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across the country." The institute goes on to say: In particular, the erosion of unit mix requirements represents a market-led approach to housing that is fundamentally at odds with the significant work undertaken by the Department of Housing to date to create a plan-led system with … challenges. I was contacted by another architect about the impact of these changes. They said: "The priority should be delivering a variety of housing types that satisfy different family structures, life stages and adaptability for accessibility, ageing and special needs." It is a real issue that this housing

briefings. The Minister has a monumental task. I have said it to him privately and I will say it again. The Custom House has to be dismantled. It was levelled in the War of Independence. I do not mean to hurt anybody but it has to be dismantled … malaise there, and it has to be tackled. Otherwise, we are going nowhere. We have had seven or eight housing Ministers in the 18 years since I came into the House and they have all failed miserably. There is a situation where they feel they are all-powerful

Department of housing, with the Minister for housing’s approval, decided not to proceed to award the contract for social housing bundle 3 through a public-private partnership. The basis for that decision was that the cost per unit was more than €1 million and almost double … delivered in 2020. Unit costs at that scale would not be compatible with the overall delivery of what we need in our social housing targets. The Government and the relevant local authorities remain absolutely committed to delivering the social housing that the bundle was being designed to provide

interesting in debates in the House and on the media how the Government will not own its own proposals. It tells us that what it is doing is going to increase investment in the rental sector and that will ultimately bring rents down. That is the underlying logic … water under the bridge between now and next March. I will sit down with my colleague, the Minister for housing, with whom I have spoken numerous times on student accommodation, and we will delve into the details about how it will effect the student accommodation sector. I could

have an increased supply. We can bring in all the rules in the world, but if there is a shortage of houses, those rules have limited impact. They can also often have unintended consequences. For example, many landlords have left the market in the past few years because … delivered 100,000 additional jobs per annum along with the resulting increase in population. Jobs and population increases happen much more quickly than house building. A tap cannot be switched on for house building. It occurs on a longer timescale than increases in demand and, equally

putting food on the table to keeping their heat or whatever going, great trouble. This measure will facilitate the crowd with the expensive houses worth more than €1 million. The value of houses has gone up everywhere. To buy a house is an impossibility with the costs … assessing people’s ability to pay this tax. More often than not, the people I refer to live in local authority houses. Although the councils are the landlords in this situation, if these people request little repairs to their houses, the councils do not seem to have

response of the Government to tonight's cross-party motion is extremely disappointing. The Labour Party has produced volumes of legislation on housing in the last couple of years, including, but not limited to the Housing (Homeless Families) Bill 2017, the renters' rights Bill and a Bill … situ scheme, the Government has effectively gutted the scheme. The changes being proposed regarding RPZs will not stop rents going up. Under Housing for All, the Government has never met its targets for social and affordable housing. The Government has come in here and effectively thrown renters under

This a very important, timely motion. As a group of TDs on the left, we were party to it. The situation is a housing emergency; everybody accepts that now, with 15,500 plus in homeless accommodation and huge waiting lists for social housing. County Laois, which … fairly good record for social housing, still has a housing waiting list of 1,600 households. Low Government targets and projections are missed by a country mile. There is a huge need for investment in infrastructure and water in which we are falling way behind. Those

housing crisis that the country is currently in the grips of is affecting entire communities, none more so than the communities I represent in east Cork. What was once known as a great region with welcoming towns, strong community spirit and national beauty is now grappling with … growing problem of the lack of social and affordable houses. As we speak, there are currently more than 300 empty council houses in County Cork, of which 100 have been vacant for more than two years. While these homes remain idle, the rate of homelessness in Cork

housing emergency. This is an ongoing crisis that this and previous Governments have failed to come to grips with. They have not even acknowledged the scale of the crisis they have delivered to us. Later this evening we will debate a motion on the huge number of vacant … extremely high rents of €2,405 per month, on average, in my home city of Limerick. Those in the market to purchase a house in Limerick can expect to pay €320,000 on average for a semi-detached three-bedroom home. This is an increase of 10% since

wrong reasons. Under Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Independents, there is record-breaking homelessness, as well as record-breaking house prices and rents. Rents, incredibly, have doubled since the bottom of the crash. This must be the most pro-cyclical Government in the history of the State … Deputy Micheál Martin was a member of a Cabinet that crashed this country. His actions led in part to a significant spike in house prices and rents in the noughties. His policies led to the crash, which gutted the value of people's homes. Incredibly, Deputy Martin

renter's market, as we know. The incentives for small-scale landlords are not sufficient. Many people may have inherited a house or bought one property, maximum two, as an investment. I note there is a distinction in the Government's proposal between people with up to three … houses and those with four or more. We can keep rents at a frozen level and provide tax incentives to smaller landlords to ensure they stay in the market. They are the ones who keep the tenants in the properties. They are the ones who offer lower rents

spent five years on the housing committee during the previous Dáil, and I learned fairly quickly that there is no silver bullet to solve the housing crisis. It is by turning on the supply in multiple different streams that we will be able to reach that. Despite what … previous speakers said, we cannot ignore the fact that we are now at the stage where we are building more social or public housing than we have done since what might be called the golden age of social housing in the sixties and seventies. Let us be clear

ensuring that local authorities be permitted to apply to the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant for the purpose of refurbishment of vacant council houses.". This amendment seeks to bring vacant council property homes back within two months, as well as ensuring that local authorities can apply for, and avail … vacant property refurbishment grant. The housing failure has had a catastrophic impact on the citizens of this country. In just a few short years rents have doubled right across the country. In Claremorris, County Mayo, I recently spoke with a constituent whose rent between 2019 and today

thank Deputy Gould and Sinn Féin for tabling this very important motion. There is no shadow of a doubt that houses in the local authorities are taking too long to turn around. There was one house in Killarney I fought tooth and nail over. From … first came up here, it took over five years to get that house in Marian Terrace turned around. There was vermin and everything else gone into it. I was shocked the other day to hear the Taoiseach say a house should only take four or five days

will bring forward a solution. Right across this Chamber, people have outlined how there are vacant boarded up houses in every constituency. We are criticised by those in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, who ask where our solution is. This is the solution. It is a genuine attempt … situation is to say there are no more long-term voids after what the Government did in previous years. If there is a house that has been lived in for 70 years and the keys have been given back, that house requires a serious number of renovations

clearly cross-governmental, with a range of Departments contributing in their own areas of responsibility. In response to Deputy McGuinness's question on housing in rural areas, my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage holds policy responsibility. As part of my Department's role … overseeing the delivery of Our Rural Future, officials in my Department and I regularly engage with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I will formally meet the Minister, Deputy Browne, next week on a range of issues, including housing agus tithíocht sa Ghaeltacht freisin. This activity

Ukraine under the accommodation recognition payment, ARP, scheme. The Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 provides that the draft order laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas cannot be made law until a resolution approving that order has been passed in each House. As announced in March this … important in addressing accommodation challenges due to the continuing arrival of Ukrainians into the State. Pledged accommodation, whether spare rooms in people's houses through Irish Red Cross pledges or vacant homes through the offer a home scheme, were of significant value to the State in the humanitarian

defeat on Sunday and the sincerity of how he expressed it. The season is young yet. There is a theme all around the House of the need to deploy as many gardaí as possible in rural Ireland as well as the big cities. It would be fair … days. We often use "per capita" as a phrase. Per capita, the sporting prowess of both Louth and Offaly is fantastic. The rural housing guidelines are important in terms of sustainable living and rural communities. I will ask the Minister for housing about where we are on that

thank the Deputy. I am happy to take this matter on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. The Deputy made a valid point, and I thank him for raising this matter. On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under … Housing for All action plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and to help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority section 48 development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and wastewater connection

thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. We all agree that housing is the most important issue. There is a housing emergency in this country. There is an onus on all of us to come forward with ideas and policies to try to make real and meaningful … people in the country. I hope we are at least united on this. This Government has taken a number of steps on housing since coming to office only months ago, including publishing an implementation plan for the Planning and Development Act 2024, publishing draft legislation about short-term

strategic projects in our cities and regions.” It also says we will: Invest additional capital in Uisce Éireann to support reaching our new housing targets. We will prioritise water and waste water infrastructure to deliver the capacity to facilitate housing development in our towns and villages. I have … have needed an increase in capacity in that plant. This is an illustration of so many small towns and villages that cannot build houses while they are waiting on Uisce Éireann to start developing the plant or to increase capacity in the plant. As a result

help. Why can we not extend the fee waiver for planning permission to help people who are building their own houses, which means they are not depending on the State and also helps address inflation costs? Why can we not reintroduce that? Just to show the inflation costs … have at the moment for housing, it cost €121 per square foot in 2021. At the time, a 2,000 sq. ft house cost €240,000, plus VAT for the Government at €32,400. That same house today will cost €200 per square foot, meaning that the same

your elevation to high office. It is well deserved. The starting point, which the Minister of State will have to accept, is that house prices, rents and homelessness have skyrocketed. He cannot argue with that. A total of 51 people were homeless in County Laois in February. House … homes was down last year and 10,000 fewer than the Government parties promised during the election campaign. We have a housing crisis but is not being treated as a crisis by Government. Average rents across the State are €1,956 per month. That is a month

know from our time shared on Cork County Council the delivery of affordable housing was something on which the Deputy was insistent and I am glad that much of this is coming to fruition. The Government is fully committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver affordable housing … scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. The Government’s ambition is to build on progress to date under Housing for All and deliver more than 300,000 homes in the period from 2025 to 2030 with an annual average of more than

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated costs of establishing an independent Traveller-specific housing agency to oversee the delivery of culturally appropriate Traveller accommodation nationwide; and the estimated costs of delivering housing for all Travellers who are homeless

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant social housing stock in each local authority area and as a proportion of overall social housing stock, in tabular form; and if he will report on his engagement with local authority executives

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will launch and oversee an audit of mould in social housing and in accommodation leased by the State or paid for through rent allowance or HAP, in the context of widespread issues of mould … local authority and associated housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44382/25

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is considering plans to introduce an affordable rental and affordable purchase housing scheme for older people who are not entitled to social housing and want to right size after selling their home

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a progress report on implementation of the Housing Commission’s recommendation to hold a referendum on the right to housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44385/25

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is considering plans to introduce an affordable rental and affordable purchase housing scheme for older people who are not entitled to social housing and want to right size after selling their home

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a progress report on the implementation of the Housing Commission’s recommendation to hold a referendum on the right to housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44426/25

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a progress report on the recommendations made in the Joint Oireachtas Committee Report on the pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, 2024, to create a statutory appeal … structure to allow for appeals and reviews of housing decisions made by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44427/25

Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an individual can contact the land registry office directly to request the deeds of their house; to outline this process; if this can be done if the land transfer application is still being processed … outline if this process can be expedited in the event that they are selling their house; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40324/25

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the State, through the Housing Finance Agency or another State body, took out a loan from the European Investment Bank for the purpose of delivering Social Housing PPP Bundle 3; whether that loan has been

Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of people on the housing waiting list; the number of those in receipt of social housing supports, by category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40085/25

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the local connection rule applies to people fleeing domestic violence seeking social housing support and for an update to the social housing passport proposal. [38851/25

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities have been issued with the new housing needs demand assessment population and housing targets; and if so, if he will publish them with a breakdown for each local authority, in tabular from

Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will urgently provide additional funding to Westmeath County Council in relation to housing aid for the elderly and housing adaptions for those with a disability. [37999/25

Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will significantly increase the mortgage allowance scheme for those vacating a social house with a view to purchasing a property, as creating a strong incentive should free up additional social housing units. [37291/25

Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if any financial support is available for housing extensions where household income is over the financial threshold to qualify for a sufficient local authority housing adaptation grant for disabled people to carry out necessary adaptations

Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the reasoning behind the decision, during the biannual review, to not increase the price ceiling in Cork for houses for which support can be sought from the first home scheme; if consideration will … given to increasing the property price ceiling for houses in Galway city for which support can be sought from the first home scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37837/25

Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, through his Department or local authorities, there is a policy to not allow purchase of four-bed houses through the tenant (incremental) purchase scheme 2016; if not, the number of four-bed houses have been

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications from Galway City Council, Galway County Council and approved housing bodies for the development of social housing projects in County Galway; the stage the applications are at in the application process

Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has concluded the examination of the review commissioned by the Housing Agency in order to develop a new income eligibility model, so as to raise income thresholds for social housing given the cost

Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to the 2024 annual report of the special advocate for survivors of institutional abuse, the consideration given to the creation of an additional housing need category pursuant to Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will immediately commence section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, in order to restore rent-setting for local authority housing to a reserved function of elected councillors, as originally intended under

Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline plans to increase the supply of affordable and social housing in the Saggart and Citywest areas, in light of ongoing population growth and housing demand. [36081/25

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered in each county to date in 2025 under the affordable housing scheme; and if he will provide a breakdown by municipal district. [33897/25

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide available data on the impact of the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2027's Implementation Plan on people with intellectual disabilities, including stakeholder feedback on housing accessibility, waiting times, and unmet needs