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570. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the rationale and assessment criteria applied for the decision not to provide funding for the proposed social and affordable housing development at Rehills Land, Bray, County Wicklow; if she plans to engage with Wicklow County Council to progress much needed housing on this site; and if he will make a statement on…

579. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage if his Department will provide an update on the supports a family (details supplied) will be provided with after their house was found to have traces of pyrite thereby decreasing their houses value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63255/25]

627. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average time taken for a housing appeal to be decided by An Bord Pleanála in 2023 and 2024; and whether statutory timelines will be introduced or strengthened to support housing delivery. [63893/25]

637. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current number of households on social housing waiting lists in Cork city and Cork county; the average waiting time; and the expected reduction in waiting lists as a result of the increased social housing targets. [63903/25]

656. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the borrowing capacity of each local authority in 2024 and 2025 for housing construction; the level of borrowing approved for Cork City Council and Cork County Council; and the number of housing units this borrowing is expected to support. [63932/25]

671. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households with disability needs currently accommodated through the housing assistance payment; and whether the Department plans reforms to ensure disability-appropriate housing is prioritised over temporary supports. [63948/25]

687. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether local authorities are meeting their obligations under Housing Need and Demand Assessments; the number of authorities in full compliance; and how these assessments informed the new housing targets. [63965/25]

300. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the options available to an individual who is seeking social housing while awaiting a division of assets through the courts for a legal separation/divorce, in view of the fact that they have a housing need and are unable to return to the family home in cases of domestic violence; and if he will make a statement o…

306. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the failure of timely housing delivery at an affordable purchase housing project (details supplied); and the measures he will implement to ensure that applicants do not suffer hardship as a consequence of these delays. [62375/25]

318. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for a breakdown of average social housing new build costs for 2024, for each of the schemes used to fund social housing, including SHIP construction, SHIP turnkey, CALF construction, CALF turnkey, CAS turnkey, CALF turnkey, to include the revenue component and full unit cost for the CALF schemes, by local author…

325. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in light of the record figure of 16,614 people in emergency accommodation, including 5,238 children, and the revised annual social-housing target of 12,000 units, the projected timeline and funding commitment to deliver 12,000 social homes annually; the mechanisms to ensure land-zoning, planning consents and serv…

326. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when, under the National Housing Strategy for Disabled Individuals 2022-2027, the National Guidelines for the Assessments and Allocations Process for Social Housing Provision for People with Disability will be made mandatory across all local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62586/2…

630. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in view of continued elevated cost-of-living pressures, specifically high housing costs, rental inflation and utility bills, and noting commentary that households in regions like Cork are increasingly squeezed: if his Department has compiled disaggregated data for Cork/Munster on housing cost inflation in 2025; t…

642. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to review current income eligibility thresholds for social housing; if he is aware of low income families qualifying for the working family payment being removed from social housing waiting lists on review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62199/25]

976. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of State-supported housing developments that have been discontinued permanently or temporarily due to cost issues, broken down by county and type of housing development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57689/25]

998. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify the position regarding the eligibility of apartments, duplexes and other multi-unit dwellings under the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme; the reason, under the previous scheme, the term “dwelling” was defined to include a house, apartment, duplex or maisonette, whereas under the…

999. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify the scope of powers available to the appeals panel established under the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 and related regulations; specifically, if he will confirm whether the appeals panel has the authority to reinstate a homeowner’s original e…

1010. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to increase the threshold income for social housing applicants given people on low incomes in many cases are excluded from applying for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58051/25]

1037. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 479 of 21 October 2025, the regional breakdown, by local authority, of spending on social and affordable housing by the Land Development Agency, Housing Finance Agency, or any other agency under his remit for 2025. [58575/25]

1038. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that the structure of first-time buyer supports, including the help-to-buy scheme and the first home scheme, effectively restricts first-time buyers to the purchase of new-build properties; if he accepts that this limitation disadvantages buyers in regional towns where second-hand housing stock is…

1047. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to consider regional cost-of-living adjustments in assessing eligibility for HAP and social housing supports for single and married earners in high-rent areas, who fall just above national thresholds but face housing insecurity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58703/25]

1054. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage 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]

1075. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures being taken to ensure that local authorities can recruit sufficient staff to deliver housing targets under Housing for All. [58984/25]

1092. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has conducted a comparative analysis of Ireland’s housing stock per capita versus other EU countries, in view of recent commentary highlighting that Ireland has among the lowest housing availability per person in Europe; and if he will publish this data annually. [59221/25]

1136. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a local authority can accept an application for social housing on medical grounds in circumstances where only one medical professional has signed the application; the options available to those who do not have access to a second medical professional including a nurse but wish to apply for local authority h…

This motion brings together many of the key elements of what we believe can form the basis of a response to the greatest social crisis this country has faced since the foundation of the State. While we have come a long way since this State was founded, the housing crisis shrouds everything we do. It is a stain on all our political characters and on those of the many who have graced this Chamber be…

I would point out that the previous Government carried out a review of the rental sector last year. Following on from that, it requested the Housing Agency to conduct a specific review of the operation of the RPZ scheme. It is doing that. The review will be concluded by the end of quarter 1. That is the intended conclusion date. As the Deputy knows, the legislation that gave rise to the RPZs is du…

I thank the Deputy. We are all encountering many constituents in Dublin and across the country who are facing difficulties with rent rises and accessing affordable homes. That is why housing policy is the single biggest issue for the Government and why we want to take further action in the area of housing. I assure the House that the Government is absolutely committed to delivering more homes for …

I hope they do not find out I am here; they might stop me talking. It is very important to debate this issue here tonight. Many people in Kerry have been perished from the cold when the houses that were basically heated by electricity lost power. Can the Minister of State imagine young families trying to heat a bottle for babies? Simple things became an awful ordeal. Water pumps did not work beca…

The housing crisis continues to cut deep. The numbers in homelessness remain shockingly high. There are over 17,000 people in emergency accommodation, including 5,583 children. That is an appalling statistic and each figure represents an individual human tragedy. While the Dáil is in recess, sadly, many more people are likely to see an eviction notice land in their letterbox, and all of us know of…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, line 10, to delete “Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009” and substitute the following: “Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009; to provide for additional eligibility criteria for access to certain services provided to homeless persons under section 10 of the Housing Act 1988; to provide for withdrawal of such services in certain cases; to provide f…

I move amendment No. 11: In page 6, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “Insertion of new sections 10A and 10B in Act of 1988 7.The Act of 1988 is amended by the insertion of the following new sections after section 10: “Residency requirements 10A.(1) A person shall not be eligible to access arrangements, assistance or accommodation provided by a housing authority by virtue of se…

I thank Deputy O'Gorman for raising this issue. I join with him in recognising the distress the tenants are experiencing as a result of this very traumatic event, and also recognise his advocacy on their behalf, as well as the very stressful situation they remain in as a result of no longer being in their apartments. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for housing and the Department of hous…

I thank Sinn Féin for this very important motion. I was against the rule the Minister brought in a number of months ago from 1 March that people would have to rent their houses out for six years. The news that was coming drove many people out of the market. Since some time early last year, many people have come to me who were after getting their notice to quit and their hearts were broken because …

Today's motion from Sinn Féin is welcome and we support it. It is timely given what has come out today about the Oliver Bond Street flats, which is absolutely disgraceful. I have been in Oliver Bond Street and have worked with colleagues who have done research and community work in those flats. I worked for many years as a community worker in the Dolphin House flats dealing with issues of mould an…

The living conditions faced by Dubliners in social housing flats built between the 1930s and 1960s are frankly unconscionable. I have heard stories from people who are desperate, who are enraged and who, increasingly, are resigned to the failure of this State to uphold their human rights. I get countless pleas in my constituency of Dublin Bay South from people living in flats with mouldy walls, r…

I thank Deputy O'Reilly very much. The Minister, Deputy Browne, passes on his apologies that he could not be here and asked me to take this on his behalf. Tenancy sustainment, which includes the purchase of private homes where a social housing tenant is in situ, is not a stand-alone programme or scheme. However, it is a priority category of the Department of housing’s social housing second-hand a…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (Designation of Fingal and Wexford County Councils) (Parts of Administrative Areas) Order 2026, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 12th March, 2026. I welcome the opportunity today to outline for Members the motion to…

As an initial step, the Government agreed that a facilitator will be appointed to consult stakeholders on scoping the content of potential terms of reference for an inquiry. This scoping exercise is designed to ensure that when a public inquiry is established, it has structures and parameters that reflect the needs of children and families of patients, are grounded in evidence and avoid duplicatio…

I want to highlight a serious housing crisis, not alone on Oileán Chléire, one of our most culturally important and geographically vulnerable Gaeltacht islands, but also on all islands in west Cork and throughout Ireland. Cape Clear is facing a future on a knife edge, with homes in desperately short supply and the long-term viability for the community under real threat. Despite the presence of doz…

Go raibh míle maith agat, a Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. I want to raise an issue that I have already raised with the housing Minister and his Minister of State. I want to use my time highlight an issue that does not always show up in the headlines relating to the homeless figures but which is very real and urgent, namely the growing number of people with disabilities who are effectively locked out of…

I am glad to get the opportunity to raise this problem at the Topical Issue forum today. I hope the Minister will take it seriously. I do not want to be laughed at like I was last week when I asked a question here. This is serious business for anyone who does not have a home and is trying to find a property to rent. In many instances, they can be hit with a traumatic event that they were never rea…

I support amendments Nos. 2, 7 and 8 in relation to reviews and reports. The Minister and the Minister of State know what is going to happen here because we can see it already. We could see it from the moment they announced this in autumn last year. We can see what is happening – notices to quit are increasing, rents are increasing and pressure on tenants to move out is increasing. This is because…

I will briefly respond to some of what the Minister said, though first I will note that we can see the impact of the guillotine. We are still on the first amendment and we are going to run out of debating time relatively soon. When the Minister made the point that the Government is not ramming it through, his excuse for how it is not ramming it through is because it announced the legislation last …

I welcome the opportunity to speak about water. Water is a precious resource. It is critical to our health, our environment and our economy. Access to safe and clean drinking water for everyone is a top priority for the Government. We know it is essential. The Government's water policies are centred on what is called the EU water framework directive. This directive requires all member states to p…

The issue I am raising with the Minister is house prices and the availability of housing. In County Laois, house prices are up, rents are up, homelessness is up and notices to quit are up. Despite the best efforts of the council, which has a good active housing programme, the homeless figures increased by 60% when you compare December's figures with those last year. The Government's social housing…

I commend my colleague Deputy Gould on bringing forward this very simple but sensible legislation. Leaving homes derelict in the middle of the deepest housing crisis in the modern history of the State is akin to hoarding food during a famine. This is a comment that I and many other Members of this House have made repeatedly. I note with some interest the language the Minister has started to use wi…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: acknowledges that: — a significant proportion of the State's public drinking water and wastewater infrastructure remains leaking, overloaded, obsolete or non-compliant, resulting in boil water notices, service interruptions, supply restrictions and untreated or partially treated wastewater discharges; — persistent delays in the delivery, repair and replacement of wat…

Like everyone else, I wish the Ceann Comhairle, the staff and our colleagues, Deputy Hearne and my colleague here, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, all the best and a good Christmas. Everyone needs a break. I wish everyone a peaceful, productive and robust new year. I wish to thank Deputy Hearne for raising this matter and for the opportunity to update the Dáil on tenant in situ acquisitio…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to make emergency provision to defer the termination dates of certain tenancies that fall, or would fall, during the period beginning on the day after the date of the passing of this Act and ending on 1 July 2026 in order to mitigate the risk that persons whose tenancies would otherwise be terminated during that period would be una…