Search the record

that, as Minister for Justice, I do not look at it as just a policing issue. I am conscious that Members of this House do not view it as simply a policing issue. I will look at An Garda Síochána because, in any debate on policing and safety … important we resource An Garda Síochána, that we give it appropriate powers and that it performs the duties we in this House have allocated to it through legislation. At present, the standard political response in this House is that, along with most members of the public, most political

Wicklow County Council and having dealt with four county development plans, I would like to make a number of points on the Housing Commission report. Many aspects are good but some show a disconnect with realities on the ground. In this regard, I will deal with rural planning … first. Page 186 of the report states, “Strengthen the environmental and planning thresholds for single housing in rural areas”. I totally disagree with this. The restrictions on planning are already very stringent, as I know too well. Another proposal states: “Revoke amendments to the Building Control Regulation

private sector that outperforms targets every year. It is the Government that misses its public housing targets every single year. It is the State and this Government that is not pulling its weight. There is a half a billion euro hole in the housing budget this year. This … Government that failed to build enough houses last year and now plans to spend half a billion euro less this year than last year. Far from a fresh approach, the Government is doubling down on the failed policies of the past. The Taoiseach is going around threatening renters

Minister does not bother his backside to turn up for two housing debates in a row and the Government refuses to discuss for nine months the Housing Commission report which provided a damning indictment of the failures of Government housing policy. Why? It is because the Government does … want to solve the housing crisis. It does not care about the people who have been on housing lists for a decade or more or families and children in emergency accommodation, people who are quaking with fear because they are threatened with eviction. The Government does not care

expecting a different outcome. Looking at Fianna Fáil’s and Fine Gael’s recent history of expensive, untargeted tax reliefs in the housing area, we see a tax credit for landlords that they never asked for, an answer to a question nobody ever asked, yet landlords are still … help-to-buy scheme is a tax relief costing close to €1 billion which is pocketed by developers and only serves to inflate house prices, as we always said it would. It was repeatedly opposed by officials in the Department of Finance who are paid to advise

propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 6, inclusive, together. The new programme for Government underscores our commitment both to solving the housing crisis and to providing the infrastructure to sustain a growing economy and society. Delivering infrastructure effectively is necessary to continue to attract foreign investment … Ireland, grow our economy, foster regional development, deliver on our housing commitments, meet social needs and achieve our very ambitious climate goals. The programme for Government sets out an extensive range of new actions in relation to infrastructure and housing in particular, building on the progress achieved

return to the biggest immediate challenge facing the Government, namely housing. Despite the bluster from Government, it has admitted that last year it built nearly 10,000 fewer homes than it previously stated. We all hear from our constituents in communities around the country that housing … single biggest issue facing families and individuals. We hear this from people who are homeless, from families who are living in housing insecurity and from people who cannot move out of their childhood bedrooms because they cannot find affordable homes anywhere in their neighbourhoods. Tomorrow morning, the House

deliver a Pharmacy First minor ailments scheme; and legislate to mandate safe staffing levels in every hospital while engaging directly with workers. On housing, the programme for Government says again that it acknowledges that “housing is a major social and economic challenge that touches every generation” and goes … state that "a radical step change to housing supply to rise to that fundamental challenge" is needed. In the last Dáil, these two parties consistently missed their targets, year after year. They did not deliver on housing and I do not believe they can. In Limerick city house

Minister saw the good-quality houses in Dargan Woods. The council exceeded the Government's target by nearly 250%. The Government needs to increase its targets for both affordable and cost-rental housing. There have been a huge number of inquiries. Cost rental is the only option … have broken relationships or be separated. They cannot get a loan due to their age and do not qualify for a council house because of their income. Low-paid workers in their 20s, 30s and 40s who are above the limit but are unable to get a mortgage

thank Deputies across the House for their contributions to this important debate. The motion before the House seeks approval for the social homes scheme for designated local authorities and approved housing bodies affected by defective concrete blocks. To be clear, I acknowledge the pressures Donegal County Council … actively engage with it. This scheme represents a significant investment in supporting the remediation of social homes owned by local authorities and approved housing bodies affected by defective concrete blocks. It is an important step in protecting our social housing stock, supporting tenants and ensuring communities can continue

centre demand having exploded by over 400% over the last ten years. They ignored warnings about the fact that data centres are preventing houses from being built. Just yesterday, the Central Bank report detailed that a lack of access to the grid is one of the key reasons … housing is not being provided. While Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael fight for this status quo, Sinn Féin is absolutely clear that data centres must pay their fair share. In my constituency of Kildare North, the building of the Herbata data centre has been a source of massive

raising this matter and for highlighting the significant population growth taking place in Swords. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I am interested to hear the Deputy say it is the third largest town in Ireland. In that context … understand why he has raised these issues. The Government fully recognises that the successful delivery of new housing must be supported by timely and co-ordinated investment in the infrastructure required to sustain vibrant and thriving communities. Through the housing activation office in my Department, we are working

crisis, as many disabled people and their families do not know that they are required to be on a local authority social housing list to be recorded within housing need; — at the end of quarter 2 2025, HSE data recorded 1,389 applicants for new residential services … know where their adult son or daughter will live when they can no longer provide care; — in evidence to the Houses of the Oireachtas, Before We Die stated that, of 1,000 families surveyed, only 2 per cent had a formal written housing plan for their adult

safe, high-quality and person-centred way. We can only achieve that with the right people and with access to the right housing needs. Addressing workplaces challenges, including the recruitment and retention of a strong workforce, and having the right regulatory environment for the sector in place … access to appropriate and adequate availability of housing. In that regard, I echo the Minister’s welcome of the circular from this week to local authorities on housing development action plans. Those plans will deliver more appropriate accommodation solutions for people with complex disabilities in local authorities across

move amendment No. 18: In page 13, to delete lines 25 to 35 and substitute the following: “(9) On receipt by a housing authority of a social housing appeal made in accordance with this section, the chief executive of the authority shall request the Minister to nominate … establish and maintain a panel of persons eligible for nomination as appeals officers, being persons— (a) who are officers or employees of a housing authority other than the housing authority whose determination is the subject of the social housing appeal concerned, and (b) who, in the opinion

homes in circumstances where its own technical standard accepts the science is not fully developed in certain foundation cases. These decisions determine remediation, housing security and the level of uncertainty families are left carrying for decades. At the centre of this is a simple question. When the science … complete and the State must still act, who carries what remains unresolved? Is it the State or the homeowner? I should inform the House that I am directly affected by this matter and I deal with it every day. I am living with a defective concrete crisis

Government may be shocked to realise this but the evidence presented was very strong. The latest scientific evidence is that 20,000 houses in estates in Donegal, Mayo, Clare and Limerick are affected. That does not include one-off housing, which we know there … those counties, social housing, business premises or community buildings. We also know that defective concrete is not confined to those four counties and that it is a problem in other counties as well but we do not have sight of the sort of numbers that would be involved

shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30th June, 2026 and ending on 29th June, 2027. The two motions before the House seek the approval of Dáil Éireann to continue in force provisions in the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and the Criminal Justice … Amendment) Act 2009 aimed at combating terrorism and organised crime. Given the nature of these important provisions, the Houses of the Oireachtas have decided that they should be periodically reviewed. The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration is required to lay reports before the Oireachtas

Will the Government consider amending the incremental tenant purchase scheme 2016 to allow houses acquired under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to be made eligible for purchase under this scheme? I want to highlight today the unfairness for some tenants with the ongoing injustice … within our local authority housing system. The incremental tenant purchase scheme was launched to give long-term social housing tenants a fair path towards owning their own home. It builds generational wealth, it stabilises neighbourhoods and it rewards hard-working families. Today, however, thousands of families around

them for their work and advocacy and for shining a spotlight on this situation. Sometimes you just have to stand up in this House and admit that where we are is not where we need to be. This is one of those occasions. I have a load … people in this country. We had a good meeting of the Cabinet committee on disability a couple of weeks ago in respect of housing specifically. This was motivated by the campaign of the Before We Die group. At that meeting, a number of things were agreed. I acknowledge

stay for the debate. It shows the lack of interest the Government has in this issue. It shows a complete disrespect for the House and for the issues before us that not a single Minister in the Department of Health could stay here for what has been … debate of about an hour. They could not show that respect for the House. Not one Minister from the Department of Health could stay for a Bill on public health. The Government does not care about public health, and if anyone was in any doubt about that, tonight

only 18 to 19 years ago have not been fully understood. The shadow of the crash still looms; most notably in a dysfunctional housing and construction sector that still has not fully recovered. We see the impact of this every single day. There are more than … people homeless in what is now, objectively, a rich country. Annual housing targets are routinely unmet. Housing is out of the reach of far too many working class people. There is the smashing of the social contract that urgently needs to be pieced back together. NAMA, in terms

dodgy bankers and cowboy developers. We should also not forget that NAMA represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape our housing system for the benefit of ordinary people; an opportunity that was shamefully wasted. Cailleadh an deis seo. Bunchloch dhínit an duine is ea an tithíocht … result of the economic downturn. The consequence of the recession for these families who lost loved ones could not have been more severe. Houses and apartments should be looked at as homes and not as assets. Treating housing as an investment opportunity is what got us into

thabhairt faoi bhráid na Dála anocht. Molaim agus molann Páirtí an Lucht Oibre an rún seo. The most basic test of any housing system is really quite simple; it is whether ordinary people can access secure and decent housing. In this country, we have arrived at a situation … whereby the country is divided between haves and have-nots. The haves have property and secure housing and the have-nots do not. When the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, was sitting opposite me, he spoke about 762 eviction notices. He said that we were not to consider

partners are. They are living with me. I am a building contractor. For them to be able to afford to build their own house is not viable because of inflation. They are saving hard but as hard as they can save, inflation is passing out what they … save. Those are the people who want to build their own houses. We came on to the modular houses and we said to allow people to put in a modular unit at the back of their own house. It would allow the parents, if they wanted

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if it is his intention to advance the recommendation of the Report of the Housing Commission with respect to the holding of a referendum on the right to housing; and if he will make

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the data his Department has access to in relation to notices of termination issued to social tenants housed by approved housing bodies. [28957/25

Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the rollout of a social housing passport that will allow persons on social housing waiting lists to change local authority without losing time on the list; and if he will make

Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the second phase of the housing development at a location; if he will provide an update on funding approval and timelines for commencement; the status of the second phase of the housing development

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authority planning permission can facilitate the building of clusters of houses in rural areas where the developer provides adequate wastewater treatment, as at present the vast majority of villages do not have wastewater treatment … facilities and it is not possible to get planning permission for clusters of houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29297/25

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the additional cost to the Exchequer for every additional 1,000 social housing units delivered through the following schemes, SHIP construction, SHIP turnkey, CALF construction, CALF turnkey, CAS construction, CALF turnkey, and social housing acquisition

Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that an applicant (details supplied) for mortgage to rent has been turned down due to the valuation of her defective blocks home being deemed … value of the house remediated as opposed to the value of the house with deleterious materials present; if he will offer any clarity on the issue; if he has any intention to address this issue through legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29649/25

Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to address the increasing number of prospective house buyers turning to social housing due to affordability concerns (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29681/25

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address the housing crisis and provide affordable and social housing by directing local authorities in Kerry and across the country to zone lands and grant planning permission for good quality modular homes (details

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost of providing Housing First with wraparound supports to a single adult experiencing long-term homelessness; the estimated cost of expanding the Housing First programme to the 2,245 families currently accessing emergency homeless

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is considering amending the turnkey purchase of housing developments for social housing to allow for stage payments to the building developers. [28494/25

Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the further steps that his Department is taking to increase the number of social houses built across the country as outlined in the Housing Commission Report; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the 2030 retrofitting targets; to report on the pathway between now and 2030 to reach our 2030 targets; to provide a breakdown of projected or estimated targets for completed retrofits in social housing … provide a breakdown of projected or estimated targets for completed retrofits to a BER B2 standard or higher in social housing in each of the years 2025 to 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28313/25

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for details of any engagements with his colleagues in the Department of Social Protection or the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment regarding the impact of social housing income limits on the behaviours of individuals … housing list or preparing to apply for the list; if, in particular, the limits disincentivise taking up employment or applying for payments to which an individual may otherwise be entitled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26724/25

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline, given that social housing is a key part of the architecture of social protection in Ireland, his views on whether his Department’s approach to social housing income limits is consistent with

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for details of any research, completed or ongoing, concerning the impact of social housing income limits on the behaviours of individuals who are on the housing list or preparing to apply for the list; whether

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that there are income gaps in the available housing schemes operated by his Department and by local authorities whereby a person’s income may be too high for social housing eligibility

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider abolishing the income limits for social housing eligibility and fund a universally accessible social housing system through a scheme of differential rents. [26729/25

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the work, scope and membership of the housing activation industry group within the Strategic Housing Activation Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27490/25

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the work, scope and membership of the housing activation delivery group within the Strategic Housing Activation Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27491/25

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify the rationale for the removal of a person from the housing waiting list and all the years they have accrued as a result of being temporarily over the income threshold limit … details supplied); his views on whether this is a very harsh penalty for those who remain in housing need and who, upon being assessed as eligible to reapply, have to begin a long process of waiting again, despite having had significant prior years on the waiting list

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will reconsider the decision to situate the proposed housing activation unit within his Department rather than under the Department of the Taoiseach, in order to ensure stronger cross-Government coordination on critical issues affecting … housing delivery, including justice, transport, utilities, and planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25125/25

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill and the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill; if he intends to publish these Bills before the summer recess; and whether he hopes … have the defects Bill undergo pre-legislative scrutiny before the recess and the Housing Bill introduced for second stage before the recess. [25952/25

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the supplementary estimate for housing will be published and brought to the Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. [25953/25

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is concerned that housing delivery is at risk because of an inability of new houses to be connected to the electricity grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24653/25