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610. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the projected annual housing delivery for Cork city and Cork county under the new national plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities; and the expected output for each year to 2030. [63857/25]

611. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has identified any infrastructure gaps in Blarney, Glanmire, Ballyvolane or Blackpool that may delay local delivery under the new housing plan; and if so, to list them. [63859/25]

614. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the expected annual and cumulative delivery for each region, including Cork city and Cork county, under the new strategy Delivering Homes, Building Communities; the number of homes allocated to social housing, affordable purchase, and private market supply in each area; and the basis on which these allocations we…

617. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of homes delivered in each year from 2021 to 2024 under Housing for All; the gap between those results and the original annual targets; and how this delivery record informed the new 2030 targets in Delivering Homes, Building Communities. [63877/25]

618. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing units currently delayed due to planning appeals, water-connection issues, environmental assessments, or inter-agency approvals; the average duration of delays; and the actions being taken within the next 12 months to clear these blockages. [63878/25]

619. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the current water, wastewater, road, and public-transport infrastructure in Cork city and Cork county is sufficient to support the housing targets set for the region under Delivering Homes, Building Communities. [63879/25]

623. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing units currently delayed at the planning stage across local authorities; the average processing time for applications and appeals; and the actions planned within the next 12 months to reduce these timelines. [63886/25]

624. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing projects delayed due to environmental assessments, Natura requirements, or related approvals; and the steps being taken to ensure timely completion of these assessments while meeting statutory obligations. [63890/25]

625. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the issues that have arisen between planning authorities, Uisce Éireann, the National Transport Authority, and other statutory bodies that have delayed housing delivery in the past three years; and the mechanisms being introduced under Delivering Homes, Building Communities to prevent such delays. [63891/25]

626. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing schemes marked as stalled or inactive nationally; the number of homes affected; and the expected timeline for reactivation of these schemes under Delivering Homes, Building Communities. [63892/25]

629. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the Infrastructure First projects approved for Cork city and Cork county in 2023, 2024, and 2025; the funding allocated; and the expected impact on unlocking housing delivery in each location. [63895/25]

631. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current average house price and average monthly rent in Cork city and Cork county; the change in these figures in the past 12 months; and how he expects the new strategy to impact these trends. [63897/25]

639. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the impact of Delivering Homes, Building Communities on middle-income households who do not qualify for social housing and who cannot afford current market prices; and the specific supports planned for this cohort. [63905/25]

642. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant and derelict homes recorded in Cork city and Cork county; the number activated for reuse in the past two years; and the expected contribution of vacancy and dereliction measures to Cork's housing delivery to 2030. [63909/25]

644. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of brownfield sites identified for housing nationally; the expected annual delivery from these sites to 2030; and the measures planned to accelerate activation of brownfield land. [63911/25]

645. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the brownfield sites identified in Cork city and Cork county that are suitable for housing; the number of units expected from each site; and the planned timeline for commencement. [63912/25]

646. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the housing outputs achieved to date under the Town-Centre First policy; the number of new homes delivered in town centres in 2023 and 2024; and the expected annual delivery to 2030. [63913/25]

648. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the projected number of homes expected to return to use as a result of the vacant homes tax; the number of properties currently subject to the tax; and how these projections informed Government housing targets to 2030. [63916/25]

649. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the impact labour shortages are having on the cost of delivering social, affordable, and cost-rental housing; the cost assumptions used in Delivering Homes, Building Communities; and the measures planned to stabilise costs. [63922/25]

650. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of construction workers recruited from abroad in the past two years; the number expected to be required to meet the 2030 housing targets; and the supports planned to increase international recruitment where necessary. [63923/25]

651. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of small and medium-sized construction firms currently active in residential building; their expected contribution to housing output to 2030; and the supports being provided to expand their capacity. [63925/25]

653. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the labour cost inflation assumptions used in Delivering Homes, Building Communities; the expected annual labour cost increases to 2030; and how these assumptions affect projected housing costs. [63927/25]

663. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the annual targets to 2030 for the delivery of housing designed for older people, including age-friendly, supported, and right-sizing units; and the expected delivery for Cork city and Cork county. [63940/25]

664. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of wheelchair accessible and fully adapted social housing units delivered in 2023 and 2024; the annual targets to 2030 under Delivering Homes, Building Communities; and the regional distribution of these units. [63941/25]

665. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households on disability-related social housing waiting lists in Cork city and Cork county; the average waiting time; and how the new strategy will reduce these waiting times. [63942/25]

This programme for Government continues the failed policies of the previous Government. It lacks ambition. It is deliberately vague and has no costings and no timelines. That means a continuation of the housing and homelessness crisis, the cost-of-living crisis, hospital overcrowding, huge health waiting lists, a broken disability service and the health recruitment embargo, known as "pay and numbe…

The Minister is 100% correct that we all want to see recruitment to our Defence Forces continue. However the figures she has given far from the 11,500 sought by the Commission on the Defence Forces by 2028. The Minister mentioned 850 a year. Is that the height of the ambition? It is not going to take us near 11,500. I will mention a couple of issues. The first is the single public service pension…

There is no single issue here. This is about housing, pensions, pay and conditions. Has the Minister dealt though with the representative organisations on the single public service pension scheme? She might confirm that and let us know whether there is any update. The Minister mentioned all the other barracks, and that is very welcome and everyone who supports the Defence Forces will welcome that…

I welcome the debate and the contributions from all Members of the House, as well as the varying views. As Cathaoirleach of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, I believe this is exactly the type of debate and discussion that we should be having in this House. The agreement envisages that the people of this island may one day be asked to decide on their constitut…

It has been useful to have this series of debates about the possibility of unification and its implications for all parts of the island in the context of the discussion and debate of the Sinn Féin Green Paper last week and the debate we are having now. These dialogues are important as they allow us to discuss the real opportunities that unification can create. They allow us to also be honest about…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Waste Management (Household Waste Collection Service) Bill. I thank Deputy Sherlock and the Labour Party for bringing this legislation before the House. At the outset, I acknowledge that the Deputy has raised issues that are of real importance to households across the country. Reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable waste collection services a…

I thank Deputy Lowry for raising a fundamental issue insofar as it affects the livelihoods of our citizens across the country, workers, those on pensions and so on. We rarely get opportunities to discuss the wider economy in this House. I was struck that earlier this week we had a significant investment by Intel of up to €5 billion in its site in Leixlip, and there was not a whisper in this House …

The Irish people are a generous and decent people and have been over the past number of years, with the provision of supports to people from Ukraine who are fleeing the war. This is right and just. The war unleashed on Ukraine is absolutely wrong. Aontú will support the reduction in the rate of payment under the scheme. The scheme that was created was uneven, unfair and discriminatory for those s…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and I agree that respite needs to be enhanced. In the last budget, an extra €600 million was given to disability services, which has at least helped to consolidate a lot of the section 38 providers and providers more generally. The Minister for housing has met with the Minister for disability. They have agreed a protocol that local authorities now have to p…

I will say what half of this country is thinking and what this House has refused to hear: women in Ireland do not feel safe walking through the capital city, through Cork city, where my own constituency is located, or through towns and villages where women once thought nothing of walking home alone. That precious ordinary freedom has been taken from the Irish woman. It did not happen by accident. …

I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for bringing this motion before the House. I also thank the many Deputies across the House who have contributed to the debate on what is an extremely important topic. It is only right and appropriate that it gets attention and consideration in this House and that we work collectively to address the massive challenge AI can pose to our creative sectors. We are very fortuna…

I appreciate that the HSE has gone through all of the steps it needs to. The challenge is that the country has a problem with housing. If we are giving away State-owned buildings and State-owned land - not giving it away but selling it on the open market - where are we going to start to develop things? There is fear in my constituency. The building should really be protected as an historic buildin…

I thank the Social Democrats for tabling the motion, which Independent Ireland will fully support. It is a brilliant motion. I want to put on the record my full support for the Before We Die campaign. I attended a meeting with the group in Cork city recently and I can honestly say it was a greatly attended and very moving meeting. Parents are being left in a crisis situation. This has been coming …

All the permissions are up in terms of planning permissions for new homes. The number of houses being delivered has gone up, particularly social housing. Close to 10,000 were built last year. The highest number of social houses are being built annually since the 1970s. Some local authorities do better on social housing than others.

Before I speak on my attendance at the European Council on 18 and 19 June in Brussels, I recognise that we are now one week into our Presidency of the European Union. The first week has been positive. On 1 July, I was honoured to welcome President Costa and President Zelenskyy to Dublin Castle for the opening ceremony of our Presidency. With the members of the Government, I was also delighted to w…

In 2008, the then Minister Phil Hogan announced a local government fund allocation in budget 2009 of €1.6 billion. In budget 2026, €670 million was allocated to the same fund. That is almost €1 billion less. Has the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, considered asking the European Union how member states fund local authorities and how European local authorities have more democracy and autonomy an…

I move amendment No. 10: In page 6, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 10 of Act of 1988 6. Section 10 of the Act of 1988 is amended— (a) in subsection (1), by the substitution of “A housing authority may, subject to section 10A and to such regulations” for “A housing authority may, subject to such regulations”, (b) in subsection (8)— (i) in paragraph (a)(i…

I move amendment No. 17: In page 13, to delete lines 12 to 16 and substitute the following: “(6) A social housing appeal shall be made to an independent appeals office located within the Housing Agency within 28 days of the notification by the housing authority to the household concerned of the making of a determination in respect of the application or reassessment for social housing support con…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 10, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following: “Report on impact of amendments related to alteration of existing planning permissions 4.The Minister shall lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas every 6 months from the commencement of this Act detailing the impact of the amendments to Part 4 of the Principal Act related to alterations of existing…

-----again promoting local objectives and NIMBYism over the greater good. That is Sinn Féin's policy, namely, opposition on the ground and attacking Government at a national level. It is just not good enough. It is not serious politics. We need supply-side interventions which drive tens of thousands more homes and completions across the board and matching the record level of support in terms of s…

I thank Deputy McGrath. As is often the case I agree with some of what he says and disagree with some of it also. The establishment of Uisce Éireann, to have one national body for co-ordinating and directing a very significant level of investment in water quality, water services and the water supply we need for housing, is a good thing. I genuinely believe that and I stand over that decision. How…

The Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2026 provides another opportunity to address long-standing failures in how we plan and deliver our communities. While legislation can amend processes and procedures, it must also confront the reality experienced by families across the country, in particular in rapidly growing counties like Meath. For too long, our planning system has treated community…

I thank Deputy Clendennen. I welcome and support the Bill, which implements the reforms agreed by the Dáil in 2024 and will accelerate the supply of housing. The housing crisis is the defining challenge facing this country and we all see the impact in our weekly clinics. The Planning and Development Act 2024 was the largest reform of our planning legislation in a generation. I want to focus on thr…

I acknowledge Aontú for tabling this motion in good faith. It names a crisis that is biting every man, woman and child in this country. Families with two incomes are working harder than their parents ever did and having less to show for it. Grocery bills are up 40%, energy bills are up nearly 60% and rent is at a level unthinkable ten years ago. The diagnosis, like much of this motion, is correct.…

My amendment No. 13 has been grouped with Deputy Ahern's amendment. I will not dwell on it, but the same point I made about the previous Bill also applies in respect of this one, namely the fact that only two hours have been provided for the Committee and Remaining Stages. Detailed issues have to be addressed, including climate, balanced regional development and the significant impact of noise pol…