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July I raised the public sector pay agreement with the Taoiseach in this House. He assured me talks would begin at pace in September. September is ending and there is no agreement. Tomorrow thousands of public servants commence industrial action with co-ordinated strikes planned … credible framework within which meaningful negotiations can take place. The expiry of the agreement was no surprise to anybody in this House, particularly the Government. Will the Taoiseach personally intervene today, establish that framework and prevent our schools, hospitals and public services from being brought to a standstill

respect of ongoing expenditure for the period beginning on 1st January, 2027 and ending on 31st December, 2027, prepared and published by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission in accordance with the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Acts 2003 to 2024, which was laid before Dáil Éireann

McGuinness should stop using phrases like "traditional fence-sitting". That kind of carry-on is not going to solve anything. Everyone is this House is sincere about wanting to bring this to resolution. Let us not be so judgmental. There is no one sitting on fences here … experienced too much violence on this island. It is easy to use catchphrases and soundbites to demonise people on either side of the House. That is not good enough. We had too much violence in the past. My objective has always been to protect people, including current

genuinely seek to assert their rights. I am hopeful that with Members co-operation, we can facilitate its swift passage through the House with a view to early enactment and completion of the transposition requirements and I commend the Bill to the House

places in my constituency, such as Adamstown, Clonburris and Seven Mills, where the trains are always full but the people in these houses are only given 0.75 parking spaces per housing unit and do not even have the option to drive. They cannot charge

further since the Dáil was recalled. That is a statement of fact and there is an onus on all of us in this House to work in a constructive fashion in terms of more proposals and ideas that we can consider together. Faced with the sudden rise … genuinely trying to transition but need support in terms of that, whether it is replacing the boiler or putting solar panels on the house. We have seen over €1.3 billion in measures targeted at households, farmers, agricultural contractors, hauliers, and businesses. The Government has delivered

There would also be huge benefits from an all-island economy. I welcome her constructive engagement on the discussion we had in this House on the dynamic effects. There would be some upfront costs, of course, but there also would be huge benefits. The idea of having … give one figure for the cost is not helpful. I try to put useful data on the record of the House. In the here and now, as we prepare to build our shared future and, I hope, a unified island into the future, there are practical issues arising

nature of the tax, its objective of bringing vacant residential properties into use and the level of demand, which we all know, for housing in the State. Regarding the collection of vacant homes tax, I am advised by Revenue that, from January to August of this year, approximately … using Revenue - is the way to go. We will be outlining details of that in the budget but looking to legislate across the House on this between now and the end of year

Revenue does a very good job of collecting taxation in this country. That is why there are often calls in this House for derelict properties to be handed over to Revenue, because Revenue has teeth. As the Deputy knows, Revenue has powers under the Taxes Consolidation … Revenue may deem the property to be vacant for the purposes of the vacant homes tax. It is entirely possible that when this House legislates on vacancy and links it with the local property tax structure, behaviour does change and that, therefore, the number of properties that become

pending pretrial detention while 25 LGBTQI people who are closely connected to associations have been arrested, including founders and members of associations whose houses have been raided and digital equipment seized. The targeted associations include seven LGBTQI human rights organisations and organisations working with people with … have called for a global day of action. On Wednesday evening at 6 p.m., over 20 Irish LGBT organisations will gather outside Europe House to call for urgent action in response to the reported crackdown on LGBTQI civil society in Türkiye. LGBT activists, human rights defenders and civil

grateful to the Deputy for the opportunity to update the House on the digitalisation of health records and the progress being made to support patients and healthcare professionals through safer, more connected care, stronger research and innovation and a more sustainable health service. I am taking this Topical … information, including appointments, referrals, waiting list information, vaccination records and digital health cards. I do not think there is a Member of this House or the Seanad who has not been personally pushed by the Minister to make sure they have it downloaded to their phone. Second

putting their own money into solar panels. They are looking at the electricity bill, they are looking at the roof on the house and the farm shed, and they are making a decision to invest. That investment is something that should help them for years to come. Even … struggling to meet the high costs of energy and just keeping their lives going. Whether it is the electricity coming into the house or trying to operate a small business or farm, everyone can benefit from being energy independent in their own right. That is what solar panels

grateful to the Deputy for raising this pertinent and timely issue. For the benefit of the House, if the Deputy does not mind, I might give a bit of context as requested by the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. The microgeneration support scheme, MSS, provides supports to domestic … wider residential retrofit programme that, in line with eligibility criteria, supports energy efficiency upgrades and the installation of renewable energy technologies in existing housing stock. Since its pilot launch in 2018, the domestic solar PV scheme has gone from strength to strength, with over 123,000 homes being

important to acknowledge that consistent child poverty is at 8%, so it is double what it was before. When we take housing into account, it is about 10%. It is about 26.6% for families whose youngest child is between the ages of zero and five. Working families really … tier of child benefit. I would be really interested to know how the Minister is actually going to tackle this problem, including the housing costs that are plunging people into poverty

There is also the context of housing. We know that poverty is increasing when we take housing into account. I do not lay that at the Minister’s door, and I believe it is a whole-of-government problem. The Minister said that he increased the fuel allowance

serve Church Hill in Glanmire and that there would be no bus stop for people living in Crawford Woods. People are buying houses, moving into communities and renting while expecting to have a proper bus service. Glanmire is one of the fastest growing areas in the State, with … hundreds if not thousands of new houses there. Then we do not have a bus service that delivers. These people expect a bus service. Glanmire was actually in Cork city when the boundary was increased a couple of years ago and now we have a situation where some

constituencies and communities, whether it is water, energy, wastewater, transport or social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals and, of course, housing as well. The Deputy is right to point to the fact that there are a lot of things this country does well. The national broadband plan … pretty much universally opposed by most political parties in this House but people now herald it in their own constituency, are delighted with the connections and are happy to turn up to the events. We backed the national broadband plan. It has come in on budget

highlighted this because it is so important. Yesterday, I saw glimpses of it at the infrastructure committee. We had Garret Doocey of the housing activation office talking about the projects it did. I asked for specific timelines and transparency to be put in place so the office … yang of longer-term projects being run well but we also have to ensure the infrastructure for the current housing and businesses runs properly and well for them. Whether that be cars stuck in traffic or water not working, those issues have to be resolved in our areas

thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to reassure the House that the Department of Education and Youth and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that all children can access an education suitable to their needs. The Department continues to engage intensely with the NCSE in relation … supports in mainstream schools for students experiencing literacy difficulties. I hope over the next while that we will be able to update the House accordingly. I thank the Deputy for his commitment to this matter and for the meetings he has had with the various advocacy groups

green-lighting of more and more data centres and whether the resources required would be better directed in addressing public services such as housing and transport? All mention of housing was cut from the final report and, particularly relevant for this debate, so too was any question raised

took far too long. I also have an issue at the minute concerning a man who had previously been homeless and had been housed by Louth County Council. He is now having a recurrence of his mental health issues, which has happened previously. The problem, I assume … that he is not taking his prescribed medication. There is probably street medication. Street tablets would be taken. He now has in his house a whole pile of people that neighbours would not necessarily want to have there, creating an awful lot of antisocial behaviour. Louth County Council

schools that was published in January of this year in this initial tranche. I have raised this on numerous occasions in this House and the other House and I have every confidence that this will be the last time that I will have to raise this school project

carbon tax increase and whether to put its hand into the pockets of people who have no alternative. Do not come into the House and pretend that the Government is powerless. It is not powerless; it is making choices. For far too long, rural Ireland has been paying … show that overall consumer prices have risen by 3.7% in the past year, but that headline figure does not tell the full story. Housing, electricity, gas and other fuel costs are up 8.5%. Transport costs are up 5.4% and education costs have risen by 8.9%. The CSO specifically

international situation and have always taken decisions which result in practical supports for households and businesses across the country. The motion before the House does not fully take into consideration the array of supports which have been implemented by Government as a result of the conflict … Government’s EV scrappage scheme is encouraging and highlights increasing consumer engagement with the transition to electric vehicles. I assure the House that the Government understands the exceptional pressure rising fuel costs have placed on our farmers and farm contractors. We have worked intensively with representative stakeholder groups

does that give them a greater prospect of a job in the medium term? There is also a level of objectionism to housing supply, which would not help housing supply in our economy. How would that help young people who need homes and want to buy homes across

Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify the position in respect of the cessation of the pyrite remediation scheme; his plans to continue support persons in geographical areas where pyrite is a known cause of disruption in dwellings

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has an any way to identify which Parliamentary Questions are AI generated; and the amount it costs, on average, to answer a Parliamentary Question. [45374/26

Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the direction to local authorities will issue to allow victims and survivors of domestic abuse to move from one local authority list to another while retaining their years; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of properties delivered for people with disabilities by Meath County Council, for each of the years 2021 to 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45418/26

Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social, affordable and cost rental homes completed in Meath in 2024, 2025, and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45419/26

Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of properties which have been brought back into use under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant in County Meath, by year since 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 568 of 21 March 2026, if he can provide an update on the Navan Local Distributer Road - LDR 1A project application; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding provided for Meath County Council for the tenant-in-situ purchase scheme for 2026; the estimated number of homes which will be purchased in 2026; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to review HAP limits for each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45424/26

Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is satisfied that it is now over three years since An Coimisiún Pleanála has appeared before the Committee of Public Accounts to examine its annual reports for 2023, 2024 and 2025; to address

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications for water connections for Developer Provided Infrastructure broken down by local authority, schemes in each local authority and number of units associated with each scheme; and the number of DPI connections

Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of applications under the croí cónaithe cities scheme to date since the inception of the scheme; the number that have been approved, by year, the total value of each approval and the number

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will detail the cost to the State/total amount paid out on the Rental Accommodation Scheme RAS in each of the past 15 years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will detail the cost to the State/total amount paid out on the provision of emergency homeless accommodation in each of the past 15 years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number and grade of staff employed by the National Parks and Wildlife services for each year since 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45812/26

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for a detailed explanation of every public jobs competition for recruitment of roles to the National Parks and Wildlife services for each year since 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail the standard enforcement process undertaken by the national Parks and Wildlife service; the reason enforcement levels are so low in comparison to cases submitted; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to tackle the high level of environmental incidents in north-eastern and mid-west regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45815/26

Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to review the price ceilings under the first homes scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45858/26

Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the 2026 Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) Circular requires local authorities to include a mix of properties across a range of building energy ratings (BERs) when selecting dwellings for retrofit works; whether this

Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the costs associated with planning permission for rural one-off homes is being considered as part of examining rural planning and ahead of the publication of the Rural Planning Guidelines, if the Minister will look

Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the length of time it takes to apply for planning permission for rural one-off homes is being considered as part of examining rural planning and ahead of the publication of the Rural Planning Guidelines

Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the new wind energy guidelines to replace the 2006 guidelines on wind energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45949/26

Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration is given to appropriate childcare infrastructure when new residential developments are being built; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45950/26

that is being undertaken to support the long-term integration of Ukrainian nationals residing in Ireland under temporary protection, particularly in relation to housing, education, employment and social inclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45773/26