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2288. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if, through the Pobal , Clár CSP and Dormant Accounts he can provide a list of all non-statutory organisations in County Mayo funded to provide the following services for older people and the amount of funding provided to each organisation for each service: kitchen and food providing facilities; co…

146. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to do to address the month on month rises in homelessness. [18167/26]

148. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to address the unaffordability of cost rents. [18168/26]

152. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to reduce unaffordable rents in the private sector. [17818/26]

153. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the PPP bundle 3 and 4 sites in Dublin north-west, including an updated timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17492/26]

154. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications received and approved under the vacant property refurbishment grant and the croí cónaithe fund nationally to date; the total funding allocated and drawn down; the average processing time for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17619/26]

155. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the funding for inner-city flat complex regeneration in Dublin. [17587/26]

156. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the operation of the croí cónaithe scheme in Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17327/26]

157. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the development of the national centre of excellence for traditional skills; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16774/26]

158. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the direction to local authorities will issue to allow victims and survivors of domestic abuse to move from one local authority list to another and retain their years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17577/26]

159. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will request that the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, SCSI, draft a follow-up report on construction costs for the defective concrete blocks grant scheme, considering that the last one was almost two years ago and costs have considerably increased in that period. [17183/26]

160. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of properties delivered for people with disabilities, per local authority, for each of the years 2023 to 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17473/26]

161. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social, affordable and cost rental homes completed in Cork in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17538/26]

162. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been brought to the significant problems with the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme; if there are any plans to address its failings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17498/26]

163. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will advance the plans to relocate the families at a location (details supplied), living in defective concrete block homes, away from the dangerous flood plain they were built on. [17184/26]

165. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which he is working to reduce the overall cost of apartment delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17490/26]

167. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase the HAP limits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17644/26]

169. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of properties which have been brought back into use under the vacant property refurbishment grant in north Kildare since 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17855/26]

176. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is aware of the Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse and National Security: A National Security Assessment published by the UK government recently; the steps being taken to address the biodiversity crisis to strengthen Ireland’s national security in the wake of this assessment; and if h…

177. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding provided for Final County Council for the tenant-in-situ purchase scheme for 2026; the estimated number of homes which will be purchased in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17576/26]

178. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the pipeline of affordable purchase units being developed by all local authorities and categorise them at stages of development. [17479/26]

179. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to review HAP limits for each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17483/26]

180. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will account for the 8,933 homes across 56 sites in Fingal that remained inactive in 2025 despite having full planning permission; if his Department has audited the total number of such "dormant" permissions nationwide; his plans to ensure the new derelict property tax, set for 2026 legislation, will expl…

184. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action being taken to support biodiversity protection in the Cooley mountains; the supports for landowners to eliminate bracken from the mountains; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17662/26]

186. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress that has been made in the past three months on wind farm guidelines; the stage the process is at; when the new guidelines will be in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17103/26]

Right now in Ireland, 5,000 children are homeless and more than 100,000 children are living in consistent poverty. That is only the tip of the iceberg and what the official figures are telling us. One in five children is living below the poverty line once housing costs are counted and 250,000 children in this State are in enforced deprivation. This is a State that has recorded unprecedented surplu…

Before proceeding, I would like to read a short note to welcome Julie Lyons and her family to the Gallery. I would like to take a moment of colleagues' time and ask them to join me in saying farewell to Julie, a friend of ours. Julie is retiring on Friday after 34 years in the Houses of the Oireachtas. We all know Julie as our amazing head chef, the woman who keeps the kitchen going and our tummie…

I thank the Deputy. I agree that housing aid and housing adaption grants are vital. They are hugely important and the Government is supporting them. I do not have the details required to reply to the Deputy's question, and I apologise for that. However, I will engage with the Minister, Deputy Browne, try to get the information and come back to the Deputy.

I move: That Dáil Éireann take note of the Statement of Estimates of moneys required in respect of ongoing expenditure for the period beginning on 1st January, 2026, and ending on 31st December, 2026, prepared and published by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission in accordance with the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Acts 2003 to 2024, which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 24th September, …

Yes, but there are nine minutes left so we will have three each. I probably will not even take that. I want to use my words to conclude. I think there might have been too much time put up, but we can only go with what is on the clock. In short, the Government's scheme for auto-enrolment is unfortunately and regrettably a missed opportunity. That it did not take our suggestion to task the NTMA wit…

Sinn Féin supports an auto-enrolment pension scheme. We believe it is the Government's responsibility to foster a retirement framework that ensures workers are financially secure in their retirement. However, both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have a poor track record on retirement policy. While Sinn Féin believes workers should have the right to retire at 65 should they choose to, or continue to work…

When we add the housing assistance payment and rental accommodation scheme data, we see that 2,712 housing supports were delivered in quarter 1 of 2025. The Deputy also mentioned the tenant in situ scheme. That scheme has worked. It has worked throughout the country. I note there will sometimes be issues in respect of Dublin, but the measure------

Of course increasing supply is a huge part of resolving the housing crisis. We will be putting forward constructive, costed proposals in our alternative budget next week, just as we did in our manifesto last year, on how to increase the supply. The reality is that the Government has not met its own targets on house building. The Minister knows that. On the tenant in situ scheme, of course it was …

What is happening in Gaza is horrific slaughter. It is not just me, the Deputy and every other Member of this House saying that. We saw recently that a United Nations independent commission has ruled that what Israel is doing in Gaza is committing genocide. Many people in Ireland feel a sense of helplessness in the context of what can be done in response to it. My view is that this Government has …

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Presentation and Circulation of Further Revised Estimates 2025 [Votes 29, 33 and 34] and Third Further Revised Estimate 2025 [Vote 24] (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) - Motion re Approval of Appointment of Members of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (without debate) - Statements on School Transport (not t…

It is a cyclical problem at this time of year. From about July onwards, TDs' offices are bombarded with problems regarding school transport. I am sure my situation is no different from the situations of the rest of the Members in this House. There are a number of problems arising with the schemes. One of the main problems is that you cannot get talking to a human being in Bus Éireann. There is an…

I thank all those who contributed to the debate. Somebody said to me anecdotally that the school bus service was quiet this year and that there were not so many issues with it. After the past three and a half hours, I can see the issues quite clearly. The genuine commitment shown by Members on all sides in respect of school transport issues this afternoon is heartening. Everybody, whether in oppos…

There are 300,000 people in energy debt. The Minister for Finance will stand in this Chamber on this day two weeks and talk about how well we are doing in managing the economy when people in my constituency will be going to bed early because they cannot afford to turn the heating on. If the Minister of State goes to any of the shopping centres out my way, he will meet a lot of people who are sitti…

I too welcome our guests in the Gallery. I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward the motion tonight. It is timely. Many households will be looking in on this debate with eagerness because winter is approaching. We broadly agree with most aspects of the motion before us this evening. We live in a country where energy prices are among the highest in Europe. That reality is hitting households hard, wi…

I am glad to get the opportunity to talk about the energy crisis. I thank Sinn Féin for giving it to us. What I have to say I have said several times before. Since Bord na Móna was closed down by the previous Government in 2020, the cost of electricity has gone up day by day. That is a fact. In the past week or two, different energy companies have been raising their prices by 10%, 12% and 13%. Th…

We have a rudimentary system from 2001, which provides that for every 75 homes the developer must provide 20 childcare places, but it is not working for a variety of reasons. The provision of childcare infrastructure cannot be based on such a basic formula alone. Like schools, we need a proper forward planning system based on demographics, assessment of need, new residential developments and that …

I fully agree. You are entirely right. If I felt everything was perfect, I would not passionately believe we need to establish the office of veteran affairs. The Deputy is entirely right. There is a need for a greater sustained focus and co-ordination on the range of issues veterans can experience in the here and now, as the Deputy said, immediately after leaving the Defence Forces and returning f…

Let us be clear: households are not subsidising data centres. All users of our electricity grid contribute to its development. The CRU, as the independent regulator, ensures costs are fairly and proportionally allocated. In fact, extra large energy users, including data centres, have seen network costs increase in recent years compared with those for domestic customers. Price review 6 is a great o…

I thank Deputy Bacik. I do not know her councillor, Corina Johnston, but I heard her on “Morning Ireland” this morning. I thought she spoke for so many people and for her community on the very tragic situation. I thank her for that. I thank the Deputy and her party for their constructive engagement. Of course, we will give consideration to Deputy Smith’s Bill. From an Irish perspective, literally…

Those are all very fair questions. My understanding is that the independent chair for the lookback on the cases that were closed during the Covid pandemic is due to be appointed very shortly. We will certainly keep everybody across the House updated on that. The Deputy is right that this case raises very significant issues. In the first case we need to try to establish as many facts as we possibly…

I thank Deputy Dolan. He is entirely right on this. I remember vividly the day the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, in his former role brought these proposals to Cabinet. It was seen as a reforming step to identify that there were a number of relatively small villages and townlands that would take forever and a day to get there through the traditional Irish Water way and to put ring-fenced funding in pla…

I wish to join in condemning any violence that the Tánaiste has faced. No one from any side of this House should experience that. I stand with anyone experiencing that. He has my complete solidarity. Is mian liom labhairt faoi rud atá i mbéal an phobail faoi láthair, is é sin, an méid airgid atá ag dul don Ghaeilge. It is a shame that more than 100 years after the foundation of this State Irish s…

As the Minister of State with responsibility for migration, I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak this afternoon on what I believe is one of the most important issues facing our country, which is migration. As a Government we need to address this. We need address it with the spirit of integrity and of compassion, and with a rules-based approach, as the Minister said. One of the things t…

I stand to speak on the statements on migration. There are many wonderful aspects to it. I would like to talk about the experience and enhancement of communities the length and breadth of the country, but there is also something we just cannot step away from at the moment. Things feel different. It feels like the racism has increased and like the fear in the communities who contact my office has s…

Over the summer there was a series of attacks, apparently particularly directed against the Indian community. We had the case of an Indian man in Tallaght who was attacked, beaten and humiliated. He had clothing removed from him and there was the age-old racist trope of accusing somebody of colour of being violent. They were trying to accuse him of being a paedophile and there was absolutely no ev…