I thank Deputy Toole for her important question about housing supports for persons with additional needs and disabilities. The housing assistance payment scheme is a social housing support, so an assessment of housing needs must be completed in order to qualify for HAP. Any household with an identified housing need is eligible for HAP. For housing assistance to be provided, the housing authority must be satisfied tha…
TDs / James Browne
James Browne
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
0
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.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Contributions to debates 670 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Contributions |
|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 13 |
| March 2025 | 36 |
| April 2025 | 15 |
| May 2025 | 46 |
| June 2025 | 41 |
| July 2025 | 60 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 32 |
| October 2025 | 59 |
| November 2025 | 46 |
| December 2025 | 20 |
| January 2026 | 51 |
| February 2026 | 43 |
| March 2026 | 43 |
| April 2026 | 3 |
| May 2026 | 70 |
| June 2026 | 27 |
| July 2026 | 22 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 2 |
| October 2026 | 41 |
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
I met Before We Die and I met local groups and individuals in my own county, Wexford. I am very much aware of the very understandable worry and concern of older parents for their children with disabilities as those parents age and maybe get to the later end of their own lives. That is why I have had multiple meetings with the Minister, Deputy Foley, devising a proposal and a plan to be implemented in my Department on…
I thank Deputy Toole again for raising this important matter. In some ways, what we are doing in the Department of housing is intending to lead with the drive to deliver the necessary homes, both for independent adapted living and also for community residential living. While it certainly will not take five years, it will take a lead-in time to start getting those homes delivered. I certainly have heard the Deputy and…
I thank Deputy Heneghan for his important question about community supports for housing delivery. Planning for the provision of infrastructure and amenities is a core element of the statutory plan-making process. National policy objective 105 of the revised national planning framework sets out that the planning authorities and infrastructure delivery agencies should focus on the timely delivery of enabling infrastruc…
I hear Deputy Heneghan's concerns in relation to supports for communities where significant housing is being delivered. The provision of funding to support the delivery of community facilities and infrastructure falls within the remit of a number of different Departments. My Department established the housing activation office to ensure we accelerate housing delivery and also the necessary infrastructure required to …
I hear the Deputy's concerns. It is very important that, where we are delivering housing, infrastructure and regeneration to support housing, community supports are also put in place, along with the additional supports that are required from other Departments. I will ensure we have a cross-government approach to this.
I thank the Deputies for their questions in relation to social housing limits. Deputy Brendan Smith raised the issue of social housing limits in Cavan and Monaghan and asked when those limits will be increased. As the Deputies will know, applications for social housing supports are assessed by the relevant local authorities in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Mi…
I thank the Deputies for their questions on the social housing limits. There is very much a recognition that those limits need to increase. We are working on that proposal. In my view, they absolutely do have to increase. They should be reviewed on a more frequent basis rather than when certain pressures have built or a certain amount of time has passed. I am conscious that social protection payments have increased s…
I thank the Deputies again for raising this matter. I assure them it is being given very serious consideration. There will be announcements on this in the near future.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 102 together.
I thank Deputy Stanley for his questions on the increase in the number of affordable-to-buy housing units provided by local authorities, and plans to increase the number of cost-rental units that will be provided in schemes by local authorities as well.
Providing affordable and high-quality homes for purchase and long-term rental is at the centre of the Governm…
I again thank the Deputy for his important questions on affordable homes to buy and cost-rental units. As he knows, Laois has an excellent record of delivering homes. It is one of the stronger counties. It is benefiting from taking the lead in delivering homes. It will benefit in the medium and long term economically as well as enjoy the key benefit of providing roofs over people's heads. I wish every local authority…
I hear the Deputy's concerns for his constituents in being able to have a housing solution they can afford. He is correct; we need multiple housing solutions for people. People of a certain age will not be able to get or will find it extremely difficult to get a mortgage, even with the mortgage supports available because repayment times are squeezed as people get older, repayments go up and it becomes harder and hard…
I thank the Deputy for asking this important question. A response was issued from my Department to the correspondence received from An Taisce on this matter. As outlined in that reply, Dún Dealgan, which is also known as Cú Chulainn’s Castle, is a national monument - national monument No. 388 - in ministerial guardianship and, therefore, already has a high level of protection under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to…
The Deputy touched on an important aspect of what our heritage section does, ensuring our heritage sites are both protected and accessible and not put away or wrapped in bubble wrap. Rather, they will be accessible for this generation and future generations to appreciate, understand and enjoy.
Notwithstanding the statutory protections afforded to Dún Dealgan under the National Monuments Act, the Department, in its s…
The Deputy is correct. A buffer area of 50 m should be implemented. That was a recommendation and condition of the local authority to ensure the continued protection of the archaeological setting. It was also recommended that no groundworks, including boundary works, landscaping or ground reduction are to be carried out within the buffer area, and the area should be fenced off and protected during construction and sh…
I will start by thanking Deputy Hearne for bringing forward this Bill to amend the Constitution to include a right to housing. While the Government cannot support the Bill at this time, I welcome the opportunity to set out the Government’s position on this important issue.
Our housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, 2025-2030, sets out that housing is a basic human right. The Deputy will be aware that …
I move:
That Dáil Éireann approves the following scheme in draft:
Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme 2026,
a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 7th August, 2026.
I welcome the opportunity to speak this afternoon on what is an important matter. As Deputies are aware, a defective concrete blocks grant scheme was put in place in 2020 to financially support affected homeowners…
I thank Deputies across the House for their contributions to this important debate. The motion before the House seeks approval for the social homes scheme for designated local authorities and approved housing bodies affected by defective concrete blocks. To be clear, I acknowledge the pressures Donegal County Council in particular is under regarding this matter. I have committed my Department to working hand in glove…
I move amendment No. 1:
In page 5, line 10, to delete “Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009” and substitute the following:
“Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009; to provide for additional eligibility criteria for access to certain services provided to homeless persons under section 10 of the Housing Act 1988; to provide for withdrawal of such services in certain cases; to provide for an appeal in resp…
I move:
That the Bill be recommitted in respect of amendments Nos. 1 and 8 to 11, inclusive.
A lot of issues were raised. I will try to address as many as I can. In relation to the time and the use of the word "night", the definition of night time differs greatly between 21 June and 21 December. That would have created an extraordinary level of uncertainty as to when somebody can go in or not. That is why a time was chosen. The Deputy can argue about the time, but certainly using the word "night" would have …
In relation to being able to reapply versus make an appeal, any appeal takes time. These people are in a crisis at that point in time - we agree on that - so the quickest method is to reapply rather than going through a complicated appeals process.
In relation to the two nights for the initial situation, if that person cannot make other arrangements and is at risk of rough sleeping, such as over a bank holiday weeke…
On Deputy Gould's point, the woman in that very traumatic situation has been provided emergency accommodation in the past and there is no reason she would not be provided it again in the future. If there is any way the Deputy wants me to help with that woman, who is in a very difficult situation, he should please provide the details. It is the same for that Palestinian family. We are always happy to intervene. I am n…
This is too often what we get, unfortunately-----
It is very easy to come in here with your personal invective but you have to engage with policy. That is what we need to be doing rather than your usual commentary in relation to it-----