Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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385. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when funding will be released for a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27487/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The site at Mungret, Co. Limerick is being delivered via a partnership between Limerick City County Council (LCCC) and the Land Development Agency (LDA) and has potential for over 250 affordable and social homes.

The land, which is located on the grounds of the former Mungret College and is owned by LCCC, is part of the wider Mungret Framework area. The Framework aims to unlock substantial lands within public and private ownership and allow construction of residential development supported by community and employment uses.

Administration of social and affordable housing schemes is a matter for local authorities, in accordance with the Housing Acts. LCCC has advised me that a funding requirement has arisen in relation to the enabling infrastructure at Mungret, Co. Limerick. I understand that LCCC is considering the matter, with a view to bringing forward a funding proposal in due course.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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386. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he intends to review and consolidate the four stage approval process for the Social Housing Investment Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27488/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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In December 2023, the Public Spending Code capital appraisal guidelines were replaced and superseded with a set of Infrastructure Guidelines, announced as part of a package of significant actions aimed at enhancing delivery of the National Development Plan (NDP).

The Infrastructure Guidelines allow individual Departments to draw up their own sector specific procedures for evaluating, planning and managing public investment, which align with the Infrastructure Guidelines, but are designed to specifically relate to the context in which capital projects are operating.

The Programme for Government (PfG) calls for the introduction of a single stage approval process for Department funded new build projects which use standardised design. My Department is currently in the process of reviewing our current approvals processes in consultation with local authorities with a view to developing sector specific guidelines which provide for the PfG objective.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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387. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline the work, scope and membership of the housing activation industry group within the Strategic Housing Activation Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27490/25]

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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388. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline the work, scope and membership of the housing activation delivery group within the Strategic Housing Activation Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27491/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 387 and 388 together.

Further to the Government’s decision of 29 April 2025, a new Housing Activation Office (HAO) is being established within my Department, in line with a Programme for Government commitment.

The HAO is tasked with identifying and addressing barriers to the delivery of public infrastructure required to enable housing development. It will support greater alignment of infrastructure funding, improved coordination among providers, and help ensure the delivery of sustainable communities.

To support this work, I am establishing and will chair two key groups:

1. The Housing Activation Delivery Group, will consist of senior representatives from relevant Government Departments and agencies involved in infrastructure delivery. The group will support the HAO in developing a coordinated programme of public infrastructure investment and play a central role in driving cross-Government coordination on critical issues affecting housing delivery.

2. The Housing Activation Industry Group, will provide a structured forum for regular engagement between the HAO and industry representative bodies. This will ensure that challenges on the ground are clearly understood and addressed.

The workplans, scope, and membership of both groups will be finalised shortly and will ensure that all key stakeholders are appropriately engaged.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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389. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of applications under the cost rental equity loan scheme approved by his Department or relevant agencies in 2025 to date; the sponsor and location of each approved application; the number of units in each; the level of approved funding for each; the date of submission and the date of approval, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27492/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Cost Rental Equity Loan funding Scheme is available to Approved Housing Bodies to provide affordable rented accommodation to those who meet the income eligibility requirements for cost rental homes. The nature of the Cost Rental model means that Cost Rental homes are advertised and made available at a certain rent level, which is needed to cover the costs of delivery and provision. Cost rents must be at least 25% below prevailing market rents.

Applications for CREL are regularly received by the Housing Agency, who manage the Scheme on my Department's behalf, and as such the assessment and approval of applications on hand is continual.

To date in 2025, 19 projects (1,660 units) have been approved across 10 different local authority areas for delivery in 2025, 2026 and 2027, as follows:

• Cork City - 822 new cost rental homes
• Cork County - 40 new cost rental homes
• Dublin City - 189 new cost rental homes
• Fingal - 358 new cost rental homes
• Galway City - 75 new cost rental homes
• Limerick -12 new cost rental homes
• Louth - 23 new cost rental homes
• Meath - 51 new cost rental homes
• South Dublin - 82 new cost rental homes
• Westmeath - 8 new cost rental homes