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from articles I have researched. Be Lettings and Vestry buy and sell from each other. It is unbelievable stuff. One effect of such house flipping in Dublin 15, in my own constituency, is that a three-bedroom, two-bathroom semi-detached house in Dublin 15 that was bought … debate, I have to ring the sheriff to try to get these evictions put back. I cannot be the only TD in the House doing this. There must be other TDs doing the same. It is not my job to try to reorganise accommodation for people. If anything

have to be a recommendation to Government which has to be agreed by Government. It will then have to be debated in the Houses, where everybody represents the people who elected them. That is where their voices are heard. There are then different stages within that. If there … committee afterwards to scrutinise whether the legislation was applied. The legislation itself, which we have not gone through and debated in the House, will have to comply with international law. We will be clear that any mission will have to be in line with the UN Charter. That

hang on a second, this is actually introducing it to be a protection for tenants that poses a challenge for them. In a housing emergency, there is no perfect set of policy measures, but we do have to use a whole range of levers … housing supply going. That is what we are doing. There are encouraging signs that some of the decisions we took in the budget, some of which were vehemently opposed by the other side of this House, are having a positive effect. Forget about industry and forget about developers

have never objected to a home and nobody in this House should. I do not care what party they are in. They should stop objecting to houses. Everybody should stop. There is a housing emergency

That is my political point which I am entitled to make. Nobody in this House should object to housing. I feel very strongly on that. I hope we can all agree on that. I am not sure whether Deputy Boyd Barrett is upset that there are more landlords … that is a good thing but his figures are not comparing like with like because, as he knows well, we now register approved housing bodies in relation to tenancies as well. So, he is not comparing like with like. If the Deputy thinks there is a flurry

hospital is the obvious big example, but, at local level, I am dealing with an apartment complex that was delivered as social housing. The tenants in it tell me that it is going to have to be pulled down. They want out, although they have only been … just bid on price, but if they are cowboys, they can cut corners. I have heard anecdotally and seen some evidence in social housing provision of specifications being lowered. In fact, in the instance I am talking about - what has happened needs to be investigated - the developer originally

pleased to have the opportunity to speak on this important Bill. I commend Deputy Gibney on introducing it to the House. I thank Senator Higgins for introducing it and shepherding it through the Seanad. I know a huge amount of work was done in the background on this … Government’s accelerating infrastructure action plan. We know there are huge infrastructure deficits in the country, be it in public transport, education, housing, water or the energy grid, etc. We have a lot of things we need to spend money on and it is so important that

wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss whether agreement has been reached with all south Kerry CAMHS victims and families … loss of Donegal to Dublin afternoon flights. Deputy Mattie McGrath - To discuss plans by Tipperary County Council to demolish 52 partially-completed houses in Cashel, County Tipperary. Deputy Brian Brennan - To discuss the proposed closure of the Merck factory in Arklow, County Wicklow. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss

cleaned out and for it to be cleaned out? It is so simple but it is made so difficult. It has destroyed houses and homes the length and breadth of the country. Nobody seems to want to tackle that issue. I am not going to be critical … went across the field and was gone for ever. It is the same in Ballylicky. My brother, Councillor Danny Collins, dragged sandbags into houses there a few weeks ago to try to block the water. There is something wrong somewhere. Where is the blockage, pardon

over the past ten years is an example of gross incompetence. In March 2025, I put a parliamentary question to the Minister for housing - it is a shame he has left the Chamber; he has abandoned ship on this issue - asking about the national flood forecasting and warning … enough to provide warnings for locations to the public. We asked for an update just last week. The reply from the Department of housing was there was 48 hours left. It took numerous attempts from officials in this House and from our office just to get a response

will give an example which shocked me one day. In Clonberne in County Galway, a young couple were building a house. A drain down near the back of the house goes into the Sinking river, heads on through Slieve to Dunmore, goes into another river, heads for Galway … another few years being held up because someone somewhere believes that the little flower is more important than Mary or Johnny's house getting flooded. Until that mentality changes, we are in trouble

reforms, I disagree fundamentally with the Deputy's proposition. In the first instance, we should remember the origin of the Bill was the Housing Commission. I recall Sinn Féin and others saying we ignored the Housing Commission. The commission recommended a reform of the rent pressure zones, coming … with an idea around reference pricing, which it did not detail, and so on. The Housing Agency was then asked to review the rent pressure zones, which it did, and it recommended the nature of the changes the Minister has introduced in terms of the reform

move back in with their parents or to sleep on friends' couches and record numbers are becoming homeless. This is not just a housing disaster; it is a social catastrophe. The Social Democrats would do things differently. Just last week, we published detailed plans explaining how we would … national effort to finally address this crisis that hundreds and thousands of us could be a part of. There are solutions to this housing disaster. There is another way. The Government could finally admit that its approach is not working. It could change course and direction. What

make assertions about the bona fides of people on this side of the House, which I think are unworthy. Everybody in this House wants to resolve the housing crisis. We have a clear view that it has to be a combination of public and private sector investment

reducing severe distress in medical emergencies; and to provide for related matters. I am very proud to introduce my first legislation in the House. This Bill is about ensuring we can strengthen our schools to be safe environments for our children and for our school staff. This Bill … will learn a lot more from these children than they thought they already knew. However, we must ensure that, as a House and as policymakers, all school environments are safe, secure and welcoming environments. I commend this Bill to the House

hours on Committee and Report Stages but it was a worthwhile engagement. As a result of the contributions from Senators in the House, I am coming here with five amendments to the legislation. Amendments Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, are changes to section 11 of the Bill, which … colleagues will know, were substantive changes to section 26 of the original Act. It was introduced on Report Stage in this House to amend section 26 of the 2009 Act by providing for a simpler and more concise defence of publication on a matter of public interest. Concerns

Minister what modelling or analysis the Government has done in relation to this Bill. He comes back constantly and talks about the Housing Agency review into rent pressure zones. That review does not provide a predictable analysis as to what the effects of this Bill will be, which … Bill, the Minister has not done anything to look at rent predictability. Not one witness who came before the Oireachtas joint committee on housing said this Bill would result in rents not rising any more or rents falling, and rents need to fall. They cannot rise any more

drive the supply and that needs investment. The Government is investing the largest amount of money in the history of the State into housing delivery. One in every three euro of the new national development plan capital funding is going into delivering housing. That is record funding … State cannot deliver every housing solution. We need a significant amount of private investment. While we are doing this, we also have to protect renters. For the first time in the history of the State, we are introducing security of tenure. That is what the Deputies are going

than at any time since the 1970s. In the 1970s, the population of the country was half what it is now. Our social housing waiting lists were a fraction of what they are today. If we make an honest assessment between the position now and that which obtained … first time. Darragh O'Brien came in here in 2023 and said he was introducing tenancies of indefinite duration. He misled this House, because they were not indefinite. Likewise, the Minister is not for the first time introducing security of tenure. The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 involved

Housing Commission recognised we could not continue with what we were doing. The Housing Agency investigated and recognised that we had some of the most restrictive rent controls in the world, which was killing supply of the homes that we need right across the country. The Economic … Social Research Institute, ESRI, said we had to move. We have to give people hope and we have to drive housing supply across the country. The Land Development Agency, LDA, has built 2,300 social, affordable and cost rental homes

profound and deeply damaging consequences for students and we must call this for what it is: another failure of this Government's broken housing policy. Students are at the very heart of this housing crisis. Young people trying to make their lives better are having their dreams … This Bill must be amended, and students and other people put first. Otherwise, it will simply be another chapter in this Government's housing failure

monopoly on compassion when it comes to the difficulties and challenges being faced by individuals and families regarding the shortage of housing supply, whether social, affordable or rental. At my constituency offices in Waterford city and Dungarvan, I deal with constituents in the exact same … difference of view on how to address those challenges. The Government is investing record sums in increasing provision of social and affordable housing to try to assist the very people of whom we have been speaking. Our housing plan commits to deliver 72,000 social homes

does not. I want to make it clear that the short-term letting Bill will be brought to the House by the Minister, Deputy Burke. We had a meeting of the housing committee yesterday. We dealt with it. The issue in terms of variation is a matter … helped a good few people down through the years to navigate all those kinds of things. Deputies on our side of the House are very anxious that we go to the 20,000 figure. We got the balance right and we have to bring forward the legislation. What

fallen. It fell in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, and it is expected to fall in 2026. What I am now telling the House, based on CSO data, not my view of the world, is that we are now seeing these institutional buyers becoming net sellers of homes … that move, we have seen the positive impact, and we will continue to monitor this very closely. The broader issue in relation to housing, housing supply and this Government's commitment is something I will have to debate when I have more time on the clock

tithíochta sna ceantair Ghaeltachta; and whether he intends to use his powers as Minister for the Gaeltacht, under section 9(a) of the Housing (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Act 2001, to devise and implement housing schemes in order to support Irish speakers to build, buy or renovate houses in Irish

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if his Department has examined, at any time since 2016, the introduction of a tax relief or housing support for former residents returning to live and work in the State after a period abroad; if legal advice has been obtained on the compatibility

Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the latest year for which audited annual accounts have been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas for each North–South Implementation Body and Tourism Ireland; and the date on which each was laid. [73994/26

Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment If he will liaise with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to fast-track a targeted planning amendment to allow developers to add co-located BESS units as a "minor modification procedure" rather than

place to ensure that teacher allocation decisions adequately take account of schools located in rapidly expanding communities with significant levels of new housing development; and if enrolment growth occurring immediately after the annual staffing cut-off date can be considered as part of staffing reviews. [74490/26

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the criteria local authorities use when determining whether a residential property is derelict; and if written national guidance exists to ensure consistency of assessment between local authorities. [73591/26

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has assessed the feasibility of using anonymised or aggregated utility consumption data, including electricity, gas and water usage, to improve the identification of vacant residential properties; and if such an assessment

Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the National Parks and Wildlife Service has undertaken an ecological assessment of the damage caused by the July and August 2026 wildfires on Slievenamon, including Slievenamon Bog NHA (Site Code 002388); the findings

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has undertaken work or plans to introduce requirements for estate agents and property websites to clearly label AI-generated or digitally altered images in residential property advertisements. [73687/26

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has examined or is planning to introduce a national digital bidding system to improve transparency and prevent false or misleading bids in residential property sales. [73688/26

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has undertaken or plans to undertake a review of estate agent regulation, including the potential establishment of an independent complaints and redress mechanism for property buyers and sellers. [73693/26

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has examined or plans to introduce mandatory standards for residential property advertisements, including verified floor areas, accurate property descriptions and transparent asking prices. [73695/26

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total amount of funding drawn down under the improvement works in lieu scheme for each year from 2019 to 2025 inclusive, broken down by local authority and year, in tabular form. [73640/26

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total amount of funding approved under the improvement works in lieu scheme for each year from 2019 to 2025 inclusive, broken down by local authority and year, in tabular form. [73638/26

Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the review of the defective concrete block grant scheme legislative review. [73781/26

Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage If he can provide an update on the National planning guidelines; when they will be introduced; and if the guidelines will contain a clear and consistent national framework on the development, location and scale of large

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details of the change proposed to the local authority borrowing envelope in Budget 2026; and provide timelines for when it will be implemented. [73880/26

Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the preparatory work undertaken by his Department regarding the transfer of responsibility for the Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011; and the timeline for establishment of a regulatory framework for owners' management companies following the transfer. [73918/26

Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage given the recent confirmation that homes in Dublin Fingal are now to be included in the defective concrete blocks grant scheme, whether Fingal County Council have been instructed on the implementation on the scheme

Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is satisfied by the adequacy of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2024 in view of a situation (details supplied). [74426/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeline for the establishment of a regulator for owners' management companies following the transfer of responsibility for the Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 to the Department; the planned scope of the review

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when responsibility for the Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 will be transferred from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to his Department. [74129/26

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm whether responsibility for the MUD Act and PSRA has transferred to his Department; and, if so, to confirm when he intends to initiate a review of the legislation underpinning both multiple unit developments

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clarify the land and property holdings of Waterways Ireland at Grand Canal Dock and in the Dublin canals and docklands area; to provide their estimated current market value; the plans for those holdings

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost of the planned relocation of Waterways Ireland's Tullamore premises to a new purpose-built depot; the original and current cost estimates for the Ulster Canal restoration project; and the completion timeline

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason Waterways Ireland operates without a board, unlike other agencies (details supplied); whether a board will be established; and the governance arrangements currently in place. [73999/26