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there are people in emergency accommodation who are not entitled to housing in this country. He said they do not have a right to housing here. Very clearly, this is being done in the context of that, to act on that to reduce the entitlements of access … housing supports to these vulnerable cohorts. I have been working for a long time in the area of housing specifically and the right to housing, and one of the issues that has come up is the 1988 Act and issues around it. Indeed, I wrote a research report

allowed? This is absolutely the correct place for this issue to be addressed. It was in Deputy Alan Kelly’s housing plan, rightly, but never implemented. It was in Simon Coveney’s housing plan, rightly, but never implemented. It was in the plan of former Minister for housing … ensure that people have access to adequate homes. The Minister for housing is on the front page of today's Irish Examiner saying it is all about supply. That is not the right answer. It must be the right kind of supply in the right place

authority for people with physical and intellectual disabilities as well as right-sizing requirements. More crucially, those plans will not be based on objective need because they will ignore about half of the gross social housing need in the functional areas of the local authorities. There … need for at least consideration of the re-introduction of emergency ban on no-fault evictions and a referendum on the right to housing, are not on the Minister’s agenda. Again I ask when will he introduce an emergency response, above and beyond what he is doing

that will be provided between now and 2030? It does not exist. Where is the legislation that lays down in law the right to housing increasing every year between now and 2030? It does not exist. For all the serious issues in this State, the Government does … year after and the year after. Parties in this House, including so-called Opposition parties, will back the Government to the hilt in that. It is disgraceful. I will not be part of it. We were right to vote against the legislation last time. People called

long time has been that as social welfare or other family support payments increase, average household incomes increase, and the Department of housing rightly faces calls to increase the limits. We go through this process and there is the opposite of a cliff edge where the numbers

attention. The programme for Government and the Government's new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, commit to maintaining the right of social housing tenants to purchase their home. The aim of the tenant incremental purchase scheme was to try to strike that balance but balance is always … subjective term that requires constant monitoring to ensure the balance is always right. That balance is between increasing the scope for those who are in receipt of long-term housing support to purchase their local authority home and doing it in a way that does not unduly diminish

rather than it has not provided enough social and affordable housing or it has failed to take measures that would prevent people ending up homeless. That leads into the racist narrative being pushed by the far right, which ends in the sort of stuff we have seen … problem we need to tighten up on here, suggesting that people who are not eligible and do not have a right to social housing might be getting it, so we have to tighten it up. That certainly is not happening. Asylum seekers are not being housed in social

healthcare provision. It is vital that we discuss Pride and highlight the culture war on the trans community. Many colleagues in this House, in government and in opposition, are allies who stand up to the hate levelled at trans people and I thank them for their advocacy … passed marriage equality and changed the law. That work does not end there and I believe we have the numbers in this House to right the wrongs that still exist. I call on the Minister for justice to meet with Irish Gay Dads and begin this work

being handed over and what the value for this State is in handing over that sovereignty, then a considered debate in this House and then moving forward, but instead what happens is decisions are made behind closed doors to opt in. I have the briefing note here. That … part of the Department. I will be voting against this motion. I do so on the basis of standing up for the rights of the Houses of the Oireachtas to have full and proper consideration of these matters, not to be subjected to a rubber-stamping exercise

families today. I know Craig well as well as the many others who have reached out to us. Like all Deputies in the House, we know families in our own areas. I cannot pre-empt the outcomes of the HSE drug group but having engaged with the Department … have made progress. There is more to do but we are moving in the right direction. Working together, in government and right across the House, together with the stakeholders, patients and their families, we can continue to make real progress

Will the Minister of State ask his officials to look at that issue? It is only right that people who return to their home county having not been made a housing offer in the county where they had been living should not go back … their situation be looked at again. The proposals put forward by Dublin City Council, which is the local housing authority, should be reviewed in terms of what is right for the residents. It is about building communities and homes for families, not units. Going out and seeing what

country where the majority of tenants are covered by an effective no-fault eviction ban. There was a debate in this House as to the right way to do that and there was debate about making sure that policies did not result in smaller landlords, those with

mind the journey towards getting an allocation. Individuals in our society who urgently require the support of public housing and emergency accommodation must have clearer pathways to accessing those rights. They must not be presented with further hurdles and complications. The Minister has assured us the Bill will … must not ignore these calls for help. The core of these issues arises from the proposed right to reside and habitual residence conditions as prerequisites to receive public housing. Various front-line groups have cautioned that these measures risk the exclusion of at-risk individuals from the basic

Housing Agency, which will specifically look at it. It will engage with the local authorities and come back to the Department with a report on this issue of financial contribution schemes. Delivering Homes, Building Communities will also increase choice for older people who voluntarily right-size by advancing … already mentioned, this includes a review of the operation of existing local authority financial contribution schemes and supporting social housing tenants who wish to voluntarily right-size to more suitable accommodation. The Department is already progressing these actions to support older people who choose to voluntarily right-size

have the money, how the communities affected by this crisis are some of the most impoverished in the country, how their houses are literally falling down around them, how the knock-on impact means that children suffer health issues connected to living in unsafe conditions, and that those … equality and adequate standards of living. Picking up on one of the points raised by those contributors, there is a dearth right now of alternative housing. This is because there has been stagnant social housing delivery for decades. There are estimates that 12,000 homes in County Donegal

scheme, which I continue to champion, more than 176,000 houses have been retrofitted. The Minister of State is right that the average retrofit cost per house is €31,000 but I am conscious that 30% of all applications are for what are called shallow refits involving both

thank Deputy O'Callaghan for the question. I acknowledge this is an issue he has been rightly pursuing in this House for a period of time. The Deputy commended his colleague, Deputy Rice, the Cathaoirleach of the Oireachtas health committee. Deputy O'Callaghan will understand and appreciate … everybody now working in the health service understands that fully. In relation to the specific issue in University Hospital Galway, the Deputy is right that there is an issue here. The issue here is there is a histology laboratory in Galway. It processes on average 13,200 samples

That is an outrageous statement. People buy houses where they can afford to buy them. That is the nature of house purchasing in Ireland right now, and some people, if they could afford Kilmartin Grove or Hollywoodrath, chose to live there, whether that is in private purchase, affordable

important. The reason I am not going to call a vote is because of the people in the Gallery and their right to hear this House discuss a matter of utmost importance that has come about as a result of them telling us their personal testimonies

right, the officials in my Department, have been working night and day on this legislation. They could in no way be accused of having rushed this without real and proper consideration and thought. While I do appreciate we are bringing it through the Houses quite quickly … working with the Opposition on any aspect of this in the weeks ahead. On the protection of fundamental rights, which came up quite a bit across the House, and the enforcement regime in the Bill, I point to the fact again that the EU AI Act has direct

acknowledge the Government has indicated support for this legislation. I very much welcome that, and the support from Members right across the benches in this House. It is so important we work together to make this really essential change and that we all do the right thing

have also taken a number of other measures, including this week, with more than €800 million through the housing, activation and infrastructure office to help counties right across this country to put in place key enabling pieces of infrastructure that are required to deliver more homes. Housing

urge for a vote to be called on these motions every single year. People have a right to know where the Members of this House stand on fundamental questions of civil liberties. Do TDs believe that everyone has the right to a fair trial by a jury

Government. The issue of housing is so important and it is very important we get it right. However, this is not the only legislation relating to housing where a Bill has been published and then almost immediately we have got a raft of ministerial amendments. It is very

last week and the deadline for amendments for Committee Stage was this morning at 11 a.m. We have to get legislation like this right and to do that we need proper parliamentary scrutiny in the establishment of new State bodies and a complex framework of regulation. We need … time to identify key improvements for this Bill. That is extremely difficult to do when legislation is rushed through these Houses in the manner we are seeing right now. Governance and independence of the AI office is something I have commented on a lot. I will continue

Heritage the number of housing developments specifically designed for older people delivered in each local authority area, including age friendly, right sizing, and supported housing schemes, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48354/26

Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to address the housing needs of over 55s who wish to right size into social and affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48052/26

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when his Department will allocate funding and introduce a national right sizing policy that will allow local authorities re-establish a scheme given that Dublin City Council has had to pause its financial contribution scheme

being taken to increase the availability of accessible housing; and if he will ensure that housing policy aligns with the State’s commitment to independent living under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including reducing reliance on institutional care settings for adults under

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 350 of 14 May 2026, if he will consider additional correspondence in relation to the right to cut turf (details supplied); and proceed to positively conclude the CTCCS applications

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in noting that Dublin City Council has had to pause its financial contribution scheme, when will his Department allocate funding and introduce a national right sizing policy that will allow local authorities re-establish this