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153. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the number of employees that were employed in his Department at the end of December 2025, broken down by grade, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22878/26]

154. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of employees in each of the agencies under his Department's remit at the end of December 2025, broken down by grade, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22899/26]

155. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the exact date by which the new vacant above the shop grant will be operational; when local authorities will begin accepting applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22909/26]

156. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when updated guidance, circulars and operational instructions will issue to local authorities regarding the administration of the vacant above the shop grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22910/26]

157. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he will consider extending the vacant above the shop grant to include conversion or refurbishment of vacant rear-of-property or back-of-site areas, where such spaces are structurally connected to commercial premises but not physically located above the shop; and if he will make a statement on the matter.…

158. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify whether properties that include both above-the-shop areas and rear can qualify for full grant support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22912/26]

159. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the annual uptake targets he has set for the vacant above the shop grant; the way in which progress will be monitored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22913/26]

160. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the ongoing efforts by community groups in Caherdaniel to identify and acquire suitable lands for essential community infrastructure; the supports available to assist such groups in site acquisition where private landowners are unwilling to sell or lease; and if he will make a statement on th…

161. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to introducing measures to support compulsory purchase or facilitated land transfer mechanisms for small rural communities where critical infrastructure is being impeded by lack of available land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22970/26]

162. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on supports available for the development of Integrated Constructed Wetlands (ICWs) in rural villages; whether additional funding or technical assistance can be provided to accelerate delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22971/26]

163. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the assistance and the options available to persons in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22982/26]

165. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the support levels for the first home scheme will be revised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23053/26]

166. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the main policy achievements of his Department since 22 January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23080/26]

105. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Housing last met. [14265/26]

106. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Housing will next meet. [14634/26]

198. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a schedule of the gifts that he and or his officials gave to the US President and his staff and officials in the White House on 17 March 2026; and the value of the gifts. [22258/26]

199. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a schedule of the gifts that he and his officials received from the US President and his staff and officials on his visit to the White House on 17 March 2026; and if he will provide a further schedule of items he and his officials received as gifts over the course of the mission to the United States in March 2026 [22259/26]

567. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the current status of the EU LIFE Strategic Nature Project led by the NPWS and supported by his Department and Coillte, which is intended to provide a robust evidence base to inform nature conservation measures in Ireland through the development of a bespoke platform; and if he will make a s…

568. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding that is available for Pillar Two of the EU Life Strategic Nature Project to advance the implementation of the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive in relation to Lady's Island Lake SAC and Tacumshin Lake SAC; the proposed actions and timescales relating to the Pillar Two element o…

569. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the proposed legislation to allow for the use of cabins or modular units in back gardens for residential purposes; the timeline for bringing forward this legislation; the conditions or regulations that will apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22653/26]

570. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the proportion of remapping applications for processing by Tailte Éireann that pertain to Kildare properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21406/26]

575. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actual delivery of affordable homes in each county and local authority against the targets set for the years since the scheme's inception; and the reasons for the significant shortfalls [21507/26]

580. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there is an update on the modular homes legislation. [21512/26]

581. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of proposals to develop a national park at the Blackstairs Mountains on the Wexford/Carlow border; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21538/26]

582. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage the guidance that has been issued to local authorities for the processing of planning applications for solar farms in the absence of a national policy statement; the way in which his Department is ensuring that a consistency of approach to such applications is being adopted across the country; and if he will…

Nikita Hand is an incredible woman who I have had the honour of speaking to. I think our media need to reflect on the amount of coverage they give to some people who represent the very worst of us - vile individuals - versus the attention and focus they give to courageous, incredible people like Nikita Hand. How these issues are framed in the media should also be considered. I am not disagreeing w…

The Minister for housing issued a directive to local authorities to rezone land. However, there is an opportunity for developers to abuse this. They could buy land that is not currently zoned for housing and sit on it to wait for a change in zoning. The Coldcut site, which is owned by Dublin Bus members, is up for sale. This site is over 10 ha. It straddles north Clondalkin and Palmerstown. Many l…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I take from his contribution the depth of feeling there obviously is in his community in relation to this and all of the sports clubs, autism families and others that he highlighted. In light of his raising it I will ask the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, to take a specific look and to come back to him with …

I thank the Deputy. Both he and Paschal would be disappointed if he did not point out their significant political differences while doing so in such a courteous way. I am going on my memory here but I believe we did increase the income thresholds for social housing in the previous Government. I acknowledge that we probably need to do more on this over the lifetime of this Government. I see it in …

I do not think the Minister of State or the Government get it at all. People outside this building wonder whether they live in a bubble and whether they have any understanding of what it is like for ordinary families. The Government initiated these statements on the issues and rising costs affecting the haulage industry when the Government is responsible for those same rising costs. What is ironic…

Climate change and our economy's addiction to fossil fuels represent one of the biggest cost-of-living threats to householders, families, small businesses and farms in Ireland and this Bill is a practical effort to address part of that issue. I thank Deputy Murphy for bringing it forward. I will set out the scale of the issue we are facing. Across Ireland, up to 250,000 privately rented homes sti…

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 Michael Cahill - To discuss funding and support for the Killarney innovation centre. Deputy Catherine Ardagh - To discuss the introduction of a national lung cancer screening programme using low-dose CT scanning. Deputy Johnny Guir…

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very distressing situation for the homebuyers who entered into contracts and indeed paid significant deposits for the purchase of 16 homes at Ringfort development in Rathmolyon, County Meath. I have read news reports as recently as this morning about this case. My deepest sympathies go out to those families. I understand the frustration they are facing. For…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 (OTB), first introduced by Senator Frances Black and other members of Seanad Éireann, proposed to give effect to the State's obligations arising under the Fourth Geneva Convention, and to ban trade in goods or services with an occupied territory; — the OTB passed First Stage in the Seanad…

If you did a search of the contributions I have made in this Chamber since my re-election in November of last year, you would find that Gaza, the West Bank and Palestine in general will come up top. That is a sadness for me. The relentless genocide in Gaza is continuing, as is the ongoing occupation of the West Bank, including settlers murdering innocent people in the past week. It is ongoing. It …

It is clear the strength of opinion held across the House on the situation in Gaza and, indeed, in the West Bank and on the importance attached to this draft legislation. The programme for Government commitments to prohibiting the imports of goods from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. The general scheme before the House delivers on this commitment. Trade and services are …

I welcome the delegation in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery to the House, including the speaker of the People's Republic of China. I ask my colleagues to extend a warm welcome - a céad míle fáilte - to our guests from the National People's Congress who are here on a benchmarking visit to the Houses of the Oireachtas. The delegation is accompanied by the Ambassador of China to Ireland, H. E. Mr.…

----that the Deputy gave a big opening critique of overall Government policy and then zeroed in on apartment standards because her party opposes that decision. That is all the Labour Party can do. The Deputy told an untruth when she said that the Government has no social housing targets. She knows full well that the housing plan is very clear-----

On the scale of Ireland's ambition and the targets we have set, if you compare our housing plan targets with the United Kingdom, Germany or the Netherlands, on a per capita basis, our targets are nearly double their targets in terms of what they propose. Ours are approximately 9.3 per 1,000. The United Kingdom's is 4.5, Germany's is 4.8 and the Netherlands is 5.5. No one matches the ambition of th…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 16, inclusive, together. The Cabinet Committee on water quality oversees implementation of the programme for Government commitments in relation to the range of issues affecting Ireland’s water system. The committee last met on 30 October and the date of its next meeting has not yet been scheduled. The committee is informed by the work of the Environmental Pro…

I understand that fish life is important, but what about the lives of Johnny and Mary, living in a house that has been flooded? The people in Freshford, Graiguenamanagh, Thomastown and Inistioge are going to bed at night from November to March wondering if their houses will be flooded come the morning.

I thank all of the Deputies. A comprehensive number spoke in respect of the responsibilities of Irish Water, particularly in terms of wastewater treatment plants and flood relief schemes. Deputy 'Chap' Cleere raised the issue of a series of flood relief schemes in his constituency. I do not know why the planning process should take two years and that is something we need to analyse further but me…

I want to raise the race to the bottom in migration policy that is happening right across the European Union and Europe. We witnessed it unfold over the past few days when the British Government announced that it was going to implement a Danish-style asylum system, cracking down further on already very limited rights of people to asylum, with the Labour Party Government dancing to the tune of Nige…

It important to speak on this issue on behalf of children and families who have been let down. I am devastated for them. Deputies across the House are angry and upset because what unfolded in our paediatric spinal service is not just some abstract policy failure. It is a human tragedy. It is a breach of trust. It is so profound that any parent would question how they would ever rely a system that …

I wish the Minister well as she tackles this issue. There is no one on any side of the House who does not want to see children get timely access to the care they need. I commend the advocates who have long been calling for a statutory public inquiry into spina bifida and complex scoliosis services. I cautiously welcome the fact the Government has agreed to this. The reason I say I cautiously welco…

The Dáil meets today at a time of change within the Government, but equally at a moment of continued cohesion. This is made possible because we live in a country with a stable Government that has a collective commitment to a programme for Government and a clear mission to build and secure a prosperous future for the people of Ireland. My friend and colleague, Paschal Donohoe, has served with unpa…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on these statements today. Some may believe the situation in Ukraine has gone away, calmed down or settled. Nothing could be further from the truth. This war is becoming more fraught by the day. Despite the invasion and aggression by Russia, the Ukrainian people continue to display immense bravery and dedication to their nation. We are now nearly four years into …

I thank the Deputies from all sides of the House and Ministers for their contributions today. I will reply to some of the points in order to provide clarification but from the get-go, I welcome the overwhelming, if not total sense of solidarity between this House and the people of Ukraine, particularly from opposition Members who recognise this is an utterly illegal and brutal war by the Russian F…

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 Rose Conway-Walsh - To discuss the proposal from An Post to move operations within Mayo. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the long processing times for aquaculture licences. Deputy Pat Buckley - To discuss the proposed constructi…

I acknowledge the Minister of State's work in this area to date and the fact that he has prioritised the issue of delays relating to the processing of aquaculture licences. He is very much on top of his brief, as I know from dealing with companies and people involved in the industry throughout my county, especially, and, indeed, further afield. I talk to all those people. I know he will pursue thi…