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point out that the previous Government carried out a review of the rental sector last year. Following on from that, it requested the Housing Agency to conduct a specific review of the operation of the RPZ scheme. It is doing that. The review will be concluded … There are a number of options. We can extend it or we can examine it, which is what the Housing Commission asked us to do. The Deputy was very strong in stating the Government had ignored the Housing Commission. I kind of always suspected there was a shallowness

encountering many constituents in Dublin and across the country who are facing difficulties with rent rises and accessing affordable homes. That is why housing policy is the single biggest issue for the Government and why we want to take further action in the area of housing. I assure … House that the Government is absolutely committed to delivering more homes for people, either to rent or own, quickly. We are advancing further policy options on how we can do just that. I want to be clear that the Taoiseach stated he is open to the possibility

talking. It is very important to debate this issue here tonight. Many people in Kerry have been perished from the cold when the houses that were basically heated by electricity lost power. Can the Minister of State imagine young families trying to heat a bottle for babies? Simple … open. However, this whole thing has gone mad. The whole thing is overkill. They are advised to take the chimneys out of the houses and it is totally and absolutely wrong because the chimney was the most important component of the house. It was there to take

billion committed through the national development plan into real projects - the water, energy and transport infrastructure we need to deliver more housing and tackle homelessness. Next year, I am allocating €20.3 billion for capital investment, an increase of €1.1 billion on 2026. Transport A key focus of this … enable up to 120,000 more homes to be built. Climate, Energy and Environment Investing in our energy infrastructure is also key to housing delivery. Secure, sustainable and affordable sources of energy have never been more important for our country, and to support progress on our ambitions

particularly outrageous that the Government is chasing ever-increasing house prices and, indeed, encouraging ever-increasing house prices with public money when that money could be used in the context of actual measures to deliver affordable housing. As I said earlier and as was just alluded to, this … contrasts sharply with what has happened with the starter home scheme in the budget whereby the Government has cut the allocation for affordable housing in that regard by €200 million. Given that the Government is driving up prices, if we think about the starter home scheme

housing crisis continues to cut deep. The numbers in homelessness remain shockingly high. There are over 17,000 people in emergency accommodation, including 5,583 children. That is an appalling statistic and each figure represents an individual human tragedy. While the Dáil is in recess, sadly, many more … four children, two with significant disabilities, one of whom requires 24-hour medical care, and she has yet to be housed. She is relying on the goodwill of family and friends to keep a roof over her head. Another mother who is working full time was also evicted

move amendment No. 1: In page 5, line 10, to delete “Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009” and substitute the following: “Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009; to provide for additional eligibility criteria for access to certain services provided to homeless persons under section 10 of the Housing … withdrawal of such services in certain cases; to provide for an appeal in respect of such withdrawal; for those purposes to amend the Housing Act 1988”. On Second Stage of the Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, I indicated that I would bring forward a number

sections after section 10: “Residency requirements 10A.(1) A person shall not be eligible to access arrangements, assistance or accommodation provided by a housing authority by virtue of section 10(1) unless the authority, having carried out an assessment, is satisfied that the person, and any person … homeless person and one or more other persons who might reasonably be expected to reside with that person; (b) a reference to social housing support shall be read as a reference to arrangements, assistance or accommodation provided under section 10; (c) a reference to a social housing assessment

they remain in as a result of no longer being in their apartments. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for housing and the Department of housing. The Deputy raised a number of very pertinent and urgent questions in his contribution and I certainly will … very much appreciates the distress experienced by the residents and the families affected by the fire. The role of the Department of housing is to ensure a framework of policy, legislation and funding is provided to ensure housing authorities are in a position to address homelessness

against the rule the Minister brought in a number of months ago from 1 March that people would have to rent their houses out for six years. The news that was coming drove many people out of the market. Since some time early last year, many people have … reason. I voted against that because I feel very strongly about democratic rights. I always believed that if someone owns a house, if they bought it, if they got it or if their name was on the deed of it, they were entitled to do what they wanted

colleagues who have done research and community work in those flats. I worked for many years as a community worker in the Dolphin House flats dealing with issues of mould and damp. One of the big motivations for me to get involved in politics was that people should … raise their families, and that does not make them sick and ill. We know in flat complexes across this city and in social housing across this country there are tenants living in homes making them and their children sick. It is wrong. It is a breach of this

living conditions faced by Dubliners in social housing flats built between the 1930s and 1960s are frankly unconscionable. I have heard stories from people who are desperate, who are enraged and who, increasingly, are resigned to the failure of this State to uphold their human rights … constituency of Dublin Bay South from people living in flats with mouldy walls, rotting woodwork and rat infestations in places like Pearse House and Markievicz House. The endless tick-tacking between central government and Dublin City Council on regeneration plans has left these residents exhausted and hopeless

here and asked me to take this on his behalf. Tenancy sustainment, which includes the purchase of private homes where a social housing tenant is in situ, is not a stand-alone programme or scheme. However, it is a priority category of the Department of housing’s social … housing second-hand acquisitions programme, which helps prevent social housing-supported households in the private rental sector from becoming homeless, as the Deputy said. Tenancy sustainment, or tenant in situ, is an option for local authorities to support households who are in the most precarious housing situations. Such

that while the nexus of the DCB issue is concentrated in the north west of the country, it also affects, unfortunately, numbers of houses in other parts of Ireland. Wherever it does, the Government stands ready to offer financial assistance to help people fix their homes and help … established mechanisms. This statutory designation process can commence following a request by a local authority, or by me as the Minister, to the Housing Agency. The Housing Agency then conducts technical testing of dwellings in each local authority administrative area. As soon as practicable after the completion

needs that have been identified. Again, that decision comes back to me, as Minister, to the Government and to this House. Our commitment is to ensure a process that recognises the suffering experienced, honours the voices of victims and survivors, and seeks a path towards truth and healing … third inquiry on which I want to update the House is the non-statutory inquiry into the historical licensing and use of sodium valproate in women of child-bearing potential in the State. The then Government approved the establishment of this inquiry in July 2023 in response

want to highlight a serious housing crisis, not alone on Oileán Chléire, one of our most culturally important and geographically vulnerable Gaeltacht islands, but also on all islands in west Cork and throughout Ireland. Cape Clear is facing a future on a knife edge, with homes in desperately … short supply and the long-term viability for the community under real threat. Despite the presence of dozens of vacant houses, families cannot find a single home to rent or buy. This small island has become a stark microcosm of the wider national housing crisis

raibh míle maith agat, a Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. I want to raise an issue that I have already raised with the housing Minister and his Minister of State. I want to use my time highlight an issue that does not always show up in the headlines relating … contributes meaningfully to our society. However, despite doing everything right, studying, working and paying taxes, she has recently been removed from the social housing list in Laois because her income exceeds the threshold. On paper, she earns above the limit, which is €35,000 for a single person

never ready for. Since the Residential Tenancies Bill was mooted last year along with the idea that people would have to rent out houses for six years, many people have decided to get out. Hundreds of people have been to my office after getting a notice to quit … tenant in situ scheme would be a great scheme if it was working properly, but Kerry County Council says it cannot buy houses with the tenants in them because it is not being funded by the Department for any repairs or works that would be needed

everything? They have got everything they want – the VAT cuts, the tax breaks and everything else they wanted. I want to see more housing but what the Government is doing is a charter for misery and further misery. The Minister knows it and I know it because … saying every landlord will use it but the rack-renting ones and the bigger ones will. Tenants going into new apartments and housing will face extortionate increases. The tenancies do not last six years, and we know there can be a quick turnover. There is a three-year

homeless people, and for half a million young people trapped at home. A system of misery has been widely created in the housing system, affecting many people. How did we get here? Shall we have a look at how we got here? If the Government accepts that … policies that were pursued have been set out in great detail. They involved a move away from the delivery of social housing at any scale. There has been an increase in recent years but there has almost been a complete collapse. The policy has been that the market

quality wastewater treatment are a priority. Crucially, this also facilitates the development of homes in all parts of our country. As Minister for housing, I believe that the delivery of quality water must be hand in glove with the acceleration in our delivery of homes across all tenures … speak about water service delivery. It plays an essential role in enabling economic growth, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and the delivery of our housing need. Uisce Éireann supplies drinking water to over 80% of the population, with two thirds of households connected to public wastewater services. The Uisce

issue I am raising with the Minister is house prices and the availability of housing. In County Laois, house prices are up, rents are up, homelessness is up and notices to quit are up. Despite the best efforts of the council, which has a good active housing programme … homeless figures increased by 60% when you compare December's figures with those last year. The Government's social housing target for 2025 was 10,000 - a low enough, modest target. In the first nine months of the year, just 3,143 were constructed - 31%. Cost rental

commend my colleague Deputy Gould on bringing forward this very simple but sensible legislation. Leaving homes derelict in the middle of the deepest housing crisis in the modern history of the State is akin to hoarding food during a famine. This is a comment that I and many … other Members of this House have made repeatedly. I note with some interest the language the Minister has started to use with respect to dereliction. He has used it again here by using terms like "antisocial behaviour" and "war on dereliction". In a recent interview, he stated that

partially treated wastewater discharges; — persistent delays in the delivery, repair and replacement of water and wastewater infrastructure have created direct blockages to housing delivery, public health protection, economic activity and environmental compliance; — Uisce Éireann has repeatedly failed to meet expected performance standards in leakage reduction, network renewal, upgrade … discharges to persist for extended periods without guaranteed interim mitigation or permanent remediation; — delays in water and wastewater capacity upgrades have directly impeded housing delivery, public services, tourism and enterprise development, despite lands being zoned and planning permission granted; and — the current model provides no structured mechanism

opportunity to update the Dáil on tenant in situ acquisitions. I am taking this matter on behalf of James Browne, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Acquisitions with tenants in situ are a category of purchase under the second-hand acquisitions programme which help prevent social housing … been examined. Along with the clear focus of Government on increasing the supply of new build social and affordable homes, a targeted social housing acquisition programme has been, and will continue to be, an important policy response to priority needs. The Minister for housing has this year secured

Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the rationale and assessment criteria applied for the decision not to provide funding for the proposed social and affordable housing development at Rehills Land, Bray, County Wicklow; if she plans to engage with Wicklow County Council … progress much needed housing on this site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63159/25

Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage if his Department will provide an update on the supports a family (details supplied) will be provided with after their house was found to have traces of pyrite thereby decreasing their houses value

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average time taken for a housing appeal to be decided by An Bord Pleanála in 2023 and 2024; and whether statutory timelines will be introduced or strengthened to support housing delivery. [63893/25

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current number of households on social housing waiting lists in Cork city and Cork county; the average waiting time; and the expected reduction in waiting lists as a result of the increased social housing

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the borrowing capacity of each local authority in 2024 and 2025 for housing construction; the level of borrowing approved for Cork City Council and Cork County Council; and the number of housing units this borrowing

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households with disability needs currently accommodated through the housing assistance payment; and whether the Department plans reforms to ensure disability-appropriate housing is prioritised over temporary supports. [63948/25

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether local authorities are meeting their obligations under Housing Need and Demand Assessments; the number of authorities in full compliance; and how these assessments informed the new housing targets. [63965/25

Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the options available to an individual who is seeking social housing while awaiting a division of assets through the courts for a legal separation/divorce, in view of the fact that they have a housing need

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the failure of timely housing delivery at an affordable purchase housing project (details supplied); and the measures he will implement to ensure that applicants do not suffer hardship as a consequence

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for a breakdown of average social housing new build costs for 2024, for each of the schemes used to fund social housing, including SHIP construction, SHIP turnkey, CALF construction, CALF turnkey, CAS turnkey, CALF turnkey

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in light of the record figure of 16,614 people in emergency accommodation, including 5,238 children, and the revised annual social-housing target of 12,000 units, the projected timeline and funding commitment … consents and servicing infrastructure are aligned with this target; and how local authorities will be resourced to reverse long-term voids in council housing stock, particularly as evidenced in north Cork. [62575/25

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when, under the National Housing Strategy for Disabled Individuals 2022-2027, the National Guidelines for the Assessments and Allocations Process for Social Housing Provision for People with Disability will be made mandatory across all local

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in view of continued elevated cost-of-living pressures, specifically high housing costs, rental inflation and utility bills, and noting commentary that households in regions like Cork are increasingly squeezed: if his Department has compiled … disaggregated data for Cork/Munster on housing cost inflation in 2025; the regionally-targeted policy measures or subsidies planned (transport, energy efficiency, rental supports) for the 2026 Budget to soften cost burdens for households and SMEs; and the means by which his Department will evaluate the impact of such

Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to review current income eligibility thresholds for social housing; if he is aware of low income families qualifying for the working family payment being removed from social housing waiting lists on review

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of State-supported housing developments that have been discontinued permanently or temporarily due to cost issues, broken down by county and type of housing development; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify the position regarding the eligibility of apartments, duplexes and other multi-unit dwellings under the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme; the reason, under the previous scheme, the term “dwelling” was defined … include a house, apartment, duplex or maisonette, whereas under the enhanced scheme, the term “dwelling” is now restricted to a house, thereby excluding apartments, maisonettes and duplexes; if he will acknowledge that, in view of this legislative change, it is incorrect to suggest that all affected homes

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify the scope of powers available to the appeals panel established under the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 and related regulations; specifically, if he will … reinstate a homeowner’s original engineer-determined remediation option, as assessed prior to the transfer of technical functions from local authorities to the Housing Agency; to confirm whether the panel’s powers are limited to annulling a decision and directing that a dwelling be reconsidered, rather than substituting

Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to increase the threshold income for social housing applicants given people on low incomes in many cases are excluded from applying for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58051/25

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 479 of 21 October 2025, the regional breakdown, by local authority, of spending on social and affordable housing by the Land Development Agency, Housing Finance Agency, or any other agency

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that the structure of first-time buyer supports, including the help-to-buy scheme and the first home scheme, effectively restricts first-time buyers to the purchase of new-build properties … accepts that this limitation disadvantages buyers in regional towns where second-hand housing stock is more readily available and often more affordable; if he will acknowledge the evidence that these schemes have contributed to price inflation in new developments; and if he will consider extending eligibility for such

Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to consider regional cost-of-living adjustments in assessing eligibility for HAP and social housing supports for single and married earners in high-rent areas, who fall just above national thresholds but face housing insecurity

Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase the housing allocation for counties Wicklow and Wexford under the housing-for-all programme for 2026, 2027 and 2028; in tabular form; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures being taken to ensure that local authorities can recruit sufficient staff to deliver housing targets under Housing for All. [58984/25

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has conducted a comparative analysis of Ireland’s housing stock per capita versus other EU countries, in view of recent commentary highlighting that Ireland has among the lowest housing availability per person

Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a local authority can accept an application for social housing on medical grounds in circumstances where only one medical professional has signed the application; the options available to those who do not have access … second medical professional including a nurse but wish to apply for local authority housing on the basis of medical needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60082/25