Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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1052. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will review the income assessment criteria for social housing eligibility, with particular reference to the including of the working family payment (WFP) in the calculation of assessable income; to consider introducing an income disregard for the WFP on the basis that it is a social welfare support for low-income working families rather than earned income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58805/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.

The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy.

The policy provides for a range of income disregards, and local authorities have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once-off in nature. However, with the exception of the specific payments listed in the Policy as being disregarded, all income from social insurance and social assistance payments, allowances and benefits, including the working family payment, is assessable.

The payments included in the Policy were last reviewed in 2021. As it was found that the majority of working family payment recipients are in receipt of the payment for more than one year, it was recommended that the working family payment should not be considered short term in nature and, therefore, should remain as assessable income.

My Department is currently in the process of reviewing assessable and non assessable income under the Policy in order to ensure it continues to be appropriate. However, it is not my intention to make changes regarding the treatment of the Working Family Payment at this time.

Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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1054. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will increase the housing allocation for counties Wicklow and Wexford under the housing-for-all programme for 2026, 2027 and 2028; in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58831/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Under Housing for All, the Government is committed to delivering housing at scale across all tenures to meet the needs in Wicklow and Wexford. To help achieve this, last year, Government approved new national housing targets up to the year 2030. 303,000 homes will aim to be delivered in the period from 2025 to 2030, equating to an annual average of 50,500 homes, building up to 60,000 in 2030.

The revised targets were informed by research and modelling by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) on population projections and long-run housing demand. The revised national housing targets will inform the revision to existing social and affordable housing targets at a local authority level, ensuring that allocations reflect both housing need and population growth.

Work is ongoing in this regard and updated targets for each local authority, including Wicklow and Wexford for 2026-2028, will be set out as part of the next phase of planning for Housing for All delivery. These revised targets will align with the updated National Planning Framework and with the results of the Housing need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) process. The HNDA provides evidence based insights into the local housing requirements for both Wicklow and Wexford.

To ensure that local authority development plans reflect the requirements of the National Planning Framework 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 set out the requirement for planning authorities to commence the process of varying their development plan to meet the new housing growth requirements.

The Government remains fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment which is being provided for the delivery of housing in 2025, with overall capital funding now allocated by Government of almost €7.5 billion. The capital provision for 2025 is supplemented by a further €1.65 billion in current funding.

My Department does not provide specific funding allocations to local authorities, rather funding for housing programmes is made to the local authorities as programmes and projects advance and relevant claims fall due for payment.

Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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1055. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the affordable housing projects which are due to be delivered over the next 24 months for counties Wicklow and Wexford, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58842/25]

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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1071. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department will provide ring-fenced funding for Cork County Council to deliver affordable housing developments on publicly owned land in the Mallow area. [58980/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1055 and 1071 together.

Government is fully committed to delivering housing at scale, and continuing to accelerate housing supply across all tenures. Overall, over 16,900 affordable housing solutions have been delivered by our range of delivery partners since the launch of Housing for All, including 1,479 in Cork County Council, 318 in Wexford and 899 in Wicklow.

All local authorities prepare their own Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out their planned approach to meeting identified social and affordable housing needs. Cork, Wexford and Wicklow county councils’ published plans are available on their official websites.

The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) is available to assist local authorities towards the cost of developing affordable homes where significant affordability needs have been identified.

Cork County Council has received funding approval to facilitate the delivery of 732 affordable purchase and cost rental homes in key urban centres across the county with the support of the AHF. This includes 63 affordable purchase homes delivered to date at Clonmore, Mallow and funding approval to support the delivery of 134 affordable purchase homes at St. Joseph’s Road, Mallow by 2027.

Wexford County Council has received funding approval to support the delivery of 60 affordable purchase homes during 2025 & 2026 with AHF support.

Wicklow County Council has received funding approval to support the delivery of 117 affordable purchase homes by 2026 with AHF support.

I anticipate that these counties will continue to expand their delivery programmes as additional affordable housing schemes are identified, developed and approved.

The Ready to Build serviced sites scheme supports local authorities to provide sites at a discount to people who want to build their own home. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant continues to support the purchase and refurbishment of vacant and derelict properties. Further information with regard to the scheme is available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/33209-ready-to-build-scheme-serviced-sites-for-new-homes/ or by contacting the Vacant Homes officer directly from Cork, Wexford and Wicklow county councils.

It is also worth noting that the First Home Scheme, which supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model, is also available to support eligible new home purchasers in all local authorities, including Cork, Wexford and Wicklow.

My Department, the Housing Agency and Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office of the Local Government Management Association continue to be available to assist all local authorities in relation to the ongoing development of their affordable housing delivery programmes.