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policy measure and it could be done. Another area I want to speak on, which is linked to the report, is the right to housing. Again, it is disappointing that the Minister did not mention it. Is the Government saying it will not look at this … Government saying it will not implement a right to housing, which is recommended by the commission? It said: International experience with constitutionalising rights to housing has demonstrated that changes tend to be incremental ... The Commission is of the view that such an approach is applicable in the Irish

always been to have supply, that is the job of the State and the market in tandem. The task of delivering the right houses in the right location with the right density and social services and for the right time in people’s lives requires far more interconnected … recommendation calls for the examination of a specific private savings fund that can be used to assist in the funding of housing. Given the right impetus by the Government, this could unlock significant new investment into housing delivery while demand is so high and returns are potentially strong

cannot afford ever-increasing housing market prices and who will never be able to acquire mortgages due to low earnings. Housing should be a fundamental constitutional right. Every citizen should be entitled to a roof over … head and to shelter. I hope that in its lifetime, this Government will consider bringing a referendum to the people on the right to housing. I am glad to support his motion. I hope it will be supported by all Deputies

referendums last year, is something we would have to give great consideration to. If we put a referendum on the right to housing before the Irish people and it was rejected, we would find ourselves in a very difficult place in terms of housing policy. It is something … slow. In the case of the Ballymun shopping centre site in my constituency, there is currently no proposal to build housing on the site, which is right in the middle of Ballymun, yet it is an ideal site on which a body such as the Land Development Agency

emergency measures, no reset of housing policy as recommended by the Housing Commission and the commitment to hold a referendum on the right to housing has been reneged on. The section on disability services is weak, vague and non-specific. There is no proposal to eliminate the long

just one report, it produced two. There is no comment of course on the recommendations to hold a referendum to enshrine the right to housing in the Constitution. At least now we know the Government is not going to do it and the charade of the previous programme … those numbers right then he will be failing from the beginning. I again urge him to engage with the experts on this matter, so we do not end up having a row about the underlying numbers. With respect to section 4 and delivering supply, the housing delivery oversight

recognition that a house is a home. In a report they compiled, the Simon Communities state that we need to enshrine the right to housing in the Constitution. The Minister has conveniently ignored that. I hope that today people will start to recognise that the policies the Government

that. The State is doing more than it ever has before. An unprecedented level of public resources is being directed at housing. That is the right thing to do and the Government will continue to do it. However, we cannot do it alone. We need more housing … firmly focused on the delivery of more homes for families, individuals, those who need support from the State, private owners, renters and right-sizers. Housing needs are varied and we have a multifaceted response to them. We have seen much progress in the delivery of homes; however

North. I wish him very well. The programme for Government contains a number of commitments in relation to this. The Deputy is right that housing is the biggest challenge that our country faces and it is the biggest priority that the Government intends to address. As he also … rightly highlighted, there is a number of enablers to build housing. It is not just about housing construction capacity but also about water and wastewater treatment facilities. We are going to significantly increase the amount of money available to Uisce Éireann through the capital budgets that we will

house this minute, the council would not take it because there would be the handle of a door or something not right. These houses have to be perfect and you will get €11,000 once. If you have to go to the full extremes of putting in electric … building this amount of houses. Anybody who knows anything about building knew that it was not going to happen. Those are the two spikes which happened last year. We need to move on from that. It is all right blaming everyone but we need to decide

State has intervened very strongly and assertively in the housing market. The State is the main player, I would argue, in the housing market right now in terms of the level of State investment. That is increasing and has increased over the last number of years

export any component that could be used in committing war crimes against Palestinian civilians? At this time, when the House has rightly named Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide, and when the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs speaks of Israeli war crimes, does the Minister

Fine Gael because €500,000 is in no way affordable and that is the truth. All of this is evidence that the Housing Commission was right when it called for a radical reset. In my constituency, people do not just want a radical reset in housing but desperately

debate. I will give Members an update on that and then I want to speak about right-sizing, which falls under my brief as positive ageing, and housing options for people to age positively. The programme for Government has committed to designing a statutory home care scheme … older people. I am a Minister of State in two Departments, health and housing. My remit is to look at housing options for older people, which includes right-sizing. I am actively working on this with the officials in the Department of housing at the moment

people and families accessing emergency accommodation come from the private rental sector, and Ireland's homelessness crisis is exacerbated by weak tenancy rights; acknowledges that: — Housing for All - A new Housing Plan for Ireland has manifestly failed to deliver enough new housing to meet demand and tackle

truly stunned not only that the housing Minister is not here but that there is only one representative on the Government benches when in the media and in the Dáil Chamber, all we hear is that the Government wants solutions from the Opposition. When … offer concrete, well thought-out, researched, evidence-based solutions, this is the showing we get. I come from the human rights sector where we talk about housing as one of the fundamental rights without which it is impossible to realise other rights. We have heard from my colleagues

wants a debate on housing. Where are we? What are we doing? It is so disingenuous to think this is a debate on housing. We are not talking about policy here. The Minister arrived in for the end of the debate. I believe things can be better … this Chamber are here to work constructively on solutions, but it has to start with an acknowledgment that where things are right now with housing policy is very concerning and it does not seem to be getting any better

absolute view. As I said to Deputy Gibney earlier, I want to engage constructively on this. I want to get the legislation right. I do not believe the current legislation in relation to the triple lock is fit for purpose. I have said very clearly that in amendments … overseas, in terms of overseas peacekeeping but also for other purposes, including evacuation operations of Irish citizens abroad. Many times in this House, Deputies have rightly highlighted important issues about how we get our people, our citizens - not troops - back from overseas in times of great danger

housing nationwide; — develop new financing sources, especially for brownfield sites and small builders, with support from Home Building Finance Ireland, the HFA and domestic banks, as well as State support of equity investment; — enhance protections for tenants, while appropriately vindicating landlords' constitutionally protected property rights, through measures introduced … Government is channelling a record €6.1 billion in capital expenditure into housing this year alone. This is into social and affordable housing. That is the right thing to do and the Government will continue to invest significantly in the supply of social and affordable housing. Furthermore, the Government

hand what they were undertaking. Yet again, the work they engaged in is a reminder to all of us in this House and to people right across the country that we collectively owe the volunteers of the Civil Defence a huge debt of gratitude. In regard … impacts, should a weather event of this magnitude occur again. I understand that the review process will be led by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and my Department. The Office of Emergency Planning will engage in doing the same. I understand the frustration of many

houses we need and bring this joined-up thinking that enables communities to grow and thrive. We must treat housing as a social good and a right rather than a commodity. That is the solution to this housing crisis, not Fianna Fáil's Bertie-era tax cuts

modern housing as opposed to their present utterly Dickensian conditions. In 2017, the European Committee of Social Rights found human rights violations regarding the substandard social housing in Ireland. Sewage, contaminated water, dampness and persistent mould raised concerns for habitability. Dolphin House residents continue to report sewage invasions

work for sustainable community development, whether that is in Clonsilla, Ongar, Castleknock, Hollystown or Tyrellstown. As the report states, housing stock must be responsive to needs, the right type in the right location and the right volume. At the moment I am not sure if housing types

will follow through on their words to allocate more time to people representing one of the largest groups in the House, namely, backbenchers. We have as much right to ask Priority Questions to our Ministers as anybody else in the House. I acknowledge the Tánaiste's appointment

crisis is to dramatically increase supply. The most effective way to do that is through capital investment in cost rental and social housing, not through demand-side measures such as the help-to-buy scheme and the first home scheme. Instead, the response of the Government, which … homes and to grow the sector to 20% of all housing stock. We also need to see new targets before 2027. Housing is the biggest civil rights issue of an entire generation. It is younger people, in particular, who are paying the price. I hope the Minister will

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if measures will be introduced to strengthen renters’ rights, including increasing RTB powers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3579/25

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he intends to progress the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2024 with regard to the rights of students in digs accommodation; if his Department intends to work or introduce any related legislation in this area