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330. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has conducted an assessment of the extent to which recent tenancy law reforms have contributed to landlords exiting the private rental market; the findings of such an assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50329/26]

331. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown of the funding that was provided to retrofitting of local authority homes; the average cost to retrofit a local authority home; and the average BER uplift in each of the years 2020 to 2026, in tabular form. [50354/26]

332. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown of the funding that was allocated for solar PV in local authority homes in each of the years 2020 to 2026, in tabular form. [50355/26]

333. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, given Residential Tenancies Board data showing a record number of notices of termination issued during Q1 2026, he will undertake a review of the impact of the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 on landlord participation in the private rental sector; and if he will make a statement on t…

334. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of applicants who have availed of the €1,500 annual payment under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, by year, since the creation of the scheme; the total number of new successful applicants who have availed of the €1,500 annual payment under the scheme by year since its creation,…

335. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views that the absence of national planning guidelines for anaerobic digestion and biomethane facilities risks producing inconsistent decisions across local authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála; the steps he is taking to ensure a coherent national planning framework for such facilities; and if he will make a…

337. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for the full staffing allocation, according to grade provided to Galway City Council; the additional staffing positions approved for Galway City Council in each of the years 2024 and 2025; the grade level at which the additional staff were sanctioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50570/26]

338. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the full staffing allocation, by grade provided to Galway County Council; the additional staffing positions approved for Galway County Council in each of the years 2024 and 2025; the grade level at which the additional staff were sanctioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50571/26]

339. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the development of a new fire station in Galway city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50572/26]

342. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications for the vacant above the shop grant since the scheme opened; the number of grants approved; the number of grants drawn down; and to provide a breakdown for this information by local authority area. [50635/26]

343. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to set out the procedures for updating city and county development plans following the adoption of a national planning policy statement by Government, including statutory timelines for public consultation or adoption of the content of the policy statements into existing development plans. [50730/26]

344. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of biodiversity officers in each local authority, by local authority, in tabular form, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51175/26]

369. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to set out the provisions of the updated IPAS house rules of June 2026 concerning the re-entry to reception and accommodation centres of residents who have consumed alcohol; whether the effect of these provisions is that such residents may be refused re-entry and required to remain outside the centre; the measures i…

439. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 492 of 28 May 2026, whether she will commit to establishing a longitudinal outcome tracker for care-experienced young adults covering housing, education, employment, mental health and addiction; and the expected publication date of outputs from the Care Experiences Programme. [506…

510. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 535 of 28 May 26, the names and professional roles of each member of the expert group convened by the HSE Chief Clinical Officer to examine the implications of the final Cass Review; the group's full terms of reference; the number of times it has met to date; and the date on which its report will be publish…

25. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide an update on plans for the future use of the Wicklow Court House building; if his Department has considered disposing of the premises for community use; the maintenance currently ongoing at the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49886/26]

194. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to changes to the proposed apartment mix for an LDA site (details supplied) that was not included in the public consultation on the proposed development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49997/26]

196. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to review the fresh start principle within the local authority purchase and renovation loan scheme, in light of cases where families had to sell a previous home due to the disability-related needs of a child; if he will consider extending eligibility so that such families are not excluded from accessing finance…

197. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the published assessment criteria for the community heritage grant scheme; the process by which applications are assessed and refused; the review or appeal mechanism available to unsuccessful applicants; and whether, as the Department funding the scheme, he will seek a report from the Heritage Council on h…

198. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to take into consideration the importance of Killarney town as an international tourist destination, the importance of the town to County Kerry's economy by re-establishing Killarney Town Council as a matter of priority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50280/26]

199. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to acknowledge the importance of the tourism industry by ensuring that planning applications in respect of all those involved in short-term lets are given favourable consideration in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50282/26]

200. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a breakdown of all artefacts, historical objects, archival materials and heritage items acquired by the National Monuments Service in each of the years 2023 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, including the nature of the item, the acquisition date and the acquisition cost in each case; and if he will make…

201. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total monetary value of all artefacts, historical objects, archival materials and heritage items acquired by the National Monuments Service in each of the years 2023 to 2025 and to-date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50306/26]

202. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the policies, procedures, governance arrangements and approval processes that apply to the acquisition of artefacts, historical objects, archival materials and heritage items by the National Monuments Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50307/26]

203. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail all acquisitions of artefacts, historical objects, archival materials and heritage items by the National Monuments Service with a value in excess of €10,000 in each of the years 2023 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, including the item acquired, the acquisition value and the source of funding used; and i…

I fully support this motion, which rightly calls out the Government's failure to tackle the rip-off culture that has existed in the insurance industry for many years. I have stood in this Chamber previously to highlight the burden that sky-rocketing insurance premiums place on ordinary people. In November 2023, I asked the Minister for Finance why a constituent's motor insurance had increased so d…

82. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that the measurement 'consistent poverty' obscures the full number of people both at risk of poverty and in material deprivation; if he is aware that 'consistent poverty' fails to account for housing costs; if he will consider using both 'material deprivation' and 'at risk of poverty after housing costs' as alternat…

I absolutely agree with the Deputy that we need accurate figures. We have long used the consistent poverty measure as the national poverty benchmark. The recently agreed child poverty target of 3% or less is based on the consistent poverty measure, which is the critical measure of child poverty because it captures income-related and deprivation-related aspects. In addition, we use CSO data on the…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on social enterprises. I welcome the Minister of State's opening statement. It is important that we support social enterprises. I will highlight some of the great work in my constituency to emphasise the valuable work happening across Mayo. One example is the Kilmovee community housing centre. It is a small community but the social enterprise there is doing treme…

It gives me no great pleasure this morning to stand in this historic Chamber not just as a public representative but as a citizen of this nation deeply troubled by the reality that in our modern democratic republic, children are going to bed hungry, cold and without a place to call home. Let us all let that sink in. In 2025 thousands of children are homeless – 5,000 children - and thousands more l…

Over 225,000 children live below the poverty line in this country. How are families meant to get out of poverty in Ireland in 2025? Food is getting more and more expensive. Food is not an optional extra. It is an everyday basic need. People are working to the bone. Parents are skipping meals to ensure their children are fed. Coming into winter, once again energy costs are going up. Heating one’s h…

This House can talk about many different things. Today we are talking about child poverty. I thank the Labour Party for bringing this motion forward. I have to say that talk is cheap and action is limited when it comes to child poverty and this Government's record. I worked in some of Dublin's poorest communities for close to 30 years. I do not need to remind people in this House that there was an…

I am going to give the Minister the answer today to solving a lot of the problems. I am in business all my life, so I treat politics like business - delivery on budget and on time. We are talking today about homelessness and child poverty. The overspend on the children's hospital is €853 million. I am the Chairperson of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight. We will have the Minister, Deputy Chamb…

-----because that circular prioritises families, which she criticised me for doing. In relation to the Labour Party's motion, we have a demand-led tenant in situ scheme, which is what the Deputy wants. We have nearly 60,000 HAP and RAS tenancies. The Labour Party is well north of €20 billion, yet it has not quantified its position or said where that money will come from. Once again, it is more ma…

I raise the national challenge of vacancy and dereliction in our towns and villages. In my own constituency of Tipperary South we see it clearly. Towns like Clonmel, Tipperary town and Carrick-on-Suir are three of our key towns and all have prime retail streets with empty or derelict properties. Unfortunately, this is replicated right across the country. These are proud places with strong employm…

I thank the Minister for his reply but the reality is that despite these existing schemes vacancy and dereliction remains stubbornly high. Failure to act now will mean that these empty buildings continue to blight our main streets year after year while a housing crisis deepens. I am calling for a specific ring-fenced approach, reform of the existing regulatory and grant system, and a targeted reli…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I appreciate the promotion. I raise the importance of the housing aid and housing adaption grants that are administered by the local authorities. In particular, I refer to a letter recently received by all public representatives in County Kildare stating that the grants have been paused. My office is aware of more than 20 applicants who have been told to apply again ne…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 and to provide for related matters. At the outset, let me express my sincere thanks to Karen O'Brien in the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers and Owen Garvey, assistant parliamentary counsel, for their invaluable research and drafting assistance. Also, my thanks to Luke No…

I am pleased to address the House as Minister of State with special responsibility for public health, well-being and the national drugs strategy. I will talk about vaping and the use of other nicotine products by our young people and what the Government is doing about this public health challenge. Every day, I hear from parents, teachers and coaches who worry about how many of our children are vap…

First, I thank everyone for the points that have been raised and for this important debate. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and I are very much aware of the issues of bringing the legislation before the House. Some TDs said we are not moving quickly enough in respect of it, but we are. It is a priority. I assure Members of that. We all want our children to have the best start in life, and …

These Revised Estimates relate to several matters, including costs associated with international protection accommodation and the purchase of the Citywest Hotel, funding for criminal legal aid, and the criminal injuries compensation scheme agus ba mhaith liom aghaidh a thabhairt ar roinnt de na sean áiseanna seo. While the justice committee had a very constructive engagement with the Minister yes…

I am not going to mince my words. The defective concrete scandal is a national emergency the Minister's Government wilfully mismanaged for over a decade. The Government has worked hard to fool the public and portray that we are being looked after, but the truth is we are now in the second failed scheme. My staff see suicidal ideation every week in our office. The uncertainty and the feeling of aba…

I am conscious that everyone in this House has, to a large extent, contributed to the occupied territories Bill. As the Deputy knows, Deputy Lahart did an excellent job chairing the committee that did pre-legislative scrutiny on that Bill. The report is now being published. That was necessary in order that pre-legislative scrutiny would be done and for it to be progressed through the Houses of the…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to address the House and provide an update on the provision of school transport. This is a hugely important issue, particularly for children and young people with additional needs and their families, many of whom require school transport provision to support children in attending school. I pay tribute to my colleague the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and…

The Minister of State is going to be well aware of some of the schools and areas I am going to raise, as we are both from in and around the same area. As spokesperson on education for the party, I have heard from a significant number of people including teachers, parents, lobby groups within community areas and volunteers who have spoken to me about school transport or the lack of school transpor…

Obviously, the Minister of State is hearing a lot of stories today about the failures within the school transport scheme. Every year at this time of the year, we sound like a broken record relaying these stories to the Minister of the day. As my colleague, Deputy Wall, relayed, it seems this year is the worst year we have seen in a long time. I wish to relay the story of Jade Black and her son, R…

The 2001 planning guidelines for local authorities on early learning and childcare settings were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The guidelines are intended to ensure a consistent approach to the treatment of planning applications in respect to the land use planning aspects of early learning and childcare provision. The programme for Government commits to reviewin…

I would have to get the Deputy a detailed building-by-building breakdown, but my understanding is the ones assessed to be uninhabitable are deemed so because there is a very significant requirement of work to bring them into any sort of line with modern building regulations, rather than it being more preferential to have something laid out in a different way. I am happy to get the Deputy more info…

I thank the Deputy. First, the Secretary General of our Department rightly pointed out that policy choices must be made, and we are making them. Certainly, that is why we are investing in housing, the grid and water infrastructure. These are the three pillars that will support sustainable development in this country. The idea that data centres are being prioritised over homes is not supported by f…

I asked a simple question - what was the percentage of people who withdrew from the SEAI scheme - and I did not get the percentage. People are telling me that they are withdrawing from the scheme or not applying to the scheme because they do not have the money. It turns out that the people who most need the retrofitting and the upgrading works to their house to bring them to at least a B2 standard…