivalent date in 2024, a reduction of 38% in one year. As recently as May 2023, the number of cases on hand was 3,616. This increased workload has been enabled by significant additional resources provided through my Department.

Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oíreachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The contact email address for An Bord Pleanála in this regard is Oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie .

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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639. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government Housing the number of applications received from Donegal County Council each year since the tenant-in-situ scheme was introduced; the number approved, and number awaiting approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17340/25]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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640. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government why the tenant-in-situ scheme no longer provides funding for refurbishment of houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17341/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 639 and 640 together.

The Government is providing continuing and substantial financial support to local authorities to acquire second-hand properties for priority categories of social housing need including tenants-in-situ who have been in receipt of supports under HAP or RAS and who had received a Notice of Termination. The other priority categories for second-hand acquisitions are properties that allow persons/families to exit homelessness; one-bedroom properties to deliver on Housing First targets; and specific housing required for people with a disability or other particular priority needs including older people.

For 2023 when tenants-in-situ with a Notice of Termination were added to the priority categories, and also for 2024, each local authority was provided with an initial allocation for the number of properties that could be supported under the second-hand acquisitions programme and it was a matter for the authorities themselves to identify and acquire the properties within that allocation.

I understand that Donegal County Council did not undertake any second-hand social housing acquisitions in 2023. For 2024, their initial allocation was 10 acquisitions and data on completions for the full year 2024 is currently being finalised and will be published shortly. Data on social and affordable housing up to Quarter 3 of 2024, including completed acquisitions, is on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/ .

For 2025, rather than providing local authorities with an allocation for the number of acquisitions to be funded, instead I have made a total of €325 million available to them for their social housing second-hand acquisitions and asked that they prioritise tenant-in-situ acquisitions, while also allowing other priority categories of need to be acquired as each local authority sees fit, with Donegal County Council having a capital funding allocation of €2 million for the year.

It will be a matter for the local authorities to decide how they use this funding within the priority categories being supported by the programme. I am keen that they obtain good value for money in supporting priority tenants and that they maximise the number of acquisitions, which is why I am not making Exchequer funding provision for house refurbishments where there are tenants-in-situ in a property. Such properties have been and continue to be the beneficiaries of significant Exchequer-funded rent supports through HAP and RAS and 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 these standards.

There are a number of funding programmes available for local authorities to improve their social housing stock including their planned maintenance programme and the Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme.