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shocking actions of Israel. We have been consistent on this. The only place where we get criticism of it is in this House. There is a very strong view across the Government of complete solidarity with the people of Palestine and regarding the genocide which is occurring … Palestine. There is total solidarity in the House here with the people of Palestine. The Deputy knows as well as everybody else that the Government does not control what fixtures are fulfilled. The FAI has articulated the reasons for which it is continuing with that particular fixture, over

honour to introduce this Bill before the House to remove Ireland from the EU migration pact to restore Irish sovereignty over its borders. The decision to opt into the EU migration pact by this Government or the previous Government was reckless. The idea that the Government is unable … well, such as the fact that 23% of the population of this country are foreign born, that we have such an immense housing crisis and that the services in terms of education and health are at capacity. These are factors that should be accounted for. I refer

That the Bill be now read a Second Time." As Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, I am pleased to introduce to the House today the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2026. This Bill is the first legislative reform of the assessment of need process since it was established … Deputy Higgins, and across Government on improving access to services for some of our most vulnerable children. I commend the Bill to the House

single solitary speech and language therapist, occupational therapist or special education place more. Without those services, all the chat in this House is not going to make any difference to people's lived reality. I was looking back through my emails. A woman whom I have met contacted … think anybody would. It is not fair. In the coming weeks, we will hear the Minister's colleagues talking in the House about the budget and giving themselves a pat on the back for how well they are doing. The Minister should judge it by how long kids

billion and will be used to fund 152 new residential placements. This week, the Government confirmed that every council will set targets for housing people with disabilities from 2027 to 2030. I will work with my colleagues Councillors Moylan and Clark to make sure that Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown … focus on one, namely the team at St. John of God Services, which has provided generations of people with outstanding support from Dunmore House. Carmona Services supports 750 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, from early years through to day services, respite, residential homes and independent living

they can be taken off if they do not reply to letters. People who are the most vulnerable and most stressed with housing situations - and often housing crisis situations overlap with children with these sorts of needs - might not reply to letters. They get taken off a list

bring in all this different legislation but we are not able to follow through on it, which is disappointing. We have the housing crisis. Students are qualifying in different fields within medicine and then have to leave the country because they see no future here. It is down … have to keep them here. This has to come through not just in the disability or health sectors but also in the housing sector and ensure there is viability so that they can see a future. If you cannot achieve that, you will not achieve anything

hope the Minister of State has listened very carefully to the many speakers in this House. I have sat in for most of the debate and I think it is clear from Members of the Opposition, as well as her own party and Government backbenchers, that this Bill … clinical expertise. Those questions need to be answered and they should really be answered in legislation like this or at least in this House. For a lot of people out there, this is just going to look like another layer. It is another layer on another layer

Donegal, Mayo and seven other council areas, defective blocks have meant cracked walls, crumbling homes and years of uncertainty. Until now, social housing sat outside the scheme. Council and housing body tenants will now get the same remediation options, the same grant cap and the same grant rates

will explain it. In Ireland, PNR data is collected and analysed by the passenger information unit within the Department of justice. This House has been asked to place confidence in systems for handling sensitive information in the interest of policing and public safety and questions about the integrity … entirely relevant. Within that, safeguards in the Garda protected disclosure unit have clearly failed. I ask the Minister to come before the House and address the various questions that are outstanding. If the Minister could confirm that he is prepared to do that, I would be grateful

thank the three Deputies for their contributions. I welcome that all parties in the House are supporting the opt-in to the proposal in terms of the signing and execution of the agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Korea. It is clearly the case that … used for the purpose of migration, I suspect it would not have the level of agreement that we have in the House in respect of the PNR data. I agree with the Deputy that it would be much easier for me, as Minister for justice, to manage migration

driving licence or need to renew either. We receive queries from cardholders and voluntary bodies, as well as from many people in this House, asking why it is not possible to use a PSC to verify a person's identity if that person chooses … Turning to the other provisions of the Bill, in relation to social welfare appeals I acknowledge the three Deputies here in the House. I am sure other Deputies raised queries as well, but the three social protection spokespersons, Deputies O'Reilly, Wall and O'Shea have constantly raised

people who are living the twilight years of their lives in one room because they cannot afford to heat the rest of the house. It is no good to the people who are already in arrears on their electricity bills, cannot afford oil and are wondering how they … good enough. It is a disgrace that not one solitary Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael backbencher or Independent Member is in the House as we discuss this modicum of respite for hard-pressed families across the State - rural and urban - when it comes to the cost of heating

households in this country have had to endure as a result of Donald Trump's actions. Shame on people in this House who celebrated and supported Trump and who have refused to apologise - I am not talking about Sinn Féin in this regard - for doing so. People … this House have supported the policies of this man. Those policies will result in every household in this country having to endure higher fuel and energy bills this winter, as they have done for the past year. The supposed friend of the small person turned

water connections mean investment will go elsewhere to competing economies. Businesses need places for their workers to live. If we cannot match this housing demand due to grid constraints we will lose out. It is vital that decisions on new data centre connections take account of the electricity … requirements of housing, businesses, public services and future industrial development in that area. This is why last week my colleague, Deputy Pa Daly, brought forward a Bill that does just this. It prioritises homes and businesses over these energy and water consuming data centres. More data centres mean

grid capacity, the temporary emergency generation scheme and the amount that data centres have to pay. If a family is building a new house, there is a charge to be paid to put in an electricity connection. The charges for data centres are multiples of that amount … road, and we have to be very careful that we do not get into a situation where there is a trade-off with housing or industry. The Government's new policy manages that quite well because we are driving renewables. We know

regulation and the fire safety systems in their building and March 2026, when suddenly a U-turn was done by the Department of housing through the Housing Agency, which administers the scheme, and they were told sorry but they were out in the cold, the Department

that these people, through their OMC, wrote in, applied for the scheme and were told yes. It took nearly two years before the Housing Agency turned around and said, "Actually, no". There is a terrible unfairness for them there whereby they find themselves initially satisfied that they will … Minister of State could commit that they will get an answer and get some succour, some reassurance, from his Department and from the Housing Agency that they will not be left in the lurch, that they will not fall between stools and that, as taxpayers who bought apartments

remains aligned with Ireland's green transition, energy affordability and security objectives, as well other strategic Government priorities such as the provision of housing, transport and water. The Government remains committed to investing in critical infrastructure to deliver electricity to a growing population and growing economy, with … housing and expanding businesses. Our grid investment programme provides an historic investment in Ireland's electricity grid infrastructure of up to €18.9 billion, with over 520 capital projects to be delivered over the next five years. They include 29 significant transmission infrastructure projects and 32 distribution substations

issues. We are trying to construct 50,000 homes per year and there were reports again this week that the supply of housing is being hampered by the supply of water and electricity connections. There is clearly a pull factor and the Government has to take into consideration … look at things in the round, but we have a habit in this country - and I do not want to give the House a history lesson going back to the crash and so on - of putting too many eggs in one basket. This is a high-profit industry

report yesterday and its concerns that the connection for essential infrastructure like energy and water are clear barriers to the delivery of essential housing, particularly social and affordable housing, and it takes up to four years now. We also saw the impacts of Storm Éowyn, which

Deputy knows for that reason I cannot comment. The reason I cannot comment on any of these matters is that we, as a House in 2014, passed legislation brought to the House by Brendan Howlin, which made it very clear that the legislation would prevent

enable any other person to speak about it. I want to be very clear about that. The legislation was agreed by this House in 2014 and enhanced in 2022. What is really important about the legislation is that it was put in place to allow whistleblowers to come … make sure there was an independent process that took these matters away from politicians, from myself and from anybody in this House, and rightly so. It was decided this would be the approach because of what happened in the past. That is why this legislation was enacted

case previously. It is important for me to stress that there is an onus and obligation on each of us in this House, particularly given what we saw in the past, which was the reason for introducing legislation in 2014 and for enhancing … protected disclosure. No Minister for justice should be the investigator in something that is brought forward. I do not think anybody in this House believes they should. We now have an opportunity to review the legislation. I believe it has worked effectively. Again, I commend the many people

that it took three attempts. The whole country is talking about last night. This does not give me any pleasure. Everyone in this House knows that I have been raising these issues for years. It does not give me any pleasure to stand here today to say what … have to answer for how An Garda Síochána and his Department acted. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, will also need to outline to the House what she did. I am not talking about the details of the individual protected disclosures. I am interested in process and pathways. Brian

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he has assessed the potential impact of income thresholds and housing requirements for Ukrainians transitioning from temporary protection to another immigration status; whether flexibility or exemptions will be provided for those who may struggle

will seek a full exemption under article 62 of the AMMR (relocation quotas) due to the pressures currently been placed on housing demand, schools and hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45928/26

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the 'Living my Life' pilot housing project for people with intellectual disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45017/26

Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the engagement his Department has had with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding the review and update of the Wind Energy Development Guidelines; the input his Department has provided to that process

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has had engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding collocating a youth centre with a new library building at Mahon, Cork city. [44707/26

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on all inputs that his Department made prior to the adoption of regulation EU 2024/900; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45084/26

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline any plans to make Uisce Éireann more accountable to members of the Oireachtas considering the poor responses received from the dedicated email provided by the utility. [44655/26

Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps being taken to increase apartment building given that commencements collapsed when the 2024 levy waivers ran out. [44661/26

Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the rest of the Planning and Development Act 2024 will be fully implemented. [44662/26

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of children currently living in emergency accommodation and family hub accommodation, respectively, in each local authority area; the average length of time children have spent in such accommodation during the past three years

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the voted expenditure allocation for each of the four croí cónaithe city calls; if his Department intends to fund a fifth call; if so, when; and the amount, in tabular form. [44714/26

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a detailed update on the cost rental equity loan pipeline; if he will provide information on the funding approvals to date; and the number of schemes and units each scheme is expected

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the publication of the Child and Family Homelessness Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44716/26

Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details of all inputs that his Department made prior to the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2024/900; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44741/26

Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reasons for the refusal of a Historic Structures Fund 2026 application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44742/26

Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are any cases whereby HAP payments were reinstated or reimbursed to landlords during the Covid-19 moratorium period, where the HAP payments had earlier been suspended due to a tenant not paying their contribution

Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to extending the pyrite remediation scheme to recognise estates with known pyrite issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44869/26

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of domestic wastewater treatment systems that have failed inspection in each of the past three years; the counties most affected; and the supports available to homeowners to undertake remedial works. [44226/26

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social homes currently vacant for longer than six months, by local authority area; the reasons for such vacancies; and the measures being taken to return these properties to use as quickly

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant and derelict property grants approved, refused and paid out in each county since the introduction of the scheme; the total funding drawn down; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total cost to date of the DION IT system, including all design, development, consultancy, implementation and ongoing support costs, broken down by year since inception, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the initial projected cost at the time of approval of the DION IT system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44410/26

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide the original business case and timeline for delivery of the DION system; the number of years the system has been in development; the key milestones set at inception; the extent to which those milestones

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number and nature of technical or operational issues identified with the DION system since its introduction; the dates on which such issues arose; the current status of each issue; and if he will make

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of external consultants engaged in the development, troubleshooting and ongoing operation of the DION system; the total cost of such consultancy; the specific roles performed; and if he will make a statement