Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on plans to introduce a new local infrastructure housing activation fund-type scheme; if such a scheme could be made available for the St. Waleran’s site in Gorey, County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35378/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government recognised the need for acceleration of home building by unblocking infrastructure delays and by coordinating investment in servicing zoned land.

Government has agreed to the establishment of a new Housing Activation Office, which will be the delivery mechanism for the PfG commitment, and my Department has already begun putting together a team of specialists in the areas of infrastructure, planning and housing who will work together to tackle barriers to housing development on the ground.

The Office will identify, and seek to address, barriers to the delivery of infrastructure projects required to enable housing development. It will engage and align key stakeholders, including local authorities, infrastructure providers, industry and others to address barriers in a coordinated way.

A new action focused Housing Activation Delivery Group is being established, which I will chair, and it will support the Office in developing a coordinated programme of public infrastructure investment. This group will comprise senior representation from key Departments, infrastructure providers, regulators, public housing delivery partners and other public sector expertise.

In addition, a new Housing Activation Industry Group will provide for regular structured engagement between the Office and industry representative bodies

It is also envisaged that the Office will manage a multi-annual housing infrastructure investment fund under the National Development Plan. The scope of this fund will be determined as part of the review of the National Development Plan, which is due to be completed in July. This will inform the programme of investment.

While I cannot comment on any individual sites in advance of the opening of that fund for infrastructure proposals, there will be engagement across the different stakeholders, including local authorities, to identify priority areas for investment.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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18. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether his Department made a submission to the EU's consultation on an Affordable Housing Plan for Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35896/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Following the appointment of the EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing Mr Dan Jørgensen, a Housing Task Force was established by the Commission with effect from 1 February 2025.

The EU Housing Taskforce is preparing the first ever European Affordable Housing Plan which is expected to be published by the Commission in early 2026.

Recognising that housing is a national competence, but also that most EU Member States are suffering critical housing shortages, it is intended that the European Affordable Housing Plan will support Member States in increasing the supply of affordable and sustainable housing by, for example, addressing structural challenges and unlocking public and private investment.

The Housing Task Force is led by Mr. Matthew Baldwin who is currently deputy director-general in DG Energy and my officials and I recently met with Mr. Baldwin, on 5 June at the recent International Social Housing Festival held in Dublin.

Noting the importance of the work of the Taskforce in addressing what is now a pan-European housing crisis, and the potential the new Plan may have to assist us in addressing our supply shortages, we have agreed to second an expert from my Department to the EU Housing Taskforce to work with Mr. Baldwin's team and a senior official from my Department will be deployed very shortly.

My officials will continue to engage with the Housing Taskforce over the coming months and my Department is currently preparing a response to a letter from Commissioner Jorgensen requesting our input to the new Plan, and that response will set out the high level priorities that Ireland would wish to see reflected in the EU Affordable Housing Plan. I intend to travel to Brussels to meet with Commissioner Jorgenson to further discuss these matters in the near future.