James Browne

I know it upsets the Deputy's social media plan when I start to say the positive things that are happening, so she likes to talk over me to ensure there is no possibility of anybody being able to hear anything I am saying that is positive. It is an ongoing tactic from the Opposition benches.

It is really disingenuous.

My time is up but the reason I am still talking is the Deputy will not give me an opportunity to say anything.

The Deputy really gave the game away when she talked about government. Sinn Féin is obsessed with getting into government instead of providing solutions. It has abandoned all attempts now in terms of providing solutions for housing. The public rejected its proposed solutions in the last general election.

We hear very little about those proposals anymore because it does not want to talk to them-----

"A home you will never own" simply did not work with the people.

Here we are again. I am back on my feet, trying to give an answer and once again, the Deputy is trying to talk over me. Getting into government for government's sake is not going to work. The Deputy has to provide solutions. We are providing solutions. I turned the sod only a few weeks ago on 817 affordable, cost-rental and social homes and more homes will be delivered in Balbriggan as well. Our …

The Department's budget package for 2026 sees some €11.275 billion allocated across my Department, Tailte Éireann and an Coimisiún Toghcháin. Housing capital investment has reached a record €9 billion. We have introduced a 29% increase for Uisce Éireann to advance water infrastructure and facilitate housing development. We have significantly increased our funding allocation of €563 million to supp…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: (1) approves the terms of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage done at Paris on the 6th November, 2001, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 13th August, 2025, (2) approves the making of a Declaration under Article 28 of the said Convention that the Rules of the Annex to the Convention will apply to activities directed…

I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I have considered the Labour Party motion. The Government has presented its countermotion on child poverty and homelessness, which shows our determination to drive down the child poverty rates, increase supports for families and tackle family homelessness. We have outlined the significant progress we have made and reinforced our firm commitment to deli…

Would they cut money from our hospitals or from the roads budget?

Where are they going to take the money from?

Where are you going to take the money from?

You are not going to shut me down, so please let me say-----

I did not interrupt you, so let me-----

Look----

Thank you very much. We might look at the tenant in situ scheme. I am trying to square what Deputy Bacik said yesterday during Leaders' Questions, because the criteria in the circular I introduced earlier in the year put the focus on local authorities to prioritise families. The Deputy criticised that at the time. She said that single people were being singled out and left behind. Labour Party TDs…

-----because that circular prioritises families, which she criticised me for doing. In relation to the Labour Party's motion, we have a demand-led tenant in situ scheme, which is what the Deputy wants. We have nearly 60,000 HAP and RAS tenancies. The Labour Party is well north of €20 billion, yet it has not quantified its position or said where that money will come from. Once again, it is more ma…

Those who warned the Labour Party about the mistakes it was making-----

Those who warned the Labour Party when it was in government of the crisis it was creating-----

-----in the context of turning too many houses into too few, what did it do? It criticised the likes of Peter McVerry instead of listening to those warnings. It did not realise what was happening. That is what it did-----

It is absolutely is extraordinary-----

Can I ask the Deputies to just read the circular that went out to the local authorities and realise what it does? It prioritises families. I know the Labour Party's motion does not talk about prioritising children because whichever of its researchers wrote probably did read it. I ask the Deputies to read it as well. As I said, there has been €375 million for second-hand acquisitions already this …

That is what the Government and I are doing. We are also delivering more and more funding. Again, however, I ask the Deputies to put forward some numbers in the context of what they are proposing to do here. A few facts might actually help the situation. This is a quick one for Sinn Féin. Its housing policy says to slash the tenant in situ scheme. The policy is available online. It is there in bl…

Tenant in situ was always meant to be a temporary measure, which is even recognised in Sinn Féin's housing policy.