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646. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether that, notwithstanding significant Exchequer investment through the capital assistance scheme, the delivery of supported housing in Dublin is increasingly constrained by exceptionally high construction and land costs; whether additional CAS supports or revised cost ceilings are under con…

650. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will be providing funding to local authorities to install solar panels on their social houses where they previously took out solid fuel cookers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7592/26]

664. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authority housing retrofits completed in each of the past five years. [8041/26]

666. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether all local authority housing will be audited by 2030. [8043/26]

668. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions he will take to limit the number of cases whereby people are removed from social housing lists due to getting a promotion in work and therefore increasing their income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8045/26]

669. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the need to create greater flexibility in the income thresholds for social housing to allow for applicants to take job promotions or other opportunities in order not to act as a disincentive for professional growth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8046/26]

675. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will indicate the best practice guidelines given by his Department to local authorities regarding the time taken to process routine applications for the housing assistance payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8369/26]

676. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the advice given by his Department to local authorities regarding the processing of emergency housing assistance payments; the length of time such applications should take to process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8370/26]

683. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which current housing output compares to the Government’s election commitment to deliver up to 60,000 homes per year; the projected delivery figure for 2026; the specific measures being taken to close the gap; and whether the absence of binding local authority targets is undermining delivery; and if h…

684. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he will publish quarterly affordable housing delivery data on a county-by-county basis, including commencements, completions and pipeline schemes; whether such data is currently compiled internally; if he will commit to making this information publicly available to ensure transparency and accountability;…

685. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to introduce requirements for new housing developments to include solar PV, domestic battery storage and provision for community-scale energy storage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8446/26]

686. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the protocol to allow households fleeing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence to transfer time spent on a social housing waiting list to another local authority; when the protocol will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8457/26]

689. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the domiciliary care allowance is treated as household income for the purposes of assessing eligibility and contribution levels under the housing assistance payment scheme; whether he acknowledges that this places an additional financial burden on families caring for children with disabilities; if he w…

694. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will request Uisce Éireann to review the 25-house threshold for a new public water connection or network extension, with a view to introducing exemptions for rural and Gaeltacht communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8552/26]

712. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the commitment in the Housing Action Plan to update the code of practice for local authority nominations to AHBs to require that local authority and AHB tenants are not precluded from living with domestic pets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8656/26]

285. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the appointment of a permanent head of the housing activation office; his plans to underpin the office with legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7064/26]

288. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he has conducted any review into the operation of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF); whether he will publish it; whether in his view it provided value for money; if he will detail the key lessons that can be drawn from the operation of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on …

291. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total capital allocation for social housing acquisitions for 2026. [7145/26]

293. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average length of private tenancies in Ireland; how this compares with other EU jurisdictions; and if he accepts that short-term tenancies, and annual leases, contribute to housing insecurity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7168/26]

294. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he accepts that greater long-term, secure rental options are required for households not eligible for social housing but unable to access home ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7170/26]

299. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current timeline and action plan for the allocation of all vacant social housing units in a development (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7175/26]

300. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department plans to set a mandatory deadline by which all vacant social housing units in a development (details supplied) must be occupied; the way in which compliance with such a deadline will be enforced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7176/26]

301. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether planning conditions for developers operating within an area (details supplied) require social housing units to be allocated within a defined period following completion; if no such requirement exists the reason for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7178/26]

308. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has carried out any internal review or evaluation of the tenant rent-a-room scheme for local authority tenants since its introduction; whether the significant gap between projected housing supply and actual delivery has been examined; and the policy changes or corrective actions which are n…

310. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department assessed administrative, insurance, tenancy, or welfare interaction barriers faced by local authority tenants under the tenant rent-a-room scheme prior to its rollout; whether such barriers contributed to the extremely low uptake; and the responsibility his Department accepts for the failur…

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak about James Weir nurses home on Cork Street in Dublin 8, only a stone's throw from where I live. This building was built in 1903. It was originally built by James Weir, a Scottish-born merchant and philanthropist. It was built for nurses working nearby in the fever hospital, which was also called the house of recovery. It accommodated up to 50 nurses…

The Galway housing crisis is just getting worse. I genuinely cannot believe that it is getting worse year on year. This year, we are not seeing the housing stock that we need coming on stream. I am dealing with a couple in their 60s who have been nine years on the housing waiting list. They have to leave their rental property, and they are being told that the only option available to them is HAP. …

I am even less convinced of the logic of prescribing a time in the legislation. "Night to night" has a very clear meaning. It means a person does not get a placement of a month, six months or 18 months. It means accommodation is provided on a night-to-night basis. That is a long-standing policy that currently exists, and some emergency accommodation providers are paid for that. If the Minister had…

The Government keeps telling people that affordable home ownership is just around the corner, but that is not true. The latest report, published this morning, confirms this. That report from myhome.ie and Bank of Ireland makes for very grim reading for everybody, but especially for young people trying to get their first home. The report shows that house prices are continuing to rise and selling pr…

Deputy Ó Broin spoke about how the Planning and Development Act 2024 was meant to be the be all and end all and that there would be no need for all these updates. That is not the position we find ourselves, however. I echo the complaints made by Deputy Ó Broin and others about this legislation being rushed. While we can accept that there are technicalities that need to be dealt with, this is just…

I thank all Deputies for raising the various issues they have raised. Deputy Coppinger raised the issue of the Children's Health Ireland inquiry. This is a scoping inquiry in the first instance, essentially to scope out the terms of reference and what will be covered by an inquiry, and to look at the statutory format the inquiry will take. I would encourage all groups to participate and engage wit…

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this Bill. The imposition of a passenger cap was ludicrous and never worked. It is quite unique in world aviation. The removal of it was always inevitable. On the eve of the last general election, I remember the main party leaders, both Government and Opposition, saying that this would have to happen, with various promises being made in the lead-up to …

I thank the ten Deputies who have contributed to the debate so far. I will deal with the specific amendments first and a few of the other points. Some Deputies, such as Deputy Coppinger - not to pick her out - could have a look at the Second Stage speech. I outlined a lot of what we were talking about this evening on Second Stage. I will make a comment before I speak directly to the amendment but …

As I said on Second Stage of this Bill, I commend the Minister of State on bringing the Bill to these Houses. There are a few things I will mention before I get to the amendments. When the Minister of State said "recommendations contained in [the pre-legislative scrutiny report] will be considered as part of the next phase", what did she mean by the next phase? Is she talking about additional prim…

I agree with the Deputy. I thank him and all his Government colleagues for ensuring that County Kildare got a substantial amount of funding under the housing infrastructure investment fund that will, critically from the perspective of my Department and that of the Government, unlock housing. It will also, no doubt, help to unlock key community services as well. As the Deputy will be aware six proj…

I thank Deputy Sheehan for raising what is an important issue, namely, measures to reduce cost-rental rents. The cost-rental model was first introduced under the plan Housing for All and it has been continued and significantly expanded under the new plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. It is designed to provide secure, long-term homes for households on moderate incomes at rents that are s…

The scheme, as the Minister of State said, is non-statutory and it operates erratically. It is subject to funding being available in local authorities. Sometimes it is available and sometimes it is not and it is difficult as a public representative to be able to advise constituents who are in the over-60 age bracket on this, when the availability of the funding is intermittent and in some cases no…

I support this important Bill. Often, Government TDs assume things will go ahead and Ministers will lead the charge, but it is important that we stand behind them and explain the benefits. When I was a councillor, I saw infrastructure in small, local ways, such as local bridges, roads or maybe a burst water pipe. In here, however, we are looking at the national issues. Coming into the national Pa…

It is funny, for all the talk about speaking rights, to see a lot of Opposition not turning up to speak. This is a giant infrastructure project. I am not here to wreck this Bill - energy has always been a priority for me, having studied it before I had the honour of being elected – but we really need to look at it. I understand we need energy security. If, God forbid, there was an issue with one o…

I welcome the visitors to the Gallery. As others have said, I pay tribute to Deputy Ward on the work he has done. Last October, my colleague, Senator Nessa Cosgrove, and I went to Donegal to visit some of the people who are affected by this humanitarian disaster. I thought I knew about defective concrete and that I could quantify in my head the actual scale of the humanitarian disaster but I canno…

I thank Deputy Charles Ward for all the work he has done on this. What is the Government guilty of? I sat on the housing committee last term. It is on the record of that committee that I highlighted to the Minister, and all the various witnesses and so-called professionals brought in by the Department, the issues with blocks, foundations and the weight loads on foundations under the new regulation…

Some 43 years ago, the killing of Declan Flynn shocked Ireland. There were thousands who marched through Dublin afterwards to refuse to accept violence against gay people. I speak today as a gay man and I am proud of the history and of the rights the gay and lesbian community has won over those years. That violence did not end in 1982. In 2022, Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee were tragically murder…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026 for the consideration of the House. The main purpose of this Bill is to address the passenger cap planning condition at Dublin Airport. The importance of addressing the passenger cap and its effects on Dublin Airport is recognised clearly in the programme for Government, …

The Minister knows my views on this whole matter. Like Deputy Toole, I would like to think that I am coming at this from a sound and sensible perspective, not like the motion we had here last week where we had people who were against economic activity, building roads and everything we are trying to do from a common-sense point of view. We need roads and houses. A term used in the motion last week …

I thank all Deputies for the contributions they have made. I thank them for the constructive contributions that were made by most. It is unfortunate that the Members who were some of the most vociferous opponents and made the most impassioned pleas have not remained in the Chamber to get an answer to the questions or the points they have raised. I hope that will be what Committee Stage is for. I …

I move amendment No. 1: To insert the following after "ending on 29th June, 2027": "; and — calls on the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to bring forward legislation to give effect to the recommendations of the Independent Review Group without further delay.". Tá díomá orm go bhfuil muid ag filleadh ar ais arís anseo ag athnuachan cumhachtaí éigeandála agus reachtaíochta atá a…

I am very grateful to the House for its consideration of these motions. I thank Deputies for their contributions, particularly those in support but also those who do not support the motion because their discourse is very important. Many issues have been raised. I know I have only eight minutes. For the benefit of the House and for those watching, the independent review group carried out a compreh…

Inniu, d'fhoilsigh coiste tithíochta an Oireachtais tuarascáil shuntasach. Is é an moladh is suntasaí ná go dtabharfadh Rialtas an Tánaiste cosc éigeandála ar dhíshealbhuithe gan locht isteach arís. Tá an ceart ag an choiste. Tá géarghá le cosc den chineál sin anois níos mó ná riamh. Tá cíosanna ardaithe go dtí leibhéil nár fhaca muid le 25 bliain anuas. Tá an easpa dídine ag dul i méid i gcónaí a…

There are a couple of serious points there. This is the first time I have ever been in this House while somebody seems to be bemoaning so many Ministers coming to Laois. Deputy Stanley obviously has not met Deputy Willie Aird. It is easier to go to Laois and try to deliver. We intend to continue to visit. Deputy Stanley is right that there is no election for quite a number of years, be assured of …

I thank all the Deputies from across the House who have contributed to this important discussion. The contributions from across the House have been thoughtful, constructive and, above all, grounded in the lived experience of the families and people affected by rare diseases. Many Members have spoken with real insight and compassion about the challenges faced, the long wait for diagnosis, the diffi…