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options have dwindled, leading to a demographic shift as young people remain longer at home or leave the country. In my town, Ballygar, a decade passed without the provision of any new homes. Now, a new wastewater treatment plant has gone to tender, providing hope. This … Roscommon-Galway, thriving communities are ready to grow but the lack of affordable housing stands in the way. The status quo cannot hold. This crisis affects families, the economy and essential services as workers such as teachers, gardaí and nurses struggle to afford homes. I know the Minister

side rebuilds in exceptional circumstances, including cases involving disability and complex medical needs. These are families who simply cannot remain in their homes during the rebuilds. The Minister announced in June that these families would be included. Yet, the Bill forgets them entirely. That is another broken promise … does nothing for social housing. Even council tenants are living in the same crumbling walls as everyone else. It does nothing for schools, community buildings, farms or small businesses built with defective blocks. It does nothing for mental health supports, even though we now have evidence of soaring

warmer homes scheme. In 2025, nearly 5,000 businesses and community groups received grants to retrofit their properties and install solar. In fact, a rooftop revolution is under way across Ireland. A total of 155,000 homes have received grants to install rooftop solar and free solar panels … task force was established by the Government to identify access and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses while delivering key renewable commitments and protecting security of supply and economic stability. This will be a crucial element of the Government's work to improve

wish the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach a happy St. Gobnait's day. This is a hugely important day in his home territory, and it is important to recognise that. I thank Deputy Hearne for raising the matter of the Gaelscoil in Finglas. I am taking this matter on behalf … very important. I note the points he made regarding the old building and the fact that the Gaelscoil is operating in it. I have no doubt about the excellent work being done there by the school community. We thank them for the work they do. Deputy Hearne also

country spend time helping people upload documents, verify identities, complete forms and navigate online portals. Much of that support could be delivered closer to home if our post offices were properly equipped and empowered to do so. There is also another reason this matters. The local post office … source of social interaction as well as practical support. The postmaster or postmistress knows the community, notices when someone has not called in and provides reassurance that cannot be replicated online. That community value cannot be measured in financial terms. This Bill provides welcome financial support but funding

power of sport to bring different nations and cultures together and to build connections between communities around the world. It is designed to establish Ireland as a sporting hub and to help build our reputation as a premier sporting nation, while fostering opportunities for international partnerships, cultural exchange … sporting organisations, and will enable the sector to continue to deliver increased opportunities for people to participate in a wide variety of sports. Most importantly, it empowers people on a volunteer basis in communities throughout the country to make sport what it is today. There is no doubt

parks, pitches and playgrounds are not being delivered. The truth is when we ask who is responsible for making it happen we get pointed to somebody else or we get a blank response. We have a siloed planning system and communities right across the State - I am talking … delivered in tandem with houses and not put on the long finger. We want funding ring-fenced from development levies and we want green and blue spaces placed on an elevated footing in our county development plans. Most importantly, we want the voice of local communities heard

notes that the 22nd of April, is Earth Day, where people around the world are called to stand in defence of the only home we share; declared a climate and biodiversity emergency, becoming the second national parliament in the world to do so, and in so doing recognised … Government approach to the decarbonisation of the energy system, the provision of electrified public transport at scale, the retrofitting of Ireland's building stock, and the development of new renewable energy sources; — the ongoing crisis in the Middle East has demonstrated that the objective of affordable, secure

funding would help them to deliver, but there is a need to get rid of the red tape and the bureaucracy. This is about delivery. Everything should be done to speed things up. Last week, the Minister announced tax breaks for people building apartments, but some of these … then the Minister has set aside €640 million over the next two years for tax breaks for building apartments. It is more than double the budget for affordable purchase homes in the next two years. That is €640 million being spent on apartments. These apartments are viable

Government that education is at the heart of all our ambitions as a country. Excellent and innovative education and training are essential to delivering a fair society and a strong economy. The education system must begin by supporting everyone to fulfil their potential no matter their background … course many complex reasons children do not attend schools, so tackling this issue requires a real partnership approach of school, home and community supports, as well, of course, as listening to our children and young people. I think there is a real opportunity now that the responsibility

restore power, telecommunications and broadband connectivity to those who continue to experience outages; — specific energy-related actions have been prioritised to be delivered once the initial storm response has been completed: — an enhanced Winter 2025 Grid Resilience Plan; — a full review by ESB Networks and the Commission … Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future includes a commitment to develop an Extreme Weather Event Assistance Scheme for homes and community organisations, farmers and businesses which will be brought forward as a matter of priority; — it is recognised that the challenges, the scale and severity

remember the faces, the voices, and the energy of that campaign, the posters in windows, the queues at airports as people flew home to vote, and the conversations on doorsteps and around kitchen tables. It was a national movement built on empathy and driven by a belief … work together to better the lives of LGBTQI+ people. This whole-of-government strategy seeks to build on the successes and the achievements of the inaugural strategies and deliver on the key actions to address the continuing challenges LGBTQI+ people face. The strategy has been shaped by reflections

real money back into the pockets of families. We are not waiting for some future point to deliver affordability. we have already started the process of delivering it. Budget 2026 builds on this progress by: increasing investment to over €1.5 billion, which he highest ever level of state … increase supply. The building blocks extension grant scheme is currently being operated by the Department and will deliver up to 1,500 places this year. A further building blocks extension scheme will operate in 2027. The motion calls for Government to purchase existing buildings from existing providers

ensure sufficient homes are delivered to ensure people have safe, secure and affordable homes and that these homes are served by the physical and social infrastructure needed to create sustainable communities. We are working tirelessly to address these challenges and implement policies that are making a positive difference … Housing for All and having regard to the work already under way to develop the new national housing plan, we have delivered growing levels of new homes and will continue to do so. In the amendment, the Government makes clear its commitment to scale-up capacity to deliver

sitting on the M50 on the way to and from Lucan, rather than primarily delivering post, talking to people, etc. People will spend hours of their working day in traffic as opposed to delivering post. The impact on residents will be a dramatically worsened service. More staff will … sense. To be clear, the buildings where the sorting offices are currently located are fully operational. Ironically, after moving the Edmondstown office to Lucan the plan is to move a Dublin 14 sorting office, currently located in Churchtown, to the old building. From the point of view

been spent. I am asking the Government to give the money to community development groups. They are willing to do the work. I have spoken to them. They will help the Government to deliver houses. I am talking about doing properly to Irish Water specifications … trying to build. More than one should be allowed to build because, at the end of the day, we have an emergency and if we have an emergency, we have to try to sort it out. Family members need to be allowed to build on farmland, provided sightlines

here celebrating International Women's Day, which took place last week, and recognising the wonderful women who shape our lives, our communities and our country. I am especially glad to be here on the back of my attendance at the 70th Commission on the Status of Women … United Nations, was ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls. It looked at ways in which we can build fairer, more inclusive legal systems, remove discriminatory laws and practices and tackle the deeper structural barriers that hold too many women back. Being part

Bank. It is clear that Israeli authorities are taking measures designed to bring about the displacement of Palestinian communities. I am deeply concerned about the mass demolition of homes, buildings and infrastructure in camps across the West Bank. It marks the erosion of Palestinian life. Against this backdrop … level, last week the Government approved the general scheme of the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory Bill. The scheme delivers on the commitment in the programme for Government to progress legislation prohibiting the import of goods from the settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, following

demand more. They demand world-class endometriosis care here at home. Today could have been a turning point. The Government should have announced €20 million to deliver endometriosis services in this State, finally ending this injustice and delivering care for every woman who needs it. What hides behind … ramping up investment in GP, primary care, community services, ambulances, mental health and children's care. The budget again fails to set out a sustainable model of health funding that provides certainty around staffing and service delivery, builds capacity in hospitals and crucially, reduces the cost of healthcare

residential care, with 65,000 day respite sessions and 161,000 overnight respite delivered in 2024; and additional personal assistance and home supports providing for approximately 95,000 personal assistance hours and 40,000 home support hours. Early learning and care and school-age childcare funding … ECCE programme, both in term and out of term. In 2025, I will also deliver on other key commitments, including continued roll-out of the equal participation model; the delivery of the building blocks capacity grant, which was announced this week, to provide 15,000 early learning

example, national policy objective 12. It reads: “Ensure the creation of attractive, liveable, well designed, high quality urban places that are home to diverse and integrated communities that enjoy a high quality of life and well-being.” That is absolutely fantastic. How could we argue against that? However … issue for us as a country is not writing these documents but rather implementing them and seeing them delivered. To date, we have not seen the development of communities. I only have a few minutes, so I will use this opportunity to talk about my constituency in Wicklow

managed by the Co-operative Housing AHB. It is a community of approximately 20 or 30 households. Like most people who are allocated a social house, they had been waiting many years to get their social homes. They were delighted after all that long wait to get them … that had been built. Even as far as what it said it was building but did not really build, the commission says we need twice that. If we need twice what the Government is delivering, then we need twice as much social and affordable housing. That

about removing stigma, yes, but also about showing that the services are there, close to home and getting stronger year-on-year. Since 2020, funding has risen sharply and budget 2026 builds again on that. I want to commend the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and her team … will also see three crisis resolution services with associated Solace crisis cafés in Donegal, Kerry and the midlands, giving people a safe, community-based alternative to the ED. I welcome plans to expand the suicide crisis assessment nurse service working with GPs, because many people first reach

this country. My Department is working tirelessly to deliver for people in terms of housing supports, planning services, water investment and local government, and this very significant level of funding will be instrumental in the delivery of homes, support services, infrastructure and amenities for people and families across … over €9 billion. To truly meet the scale of housing demand, we absolutely must, and I am committed to, delivering more homes across all tenures. We are building more social homes than we have in a generation, and we intend to further scale up delivery. Therefore, an increased

Government is the theme of making communities safe. Everyone has a right to be safe and to feel safe in their communities and homes. I absolutely welcome the funding to provide an additional 5,000 new Garda recruits and additional Garda staff over the next five years. This … these towns and villages can benefit from significant investment in our community hubs and sporting facilities. I look forward to working with all of those communities in the coming years to help deliver for them. I welcome in particular the support in the programme for Government for local