Framework for Online Electoral Process Information, Political Advertising and deceptive AI content to enhance the electoral integrity and democratic process
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD and Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, today welcomed the publication by An Coimisiún Toghcháin (the Electoral Commission) of a Framework on Online Electoral Process Information, Political Advertising and Deceptive AI content.
An Coimisiún prepared the Framework as a useful guide for, primarily, online platforms, online search engines, political parties and candidates at forthcoming elections. The Framework is aimed at enhancing the electoral integrity and democratic processes associated with the June electoral events.
Speaking following a meeting today between the Ministers and representatives of the Technology Sector, Coimisiún na Meán and An Coimisiún, Minister O’Brien stressed the importance of ongoing work to ensure that we protect the integrity of our electoral and democratic processes. He emphasized:
“I was pleased today to engage directly with representatives from platforms and to hear directly from them how they are combatting disinformation online. From our engagement, it is clear we all have a shared interest in protecting and upholding our elections, the beating heart of our democracy. We need to work together to ensure strong safeguards are in place in advance of the June elections. To that end, I particularly welcome the publication today of the new Electoral Commission Framework which will help to achieve that.”
Minister Noonan also welcomed the publication of the Framework, adding:
“The risks to the integrity of elections are already apparent, with many examples across the world of inauthentic behaviour, particularly involving AI-manipulated audio or video. It is important that we do all we can to protect our electoral and democratic processes from such interference.”
The Framework that has now been put in place by An Coimisiún Toghcháin will compliment a number of other significant national, EU and sectoral steps which have been taken in recent times to address the challenges that have emerged. 
These initiatives include:

• the passage of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 
• the establishment of An Coimisiún Toghcháin and Coimisiún na Meán
• the full implementation of the EU Digital Services Act
• the adoption of the EU Regulation on the targeting and transparency of political advertising
• the 2022 Strengthened Code of Practice on Disinformation and
• the AI elections accord agreed in February 2024

The framework can accessed on An Coimisiún Toghcháin’s website here. 

• Cabinet approves extension of waiver for development levy & water connection charge rebate.
• Record 12,000 homes started construction in Q1 2024.
• Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant proving to be incredibly popular with 4,376 applications approved across the country.
• Allocation of €100 million in additional funding following the National Development Plan (NDP) windfall review to deliver more than 1,000 student beds at UCD, DCU and Maynooth University.
• First Home Scheme making affordable home ownership a reality for thousands of our citizens – additional €40m State Funding committed to Scheme.

The Cabinet has approved an extension for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions to the end of this year and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and waste water connection charges to the beginning of October.
The announcement came as Taoiseach Simon Harris, Minister Eamon Ryan and Minister Darragh O’Brien presented the latest quarterly update under Housing for All, with the Government leaders and the Minister emphasising that they remain steadfast in their commitment to growing the current positive momentum in the delivery of new homes.
Building started on almost 12,000 new homes in the first three months of this year. This is the highest Q1 figure since we began recording these numbers in 2014 and is up 63% on the same period last year. The decision to extend the waiver and rebate scheme will ensure we continue to boost the supply of new homes.
The Cabinet also reviewed the 2024 Progress Report under the Vacant Homes Action Plan, which provides updates on the range of measures underway to help those bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes.
Highlights include:

• Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant: 7,530 applications have been received and almost 60% of them (4,376) have been approved to date. 265 grants paid to applicants as refurbishment works are completed.
• Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF): €150 million has been made available to local authorities under Call 3 of the URDF to tackle vacancy and dereliction by acquiring properties for reuse or sale across towns and cities. To date, over 900 properties have been approved funding under this Call and 11 new towns have now been added to the URDF programme and can avail of funding under Call 3.
• A New CPO Activation Programme has been launched encouraging a proactive and systematic approach by local authorities to addressing vacancy and dereliction, including using their powers to compulsorily acquire properties where needed.
• Under Town Centre First, Town Regeneration Officers are in place across 26 local authorities, with Town Plans developed. Addressing vacancy and dereliction is a key aspect of these Plans.

The Housing for All Q1 2024 progress report, published today reflects the significant progress since the beginning of the year, including:

• 809 approvals and 262 homes purchased under the First Home Scheme in Q1 alone. Approvals are up 38% compared to Q1 2023. Given the success of the Scheme to date, we have committed an additional €40m to it, continuing the drive for affordable home ownership for our citizens.
• Updated analysis on development finance, highlighting the importance of the State and the private sector working in partnership to deliver homes at the scale our country needs.
• Progress on the new Planning and Development Bill which has now completed Committee Stage in the Oireachtas.
• Focus on increasing adoption of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) – Two 3D volumetric pilots initiated in Wexford and Carlow and continued progress on an Accelerated Delivery Programme which will deliver 1,500 new social homes using MMC.
• Promotional campaigns, including the Building Heroes initiative launched last week, to encourage careers in construction.

It has also been agreed to allocate €100 million in additional funding to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to deliver more than 1,000 purpose-built student accommodation beds at UCD (493), DCU (495) and Maynooth University (116).
State funding will be provided in return for 30 per cent of the newly built beds being made available to students in National Access Plan priority groupings or categories of students eligible for support via SUSI at a discounted rate of rent for 30 years.
Commenting on today’s announcement, the Taoiseach, Simon Harris said:
“Housing for All has delivered well beyond its targets since its launch in 2021. The decision to extend the development levy waiver and Uisce Éireann rebate helps us to build on record levels of commencements seen in Q1 to ensure we continue to provide more and more homes across the country to meet the needs of our citizens.
“Throughout 2024 we will build up capacity and innovation in the construction sector as we get ready for even stronger delivery for next year and beyond. We will also attract and welcome private investment to our housing market as we have always done, to ensure that the State and the private sector can continue to work in partnership to deliver at the substantial scale we need across the country.”
The Tánaiste, Micheál Martin said:
“I’ve always said supply is key to making progress in housing, and there is real momentum under Housing for All, with record levels of new homes being built, a strong pipeline, and more first-time buyers getting they keys to their own home.
“The affordable purchase supports are making a real difference to peoples’ lives. Since its launch in July 2022, over 4,000 individuals and couples have availed of the First Home Scheme. There were over 800 approvals in quarter one, up almost 40% compared to the same three months last year.
“In addition, the Help to Buy Scheme supported almost 2,000 to buy their first home in the first three months of this year.”
The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan said:
“There is real progress now being made right across the country in tackling vacancy and dereliction. Applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant have been received in every local authority, with over 4,300 approved to date.
“Breathing life back into old buildings doesn’t just bring new life to our cities, towns, villages and rural areas. It is sustainable development which will help us towards our climate objectives.
“The updated Bringing Back Homes Manual, published today, is an excellent resource for those interested in restoring and renovating vacant and derelict buildings. Government will remain focused on making further progress in this area as we continue to implement our Housing for All Plan.”
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD added:
“Without question, the Development contribution waiver and Uisce Éireann connection rebate scheme has led to a surge in new home starts and provided a much needed jolt to our supply pipeline, with building starting on 11,956 new homes in the first three months of the year alone - a 63% increase compared to the same period in 2023 and a record first quarter.
“The temporary time-limited nature of the waiver and refund schemes has undoubtedly been a principal factor in influencing the speedier activation of planning permissions by developers since they were introduced last year, including planning permissions that have been granted for a number of years and were not activated.
“To ensure we get the most out of this measure, and that we provide more homes as quickly as possible, I sought Cabinet approval to extend the Uisce Éireann rebate to the beginning of October and the development contribution waiver to the end of this year - and received that approval. This will ensure that many more homes will come into the mix this year and quicker than otherwise may have happened. That is good news for all those who are seeking a place of their own.”
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Skills, Patrick O’Donovan said:
“This is a significant announcement by Government and confirmation that its agreed policy response on addressing challenges around student accommodation is bearing fruit.
“In my new role, I am even more conscious that the cost of accommodation can be a challenge for many students and would make the reality of higher education beyond the reach of many.
“This investment, however, will help increase the supply of student housing in some of our biggest campuses and, with much of it targeted at those who need it most, we are continuing our policy of making sure education is accessible to everyone.”

• Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí includes the Conor Pass, as well as new sites at Inch Peninsula, Mount Brandon and the Owenmore River
• It is Ireland’s eighth and largest National Park, with more than 70,000 acres of lands and seas in public ownership
• The Páirc will be dedicated to the protection and restoration of its internationally-significant biodiversity and archaeological heritage

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD along with Minister of State for the Office of Public Works, Kieran O’Donnell TD, have today confirmed the establishment of Ireland’s first Marine National Park - Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí.
The new Páirc, which is centred around Corca Dhuibhne in Co. Kerry, will unite some of Europe’s most ecologically valuable places in celebration of nature across 70,000 acres of lands and seas.
It brings together new acquisitions by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, such as the Conor Pass, the Owenmore River catchment, lands at Mount Brandon and the sand dune system at Inch Peninsula, along with sites already under State ownership, such as the limestone reefs of Kerry Head Shoals and the waters around the Blasket Islands.
The Ministers and local Minister for Education Norma Foley, announced that the Páirc’s heritage legacy would be further enhanced by the inclusion of lands on the Great Blasket Island, the globally significant UNESCO World Heritage property of Sceilg Mhichíl, and Derrynane House, Historic Park and Beach, which are managed by the OPW. Further collaborations with BirdWatch Ireland, who manage Little Skellig and Puffin Island, and with the Commissioners of Irish Lights, who manage An Tiaracht Nature Reserve, ensure that these internationally important sites for seabirds are also an integral part of the Páirc.
Speaking at the launch in Dingle, Minister Noonan said:
“With the iconic Conor Pass as the gateway, Ireland’s first Marine National Park brings mountains, blanket bog, heaths, rivers, coastal dunes, limestone reefs, sea cliffs and some of the wildest land and seascapes in the country together in celebration of nature. Alongside its seven sister parks, Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí will be a flagship for the protection and restoration of these incredible places and the globally important array of wildlife that they are home to. The Páirc will also honour the island and coastal communities who live alongside it by ensuring that their unique tapestry of cultural and natural heritage is central to the future story of this special place.”
Minister O’Brien said:
“Bringing the Conor Pass and the lands at Inch into public ownership has enabled the creation of a wonderful Marine National Park, the first in Ireland’s history. This was a key commitment in the Programme for Government and today’s announcement delivers that commitment. It has been many years in gestation, and made possible through the Government’s renewed support of National Parks and Wildlife Service in recent years. I congratulate the NPWS on realising a national vision of global importance, and thank the Office of Public Works, the Commissioners of Irish Lights and all those who will have such an important role to play in the management of these sites that together form Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí.”
The landscapes, islands and seas of this region are of enormous significance for biodiversity. Starting in the majestic uplands of Mount Brandon and Conor Pass, we find active blanket bogs and heaths, with famed alpine flora, providing valuable habitats for the Peregrine Falcon, Otter and Marsh Fritillary butterfly. Nestled among them is the pristine Owenmore river, one of the last remaining refuges of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel. Down at the coast, we can see some of the finest sand dune systems in Europe, which are home to the Natterjack Toad, before heading out to sea to encounter the shallow bays, which are important breeding sites for sharks and rays, and an extensive and biologically rich marine limestone reef system. The islands speak for themselves, with entire populations of rare and endangered seabirds such as Puffin, Storm Petrel, Gannet and Razorbill, as well as unique communities of lichen and other flora.
Equally, the area’s cultural and archaeological value cannot be overstated. The UNESCO World Heritage property of Sceilig Mhicíl, an island of global importance, is at the heart of the Páirc’s cultural heritage. The seas that surround it, meanwhile, were the routeways of the past and the last resting place of many historic wrecks. They include the Spanish Armada vessel of Santa Maria de la Rosa, which was lost off Blasket Sound in 1588. On the mainland, the landscapes of the Páirc document the history of settlement in the region, with archaeological monuments and traces of people over the millennia, including those who etched ogham script on the ancient standing stone at Araghglen on Mount Brandon, a National Monument.
Minister O’Donnell said:
“As Minister for the Office of Public Works, I am delighted to confirm that the OPW-managed properties at Sceilig Mhichíl, An Blascaod Mór and Derrynane House, Historic Park and Beach are integral to Páirc Náisiunta na Mara, Ciarraí. They will continue to be managed by OPW. Sceilg Mhichíl, is one of only two UNESCO World Heritage Properties in Ireland and the most spectacularly situated of all Early Medieval island monastic sites. Together with An Blascaod Mór and Derrynane House, Historic Park and Beach, the three sites combine to bring an epochal spirituality and sense of our cultural history into a Páirc of immense environmental and cultural significance.”
Commenting on the announcement local Minister and Kerry TD Norma Foley said:
“I am delighted that the astounding beauty of my home county and her pristine seas has been recognised today by the creation of a second National Park in Kerry; Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí. This will be an incredible amenity. It is a transformative moment for West Kerry and the entire county, allowing us to showcase the very best of our natural environment locally, nationally and internationally.”
Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Service said:
“Our new park is a celebration of heritage in all its forms. Our biodiversity and natural heritage sit layered in harmony alongside monuments and historic wrecks from many periods. This is a place of iconic significance and majestic beauty. At times, shrouded in mist as a far outpost, ethereal in its past, evocative in its firing of the imagination, and vital in its biodiversity. Undoubtedly, a place of local pride and universal value. We look forward to working with our partners, the Office of Public Works, the National Monuments Service, the Commissioners for Irish Lights, BirdWatch Ireland, Kerry County Council and the local communities to realise a truly world class National Park.”

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, is seeking to waive street furniture licence fees for tables and chairs associated with outdoor dining for the remainder of 2024.
The regulations, which come before the Joint Oireachtas Committee today, are being introduced to support businesses such as hotels, restaurants, public houses or other establishments where food is sold for consumption on the premises.
Commenting, Minister O’Brien said:
“Despite the unpredictable weather, many businesses have retained their outdoor dining offering and we can see outdoor dining thriving in some areas.
“This is just one measure which the Government are taking to support businesses which we know are under pressure. In addition, there is no fee for awnings, canopies and heaters associated with outdoor dining.
“With a saving of approximately €125 per table we are removing a financial burden which can place additional pressure on a small café or restaurant. I am very glad to extend the provisions of these regulations for 2024.”

€410,854 awarded to 5 projects in Dublin Fingal
 
Investment will help to conserve, maintain, protect and promote local monuments
 
Fund will create thousands of hours of employment for specialist craftspeople and traditional skills practitioners
 
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, has today announced that over €400,000 will be awarded to 5 projects across Fingal through the 2024 Community Monuments Fund (CMF) to help owners and custodians of archaeological monuments to safeguard them into the future.
 
First established in 2020, the Community Monuments Fund aims to conserve, maintain, protect and promote local monuments and historic sites.
 
Funding is available to allow conservation works to be carried out on monuments that are deemed to be significant and in need of urgent support. The aim is to encourage access to monuments and improve their presentation and also to build their resilience to help them withstand the effects of climate change.
 
The CMF supports essential repairs and capital works for the conservation of archaeological monuments and also the development of Conservation Management Plans to identify measures that may be needed to conserve monuments. Grants are also available to enhance public access infrastructure and interpretation at archaeological monuments.
 
Projects awarded funding this year include:

1. St Columba's Towers - €120,000
2. Lanistown Castle - €120,000
3. Balrothery Tower House - €110,905
4. St. Fintan's Ecclesiastical Site - €30,000
5. St. Doulough's Ecclesiastical Site - €29,950

Speaking today, Minister O’Brien said: “I am delighted that we can announce another significant number of awards under the 2024 Community Monuments Fund. This investment will help to ensure that heritage projects in Fingal will progress, ensuring the protection of our archaeological heritage as a community asset to be made more accessible to the public.
 
I’ve visited many of these sites in Fingal and through this fund, we have been able to support Local Authorities across the country and custodians in protecting our outstanding yet sensitive and vulnerable archaeological heritage.
 
Since its inception in 2020, this fund has become a lifeline for the protection of Ireland’s irreplaceable archaeological heritage by revitalising historic monuments Fingal and further afield.
 
Through this, it is enabling valuable investment in the wider heritage sector, creating thousands of hours of employment for specialist craftspeople and traditional skills practitioners, as well as supporting the achievement of national commitments under Heritage Ireland 2030 and the Climate Adaptation Plan for Built and Archaeological Heritage. I’d like to congratulate the successful applicants and wish them the very best of luck in with their projects this year.”

A full breakdown of the funding awarded under the 2024 Community Monuments Fund can be viewed online at the link below:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/fbbef-community-monuments-fund-list-of-awards-2024/

Local Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heraitge Darragh O’Brien has welcomed moves from Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to pause on all non-essential agricultural inspections until 22nd April in light of the challenging conditions on farms.
 
Minister O’Brien, who has been speaking with numerous farmers in North County Dublin, said it was very clear that farmers sowing spring cereals had been particularly impacted by the weather and were struggling.
 
The Minister acknowledged the commencement of payments under the Horticulture Crisis Fund earlier this year saying they were providing significant supports to growers in Fingal who were negatively impacted by costs and conditions in 2023 but said that more would be needed throughout 2024 as issues persist and costs remain high.
 
Commenting he said: “I am extremely conscious of the pressure on local farm families as a result of the continuing adverse weather conditions. Some supplies are being depleted and this is clearly of serious concern for livestock and tillage farmers. In particular, turning stock out to grass and the sowing of spring cereals has been impacted. 
 
"I welcome the Minister's confirmation that his Department has paused farm inspections that are not specifically required to support payments until 22nd April. Teagasc is also establishing a system for co-ordinating advisory supports to help farmers maximise existing fodder stocks and provide a basis for those with surpluses to engage with those who are struggling.
 
“These supports come off the back of the opening of the €2.38M fund, provided in the form of a once-off payment to horticultural growers most affected by the continued high level of input costs in 2023 and this is also much needed support.
 
“I will continue to advocate for all available supports for impacted farmers in North County Dublin,” he concluded.