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Taoiseach explain to the Members of this House how members of An Garda Síochána were deployed to recruit at IPAS centres, centres housing individuals many of whom have entered the State without passports or documentation and without verification of background checks? Some of these individuals … draw a cohort that cannot be fully identified into the Irish policing force? Will he give a commitment to this House that this policy is reverted and stopped

Comhairle na nÓg since 2023. In 2022, two students from FCJ Secondary School in Bunclody, Leanne Mahon and Aimée Farrell, came to Leinster House to present on this issue. The Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland recently did a survey of young people which found that … before they used vapes. This is a public health emergency. I really need to know when this legislation will be brought before the House. In addition, given that so many universities and schools have become tobacco-free campuses, perhaps the Taoiseach and the Ceann Comhairle might agree

existing tenants in Irish society. That is a central part of the reform. Those reforms have been informed by the Housing Agency review which, of course, stemmed from the Housing Commission report which the Deputy opposite endorsed at the time. All of the parties opposite endorsed the Housing

Housing Agency report as published had four options. The Government has gone with the option of adapting the existing RPZs because they would expire by the end of the year if nothing was done. This is a strong measure in terms of protection but also in terms … builds. We need to incentivise future investment in new apartment buildings and housing. I put it to the Deputy that the State is the lead investor at the moment, with €7 billion plus. The Department of Finance is saying that we need about €20 billion

infrastructure in the review of the national development plan. That is why the Government has set out prioritisation around transport, energy, water and housing in particular. I am familiar with Leixlip as it borders my constituency. Clearly the area has grown significantly, with infrastructure that was built some … needed to manage the increase in population we have seen in areas like Leixlip and elsewhere. They are needed to further unlock additional housing supply in the commuter belt and that will be the strategic focus of the overall national development plan. It is about getting the basic

today, there is an air of desperation on the part of the Minister of State and the Government to try to drive up housing supply. By lifting the cap on rents in order to attract institutional funding, the Government is effectively condemning workers and families, in Dublin … ever be a possibility. We saw that a number of years ago with the bulk-purchase regulations that were brought in only for houses and not for apartments because, as we were told at that time, we had to leave bulk-purchase for apartments to attract institutional investors

have not had a chance to question the housing Minister, that I can recall, since coming into this Dáil. I wanted to register that. We have already seen him raising this great idea of the housing tsar. Somebody commented that we have not seen a tsar disappear … minimum €2,000 for a two-bed property. This is miles out of the city centre. We need the State to develop public housing. That is the only solution

ambitious about not just town and village centres but the outskirts where there is green space available on which to build additional housing and apartments. What is critical, along with the building of homes, is that we build the social infrastructure to go with them. That means schools … there is no community centre. That does not lend itself to building a sustainable community. When we look at building additional infrastructure in houses, apartments, towns, villages or wherever it may be, it is imperative we look at the social cohesion and the sustainable element of those communities

must be heartbreaking for those on the housing waiting lists to daily pass boarded up homes or the many derelict, abandoned or underutilised private homes on their way to bringing their kids to school, day in, day out and year in, year out. It is scandalous … housing crisis - an emergency - that all homes connected to sewers, water and electricity do not have families in them. The laughter of children should be heard in all homes - public or private - rather than the echo of emptiness. I firmly believe in the "use it or lose

provide good comfort levels for their tenants and implement strategic programmes for planned maintenance informed by stock condition surveys. When these houses are made vacant, there are families who have just been living in them. How it can take months and years to put new families into those … houses in incomprehensible. It should not be happening. As the Minister, I will ensure that local authorities do not indulge in these delays any more. If a family is moving out, a health and safety assessment and basic repairs should be carried out, but leaving houses vacant

housing crisis. Over 2,700 vacant council properties are boarded up and lying vacant across the State. Of those, more than 800 have been vacant for over a year. It is estimated that Dublin alone accounts for 27% of such vacant properties. Dublin has a growing senior population … logjam in delivering such units, which would be delivered much quicker if direct labour were used instead of private contractors. In a housing crisis, vacant council properties need to be turned around as fast as possible. With almost 60,000 people on the housing list throughout the country

There is no clear preference for data centres over anything else. That is just not correct. Our priorities are for the delivery of housing and additional water infrastructure, investing in our energy grid and supporting indigenous jobs and investment and FDI. This is a red herring, trying … bring forward the narrative that we are not connecting houses to the grid because we are connecting large energy users instead. That is not true; that is not the case. We have already contracted headroom to deal with large energy users up to 2030. Independently

welcome the Minister said that. I have met developers in north Dublin and across the country and they told me that the Housing Finance Agency was meeting just once a month. Completed buildings are sitting empty in the middle of a housing crisis, yet there does not seem … sense of urgency in the Department. Housing is not the Minister's Department, but as Minister for Finance, will he be increasing the number of times the agency meets in order to show people that we are serious about tackling this crisis and show investors that Ireland

answer. I will continue to fight the case for Navan rail. The Minister will appreciate many of the arguments we will make. On housing delivery, I met recently with officials in Meath County Council. They have, including in their most recent county development plan, consistently argued the case … population of 20,000 more than it is being allowed to. The county council is engaging extensively with the Department of housing on that matter, but it obviously has a clear impact on how infrastructure investment might be prioritised. I bring this matter to the Minister's attention

headroom for Meath County Council, the new national planning framework provides additional headroom to local authorities to zone more land to drive increased housing supply. The current baseline position is not at all near what we require to deliver the quantum of housing we in this House

speed up the delivery of planning, because planning decisions are holding back the delivery of homes and infrastructure; increasing the zoned land for housing, and that is what the national planning framework the Minister for Housing brought before this House was all about - making sure we have enough

genocidal, which are war crimes and which are starving children, which is in turn a breach of international law. Nobody in this House comes in and seeks to praise what Ireland is doing. What we do seek to do in this House is outline that, as a small … trade with the occupied Palestinian territories, why can we not do it as well?" I call today, as I hope everybody in this House does, for other countries to replicate what we are doing. On the issue of services, and before I am misrepresented again, as I constantly

being looked after and reared by relations. It is sad to see a beautiful village like that being flooded on a regular basis, houses being destroyed and people being disrupted. I have seen new houses that were constructed there that were damaged by flooding. I know that … that delivered as soon as possible. Anyone who has experienced a flood knows that it is extremely difficult to get one's house back into order and there is always an issue with insurance. Likewise, in relation to the village of Inistioge, I have seen the flood waters

thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for consistently keeping it on the agenda in his time in the House. It is important that is done. Earlier this month, as he noted, we marked the 51st anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings … than five decades on, it remains deeply regrettable, to put it mildly, that no person has been held responsible for the attacks. This House has unanimously supported four all-party motions calling on the British Government to allow access by an independent international judicial figure to all original

they receive. Since opening my constituency offices in Gorey and Arklow, the most prominent issue for people coming in the door has been housing. Day in, day out, I meet people just trying to find a place to live, so they can send their kids to the local … that is over the limit. I acknowledge the efforts that have been made across the board by the local authorities in bringing more housing stock into their portfolios. I note Irish Water will be before the Joint Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery later today

tragic and unacceptable for the people of Gaza and the West Bank and it has deteriorated considerably since we recognised Palestine. The House is united in our collective outrage at the scenes we continue to witness every single day of innocent civilians being bombed out of their homes … legislation. The Government has agreed to bring forward the occupied territories Bill, which is coming, and it will work with Members across the House as the Bill advances to pre-legislative scrutiny stage in the coming weeks. The horrific scenes we continue to see cut across politics, including

spokesperson, on bringing forward the motion. I thank the Government parties for not opposing this motion. That shows the common resolve in this House to use every lever available to us and to take every practical step we can to stop the slaughter in Gaza. Yes, the motion … suffering of the children in Gaza. We can and we must do more. This motion is significant. It is significant that across the House we have now agreed the Israeli Government is carrying out a genocide in Gaza. Those are powerful words in this motion. It is significant

that the Government is not doing anything to bring forward supply or to increase the delivery of homes. I watched the Minister for housing give an interview last night. I heard no new ideas to address the situation facing the family I have described, a family … many others. They are facing eviction and a cliff edge and no State support is available to them. They certainly have no housing or alternative place to live available to them in the private sector because of the lack of supply. The Taoiseach spoke about the reform

schemes are being priced out of the market in south Dublin and elsewhere. People who are working hard do not qualify for social housing but cannot qualify to make commercial bids and join the overnight queues for a small number of available properties. I understand the current pricing … south Dublin is €475,000 for houses and €500,000 for apartments. However, we have seen situations such as that relating to the Keepers Lock development where initial prices were €435,000 for phase 1 and €475,000 for phase 2. These have now risen again. People

home scheme in a given area where prices are increasing. I acknowledge the point he makes. I will talk to the Minister for housing in respect of the thresholds issue. The first home scheme has been very effective and impactful so far for many people, notwithstanding that many … House would abolish it, as has the help to buy scheme. However, I acknowledge that, particularly in Dublin and the big cities, prices are continuing to increase because we do not have sufficient supply. We need to get more houses built

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the key measures taken to enhance water services since January 2025; his priorities for same for the rest of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53477/26

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the key measures taken to support right-sizing since January 2025; his priorities for same for the rest of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53478/26

Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has reviewed documentation supplied in correspondence (details supplied); his response; if he will meaningfully engage with this group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53605/26

Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are plans to expand the eligibility criteria for the defective concrete blocks grant scheme to include non-primary residences once remediation works have been completed for those currently availing of the scheme

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the roll-out of the fuel income support scheme for the construction industry; when applications will open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53635/26

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of active cost-rental tenancies in operation and to provide a breakdown of the number of cost-rental tenancies by cost-rental landlord (details supplied). [53653/26

Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address concerns regarding recent proposed legislation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53658/26

views on solar farms and land use on agricultural farms; if his Department has considered the report when speaking to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage about the upcoming solar planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52304/26

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Defence to provide an up-to-date position on the derelict housing in the Curragh Camp, County Kildare; the outcome of the report commissioned on the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52068/26

been drawn to cases where parents gifting residential properties to their adult children, such as single parents or first-time buyers, to alleviate housing distress face significant, immediate CGT liabilities despite the transaction involving no monetary exchange; if he will consider expanding existing reliefs, introducing a specific family

asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will provide an update on the development of Doneraile House and grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52154/26

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide the amounts by which his Department or agencies within the aegis of his Department that has been defrauded as a result of a cyberattack; and the total amount which has been recovered for each

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the progress of the apartment and duplex defects remediation scheme legislation; the current timeline for publication and enactment of the legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52058/26

Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status and plans for the recently purchased lands at Dowth Hall, Dowth, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52105/26

Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 118 of 17 June 2026, the homeless prevention supports referred to; the percentage of the €513.5 million in current funding of local authorities that is allocated to each "homeless prevention support

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 98 of 30 June 2026, where in the Taoiseach indicated part of the requested information fell within the remit of his Department, to provide the part of the requested information

Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the way in which his Department is ensuring that public infrastructure delivery is keeping pace alongside housing delivery in areas of high population growth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51547/26

fewer NPPRs – €1,500 per property, and 11 or more NPPRs – €2,500 per property, excluding properties owned by local authorities and approved housing bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51304/26

Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the extension to the fuel subsidy support scheme will open to the construction sector; and the Department that will be overseeing this. [51841/26

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to consider raising the retirement age beyond 62 to 66 for a retained or a full-time fire fighter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50770/26

Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the main policy achievements of his Department since 22 January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50805/26

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the criteria for a settlement to attain village status; and the number of such applications that have been made, by county, in the past ten years, both successful and unsuccessful. [50865/26

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way spatial planning policy is assisting or seeking to assist in the preservation and proliferation of public services in rural communities. [50868/26

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has modelled or investigated the impact of planning regulations on the availability of shops in small rural villages. [50871/26

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he expects the proposed national planning statement for the Gaeltacht to be published; whether it is intended to publish a draft for public consultation before it is finalised; how Gaeltacht communities and representative organisations will