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Putin's empire - in believing it should control spheres of influence around Russia. There is a long history of Russia being the prison house of nations, as it was called in the days of the tsars, subjugating those in its sphere of influence. That is mirrored by Trump … from 2% of GDP expenditure on arms and military to 5%. That is incredible. That is money that should be going to housing, health, education and the humanitarian reconstruction of Ukraine. Instead, it will go to weapons, the arms manufacturers who want to profit from this horror

move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to address the House on the Second Stage of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill. The publication of this Bill meets a commitment in the programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future to update … opportunity to outline its provisions and I look forward to hearing Deputies' views on the contents. I commend the Bill to the House

numbers presenting for emergency care for mental health issues. Mental health conditions do not exist in isolation. It is big-picture stuff. The housing crisis has contributed massively to the rise in the figures. We cannot talk about mental health without mentioning our housing crisis. People without

provision in Cavan-Monaghan, the capital assistance scheme stage 1 application for a refuge site in Monaghan was approved by the Department of housing last October. Work is ongoing towards submitting a stage 2 application, which will include further detail and costing for the full extent of works … assistance scheme, CAS, process takes on average 75 weeks, with construction typically taking 15 to 18 months. Safe Ireland is the lead approved housing body on this development. Safe Ireland has expressed its commitment to explore other options of accommodation in the area of Monaghan but there

push for? Why is the Department not communicating with the solicitors? The lack of engagement is deeply concerning. I visited some of the houses, including Antoinette Keegan’s house. She welcomed me in. I know that losing her family members still haunts her today. It is something

McAuliffe from my neighbouring constituency has said. It is not just in one constituency but across Dublin. On my way in to Leinster House one day, I saw a scrambler with two young lads without helmets. When I was pulling into Leinster House, they were going

planning. I put it to the Minister of State, as I said earlier, that if this happened to any of us in the House and we woke up to one of these 18 m high telecommunications masts being put in front of, behind or alongside our house

commercial rates and the role of Tailte Éireann in that regard. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne. Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency that provides a property registration system, property valuation service and national … State. It is independent in the exercise of its valuation functions under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended, and neither the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage nor his Department has any function in decisions in this regard. Tailte Éireann has overall responsibility under

termination of pregnancy services. We have taken a number of important actions to give effect to that, on which I will update the House. In line with the programme for Government, all 19 maternity hospitals are now providing termination of pregnancy services. There has also been a continuous … That is the reason I voted last week to enable Deputy Paul Murphy's Bill to come back on the floor of the House. It is important to have a Chamber that enables freedom of speech and debate and that we have dialogue on this issue. Deputy Murphy

very essence of democratic choice is that those who are elected by the people may come into this House and freely choose how they wish to vote. I have every respect for Deputy Coppinger's vote, just as I have every respect for the votes of the Minister … State, Deputy Butler, and of Deputies O'Shea, Ó Muirí, Kerrane and every single person in this House. I respect their vote, their perspective, how they represent their constituents and what they are doing here. That is the democratic process. Citizens' assemblies provide an important informative process

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage considering the testimony of witnesses before the Oireachtas housing committee stating that the proposed legislation would lead to increases in rents, and no witnesses stating that they believed rents would fall because of the legislation

Minister talks about the Opposition not coming forward with solutions. I have been in this House over a year now. Time and again, we have come forward with amendments to legislation. The Government brings the Bill in, takes Committee and Remaining Stages very quickly in the House

joint Oireachtas committee around Easter time and enacted and enforced thereafter. I have never once said that this is a solution to the housing crisis. This is about providing options for people where they feel it appropriate. There will be restrictions and limitations across a number of areas … this. I see this as a very positive and proactive measure that the Government is taking. That is why it is in the housing plan and why it is being prioritised by the Department. As I said, we expect to have those regulations before the joint Oireachtas committee

Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the initiative to allow builders and private developers to construct wastewater treatment facilities for smaller housing developments; when the new regulations will come into effect; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if additional funding will be made available to local authorities in 2026 for housing adaptation grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4932/26

Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when Sligo County Council will receive its 2026 funding allocation to enable the reopening of the urgently needed housing adaptation grant scheme, which has been paused for several months; and if he will make a statement

suppose I got some of the answers anyway. I recognise that. The situation facing the council housing adaptation grant schemes in Sligo and Leitrim is now critical. In 2025 the council budgeted €2.4 million to support older people and people with disabilities to remain safely in their homes … still awaiting the 2026 allocation. The delay is preventing essential home adaptations that allow people to live with dignity and independence. The housing adaptation grant is one of the most impactful, cost-effective supports the State provides. Every euro invested keeps people out of hospital beds

this is delivered. It is not just about the figures. Sometimes it is from the same pot as regards the housing adaptation grant, the disabled persons' grant and the housing for older people grant, which is absolutely vital for windows, doors, etc., but it should not necessarily

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he is taking to address the lack of affordable housing in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3349/26

With regard to affordable housing, while there is a need for more to be done, I welcome the fact that the Minister was in Gorey last Friday where a very successful affordable housing scheme of 20 homes was launched. The families were very satisfied. I was delighted that

these schemes exist, and that people are aware of them and use them. As Deputy Byrne mentioned, we have some very successful affordable housing schemes, and we want to see even more of them. Again, it is up to the local authorities to make sure that they … driving these schemes as well and doing more because we as a Government are supporting affordable housing in this country

Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has engaged in any consultation processes with approved housing bodies and local authorities in advance of legislation removing blanket pet bans. [4416/26

distress to families who have been in touch with me. I will give one example of one family. They were on a social housing list and got approval. They were very excited, but only a couple of months earlier they had generously taken in their neighbour … show the direction of travel. That would reassure the people out there who are on these lists and are hoping to get housing

This was the Housing Agency that funded SpunOut, which choose the topics itself. SpunOut does a fantastic job. An official in the housing Department retweeted it. I am not going after that official. They were well intentioned and they thought they were doing the right thing. These things

commend the Minister and his junior Ministers on the tireless work they are doing on the housing crisis. Will the Minister provide funding to Kerry County Council to construct modular homes as part of the solution for social and affordable housing? Will the Minister allow Kerry County Council

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the last time the Local Electoral Boundary Area Committee for Cork City Council and Cork County Council met. [23533/26

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of outstanding issues on the 2019 boundary redraw in Cork that remain. [23534/26

Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether national planning guidelines specific to utility scale ground mounted solar photovoltaic developments have been, or are proposed to be, issued under the Planning and Development Act 2024; whether the absence of such dedicated guidelines means

Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the practical effect the EU (Planning and Development) (Renewable Energy) Regulations 2025, which transposed Renewable Energy Directive III (Directive (EU) 2023/2413) into Irish law, will have on the weight a planning authority is required to give

Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to the recent public consultation by his Department regarding proposed changes to planning laws and regulations regarding modular homes as exempted development in certain cases, when will these be published; and if he will make

Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the national guidance or methodology planning authorities are required to apply when assessing the indirect visual and setting impacts of utility-scale renewable energy developments on monuments listed on the Record of Monuments and Places under

Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration would be given to reviewing the eligibility areas of grant aid schemes administered by a local authority (details supplied) to upgrade, repair or replace domestic wastewater treatment system/septic tank systems, to ensure that those

Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to reviewing the eligibility areas of grant aid schemes administered by a local authority (details supplied) to upgrade, repair or replace domestic wastewater treatment system/septic tank systems, to ensure that those

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to explain the legal basis for a practice (details supplied); if he will proceed with a recommended remediation option, given that the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 provides

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a practice (details supplied), is consistent with the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, which provides that a determination and the reasons for that determination

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review a practice (details supplied) to ensure that applicants are provided with the full chartered engineer's report and reasoning prior to being required to make any decision affecting their rights under

Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide details on the legislative process which enabled the addition of the Ulster Canal to the remit of Waterways Ireland in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason a person (details supplied) is still awaiting a response to their appeal to the defective concrete block scheme award option 2; the reason the appeals section does not have a publicly available email address

Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average turn around times for the Croí Cónaithe scheme in all applicable local authorities in the State for the last three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of CPO completions in each local authority in the State for the last three years; and the average time taken to complete these CPOs, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a breakdown of all taskforces that fall under his remit; the dates on which they have met since their inception; the membership of each taskforce; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in light of recent evidence to the Public Accounts Committee that localised flood warning systems may take a further five to ten years to deliver, whether his Department has assessed the potential for AI-powered flood

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will examine the introduction of a statutory requirement that all planning applications for grid scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) be automatically subject to a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), regardless of site size

Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the current industrial relations dispute within Tailte Éireann given the Government's failure to implement a pay agreement which was agreed between a trade union (details supplied), Tailte

Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details of all periodic critical reviews that have been conducted by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) since 2009, in accordance with section 8.14 of the code of practice

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding which had been allocated to the PPP bundles, by bundle, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23924/26

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding which has been allocated to the Dublin City Council Home Building Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23925/26

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage to provide details of the recent settlement reached between the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Revenue regarding payment in kind to certain NPWS staff members, including the number of staff members involved

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the local government taskforce has submitted its report to Government; the number of recommendations this contains; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24071/26

Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage with reference to the implementation of the developer-led wastewater services infrastructure initiative published by his Department on 4 March 2026; if this initiative will cater for areas that have no existing wastewater treatment systems