Written answers
Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Local Authorities
Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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76. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the plans he has to reform local government funding, in particular with regard to commercial rates. [65824/25]
John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Commercial rates income makes a significant contribution to the funding of services provided by local authorities such as roads, footpaths, the public realm, litter management, public lighting, development control, parks and open spaces; all essential elements to create the environment in which businesses can prosper. Rates income provides between 13% and 43% of total funding at individual local authority level, averaging 24% nationally.
The Government recognised the need to modernise the collection of commercial rates and the Local Government Rates and Other Matters Act 2019 was passed by the Oireachtas and enacted on 11 July 2019. Local authorities are levying and collecting rates under the new legal rates framework since 1 January 2024.
In line with commitments in the Programme for Government, a Local Democracy Taskforce has been established to reform and strengthen local government. Its Terms of Reference sets out an ambitious and detailed work programme, which is expected to give rise to a series of reforms in the local government sector. The Taskforce will bring forward proposals for Government consideration, including in the area of enhancing local authorities’ fiscal autonomy. The Taskforce met for the first time on 26 June 2025, and is to deliver its recommendations early next year. I look forward to engaging across Government on this important issue next year.
Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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78. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the way in which he will support local authorities to provide more housing under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65639/25]
James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Delivering Homes, Building Communities aims to deliver 300,000 new homes in the period to 2030, including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 starter home supports.
To incentivise local authorities to deliver more ‘own build’ projects a new performance fund will be established. Where a local authority exceeds their ‘own build’ target they will receive additional discretionary funding for the delivery of community and placemaking initiatives and projects. In addition, ring-fenced 'new-build' housing delivery teams in each local authority dedicated to social and affordable housing delivery will be fully funded by my Department through reimbursement to local authorities on a performance pay basis.
The new ‘single approval’ process for all new build social housing projects up to a value of €200m will support local authorities to streamline processes and encourage delivery of larger new build social housing developments.
The new approval process mandates the use of a standardised design approach, as per my Department’s published Design Manual for Quality Housing and the Employer’s Requirements for Detail Design of Quality Housing, for all new build social housing projects being developed by Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.
This provides for a standardised design approach by local authorities and AHBs in all new build social housing projects which facilitates:
- a streamlined approval process which removes the requirement for additional detailed submissions for review and approval throughout the project lifecycle resulting in a more efficient sign-off on project proposals;
- greater control over costs by local authorities and AHBs and greater cost certainty for the Exchequer;
- benefits for industry through efficiencies in tendering, supply, and programming;
- and greater use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in new-build social housing projects in line with the Programme for Government ambition
Sufficient levels of zoned and serviced land in public ownership will be critical to delivering the amount of social homes needed in the coming years. While the Land Acquisition Fund has been an important support for local authorities and AHBs for the acquisition of land for social and affordable housing, the fund needs to be reformed, streamlined and expanded to ensure it is fit for purpose and can support the level of ambition reflected in the new projections.
To this end, the fund will be increased from the current €239m to at least €500m. The increased capacity will help establish the fund as a revolving fund, ensuring it will operate in perpetuity and help secure a sustainable pipeline of land for delivery of social and affordable housing over the long-term.
Building on the existing private and public housing focused measures supported through Housing for All, Government will establish a revamped contractor-led renewal programme focused on tackling dereliction and vacancy.
The scheme will afford opportunities for local trades-persons and contractors to work with local authorities and AHBs to tackle vacancy and dereliction and increase social housing supply. Local authorities and AHBs will be empowered to enter into early stage ‘agreements for purchase’, which will help de-risk and remove barriers to such projects for local tradespersons and contractors.
Affordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of Government’s housing policy, as embodied within the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030.
In recent years, Government has introduced several schemes to help people to buy or rent homes, supported by Housing for All.
Since 2021, close to 16,900 supports nationwide have been provided via these measures. These supports will be retained, streamlined and expanded to form a Starter Homes Programme to ensure that first time buyers and renters in need of support, are supported by Government.
The new housing plan reinforces and expands the range of existing measures being implemented by Government to tackle the issues of supply and affordability, thereby supporting the increased provision of new homes to purchase and rent.
In addition to a keen focus on tackling vacancy and dereliction, the plan provides for an expanded remit for the Land Development Agency, the extension of the First Home and Help to Buy Schemes to 2030, an increase in affordable tenancies and an expanded local authority delivered starter homes for purchase programme.
The record level of investment for the delivery of housing will continue in 2026 with €5.2bn in Exchequer capital funding complemented by investment through the Land Development Agency (LDA) and lending from the Housing Finance Agency (HFA), bringing the total capital funding for housing in 2026 to over €9 billion.
This record level of funding is supporting the delivery of social, affordable and cost rental homes. The 2026 capital funding will be supplemented by over €2 billion in current funding to address housing needs.
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