I will speak to amendments Nos. 1 and 2, which appear to have the aim of introducing a ban on rent increases. The Government's view is that the imposition of a ban on rent increases is highly likely to be subject to a legal challenge and would almost certainly deter continued investment in the rented accommodation market and cause a greater recourse to the State for social housing supports.
The current rent pressure…
TDs / James Browne
James Browne
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage
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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
I cannot accept amendments Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, and 8, which appear to have the aim of extending the operation of rent pressure zones to 23 June 2028. As Members are aware, on 10 June last, the Government approved policy measures to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections from 1 March 2026.
Last week, the Government also approved, as an interim measure, the provision of a two-month ex…
This is not an issue on this amendment, and the Deputy is at pains to look concerned but has not expressed his own opinion on it. We are not surprised there. The rent pressure zones-----
I welcome the clarification. Rent pressure zones have been extended to new areas again and again since 2019. On every one of those occasions, short-term lets have been brought in with them. That is the law at the moment and that is how the law will continue.
I want to be clear. After a week and a half of Deputy Ó Broin complaining about there being too many tracks in this legislation and too many different applications, he is now calling for a new track to create a geographical difference between rent pressure zones that have been extended to date where short-term lets are affected and extending it now to where they would not be affected. The Deputy needs to listen to wh…
The Deputy is now calling for more exceptions, more tracks-----
-----and more differentiation. After the past week, it is extraordinary that he would call for more exemptions.
I move amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"recognises that:
— Housing for All, sets out an ambitious multi-annual programme that seeks to deliver more than 300,000 new homes by 2030;
— record levels of investment are being provided for the delivery of housing in 2025, with overall capital funding now available of almost €6.8 billion;
— this provision includes …
Why is that? Why have-----
-----we heard no solutions? Sinn Féin had a manifesto in the general election that was rejected by the people-----
----- that is why I have not heard any more about it since then. Deputy Gould will not shout me down. I ask him to show a little bit of respect, please.
That is what we have heard. We have heard clichés, personalisation, observations and criticisms, but no solutions. That is what one has to come up with - solutions. The only solution is to increase supply, not freezing the housing situation as it is, but increasing …
We have significantly increased the delivery of housing in this country, and will take the-----
-----next step change to do it.
I want to set out some of these achievements that have been made to date, but very much recognise that we are in a housing crisis. I am treating it as an emergency. I am taking rapid decisions to address the housing crisis in this country in order that people can get the homes they need where they need them. We will make bold decisions because that is what we have to do to get out of the challenging crisis we are in.…
We will deliver more social and affordable homes. To get the numbers up to 50,000 or 60,000, however, we have to get the private sector to deliver. The State simply does not have that level of funding.
The changes approved by Government last week regarding new policy measures to support the rental sector by strengthening tenancy protections and security of tenure will provide significantly stronger protection for te…
-----of a more focused and targeted programme-----
----- to ensure it benefits those who need it the most.
The Government has supported, and will continue to support, a targeted second-hand social housing acquisition programme, which responds to the needs of the most vulnerable. The Government increased the 2025 budget for second-hand social housing acquisition programme from the €60 million available under Housing for All to €325 million.
This has given local authorities the flexibility within their programmes to respon…
Not for existing tenancies.
Not for existing tenancies.
I very much welcome the opportunity to come before the House this evening to speak on housing matters. I take this opportunity to thank all of the Members who contributed this evening to the important, worthwhile and very interesting debate.
First, I echo the contributions of the Ministers of State, Deputies O'Sullivan and Cummins, earlier and reassert the Government's commitment and determination to tackle the chal…
I thank all Members for their contributions. I echo the comments made by the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and reassert this Government's commitment to tackling the challenges in the housing sector. I will highlight the steps being taken by the Government to minimise vacancy and to ensure strategic and informed programmes of planned maintenance work for local authority housing are implemented and support by st…
-----submitted by a local authority does not exclude €11,000. In addition, and where turnaround times are not impacted, local authorities can also complete the suite of works applicable to the energy efficiency retrofit programme on a vacant dwelling with additional funding up to a maximum of €48,850.
There is evidence to suggest, however, that while re-letting costs are higher, the turnaround times are longer. Pre-…
It did not have the money to put in stairs.
It did not have the money to put in stairs. Is the Deputy having a laugh? This is the problem. The local authority should be putting in those stairs.