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39. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Taoiseach the progress made by the Offshore Wind Energy Clearing House. [25664/26]

217. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the current plans regarding Erkina House, Rathdowney; the future plans the HSE has for the building; the use that is being considered for it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28401/26]

221. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the reason for the continued failure to open the dementia unit in Heather House, and the crisis building in Cork’s nursing home waiting list. [28232/26]

270. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance his views on the impact that the new derelict property tax will have on housing numbers; the benefits that will be seen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26146/26]

318. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the immediate tax or fiscal measures being considered to alleviate ongoing cost-of-living pressures on low and middle-income households, particularly in light of rising energy, food and housing costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26732/26]

365. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 270 of 24 February 2026, the estimated additional cost to the Defence Forces of outsourcing second-line aircraft maintenance and civilian technician support in the Air Corps compared with performing these functions in-house, for each of the years 2023 to 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter…

411. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 181 of 26 March 2026, when the RSA is due to report in respect of the assessment process for a licence exchange agreement; and if that report will be laid before the House. [28597/26]

423. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport to confirm that additional funding would be provided for a pedestrian scheme (details supplied) to ensure the delivery of essential footpaths infrastructure at the earliest possible date, given the lack of footpaths in the area, and that there has been hundreds of additional houses constructed in what has been a rapidly developing village; to…

434. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 207 of 26 March 2026, if he will specify the actions that have been taken under action 17 of the Action Plan for Insurance Reform 2025-2029; the further steps that will be taken this year under that plan's action 17; if the stakeholders being engaged include residents' associations; if so, the…

559. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm that all services and call outs by the ambulance and fire services are continuing as normal in the current fuel crisis and that no directive has been issued to reduce same [27892/26]

560. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department will provide the local authority regional homelessness financial reports (details supplied) for each of the years 2014 to 2024 in machine-readable formats such as CSV or Excel, in addition to their current publication in PDF format; if he will ensure that these reports are published in mac…

561. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications submitted from Donegal for the mortgage to rent scheme; the number of these applications that have been successful; the number still being processed; the length it takes for an application to be deemed successful or unsuccessful, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on th…

562. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will commit to providing funding for an updated fire station in Glencolmcille, County Donegal; the timeframe for when it will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27957/26]

563. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of members of staff responsible for currently planning work for each local authority in the State; the numbers for the past four years; and the number of planning applications processed by each local authority in the same timeframe. [27980/26]

564. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of eligible households in Sligo that are currently unable to progress through the local authority tenant-in-situ scheme due to funding constraints; the reason additional funding has not yet been provided to allow these acquisitions to proceed; the expected timeline for restoring or increasing Sligo C…

565. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the counties currently included in the pyrite remediation scheme; his plans to extend the scheme to further counties, including Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28023/26]

571. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will publish the updated guidelines for windfarms; if these guidelines will include setback distances, noise and flicker; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28252/26]

572. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1066 of 18 March 2026, the grounds upon which he feels unable to provide the figure requested for the value of sponsorship received; and the criteria by which he deems this figure to be 'commercially sensitive' [28253/26]

573. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding that was provided by his Department to carry out works at a location (details supplied) in order that it could provide accommodation for people fleeing the war in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28254/26]

574. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of funding requests his Department has received from Cavan County Council seeking funding approval to purchase additional fire appliances and or specialist equipment for Cavan Fire Services in 2025 and to-date in 2026; the number that were approved in each of the years in question, in tabular form; a…

575. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of funding requests his Department has received from Roscommon County Council seeking funding approval to purchase additional fire appliances and or specialist equipment for Roscommon Fire Services in 2025 and to-date in 2026; the number that were approved in each of the years in question, in tabular…

576. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of funding requests his Department has received from Kerry County Council seeking funding approval to purchase additional fire appliances and or specialist equipment for Kerry Fire Services in 2025 and to-date in 2026; the number that were approved in each of the years in question, in tabular form; a…

577. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the percentage of the 2025 capital budget allocation that was actually spent for the National Parks and Wildlife Services; if any unspent capital budget for 2025 was automatically included in the 2026 budget allocation, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28260/26]

580. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department plans to introduce regulations surrounding the transparency of money paid to property management companies by residents who feel as though their money is not be administered correctly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28535/26]

581. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of the proposed relocation plan relating to Elm Park, Buncrana, County Donegal; the scope and objectives of this plan; if a final decision has been made in respect of the relocation; to provide a timeline for implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28606/26]

I will tell him what happened. Homelessness rose. I know it is funny. I know the Minister of State thinks it is hilarious. As a consequence of the policies of the Minister of State's party, real people ended up in emergency accommodation who should never have ended up there. That is the consequences of what you guys do, and you are doing it again. You are doing it in a far more serious manner than…

The reason this is more like a Second Stage debate is because the Government forced us to have the Committee and Remaining Stages on the floor on the Dáil instead of us having Committee Stage as normal in a committee room where we would have had a completely different type of engagement as we always do. That was an imposition by the Government. We all wanted and argued at the Business Committee th…

It is worthwhile at times, when we are discussing these things, which can seem quite dry and technical, to just remind ourselves of the human reality. Literally every week, I have somebody coming in to me who is facing a date for eviction. This week, given the particular week that is in it, I had a lovely young couple come in to me. Both of them have been working. They are probably about their mid…

I support this amendment. I had a gentleman come to me a few weeks ago. He is a paramedic working in the ambulance service and he was homeless. He went through a relationship break-up. He could find nowhere to rent. He has a good job and is working. The only service he could be offered in Cork was Simon Community Night Light. You go in at 11 o'clock at night and leave at 8 o'clock in the morning. …

I cannot accept amendments Nos. 9, 31 and 38. The Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 provided for an emergency period during which a landlord is prohibited, under section 5 of the Act, from serving a notice of termination. Section 4 of the Act provided that the emergency period could only be extended from its initial three months, under very specific circumstances in th…

The Minister of State said no one has a monopoly on compassion. I have a couple of questions for him and the Minister. How many children must become homeless before they admit their policies are wrong and are contributing to making homelessness worse? It is a straightforward question. Will they give a commitment that this Bill will not drive up rents? Everyone on this side of the Chamber and every…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I first became aware it yesterday via the media. That is fine. The Department of foreign affairs became aware of the case in October and had been providing consular assistance to Seamus Culleton and his family via the teams at the consulate general in Austin, the embassy in Washington DC and our consular unit in Dublin. We have migration law in this coun…

The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, in spite of its intentions, raises concerns as it could have unintended consequences for many people in this country. The part that raises most concerns for the tourism sector is the short-term letting planning part. It is being proposed as part of this new legislation that Airbnb, bed and breakfast and short-term lets will require registr…

It is above 20,000 and we are trying to get the balance right between tourism and housing. It is important to note, there will be an obligation to register. The Bill is the short-term letting and tourism legislation. We published that, as the Deputy knows. We got Cabinet approval. I think it has gone through pre-legislative scrutiny. It will introduce a national register of all short-term let pro…

The Minister will know the views of Sinn Féin about this legislation, as articulated by our spokesperson, Deputy Carthy. We are particularly concerned that Tusla and the various Departments under the Government's direction do not have the resources to meet the requirements laid out. That is the fundamental concern. However, I will talk practically about my experience in Donegal in recent years and…

This Bill has been introduced n line with the trend that we are seeing internationally where there has been an attack on the rights of migrants, immigrants of all kinds and, in particular, asylum seekers and refugees. Last year, 4,700 deportation orders were issued by this State, which was an increase of 96% on the previous year. The number almost doubled. TDs from many different parties in here j…

Molaim mo chomrádaí, an Teachta Máire Devine, as a cuid oibre ar an mBille seo. Despite lots of rhetoric and good intentions, the fact is the Government has been far too slow to address what is now apparent as a clear gap in the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020. I welcome that the Government has indicated that it will not be opposing this Bill. I look forward to wor…

The core purpose of this amending legislation is twofold. It seeks, first, to explicitly prohibit the creation of non-consensual intimate or otherwise harmful imagery and, second, to extend the period during which proceedings may be initiated, thereby ensuring victims are not denied justice due to the often slow discovery of online offences. Coco's Law, the 2020 Act brought through the House by my…

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this Bill and Deputies Carthy and Devine for the work they have put into it. I also welcome to the Gallery those people who are visiting to listen to this debate. I thank the Government for not opposing this Bill. I welcome that but it is, of course, the very least we can ask. This is a Bill that makes sense. We know Coco's Law has worked over the last number…

I am aware of the group that is doing very good advocacy work on this issue. I look forward to meeting and engaging with it shortly. Capital acquisitions tax, CAT, applies to both gifts and inheritances and is charged at a rate of 33%. For CAT purposes, the relationship between the person giving a gift or inheritance and the person who receives it determines the maximum amount, known as the group…

I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Pat Buckley - To discuss the need for Gaelscoil Choráin, Youghal, County Cork to be included in the DEIS urban band 1 programme. Deputy Pearse Doherty - To discuss the impact of the new PSO contract for flights between Donegal and D…

I do not disagree with the Deputy's analysis in terms of rental properties and vacancies. We must work on this in a strategic way. I have met with the príomhfheidhmeannaigh of the local authorities in Gaeltacht areas on two occasions and will meet them again before the end of this month to discuss how we can work together. The appointment by an t-údarás of a vacant homes officer with a specific fo…

I appreciate the Minister's focus on this issue. It is wonderful to see. I am one of the people coming back to the language agus ag foghlaim an teanga arís. Within that, people need to understand that while there is this great revival, the places where the language is alive, where we think of it as having its origins and being capable of being sustained, are, in fact, in serious danger. I have spo…

All of us will agree that without volunteers we would not have any society, particularly the GAA, but any organisation. I always take the opportunity to ask those who give out about volunteers what they would do on a Saturday if they had no GAA, no drama, no rugby, soccer, swimming or anything to go to and if their kids did not have those outlets. They are run by volunteers. The Minister of State …

I thank the Minister. As the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach knows, thankfully, in practically every parish in Cavan-Monaghan, we have excellent community facilities. I know that many communities in Dublin and the highly populated areas would love to have those facilities. As the Minister knows well, we have the social infrastructure in rural communities. We have community centres, schools, GAA and other …

I do not doubt the level of engagement that took place, which I welcome. It is the right way to do consultation and engagement. When a plan such as this that is of such importance to the future of rural Ireland is being put together, it is vitally important to go out and take the views of people. It is then more important, and the Minister knows this, to ensure that those views are captured in the…

The process of developing a new Our Rural Future is going on in tandem with the other process, which is the OECD review of rural development policy in Ireland. We will publish that review shortly. I am intent on having the new Our Rural Future published ahead of the summer. Housing has been one of the major inputs in terms of submissions. As I said in reply to Deputy Smith, we are engaging with a…

One of the concerns and worries I have on this, and I am not entirely sure if the Minister shares this but it is realistic, is the level of engagement he will get from his colleagues in government around the Cabinet table and from State agencies in the local government sector. That is why I am so keen to see clear, responsible persons or agencies attached to every single action and timeline within…

I will start by agreeing with the Minister that there is definitely ambition in rural communities. There is no shortage of ambition and self-awareness within these communities but on my travels and in my engagements, I do not see the confidence the Minister speaks of because rural communities are reeling. They are reeling from the demographic crisis that has already been spoken about this morning.…

I welcome the comments by the Minister of State and the question. It is important that support is provided for organisations such as the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. The statistics from the survey are concerning. Unfortunately, they reflect similarly concerning findings, perhaps worse findings, in other jurisdictions. Clearly, it is important that the message goes out from all sides of these Ho…