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listened carefully to the points he raised. The Government is working diligently in conjunction with key stakeholders, particularly local authorities and approved housing bodies, to increase delivery of housing for older people. We also want to work with the private sector because everyone has a part to play … delivery of housing, including for older people. The clear focus of this Government is to increase the supply of new builds and affordable homes to buy or rent. As I stated, a record level of investment is being provided in 2025, with capital funding of €6.8 billion supplemented

some spectacularly bad policy decisions. The first, of course, was slashing funding for vital homeless prevention schemes like the tenant in situ scheme, Housing First and CAS acquisitions. The second was emasculating a very good suggestion from the Housing Commission to set up a housing activation delivery office … well-planned apartments. In fact, Mr. John-Mark McCafferty from Threshold talked about his own experience as a renter in poorly designed public housing with inadequate light and space, and the fact that, in addition to all the negative impacts on tenants, those blocks ultimately have

issues around all towns and villages in my county, including Killarney, Killorglin, Cahersiveen. Urgent action is required to address the lack of housing available across Ireland and local authorities are at the heart of the solution. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage must request and direct … local authorities to play their part in addressing the housing crisis. Local authorities urgently need to start granting planning permission for one-off housing. I again call on the Minister to request all local authorities to play their part. They can do this by amending their county development

review is to give back the time. That is very important. The containment in the Bill of the "Extension of duration for uncommenced housing developments (including single house development) which have less than 2 years of duration of their permission remaining" is also very important … they are good accommodation. They are not some airy-fairy thing at the bottom of the garden. These are sound, sensible housing solutions. They can be short term, or they could be longer term. They are warm, comfortable, well insulated and properly ventilated. The idea is that

Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost-rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures including rental. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment being provided for the delivery of housing … priority categories of need. The capital provision for 2025 is supplemented by a further €1.65 billion in current funding to address housing need. Increasing the supply of new homes is key to addressing many of the challenges in the housing market. The Government is committed to delivering more

investors. Investors do need certainty and they have had anything but from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, which have chopped and changed their housing policy at least eight times, particularly regarding the private rental market over the past decade. For nine years, we in Labour have called … hand, to remove rent controls entirely as the vulture funds have been lobbying it to do. Instead, it has cobbled together a halfway house that seeks to satisfy competing interests but in reality will satiate neither. There is a clear need to implement a better way of regulating

Government strategy through the course of the housing crisis has essentially been to increase developer investment - in a nutshell - and it has failed catastrophically. The Government now seeks to double down by creating a system that will result in the removal of the 2% rent pressure cap nationally … builds. The whole point of building more houses is to drive rents down, not up. This proposal puts landlords and their profit margins above renters and their basic right to a roof over their heads. Housing developers are making tens of millions in profit yet the Government continues

will call her Janet because I do not want to say her name. In 2010, Janet joined the Dublin City Council housing list. She was eligible for social housing at that stage. I will not get all political about the reason we have a housing crisis. The Minister … north County Dublin and she has absolutely no wish to go back to Dublin city. She does, however, need secure, permanent housing, which she cannot get in the private rented market, and she is renting privately at the moment. Due to the amount of time that has passed

national scandal. It is the civil rights issue of our generation. As legislators, we must do all we can to see this housing disaster addressed. We must build affordable and social homes, protect renters and tackle vacancy and dereliction, but the Government is not doing enough … this. The Taoiseach's party, Fianna Fáil, has held the housing brief for nearly five years. For most of that period, it has simply doubled down on failed Housing for All policies. More recently, it seems, the party is diversifying. It has not launched anything like the "radical

disagree fundamentally with Deputy Bacik's analysis in terms of housing policy more generally. Fianna Fáil and the previous Government did not double down on the policy of the last number of decades. The bottom line is, in 2023, for example, we saw the highest level of delivery … build social housing since 1975. That is not doubling down on previous policies. It represents a step change in the building of social housing, which has happened over the past three to four years. The Deputy cannot deny that. We have higher targets but you simply cannot deny

unfortunately, it is insufficient and inadequate in a number of areas, which I will talk about presently. I wish to discuss the housing emergency because it is linked to this. It is linked to what is absent from the planning objectives. I refer to the absence … objective to deliver affordable housing and any assessment of what scale of affordable housing is required or how it is going to be delivered and where. We heard a claim yesterday by the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, that the Social Democrats and the Opposition had not put forward ideas

will provide the Minister of State with an example of an application that is with Uisce Éireann at the moment. There are 42 houses to be built in Pallaskenry. I will ask for the Minister of State's help with this. All that is needed … page stating that there is capacity in the sewerage system. This is delaying the building of 42 houses in Pallaskenry. I have been on to Uisce Éireann and our local county council. The executive met with Uisce Éireann, which said it would be looked into. It has taken

thank my colleague, Deputy Seamus Healy, for bringing forward this important motion on housing emergency measures in the public interest. I acknowledge the inclusion in this motion of the defective concrete crisis, which many Opposition parties have disappointingly failed to include in their previous housing motions. Support from … that this would be the case. There are many examples of how the scheme is unworkable. Take the example of two semi-detached houses located adjacent to each other. One family gets to have their house remediated because it has the funds to do so. They go into

discuss those issues with them. On the housing issue, if I could comment for a moment, there were several projections throughout 2024 in respect of completions. We have exceeded targets, particularly in 2022 and 2023. We exceeded Central Bank targets and other targets that suggested we would come … Euroconstruct and others were predicting far higher numbers. It was extremely disappointing that we did not make those targets in 2024. The overall Housing for All targets were exceeded in that three-year period, but that is not enough. We have to build more houses and we have

luck. I genuinely mean that. Today, we had the Taoiseach on his feet telling us that the Government's biggest commitment was to housing, and that the biggest commitment of his party and the other parties that are in government, including the Independents, was to housing, yet where … homelessness in the past year, with 15,000 people in emergency accommodation, and 4,500 of those are children. This is not a housing crisis, but a housing emergency, and it is about time that this Government recognised that and declared it. We are looking at increases

constituency so we should be able to work closely together. I think this is the second or third time I have spoken about housing today in the Dáil. It is a huge crisis and a huge issue. It does not matter if it is a young person looking … fund it properly. Homelessness is exploding, with 15,000 people in emergency accommodation, and yet the Government pauses a scheme that keeps families housed. The housing crisis is turning into housing chaos as more people are pushed out of their homes each year while the Government drags

well in their new roles. However, I must say that this Government has yet to show the political will needed to resolve the housing crisis. This has been made more apparent in recent weeks as the Government's pre-election confidence in reaching its housing targets was revealed … utter fantasy. I hope the Government takes note of the Housing Commission's report because something needs to change radically. I also hope the Government will, as Deputy Ó Broin said, give the Oireachtas committee the opportunity to debate the report, to challenge the Government

eight or nine months and I have got four minutes. I will try to make a few points about the generality of the housing crisis and the failure of the Government to address it, yet I have no choice in the little time available … issue with the Minister which I hope he will take on board, namely, the St. Germaine apartments in Ballybrack village. They are social housing managed by the Co-operative Housing AHB. It is a community of approximately 20 or 30 households. Like most people who are allocated

what we want to see with people being able to buy their homes and progress - but very few are. We also have social housing, which we do not have enough of anywhere in the country. We need to see thousands and thousands more houses built to have … this. The other sector we talk about, which was mentioned by several of the TDs opposite, was affordable rent, affordable purchase and affordable housing. The problem is that affordable housing is not available practically anywhere in the country outside of the capital city. Where it is available

Every week brings yet more news of Government failure, as the housing crisis further spirals out of the Government's control. This week, we saw daft.ie report that rents have risen by a staggering 43% since the pandemic. At the weekend, right on schedule, we were treated … head idea from the Government. First it was tax breaks, then it was beds in sheds and, this time, the housing Minister made a rare appearance to say he wants to appoint a maverick person to kick-start delivery of homes, a sort of "fixer-in-chief

thank the Deputy for raising the issue. It is not acceptable that so many people in our society are in emergency housing accommodation, particularly children. In respect of children or families with significant medical issues, there is recourse to local authorities in the interests of prioritising the housing … offering short-term lets or alternative forms of letting as opposed to offering secure, long-term rentals to those who are on the housing list. The Government will continue to address this issue in terms of legislation. It has to be addressed. The supply issue is key, both

also fair to say, despite what was said, that we all want the same thing. There is a shared ambition in the House for increased home ownership, increased housing delivery, decreased rents and ending homelessness. Despite that, it is a mischaracterisation to say that our interests are developer … They are not. We are interested in helping the same people that the people on the other side of the House are interested in helping. It is clear that, despite the progress we have made under Housing for All, we need to increase supply. We need

find it really hard to listen to the Government's rhetoric on housing. The Minister comes in here and talks about the progress the Government has made but homelessness has hit an all-time high. How is that in any sense progress? Rents and house prices are soaring … schemes such as the help-to-buy scheme are just driving up house prices. The Government is failing people in this country every single day, yet its members come into the Dáil and state they are doing more than ever before. It is clearly not working. Like

know that housing is the single most immediate challenge facing this Government - the civil rights issue of this generation. Last week, the Labour Party offered a motion that was the first opportunity for TDs to debate housing in this Dáil term. The Minister for Housing, Local Government … offered a credible pathway to ramp up the delivery of homes. The lack of input from Government suggests it is not taking the housing crisis seriously. In the debate, I suggested that the Government was devoid of ambition and ideas in tackling the housing crisis. It seems, however

this country has faced since the foundation of the State. While we have come a long way since this State was founded, the housing crisis shrouds everything we do. It is a stain on all our political characters and on those of the many who have graced this … break from the shackles of the private market, which is being allowed to lead the way when it comes to the provision of housing. When I say the provision of housing, I speak about the provision of what this Government and the private investors see as the provision

Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeframe for establishing and implementing the protocol in the new housing plan to allow households fleeing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence to transfer time spent on a social housing waiting list to another

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to immediately raise the income limits for social housing to ensure that those who cannot afford cost rental or private rented are not denied eligibility for social housing. [65845/25

Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is reviewing the approval and handover process involving local authorities and approved housing bodies, with a view to expediting occupancy of completed social housing units; and the specific steps which are now being

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans in the most recent housing plan, to increase the delivery of housing built using modern methods of construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65665/25

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which his Department’s new housing strategy will deliver additional cost rental housing units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65856/25

Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to address the issue of void houses; if central funding to local councils will be increased to repurpose these houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65488/25

Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of housing adaptation grant funding that will be provided in 2026 for counties Wicklow and Wexford; the number of social housing tenants that are awaiting essential works in both counties to date

Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review and increase the social housing income limits for counties such as Tipperary, which currently stands at €30,000 per annum, given that the national minimum wage is set to rise … hour week to approximately €29,432, considering the fact that this leaves minimum-wage workers on the verge of exceeding the social housing income threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62010/25

Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the mechanisms he will introduce, in light of the establishment of the Housing Activation Office, to monitor and enforce the performance of local authorities in progressing housing projects; and the way in which his Department intends

Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his funding plans, such as the previous urban regeneration and development fund, to support local authorities in developing amenities where there have been significant housing developments to ensure it’s not just about delivering housing

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the proposed acquisition of 17 housing units in Milford, County Donegal, currently being progressed by an organisation (details supplied) under the CALF scheme; the reasons for the apparent delay in Donegal County Council … this matter; the steps being taken to resolve the situation to ensure these urgently needed homes will be delivered for local social housing applicants; if these properties have been tested for the presence of deleterious materials; if any such testing has been requested or received by his Department

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures his Department is taking to address delays in the planning system that are slowing down the delivery of housing in Cork north-west; if he will provide additional resources or supports … Cork County Council to speed up the progression of both social and private housing projects in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65222/25

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports being made available to ensure that towns and villages in Cork north-west have adequate serviced land and infrastructure required for new housing development; if his Department will work with Cork County … Council to address gaps in wastewater and water capacity that are limiting housing delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65223/25

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports which will be allocated for persons on lists for social local authority housing, whose income places them in danger of imminently disqualifying for public housing (details supplied); and if he will make

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Government's retrofitting targets across public housing, have been set for 2026; when the 2026 targets will be set for local authorities' stock retrofitting; the estimated budget for retrofitting of social housing stock

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail plans to utilise State savings products to support housing delivery; the expected level of funding to come through the ISS for housing delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65920/25

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding support for people who do not earn enough to qualify for cost rental housing but are over the income threshold for social housing supports; if cases such as this are under review within

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that people earning above the social housing income threshold but below the thresholds for affordable housing or private purchase are left with no options in Cork city. [66118/25

Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether local authorities should be required, under the Social Housing Assessment Regulations and the National Household Means Policy, to deduct private-sector occupational pension contributions, PRSA contributions, or AVCs, when made through payroll … basis and functionally equivalent to public-sector additional superannuation contributions (ASC), when assessing income for social housing and HAP eligibility; when current local authority practice must be aligned with national policy, and that national policy should explicitly include private-sector pension contributions, as it already includes ASC, which

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to list the local authorities where the Housing Activation Office has identified barriers to housing delivery; the corrective actions recommended in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66203/25

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason his Department does not record disability status for households supported under the Housing Assistance Payment, and when such tracking will be introduced in line with the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People

Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports available to families with a child that is a wheelchair user and who are seeking accessible housing, but do not qualify for social housing; and if he will make a statement

Energy and the Environment his response to the ESB chief’s warning that emergency measures were needed to increase electricity capacity for new housing (details supplied); if this will impact on the housing plan he released last week; if he has discussed this with the Minister for climate … Minister for housing; if so, to outline the detail of these discussions.. [64267/25

Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the percentage of students studying on English language courses who were housed in the private rented sector; who were housed in designated student accommodation; who were staying with host families; and who were in other types

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