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glad to be able to speak on this Bill. I am as confused as many others. We have a desperate housing crisis that we have failed to tackle. We have debate in this House. We have ideology, really, coming from the left and a lack of solutions coming … there is a need for them in many areas. Instead, we should be talking about the pressure cooker that is the lack of housing for the young and not so young - many of them are quite old - and the inability to solve the housing crisis. I know

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 … delivery of housing in 2025, with overall capital funding now available of almost €6.8 billion; — the capital provision for 2025 is supplemented by a further €1.65 billion in current funding to address housing need; — over 36,700 social homes have been delivered under Housing

move: That Dáil Éireann: acknowledges that: — the persistent shortfall in the delivery of housing, particularly social, affordable, and cost-rental units, constitutes a structural failure of public policy; — successive Governments have fallen short of their own housing delivery targets, and a significant proportion of zoned, developable land remains … rooted in the need for accountability, has created a delivery environment that is adversarial, inefficient, and increasingly unfit for the urgency of the housing crisis; and — a generation of young Irish people are increasingly being forced to emigrate, as any possibility of home ownership slips further

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 … delivery of housing in 2025, with overall capital funding now available of almost €6.8 billion; — this provision includes €450 million to support the delivery of 3,000 additional social, affordable and cost rental homes in the period 2025 – 2027; and €265 million to allow for a significant programme

thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward the motion today on voids in council housing. I have worked for many years in the area of public and council housing. One of the key issues is that local authorities, historically, for the past 30 or 40 years, have been … just undermined but effectively decommissioned in their role in housing. I remember this clearly from when I worked in council housing in Dublin for many years. I worked as a regeneration worker in social housing flats on issues of voids and tried to work with the council

willing to come into the Chamber. Other people grandstand, shout and roar about housing. I am glad and proud that this Government is strongly focused. The provision of more housing is one of the main objectives of this Government. We must ensure protection for people who are looking … their own houses or to rent local authority houses or houses provided by approved housing agencies. We have, however, many difficulties to overcome. I wish to highlight an initiative about which the Opposition has been silent. I thank the Minister for his work and compliment him strongly

comments made by the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, earlier and reassert this Government's commitment and determination to tackle the challenges in housing. Housing is a cross-sectoral challenge that has a real impact on people's lives. Our goal remains a housing system that serves … inputs here today do not fairly represent the efforts and progress made to date. The motion claims that the Government is not treating housing with the urgency that it deserves, but we have laid a strong and secure foundation that will allow us to continue to ramp

happens when their landlords decide to sell the properties in six years' time? They will face market rents and a rental system and housing market that will be even more unaffordable. What the Government has done and is about to do is giving a very clear signal … Government is justifying the increase in the rents as incentivising investor funds to build a supply of more expensive and unaffordable rental housing while rents will be allowed to rise in line with inflation. There will be no 2% cap. If inflation starts to rise

echo the Minister of State's sentiments. The Opposition has been calling for a debate on housing for a while and has accused the Government of avoiding and not having the debate. When we eventually have it, one Opposition Member graces the benches. Well done, Deputy Ó Broin … from the Social Democrats or the Labour Party. That is disappointing. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to address the House on housing matters. As highlighted by the Minister of State, the Government's clear focus is on building new homes, including social and affordable

move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — the housing and homelessness crisis is getting worse; — house prices, rents, council waiting lists and homelessness are all rising; — the Government continue to miss their social and affordable housing target, targets that are too low to begin with; — tens of thousands … since 2015; — growing numbers of people approaching pension age are living in expensive and insecure rental accommodation fearful of their future; — the student housing crisis continues to deepen; — the housing needs of Travellers, people with disabilities, older people and other marginalised communities continue to be ignored; and — tens

apologise for being slightly late for the debate. A very important session of the housing committee is taking place. The Housing Commission, after almost a year of delay and being ignored by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, is finally giving a very interesting session. I will refer … private developers. The State is buying a bunch of those but the number of new homes being built by local authorities and approved housing bodies is far too low. Yes, it is true that €7 billion has been spent by the State on various housing matters

move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — there are at least 2,656 vacant council homes, excluding Approved Housing Bodies (AHB) homes, across the State, including 776 homes vacant longer than 12 months; — the National Oversight and Audit Commission Performance Indicator Report 2023, found that the average reletting time … resulting in only €10.1 million this year; further notes that: — these empty homes are an insult to those impacted by the housing crisis, and have a negative impact on the surrounding community; — the housing maintenance direct labour workforce in local authorities was slashed during austerity, and has never

Féin for tabling this motion. I cannot tell you how many times I have spoken on this issue. I will come to the housing task force, the minutes of which the Minister was instrumental in getting us. When we talk about empty houses tonight, we are doing … whom are children. This Government is taking pride in its policy, a jigsaw of pieces that adds more confusion, keeps house prices artificially high, and continues to treat housing as a commodity rather than a fundamental, basic unit of society - a home. You clap yourselves on the back

Browne, and take this opportunity to reassert the Government's commitment and determination to tackling the challenges we all know exist in the housing sector. The Minister and I are very much aware of the difficulties being experienced by some people in accessing secure and affordable accommodation … difficulties people face. There is no such thing as a monopoly on compassion when it comes to matters to do with the housing sector. For this reason, we are working day in and day out to make substantial changes to increase the supply of social, affordable and private

local authority homes are in general wholly owned by local authorities, which are encouraged to ring-fence some of their own resources from housing rents and other sources to the maintenance and protection of these homes; — the Voids Programme operates on the same basis as all other Exchequer … management and maintenance to proactively address the level of maintenance requests annually; — the commencement of stock condition surveys funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which are supported by the very recent roll out of a dedicated Information and Communications Technology system which will capture

thank Deputy Michael Collins and his group for tabling this motion and giving us all an opportunity to talk about housing and discuss it as much as we can to see if we can help. This is one of many motions, Bills and whatever trying to address housing … work and see after the people to ensure that everyone has a home. The answer has to be to build more local authority houses at a standard size. We should not try to stop people from doing Airbnb. I do not believe that we will achieve

with it and the focus it puts on the absence of infrastructure. I will not support the narrative on this side of the House to the effect that objections are causing the planning problems. That is a false, self-serving narrative. My office has just submitted a question … system. At any given time, I am told there are 500. I tried my best to elicit a response from the Department of housing lately but failed. However, it confirmed the number was around 500. We should not scapegoat objectors. I do not know any objectors; I know

have put them forward and we are putting them forward again tonight. The Opposition parties are bringing this motion to highlight that this housing crisis is no longer just a crisis. In fact, it has not been a crisis for many years, it is and has been … fact, beyond an emergency, it is a social catastrophe. When we look at what has happened in terms of the housing crisis and this record - we can talk about a new Government, but this is a continuation of the previous Government, which has within it Members who have

glad to get the opportunity to talk about housing again. This is a crisis. Everyone recognises that it is a crisis. I am not one bit happy that landlords or homeowners are being blamed for what is happening in the rental sector. Every side seems to be pointing … people who own houses and are trying to rent them out. I point out that I do have no house only my own. There are many vacant houses. I have asked the Government before to halve the tax or do something with it, such

left. I cannot think of anything more inappropriate from a TD who is part of the Government that is standing over a housing crisis. The only sanctimonious rant that I have ever heard in this Chamber has been from successive Governments. They have used it as a tool … about disinformation. Most of the disinformation I am concerned about arises from the Government, whether it is national or international politics. Specifically on housing, when I left the local authority in Galway in 2016 the city was in the middle of a housing crisis. I became

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 … what we have to do to get out of the challenging crisis we are in. Despite the upward trajectory in supply under Housing for All, the number of new homes built last year was disappointing. Overall, we delivered more ahead of our targets under Housing

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 … State, Deputies O'Sullivan and Cummins, earlier and reassert the Government's commitment and determination to tackle the challenges in the housing sector. We know these challenges are having a very real impact on people's lives. We understand the urgency and need to ensure sufficient numbers

housing crisis is no longer a crisis; it is a social catastrophe. It is an emergency, as the Government has accepted. However, Government actions - cutting key housing projects, suspending funding and gutting homelessness prevention schemes - tell a very different story. Instead of rising to meet this catastrophe … Government is failing time and time again. That is because its policies created this crisis. We had yesterday at the housing committee the Ombudsman for Children, who highlighted again the national shame that is almost 5,000 children in homelessness. I said it was a scandal and asked

glad to have the opportunity to talk about housing again tonight. Since I came up here in 2016, we have been talking about it constantly. Every man and woman who has sat here in the Dáil has talked about housing but little has changed. I want to speak … about vacant properties. I spoke about this last year, the year before and recently but the story is the same. There are vacant houses and properties all around the countryside. They are all around Kerry - on streets in villages and towns and in the countryside. They are everywhere

putting in amendments opposing the proposal. If this proposal was worked on, it would create a strong solution in relation to housing. Sometimes I wonder what the reasoning is behind the Government trying to block any good proposal being put forward. I thank Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice, John Campbell … Mark Nolan for putting this motion together. Housing is one of the most pressing issues of our time. We must declare a national housing and infrastructure emergency to enable accelerated housing delivery. This is not just a matter of policy; it is a matter of urgency and necessity

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a breakdown of capital investment in housing in 2024 and 2025 respectively by programme, in tabular form; to outline any additional capital investment in housing carried out by local authorities, the LDA and approved … housing bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33759/25

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of new Housing First tenancies created in each of the years 2016 to 2024 and to date in 2025, with a breakdown by local authority area; the total number of active Housing … First tenancies currently operating in each local authority area; and if he will provide the Housing First targets for each local authority and homeless region for 2025, in tabular form. [29461/25

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social housing projects that will now be transferred from the Peter McVerry Trust to local authorities and other approved housing bodies; to provide a breakdown of this by local authority area … number of units; and the number of social housing projects that will now not proceed as a result of the restructuring of the Peter McVerry Trust, with a breakdown by local authority area and number of units. [30568/25

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered in each county to date in 2025 under the affordable housing scheme; and if he will provide a breakdown by municipal district. [33897/25

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide available data on the impact of the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2027's Implementation Plan on people with intellectual disabilities, including stakeholder feedback on housing accessibility, waiting times, and unmet needs

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if it is his intention to advance the recommendation of the Report of the Housing Commission with respect to the holding of a referendum on the right to housing; and if he will make

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the data his Department has access to in relation to notices of termination issued to social tenants housed by approved housing bodies. [28957/25

Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the rollout of a social housing passport that will allow persons on social housing waiting lists to change local authority without losing time on the list; and if he will make

Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the second phase of the housing development at a location; if he will provide an update on funding approval and timelines for commencement; the status of the second phase of the housing development

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authority planning permission can facilitate the building of clusters of houses in rural areas where the developer provides adequate wastewater treatment, as at present the vast majority of villages do not have wastewater treatment … facilities and it is not possible to get planning permission for clusters of houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29297/25

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the additional cost to the Exchequer for every additional 1,000 social housing units delivered through the following schemes, SHIP construction, SHIP turnkey, CALF construction, CALF turnkey, CAS construction, CALF turnkey, and social housing acquisition

Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that an applicant (details supplied) for mortgage to rent has been turned down due to the valuation of her defective blocks home being deemed … value of the house remediated as opposed to the value of the house with deleterious materials present; if he will offer any clarity on the issue; if he has any intention to address this issue through legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29649/25

Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to address the increasing number of prospective house buyers turning to social housing due to affordability concerns (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29681/25

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address the housing crisis and provide affordable and social housing by directing local authorities in Kerry and across the country to zone lands and grant planning permission for good quality modular homes (details

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost of providing Housing First with wraparound supports to a single adult experiencing long-term homelessness; the estimated cost of expanding the Housing First programme to the 2,245 families currently accessing emergency homeless

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to cases whereby school teachers are forced to give up jobs due to being unable to afford accommodation in Dublin; if he has considered supporting the provision of dedicated housing

Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the rural housing guidelines; and whether any changes to them are expected. [35069/25

Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm that local authorities (details supplied) would not deem an application for the housing adaptation grant as incomplete, where outstanding supporting documentation is required, and return it by post along with supporting documentation

Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on his Department’s efforts to establish a unit in the Housing Agency to regulate owners’ management companies to ensure effective governance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35099/25

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration can be given to increasing the property price ceiling for houses in Galway city for which support can be sought from the first home scheme; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will put in place guidelines to local authorities for the reletting of casual vacancies setting a maximum timeframe within which a house must be relet; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he agrees that it is totally unacceptable in a housing crisis for a local authority to take up to one year to relet a residential property; if he will engage with local authorities

Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding his Department provided for the housing adaptation grants for older people and people with disabilities in the years of 2024 and 2025, in tabular form. [34734/25

they were first vacated; the breakdown of the average cost to bring a vacant property owned by the OPW into use for social housing in each of the years since they were first vacate; the breakdown of the overall cost to bring vacant properties owned … back into use for social housing in each of the years since they were first vacate; the breakdown of the overall cost to maintain former Garda stations owned by the OPW that are now vacant in each of the years since they were first vacated; and the breakdown

Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the housing aid for older people grant, specifically whether boiler replacements remain eligible under the scheme; and if they are no longer included, the alternative supports that are available to cover