I thank the Deputy for his question in relation to affordable homes in Dublin for 2025 and 2026. More than 14,500 affordable housing solutions have been delivered since the launch of Housing for All, including over 5,200 in Dublin. Affordable housing schemes are now operating at scale in Dublin and the affordable housing delivery programme continues to be expanded and developed year on year, supported by unprecedente…
TDs / James Browne
James Browne
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
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questions asked
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them
145,875
words spoken in the chamber
145,131 as a minister, 744 as a TD
431
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
Members of the Government answer parliamentary questions rather than ask them, so this page lists none of theirs.
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Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Contributions to debates 670 in all
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Debates they spoke in most
Plus 394 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Wexford 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage 23 January 2025 to now
As the Deputy is well aware, the Government has long acknowledged that there is an affordability problem in this country. There are two issues - a viability issue and an affordability issue - and both of these are driving supply difficulties. That is why we have taken measures on viability and affordability. Many of the affordability measures have been opposed by Sinn Féin's good self.
The legislative framework gove…
I am not sure if the Deputy listened to my last answer. The Government has long acknowledged that there is a serious affordability issue in this country. That is why we brought in significant measures such as the first home and help to buy schemes to address the affordability issue. Supply is the only answer so that people can afford homes.
That is on the rental side and the purchase side as well. What I do not hear from Sinn Féin is how it is going to drive supply.
What I hear are objections to almost everything we are doing. That is Sinn Féin's right, but I am not seeing any solutions coming forward, just constant criticisms. I continue to make decisions to address the viability issue and the affordability issue. Ultimately, this is about driving supply right across this country including Dublin, which is a crucial part of that.
I thank the Deputy. The question I have in front of me from the Deputy relates to a housing referendum.
I am happy to get the Deputy a written answer on the other question but-----
I will answer the question on the housing referendum now.
The Housing Commission was established in December 2021 to consider housing policy post 2030 and make proposals building on Housing for All. It was also tasked with advising the Government on the critical factors to be considered regarding a referendum on housing and, if appropriate, to recommend wording for a constitutional change. The commission submitted i…
The Deputy is right that there were differing views on the commission, and well-reasoned views I think on both sides among the commission members as set out in the various reports. While it was a majority it is not that straightforward either due to the different views. We are keeping this under review but my priority is actually delivering on housing. It is a basic necessity, one of the most fundamental basic necess…
It is important to set out that putting it into the Constitution is not going to deliver one more house. This Government has set out that housing is a priority. This is evidenced by the fact that almost one in three euro in our national development plan is going towards housing delivery. This is not even including the funding for grids and roads, which are all prioritised towards housing delivery as well. Spain, for …
I thank the Deputy for her question and the clarification. The Government has scaled up affordable housing delivery rapidly across all tenures since 2022 and continues to accelerate housing supply. Cost rental is a key element of the Government's strategy to improve affordability in the rental sector and to provide secure, long-term homes for moderate income households above the income limits for social housing, who …
I thank the Deputy. I know the Deputy never wants to hear good news or progress but just wants to-----
-----focus on the negatives.
The Government consistently acknowledges there is a massive affordability issue in this country. That is why we have brought in significant affordable measures-----
-----which Sinn Féin opposes again and again. We have an affordability problem and a viability problem in this country. We are addressing both. I was delighted to be in Balbriggan only a few weeks ago turning the sod on 817 affordable-purchase, cost-rental-----
-----and social homes. They are real homes, there are shovels in the ground, and homes being built in Balbriggan.
I know the Deputy does not want to hear about that. She wants to pretend those houses do not exist, that we are not doing these things-----
------with URDF funding and that we are not doing other projects in Balbriggan, but that is what we are doing. This happens every time I come in.
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 plan is working, we …