Search the record

viable housing market. There are many thousands of young couples who want to buy and own their own homes. The State plays a certain role in terms of the enabling provisions around infrastructural development in the economy and also supporting it through help to buy and other affordability … schemes, but we also need to ensure that the market can deliver the other element of housing supply in addition to what we are doing on social and affordable homes. We welcome the fact the Labour Party supports the Land Development Agency, LDA. We further capitalised

Fáil adopting Fine Gael foreign and trade policy wholesale and both parties adopting Bertie-era Fianna Fáil tactics to ride roughshod through these Houses. Independent lackeys pretending to be in government and opposition at the same time - check. Funny business with the Seanad doors when votes are called … Ireland for what they call a loss of profit. What could this mean? The answer is vulture funds suing Ireland for addressing the housing crisis, fossil fuel companies suing Ireland in opposition to climate action and the taxpayer picking up the tab. There is no cause or reason

called loss of profit, which would place corporate interests over the public good of the Irish people. Ireland is already facing a severe housing crisis that is driving our youth from the land of their birth. Ireland's largest landlord is a Canadian company, IRES REIT, which owns … rent reforms if it believed that such controls would interfere with its profits. This would make it nearly impossible to deliver affordable housing or protect tenants from exploitative practices. Canadian corporations have significant investments in nursing homes and care providers. If a future Government sought to establish publicly

done it. French waste companies have sued the Argentinian Government. It is happening. As has been mentioned already, on key issues like housing we have IRES REIT, the biggest landlord in the country, based in Canada. If we could succeed in getting Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael … them. They should not be allowed to hang onto land and speculate on property prices which are significantly causing and exacerbating the housing crisis in this country. While we know that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael do not want to do it, a future government should be free

pretty clear. Deputy Kenny said that this is somehow being rushed but I remember making my first statement in these Houses on CETA in October 2016 as a Senator when we had our first legislative debate. Deputy Ó Murchú referred to the European affairs committee in the previous … mandate and noted Government opposition, although those Members are no longer Members of these Houses. Indeed, that was prior to the legal challenge and the resolution presented. Deputy Murphy’s insistence on using terms like “dystopian” undermines legitimate aspects of his argument. Indeed, I question when Deputy Boyd

House to note I am not opposing the motion and I welcome the opportunity to debate this important issue. The Opposition put forward a similar motion in May of this year which we, as a Government, did not oppose either. This Government has continued to progress key measures … submitted to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability Matters for pre-legislative scrutiny as soon as possible and will then progress through the Houses. I have no doubt it will be subject to much debate, which I welcome. We owe it to the children and families who affected

long may her visits to north Dublin continue. This topic was one of the first things I spoke about in this House as well. When we were in discussions on government formation as regional Independents, it was big part of our negotiations. We made a clear commitment … want to acknowledge and thank FUSS Ireland who came to the cross-party committee focused on autism. There are Members in the House who were on that committee. The honesty and strength of the FUSS Ireland representatives in that meeting was very informative, and it was solution focused

make it clear to people in this country that if they are sitting on a derelict property or site in a housing emergency, we intend to tax that reality. We intend to do it through the Revenue Commissioners because, as the Deputy rightly said, the Revenue Commissioners … good at collecting tax. That is what we intend to do because, in a housing emergency, we cannot tolerate this situation. Currently, the derelict site levy is an annual levy of 7% of the land’s market value. While the rate of the derelict property

entrepreneurs who are employing people with disabilities. Such a measure would be very welcome and long overdue. As I have stated in the House, my PA, Michael Reynolds, has a disability, but I cannot avail of the wage subsidy scheme to support him. It has not held … back. However, we need to review that for those in this House. The more people with disabilities we have near policymakers, the better we will be at dealing with and fighting for people with disabilities. If the wage subsidy scheme could be extended to Members of this House

enjoy these rare moments of agreement between Deputy Gould and me. He often shouts at me from the other side of the House and the odd time I shout back as well. As we come up to the Christmas period, it is nice to have a rare moment … public health point of view, a safety point of view and the point of view of a sense of community, but the housing emergency also puts an acuity on it. I want to do this as quickly as possible. I do not want to mislead the Deputy

Tánaiste and the Minister, Deputy Browne, have said that this tax will get more derelict sites turned into housing delivery, which I support. If housing delivery is not happening, the tax must hurt those who are abusing their communities. When I walk around a brilliant European city like … years, even if it has a coat of paint, that is not good enough. If a site is not being used for housing, business or the community, it is derelict and the tax must apply

contact with the outside world. That is where modern technologies need to play their part. An important aspect of the scheme is the house alarm, which would give people security. The pendant is great, but it is about deterring those who might want to enter a house … illegal activity. A house alarm would benefit many people, particularly in rural areas

about the impact of the scheme on the private rental market. Analysis carried out by the RTB for my colleague, the Minister for housing, suggests that some landlords could be diverting accommodation from the private rental sector to benefit from the ARP. It is difficult to reach definitive … conclusions on the matter given wider issues impacting housing supply. I can, however, confirm that the Government agreed to a proposal brought jointly by the Minister for housing and me for the governing legislation to be amended to limit eligibility for the ARP to properties that

facilities. I am sure the Deputy welcomes this. It is a welcome development. We will commit, with Deputy Doherty and everyone in this House, to delivering during the lifetime of the Government the kind of childcare system on which I believe there is almost a consensus. Childcare … just a social issue but is now a real economic one as well. The Deputy should please not continue to come into this House and misrepresent what the Government is doing. The Government has taken action to stimulate housing supply. It has taken action through the budget

likes to call them "developers" because that is, in his view, a dirty word. I like to call them people who build houses and people who build houses in a housing emergency. It is a serious point. Deputy Murphy can laugh and have his little ideological view

That the Bill be now read a Second Time". I am pleased to introduce the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2025 to the House. It was initiated in the Seanad on 14 November and passed through the final Stages there on 26 November. I look forward to hearing … limit was set by statute on such outlays in the Irish Film Board Act 1980. This limit must be reviewed by the Houses of the Oireachtas every six to seven years. In this way, the Oireachtas can monitor cumulative capital funding to this statutory body each time

hope we can stand together to take steps that help to seep that away and remove any of that divisiveness from the House, as Labour Party Deputies have said. Notwithstanding the divisiveness in the debate and our desire to set that aside, I recognise that we have … issue this morning. Ten years on, it is appropriate to recognise the work that has been done by so many people in this House to advance equality. As we all know, equality is a broad house. Advancing one person's equality beyond where it has been

access healthcare. Trans healthcare in Ireland is not up to standard and it is vital that these issues are raised in this House. This House is representative of the people of Ireland, and trans people in Ireland are just as entitled to have their public services … Parliament. The Labour Party will never apologise for standing up for the most marginalised in our society. I urge our colleagues across this House to support the motion

pressure on the utilities to ensure we can get the prices down. We have not spoken enough about investment in individual houses and this is something we need to discuss. The one sure fire way for people to reduce energy costs is by looking at their own houses … role, I was CFO for a solar company that grew, developed and built. You could see the importance of solar energy in the houses and the pay off. If you invested, you would have it paid off in six or seven years and after that, you would benefit

dealt with. Fair play to her. Bhí sé iontach. We all know that families are struggling and I heard from across the House, when I was upstairs in my office listening to this debate, about the soaring energy costs and the thousands of people in arrears. I want … before it. EnergyCloud will try to use the surplus or wasted renewable energy on the grid to heat up a boiler in a house for someone who is struggling. I ask the Department to look into this. I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, about this

They rang all of the telephone numbers to seek help and there was no answer. That is the basic failure of bureaucracy, of housing, of the Department, of anyone who should have been manning those phones, a failure to respond to the needs of that family. That … truly shocking when we consider the amount of money that is being poured into the local authorities to deliver on their housing programme. I asked previously about zoned land that is already serviced and has been dezoned. The developer wants to finish the site, conclude the development

average price of a house sold last year was €426,000. This is eight times the average income at the moment. The average rental price for a two-bedroom apartment at the moment in this State is over €2,000. It is an incredible situation. We talk about … those sectors, we are the slowest in the whole of the European Union in those terms. This is holding back the building of houses in this country. This report today is basically like something from "Yes, Prime Minister". Fine Gael has been in government for 15 years

that we set out very clearly what the responsibility of those members will be to the participants. As the Minister said in this House on 13 November, the funds entrusted to the My Future Fund will be those of the participants, namely the employees as opposed … sufficient clarity. They have been raised with the Minister and were flagged with the Business Committee last month for further discussion in this House. We still do not have clarity on any of them. It appears to me right now that the Minister is not prepared

suppose any movement is to be welcomed if we are going to make changes that are desperately needed regarding the housing market. We need to support any measure that can do that as long as it is a common-sense issue. The problem I have is where … Gully, to pick a few in west Cork, are pouring raw sewage into the tide and local public parks. There are no extra houses going to be built there, so where is this plan going to work? Are the planning guidelines going to change for people who want

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport including certain services administered by that Office, and for payment of certain subsidies and grants. Vote 34 — Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Supplementary Estimate). That a supplementary sum not exceeding €298,987,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come … during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025,for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage including grants to Local Authorities, grants and other expenses in connection with housing, water services, miscellaneous schemes, subsidies, grants

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to state when he will publish the legislation for the Celtic tiger era building defects redress scheme. [69620/26

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he will take this winter to reverse rising homelessness; when the promised and delayed child and family homelessness action plan will be published; and the emergency measures he will take this winter to accelerate

Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans to increase the number of cost-rental units that will be provided in schemes by local authorities. [69265/26

Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to give additional powers to local councillors in particular to strengthen municipal districts; and the functions he is planning to devolve. [69113/26

Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the action being taken to tackle vacancy and dereliction. [69285/26

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the role envisioned by his Department for artificial intelligence and quantum computing in predicting and responding to climate and weather events. [65728/26

Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is planning to review the income criteria for cost rental. [69029/26

Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider introducing legislation or regulations to make it mandatory for all new residential developments comprising of more than ten units to include solar energy systems, or alternative renewable energy technologies, together with battery

Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the proposed establishment of national planning guidelines for solar energy developments. [69123/26

Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to change the regulations regarding back yard dwellings as the current regulations and guidelines mean that for the vast majority of households, if there is a class three building on the site it is not possible

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will publish data on the collection of derelict sites levies in 2025. [68565/26

Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on commitments to build more cost-rental units through the LDA, local authorities and Cost Rental Equity Loan funding to AHBs and embedding cost rental as a category of tenure

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when planning guidelines for solar energy, particularly utility scale solar, will be published. [64787/26

Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the delivery of affordable purchase and cost-rental homes in County Meath; and the opportunities he sees to build on that progress in towns such as Navan and Trim. [69086/26

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures being considered to make it easier for older people to adapt existing homes and remain living independently within their communities. [66730/26

Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline his efforts to tackle dereliction. [68511/26

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that the Athy Municipal District's annual Local Property Tax allocation is due to reduce by approximately €217,000 from 2027 onwards; his views on the potential impact this may have

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the role, if any, his Department has in overseeing the distribution of Local Property Tax funding between municipal districts within a local authority area; whether concerns regarding equity and need can be reviewed

Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has plans to review the tenant (incremental) purchase scheme. [69032/26

Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when his Department will open the next round the built heritage investment scheme for private property owners; and the amount of funding that will be allocated to this scheme. [69047/26

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a detailed breakdown of the methodology used to calculate the allocation of retained Local Property Tax to the five Municipal Districts within Kildare County Council for each of the years

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the HAP review, to confirm a timeline for the publication of the review and its findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69058/26

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the Homelessness Prevention Framework; to confirm a timeline for the publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69061/26

Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when his Department will issue the updated draft rural planning guidelines. [69060/26

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the Child and Family Homelessness Action Plan; to confirm a timeline for the publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69068/26