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110. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the income eligibility limits for social housing in areas such as Cavan and Monaghan will be increased to a realistic level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24805/25]

494. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will clarify the current position of the Office of Public Works regarding the former Garda Station at An Rinn, County Waterford, and the adjoining State-owned lands; and to confirm whether the OPW will engage with the local authority or an approved housing body regarding t…

652. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an occupational therapist will be assigned to Kerry County Council to accelerate housing adaptation grant application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23531/25]

653. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on changes to planning regulations for modular housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24870/25]

654. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps being taken to relax planning restrictions in respect of modular and ‘cabin-style’ homes in an effort to provide more housing; to provide a timeline in relation to these restrictions being relaxed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18586/25]

656. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if changes would be required to the Land Development Agency Act 2021 for the agency to deliver private houses on publican land or if this is already provided for in the current legislation. [23167/25]

659. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a complete list of all affordable housing schemes in Louth including the number of units under construction; when they will become available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23229/25]

660. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a complete list of all affordable housing schemes in Kildare; the number of units under construction; when they will become available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23230/25]

661. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a complete list of all affordable housing schemes in Meath; the number of units under construction; when they will become available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23231/25]

662. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a complete list of all affordable housing schemes in Dublin; the number of units under construction; when they will become available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23232/25]

663. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1221 of 29 April 2025, for details of analysis undertaken by his Department with respect to the implications of expansion of rural one-off housing for cost of public service delivery in the relevant areas. [23259/25]

664. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1221 of 29 April 2025, for details of analysis undertaken by his Department with respect to the implications of expansion of rural one-off housing for infrastructure costs in the relevant areas. [23260/25]

665. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1221 of 29 April 2025, for details of analysis undertaken by his Department with respect to the implications of expansion of rural one-off housing for the local environment, including risk of water contamination as a consequence of reliance on private septic tanks. […

666. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1221 of 29 April 2025, for details of analysis undertaken by his Department with respect to the implications of expansion of rural one-off housing for public health as a consequence of reliance on private wells for household water and the propensity of private wells …

667. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1221 of 29 April 2025, for details of analysis undertaken by his Department with respect to the implications of expansion of rural one-off housing for carbon emissions as a consequence of the less efficient heat retention by detached homes. [23263/25]

668. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1221 of 29 April 2025, for details of analysis undertaken by his Department with respect to the implications of expansion of rural one-off housing for carbon emissions as a consequence of reliance on private cars for transportation. [23264/25]

669. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1221 of 29 April 2025, for details of analysis undertaken by his Department with respect to the implications of expansion of rural one-off housing for biodiversity as a consequence of reliance on transportation by private car given the greater biodiversity of remote …

670. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1221 of 29 April 2025, for details of analysis undertaken by his department with respect to the implications of expansion of rural one-off housing for natural disaster resilience given the greater fragility of infrastructure and in remote areas and distance from emer…

671. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1221 of 29 April 2025, for details of analysis undertaken by his Department with respect to the implications of expansion of rural one-off housing for unanticipated household costs, considering that there is greater exposure to fluctuations in global fuel prices wher…

675. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps being taken to support rural communities like Bonmahon, County Waterford, where the absence of wastewater infrastructure is preventing new housing development, business investment, and tourism growth. [23295/25]

680. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the impact of child homelessness on education access and well-being, and what cross-departmental supports are in place between the Department of Housing and Children’s portfolios. [23333/25]

685. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide the original and revised delivery targets under “Housing for All” for social, affordable purchase, affordable rental, and cost-rental units for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024, alongside actual delivery statistics. [23339/25]

687. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing developments or regeneration projects approved by the Department that have not proceeded due to cost overruns, planning redesigns, legal challenges, or local authority bottlenecks. [23341/25]

691. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a breakdown of total expenditure on land acquisition, enabling works, and professional services for government-funded housing since 2020. [23345/25]

693. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he accepts that reliance on the private rental market for long-term housing of vulnerable individuals is unsustainable and ethically flawed. [23347/25]

I welcome and support this motion and fully support the points made previously by my Independent and Parties Technical Group colleagues. I want to take the opportunity to highlight a number of retrofit and insulation issues affecting middle and low income families across the country. The warmer homes scheme available to families in receipt of fuel allowance is an excellent scheme in itself but it …

The Social Democrats will support this motion because we want Ireland to opt in to the EU directive on combating firearms trafficking and other firearms-related offences. We do so because firearms trafficking, by its very nature, is a cross-border criminal activity. Organised criminal networks do not respect borders. The firearms used by criminal gangs across the country do not magically appear he…

This is an important Bill that deals with the most serious of questions, namely, how we keep our citizens and citizens of neighbouring states safe and how we co-operate with our European neighbours to ensure the rights of our citizens are protected. The Minister has publicly stated that the Bill is an important step in demonstrating Ireland's commitment to implementing the EU's e-evidence package …

In 2018, the people voted in a historic referendum to appeal the eighth amendment and to remove legal barriers preventing women from exercising choice over their own pregnancies. This Bill is about respecting and trusting women in exercising that choice to access the care they need when they need it. It is about recognising that women do not take this decision lightly, that this is something they …

Last year there were 10,852 abortions in Ireland. The lives of 10,852 living human beings were ended last year as a result of the legislation that was passed a number of years ago. It is the highest figure on record. It is equivalent to 400 classrooms of children who are no longer with us as a result of that abortion law. It is absolutely heartbreaking. In all the politicking we see in this Chambe…

I thank the Deputy. Of course, I know of his significant interest in homes and housing. He has been and continues to be a strong advocate. There is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation from the Department's perspective. It is looking at the overall delivery of social homes and it is on target and on budget. To get into micromanagement is a bit of a challenge for the Department but I will certainly…

I thank everyone for their contributions and Deputy Byrne for bringing this Private Members' Bill before the House. As Deputy Ó Cearúil says, Deputy Byrne was way ahead of the curve in relation to this. When they mention art imitating life, the Deputy's Bill came before the issues, especially when it came to Grok and the controversy we saw in late 2025. I noted something Deputy Ó Snodaigh mention…

I want to raise an issue with the Taoiseach today regarding the lack of Industrial Development Authority, IDA, supported jobs in County Laois. I think the Taoiseach will be shocked by what I have to say. The IDA has ignored Laois for many years. There are 145 IDA-supported jobs in County Laois. That is by far the bottom of its list by a long shot. If the Laois figures were replicated nationally, t…

I thank the Deputy for his comments. This is a very important issue for people generally, but young people and young couples in particular, in rural Ireland. Given the housing crisis we are in, we simply have to look at every avenue to increase housing capacity. The Minister and the Minister of State with responsibility for housing have been working substantively on this with significant proposal…

For a number of years, I have been working with St. Joseph's Gaelic football club in Wexford on the development of a fabulous new facility in the heart of Wexford town on Whiterock Hill. The club is just about to put the final touches to it. It has received assistance over the years, of course, but in the final touches, it has received an offer from Uisce Éireann to connect to water and sewerage s…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to prohibit sulky-racing where no lawful permission has been granted. I am pleased to bring this legislation before the House once again. Its purpose is straightforward and urgently needed. The Bill prohibits sulky racing on public roads unless explicit permission has been granted and lawful permission has been there for that. As …

I thank the Minister for taking this. I represent Dublin South-Central, the premier tourist route in the country. Others might disagree with that but the facts speak for themselves. You start at Trinity College and walk a straight line that brings you through Trinity College to the Iveagh Markets, St. James's Hospital - the old South Dublin Union - Roe and Co. and Guinness. Then you find yourself …

I understand he may not be able to turn up. I will speak as long as I am able. Like everyone here, we are appalled at the Israeli state’s absolute dismantling of the West Bank over the years, whether it is allowing settlers to de facto annex parts of it in their own right or whether it is the state policy of dividing it up so as to make the West Bank no longer viable. This has been going on for d…

This is the only aspect of the Spanish legislation that relates to services. The focus of the Spanish legislation is on the prohibition of the importation of goods. National legislation being taken forward by other EU member states is similarly focused on goods. Again, I remind the House that Ireland was the first EU country to announce its intention to prohibit the importation of settlement goods…

Unfortunately because of the way the Minister has framed this debate, a 90-minute debate is just not enough. It is not fair because there have already been lots of amendments which Deputies would have wished to speak for. I want to put on the record that I do not support Deputy Kelly’s amendment. Anybody who is preventing others by unlawful means, whether by obstructing them or impeding their fre…

The first thing I want to say is that I have listened to people in the House. I acknowledge the presence of survivors in the Gallery and I commend them because the law is being changed because of the advocacy of campaigners. We all agree on one thing, which is that the current situation is unacceptable. The current statutory scheme that operates is unacceptable and needs to be changed. It needs to…

I appreciate the Taoiseach looking into this matter. The concerns of the people of Foynes is the location. They welcome the system but the location chosen will be prevent the future-proofing of Foynes. Anyone who knows Foynes will know there is hilly ground to the west. On the Limerick side, it is all flat ground. The proposed system will involve pumping it upwards and then letting it flow down wi…

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion to Instruct the Committee on the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2026 (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) - Finance Bill 2026 (Second Stage) (to conclude at the end of the first speaking round; not to exceed 3 hours and 34 minutes) Tuesday's private members' business shall be the Motion re “Stop the Game” Camp…

I agree with what the Deputy is saying. This has been an issue that has been raised on a number of occasions. I will talk to the Minister for housing to see if additional legislation or regulation is required. Very often, it is the enforcement of existing regulations and laws that is the issue. There is a great reluctance to move in relation to people who are behaving in a significantly antisocial…

I understand that Cabinet today approved the domestic violence judgment register, or Jennie's law. It was only a matter of months after Jennifer Poole's death that Jason came to the House and discussed with me, the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, and Senator O'Loughlin the shock of their family when they heard in court that the person who murdered their sister had previous convictions for domest…

I wish to raise the issue of difficulties of building a one-off rural house, particularly in my constituency of Tipperary North and in north-west Kilkenny. From restrictions around access onto regional roads that do not always need to be there, to sight-line issues, ribbon development and the difficulty of building on one's own land, it should not be a privilege to build a house and live in the ar…

I asked the Taoiseach about what I consider to be the absolutely disgraceful decision of DLR Properties, which is a corporate subsidiary of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, to put up for sale land zoned for more than 1,000 houses. We could have more than 1,000 social and affordable homes but instead a board, which is not accountable to the elected representatives on Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co…

I thank all the Deputies who raised numerous issues. Deputy McGrath raised qualifying limits and thresholds for social housing. I agree with what he said and a lot of working people, because of their income being just a bit above the income threshold, are not in a position to buy or get a mortgage or get a social house. I have spoken to the Minister for housing on this. He is actively considering …

Maybe things will get done there because, in regard to the councils on the other side, Dublin City Council had land for a long time - O'Devaney Gardens and you name it. Nothing happed there for a decade. We need people to get things moving and maybe the other side of this story, which I have not heard, is that people are anxious to get things moving here and that we could have 1,000 houses much fa…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill, which is relatively short and covers the tax aspects of the energy support measures announced by the Government in March and April this year. I will first say a few words about the wider economic landscape. As Deputies are aware, the global economy is facing its second major energy price shock in le…