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399. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether local authorities operate any dedicated prioritisation pathway, emergency transfer mechanism or accelerated assessment process for victims of domestic abuse seeking social housing support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41156/26]

401. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any national guidance exists for local authorities regarding the treatment of domestic abuse victims under social housing allocation schemes or homelessness assessment processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41158/26]

404. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on any proposed changes to the policy or guidance governing Transport Infrastructure Ireland objections to one-off housing developments with access onto national roads; if a review has taken place following issues raised in Dáil Éireann in January 2026 regarding restrictions affect…

405. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of concerns among young farmers and rural families that current policies applied by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) may prevent them from obtaining planning permission for homes on family lands adjoining national roads, including along the N70 Ring of Kerry; whether discussions have taken…

406. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current criteria used by Transport Infrastructure Ireland when assessing planning applications for houses with access onto national roads; whether exemptions or special consideration apply in cases where there are existing entrances serving family homes or farm holdings; and if he will make a statement on …

133. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing units owned by Kildare County Council currently not in use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40480/26]

665. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether projected inward migration figures are incorporated into social housing demand projections at national or local authority level. [38868/26]

667. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any local authority receives migration-linked housing demand projections from his Department; and if so, to provide details of the local authorities involved and the nature of the projections provided. [38870/26]

670. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any interdepartmental working group exists between his Department and the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration regarding migration-related housing demand forecasting; and if so, to provide details of its remit and meeting frequency. [38873/26]

678. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if any sensitivity analysis has been carried out examining how projected housing demand to 2040 would change under reduced net migration assumptions. [39079/26]

679. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if projected housing demand under the revised National Planning Framework distinguishes between demand arising from natural population growth and demand arising from net inward migration. [39080/26]

680. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has modelled the impact of migration trends on emergency accommodation demand, social housing demand and private rental demand separately. [39081/26]

682. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a cross-departmental modelling framework exists integrating migration projections with housing demand forecasting and infrastructure planning. [39083/26]

683. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will publish the underlying migration assumptions used in calculating projected housing demand under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030. [39084/26]

684. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the revised National Planning Framework includes a scenario modelling examining the impact of lower net migration levels on projected national housing demand to 2040. [39085/26]

685. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has quantified the projected number of additional housing units required annually under the baseline migration assumptions used within the revised National Planning Framework. [39086/26]

686. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to allow those in approved housing bodies to purchase their homes, considering some are now over 30 years in these accommodations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39087/26]

692. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the substantial amount of time that applicants for housing medical priority are having to wait to obtain a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39349/26]

728. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm if a person who has a right of residency in a property previously owned by them, is eligible for funding under the housing adaptation grant for people with a disability scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40051/26]

733. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is considering legislative or planning reforms to facilitate higher density housing, including apartments and duplexes, in existing urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40199/26]

143. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the steps being taken to address ongoing population decline and housing shortages in Gaeltacht areas; the number of housing units funded or delivered in Gaeltacht regions in the past two years; the way in which the Government is ensuring that young people can remain and work in Gaeltacht communities;…

264. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any policy review has been undertaken regarding access to social housing supports for persons leaving abusive relationships following the sale or transfer of a family home. [38583/26]

265. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has plans to adjust the income thresholds for the housing assistance payment; if he will provide details of those plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38490/26]

277. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether her Department has undertaken any review of financial barriers faced by victims of domestic abuse when seeking access to emergency income supports, housing assistance payment supports or social housing. [38584/26]

164. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports that exist to replace windows in a private dwelling housing a young autistic child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38304/26]

I was in Newcastle West last week at the agricultural show, the Newcastle West Show. One thing resonated with me at the show. A young girl of nine years of age from County Kerry came up to me. She was standing in front of me, her mother was behind her and I think her aunt was with her as well. She turned around to her mother and her mother said, "Ask him yourself". She asked if she could have a pi…

I thank the Deputy for the question on housing and how we give our young people hope in terms of the ability to own or indeed in some cases to build their own home. I do not say this in any way disrespectfully to the Deputy but taxes are an important part of funding the State and we cannot just reduce or abolish them all. We have taken a number of measures recently to reduce the cost of constructi…

Ceart go leor. Tá an ghéarchéim tithíochta sna Gaeltachtaí uafásach ar fad. It is time to give a direct role to Údarás na Gaeltachta to deliver affordable housing in the Gaeltacht areas. Táim ag tacú le Conradh na Gaeilge agus grúpaí pobail eile, ar nós Tintéan agus BÁNÚ, agus iad ag lorg cumhachtaí breise don údaras ionas go bhféadfadh sé talamh a cheannach ar mhaithe le tithíocht a sholáthar. I…

I want to come back in on this. Fianna Fáil has had a history of developing housing in a very progressive way in the past. This is a time for new initiatives, a time for vision and a time for radical action on the housing crisis, nowhere more so than in the Gaeltachtaí. It is absolutely central that we listen to the organisations on the ground. Tá na heagraíochtaí Conradh na Gaeilge, Tinteán agus …

As I said, I welcome the introduction of the new grant supports aimed at turning vacant buildings and above-the-shop spaces into liveable spaces. I also welcome the €70,000 grant. However, if the Minister of State goes to any town and village in his local area, he will see, given the cost of building and everything else, that despite the €70,000 grant to do up a house, where the individual owns it…

I thank all the Members for their contributions. I will endeavour to reply to all the points that were raised. I will do it just to myself and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle by the looks of things, but the Leas-Cheann Comhairle did contribute. I say that somewhat in jest because I acknowledge that many Deputies are tuned in in their offices and that not everyone can sit in the Dáil for hours at a time.…

What is unbelievable is 7,000 households being evicted in the first quarter of this year and not an eyelid batted or an intervention made on the part of the Government. I have looked at it historically. The figures are there. A total of 100,000 households were evicted between 1846 and 1852. This equates to between 15,000 to 16,000 households a year. How many households were evicted last year? The …

The Government has lost focus completely and it is allowing itself to be led by the nose by the NGOs and whoever else makes up these nice policies. We all advised the Government not to bring in the recent legislation on private landlords, as if landlords were a dangerous club. There are some horrible landlords and I have no time for the bigger ones especially. The policy in this area is very stran…

When the Minister made his announcement last summer about the intended changes to the regulation of the rental sector two things happened. The first is that every quarter since July there has been a dramatic increase in eviction notices. In July, August and September it was a 38% increase. In October, November and December it was 41%. In the most recent figures it was 51%. That is the direct conse…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 142 together. Supporting individuals and families experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness is an absolute priority for me, my Department and the Government. The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026, which came into effect on 1 March 2026, provides the strongest tenancy protections in the history of the State. The new Act in…

I am grateful to the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, directors for the publication of their update today. When any report is published, it is very important not just to just cherry-pick one figure in isolation and present it as the reality or, indeed, the totality of the analysis that has been carried out by the RTB because, of course, that is not the case at all. In fact, the report that was pu…

In the first instance, we have a very clear asylum system in this country which is fair and robust. I do not approve of any commentary that would in any way undermine any particular ethnicity or any person with a particular ethnic background. I have been very clear about that. My understanding is that the former Taoiseach, Mr. Ahern, has resiled from those comments and says he has no issue with pe…

Dublin's inner city like other areas of the city, including my constituency, Dublin North West, has long faced challenges related to social inclusion, economic disparity and the consequences of many years of ageing infrastructure and buildings coinciding with a lack of proper maintenance of such structures or adequate financial investment in the areas. In the past there were efforts to revitalise …

I support the inclusion of Fingal and Wexford in the defective concrete scheme. This motion exposes how the scheme is being delivered on the ground. Delivery is still happening in stages. Counties and areas are added one by one, often after long preparatory work has already been completed. This creates delay that is built into the system rather than delay caused by chance. The delay is shown in ho…

First of all, no one is wiping anybody out in rural Ireland. It suits the Deputy to create a storm and to spread rumours saying the Government is going to do this and that. Let us get the background to this. Everyone in this House was agreed that housing was the number one priority, or at least I thought it was the number one priority, facing this Dáil at its commencement. The objective in terms o…

As a result of the budget last year, public expenditure will rise by 8.6%. That is not failing anybody. That is a very high increase in investment in public services that all workers benefit from - families and people generally. It is investment in education, health, childcare and right across the board but most critically in housing. Housing remains the number one issue facing our country. We put…

To build homes, we have to have transport, energy and water systems in place. That is why the work with utilities to build that enabling infrastructure is absolutely critical. There will be wider co-ordination with the housing activation office, which is working on this at a local level, for example, in Offaly. What are the opportunities to advance housing supply and growth at a local level? Where…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important Bill. I will be sharing time with my colleagues Deputies Conor Sheehan and George Lawlor. It is a short Bill at just ten pages and comprising ten section, but it is of real and critical significance to our economy and our society. The infrastructure deficit in our country is perhaps the biggest single economic challenge we have. As the Minister …

I thank Deputy Sheehan for raising the matter and the impact of the real cost-of-living pressures, the current conflict and how, for the purposes of his question, they are having a particular impact on those renting as well. I will make a couple of points. One of the reasons the Government this week provided a package of €250 million for a time-bound period was a recognition that the economic medi…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that, the Government: - remains deeply concerned about the escalating conflict in the Middle East and the Gulf; - affirms Ireland's long track-record of support for international law and the United Nations; - continues to seek de-escalation through dialogue and diplomacy so that these issues …

Does the Minister accept that we have a serious problem in our housing market? We can look at it in terms of the gap between advertised sale prices and actual selling prices. We have a problem with that massive gulf and it is ordinary people - families and individuals - who are being squeezed on house prices, which are absolutely unaffordable. What is happening in the housing market can be seen on…

The Minister is developing a terrible habit of spending most of his time talking about everything other than the actual question, which relates to the currently tenanted flat complexes, such as Oliver Bond House, St. Michan's House and Pearse House, where the Department is preventing, blocking and delaying the approval of funding. Initially it was because the national planning framework required t…

Tá áthas orm go bhfuil an tAire ag tógáil na ceiste seo. Dublin City Council's new differential rent scheme, which will begin operating from 6 April next, will see increases in rent for almost all of the city's 68,000 council tenants. The new scheme is supposed to augment the council's maintenance budget. The council currently maintains an ageing housing stock, with over 50% of Dublin City Counci…

I have never been accused of having a craven ideology before. Our only policy objective in this coalition Government is to make sure we build more homes for our people to buy and rent and to make sure we deliver supply. Without properties, apartments and homes to buy or rent, every conversation we have in this House is interesting but academic. It is interesting but abstract if we do not build eno…

The Taoiseach spoke earlier about the need for housing and everyone right around the Dáil here agrees on the urgent need for more houses. He spoke about 50,000 houses and it is welcome that he has that aspiration and the policy to try to back it up but I would like to go to the nuts and bolts of this. At the moment in Ireland, a person with a small quarry will be four to five years trying to get p…