Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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59. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware that Roscommon County Council is currently missing its housing targets by approximately 50 percent; the specific measures his Department will take to support Roscommon County Council in meeting the targets set out in its County Development Plan, which calls for an average of 392 new homes per year between 2022 and 2028; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53752/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Revised National Planning Framework (NPF) was finalised and approved by Government and the Oireachtas in April 2025. The Revised NPF identifies the need to plan for approximately 50,000 additional households per annum to 2040.

The Revised NPF provides the basis for the review and updating of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) and local authority development plans to reflect such critical matters such as updated housing figures or projected jobs growth, including through the zoning of land for residential, employment and a range of other purposes.

To ensure that local authority development plans reflect the requirements of the NPF in respect of housing as soon as possible, I issued the NPF Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 in July 2025. These guidelines set out the housing demand scenario to 2040 for each local authority, by translating the NPF housing requirements into average annual figures and require planning authorities to commence the process of varying their development plan to meet the new housing growth requirements.

In addition to the baseline housing growth requirement, planning authorities have also been requested to address the scope for additional provision of up to 50% in excess of the baseline housing growth requirement, in light of the urgent need to increase housing delivery and to optimise the ability to deliver on the housing requirements of the Revised NPF. This approach recognises the fact that, for a variety of reasons, a relatively significant proportion of zoned lands are not activated over the period of a development plan.

Planning authorities, including Roscommon County Council, are currently assessing their current development plan and undertaking a review of the adequacy of existing zoned lands to cater for the new Housing Growth Requirement figures and the potential for ‘additional provision’.

This review and analysis will inform the preparation of a Chief Executive’s report to be submitted to the elected members which will set out the position in respect of each local authority, and the Chief Executive’s recommendations to the members as to what variations to the Plan may be required in order to meet the requirements of the Guidelines. A copy of the Chief Executive’s report is required to be submitted to the Minister and to the Office of the Planning Regulator. Planning Authorities are currently undertaking this initial review and assessment and will be engaging with their elected members.

The zoning of land for particular purposes, including housing, is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their overall statutory plan function generally as part of a development plan under sections 9 to 13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), but can at present also be carried out as part of a local area plan (LAP) process. The making of a development plan or an LAP is a reserved function of the elected members of each authority.

A new, all of government, national housing plan to follow Housing for All, underpinned by multi-annual funding, which will be published shortly, will provide the strategic framework to support the delivery of 300,000 new homes during the period of the Plan and identify actions to support a more sustainable housing system moving forward.

The plan will take a whole of government approach, as Housing for All did, and my Department has been engaging across Government to agree the high-level measures that will be included.

A programme of targeted stakeholder engagement has been undertaken. Written submissions have been received from across Government and from a range of external stakeholders including state agencies, the community and voluntary sector, industry and academics. These submissions have been carefully considered.

I have also met with many stakeholders to hear first-hand what actions they think should be reflected in the Plan.

In addition the outcome of the National Development Plan Review in July 2025 will be reflected in the Plan, which provided for records levels of capital expenditure by Government on infrastructure including housing.

In parallel to this work, significant progress has been made on establishing the Housing Activation Office. Senior specialists from Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the local government sector are now in place. In addition, senior staff from my Department are assigned to the Office, with expertise in Planning, Project and Programme Management. Further administrative support is in place and staff from the wider Department are continuing to support the Office across corporate functions. The appointment of a Head to the Office is also being progressed as a matter of priority.

The Office is actively engaged in identifying barriers to housing delivery and is coordinating with local authorities and infrastructure agencies to address these barriers. The Office is also developing a new Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund under the National Development Plan to support direct investment in infrastructure needed at a local level to unblock housing development.

In addition, I intend to convene the Housing Activation Delivery Group in the coming weeks, bringing together senior representatives from Government Departments and infrastructure agencies to support the work of the Office. I will also convene a Housing Activation Industry Group that will provide for regular engagement with industry. I look forward to engaging with all stakeholders through these forums and ensuring that infrastructure for housing is prioritised and accelerated.

Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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60. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the stalled PPP housing bundles; to provide an updated delivery time frame for the projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53898/25]

Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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116. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when a new building project will commence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53893/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 116 together.

The clear focus of this Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes. This is key to addressing the housing challenge and in particular preventing and ultimately eliminating long term homelessness, and that unquestionably must be the priority for all local authorities.

The social housing PPP programme was announced in 2014 aiming to deliver circa 1,500 units in three phases (Bundles 1 –3) with 25-year maintenance and tenancy management commitments before transferring to local authorities. In 2021, the Housing for All plan extended the initiative, identifying Bundles 4 –7 to deliver approximately 2,850 additional units.

Bundles 1 & 2 completed in 2021 delivered 999 new social homes across 8 counties.

Bundle 3 targeted the delivery of a further 486 social homes across 6 sites in 4 Local Authority areas. Legal proceeding have issued in relation to this matter and as this matter is now before the courts, it is not appropriate to make any further comment.

I have asked my Department to initiate, with the help of the NDFA, a review of PPP Bundles 4 to 7 to consider potential options and determine the optimal procurement and delivery strategy for the Exchequer.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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61. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to expand the provision of modular housing; the number of modular units which have been built since 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53633/25]