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Four weeks ago, the previous Minister for foreign affairs gave an indication that the occupied territories Bill would be brought back to this House before the end of November. The November schedule will be agreed without that being included. Can the Chief Whip now give an assurance that … Bill will be brought before the House before Christmas and the end of December

agree with the Deputy. I mentioned in my opening remarks earlier on during Leaders' Questions that all us share responsibility in this House but also outside the House, and that includes corporate bodies and our education system. Our teachers and our other educators are doing

huge loss. Will the Government review the legal framework that enables this practice to happen? Ringfort is a development of 16 houses that these families and others put deposits on in good faith, paid for extras and signed valid, binding contracts on more than five years … developer does not wish to honour the said contracts, as he can see he would make so much more today selling the houses. He should not be allowed to do this. He is shattering the dreams and futures of these families

appreciate the opportunity to speak on the Supplementary Estimates before the House today for the Department of Taoiseach and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. I understand that these proposals are not about allocating new funds for fresh initiatives or discretionary spending. Instead, they represent essential expenditures … statutory obligations that must be honoured. They are laid out under the Commissions of Investigation Act and backed by resolutions of this House. Failure to fund these costs would undermine our system of inquiries. I believe supporting these Supplementary Estimates is essential to uphold the integrity

look at this category of people for a moment. These are the same people who cannot get on a local authority housing waiting list. Many workers and their families cannot get on a local authority waiting list. They cannot get a mortgage - and if they … only income. That is an absolute scandal that we are ignoring that group of people. They are the people who cannot get a house. They cannot get a mortgage. They are paying taxes. They have to get to work. They have to make payments on cars and everything

wonderful nurses there. The head nurse there was Ms Lonergan, since retired. Her husband, Seán Lonergan, was a senior officer in housing. They were two great public officials. They collected money in buckets outside many a funeral. When I went to funerals I saw them raising money … presto, they built it two or three storeys high but it has no lift. If you were building a house for someone in a wheelchair you would have to put in a ramp to make sure it got planning, but they built this with no lift

those convicted of domestic violence against their partner or former partner being publicly named on this register. I suggest the Bill before the House granting a civil protection order will act as a further deterrent, so I hope the Government adopts this Bill. I note the Minister said … agencies and obviously society as a whole because we have been poor at bringing things together. We have heard this about the housing crisis, public transport, energy self-sufficiency and also this hugely important issue. Can we bring the protections we are talking about together? Can we train

There were many omissions in the Minister's ill-fated housing plan launched only a matter of weeks ago but one that was particularly astonishing is the removal of targets, either across the life cycle of the plan or, indeed, on an annual basis, for cost-rental … affordable purchase homes delivered by local authorities, approved housing bodies, AHBs, and the Land Development Agency, LDA. Can the Minister explain why these targets that were in his predecessor's plan were removed and does that mean he has abandoned targets or he is simply not willing

target for new-build social homes? Again, this is a scheme that he funds and a scheme that local authorities and approved housing bodies deliver, some in conjunction with the Land Development Agency. It makes no sense to say that we do not need targets for cost rental … affordable purchase but we do for social housing. Again, it is a very simple question. There were clear targets for next year, some of which the Minister shared with us in the committee only a matter of months ago. My question, which the Minister has not answered

House should note for the second time tonight that the Minister has studiously avoided the question. What do we know about tenancies? The Residential Tenancies Board tells us that the average length of a tenancy is three and a half years long. In the past 12 months … even done an analysis. Why not and why is he making renters pay for viability challenges the Minister and his failing housing policy created in the first place

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeframe for the implementation of the recommendations of the approved housing bodies strategic forum report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65673/25

relation to moving the AHB sector towards a sustainable delivery model. There is a real lack of clarity in the Minister's new housing plan on exactly how the Government will deliver its targets. How many direct-build social homes will be delivered under the new housing plan

them. We want to get the AHBs to go more towards direct delivery to examine the reformed income model for the AHB social housing revolving fund, establishing an AHB sector restructuring sustainable fund and then capital funding to support more sustainability for larger AHBs. That is the area … terms of some of the larger AHBs, there is a body of work under way with the UCD Geary Institute and the Housing Alliance. They have allowed potential pathways in terms of the reclassification of some larger AHBs

Government. The gearing and debt levels within some larger AHBs need to be addressed because they are basically putting our capacity to deliver housing at risk. Specifically, in relation to the recommendation of moving the AHB sector away from turnkey and towards direct delivery, there is a distinct … Government will deliver its 72,000 target, which is too low anyway because it does not take in the inbuilt deficit from the Housing Commission. How many out of the 72,000 will be direct-build social homes

call for proposals. Through the Department but particularly the local authorities, the State will define the location, the typology and tenure of housing needed as well as specifications and value parameters for any of the scheme proposals. The AHB proposals are aligned with our local authority housing delivery

Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the key measures to increase social housing availability under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65487/25

Will the Minister for housing to outline the key measures to increase social housing availability under the delivering homes, building communities plan

Meeting our social housing targets is absolutely crucial. Meeting them through new builds is best practice and that is where we want to expand as quickly as possible. However, we need local authorities to lead on their own-build programmes as well because that builds resilience into … some local authorities really expand on own builds and I give credit to those local authorities. Some local authorities have exceeded past social housing targets but perhaps were overly reliant on a non-own-build properties. We need to see them develop their capacity. Some local authorities

welcome the strong recognition for modern methods of construction in the new housing plan. That is critically important. The construction sector is very much up for embracing MMC and the additional measures in the plan to incentivise the construction industry to take up those measures are critically important … embracing both on-site and off-site modern methods of construction and really delivering quickly in terms of the turnaround time for new houses. That is important and it was a site the Taoiseach visited recently to see first-hand the progress that has been made there

questions paper. I urge him to go off script for the next couple of minutes to address it. We have a situation where houses that were built are vacant. At the heart of this particular problem is that there are two separate companies with the same owners … debt of another company, giving it secured creditor status. This means many other creditors will receive nothing, including these families, and the houses will remain vacant for now. The families are waiting to move into their homes, which are vacant. There is nothing they

Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding allocated to local authorities to bring vacant properties back into public use for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65437/25

thank both Deputies for their input in relation to the matter. In relation to my time in the Department of housing, there has been significant engagement with the Department of the environment in terms of developing the wider issues around the guidelines and in relation to updating them … whose policies are around ensuring that we have necessary renewable energy. I will be working with the Deputies as well and with the House to ensure that we can get that balance in place

from Mayo and Donegal, but also from Fingal. The homeowners in Fingal met the Minister's predecessor in 2022 and applied to the Housing Agency in 2023. The Housing Agency's report has been on the Minister's desk since June or July of this year

what can be done. I agree that a small sum of money for towns and villages creates opportunities to build houses for people who can live in their own areas, enhance their villages and parishes and keep the community alive. It allows developers to make houses available

having to pull over to the side of the road because they are so unwell and cannot make their appointments. Can this House imagine what it is like to be undergoing cancer treatment and be trapped in traffic for hours on end? The problems for commuters are because … pressure and availability of housing, the lack of timely and fit-for-purpose public transport, a Government flexible working policy that is simply not fit for purpose and an inadequate response to minor accidents and breakdowns compounded by driver frustration and education and a lack of transport gardaí

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the analysis or records demonstrating the way in which changes in visitor dwell-time and local mobility plans have impacted ticket sales and site revenues (details supplied) in 2024; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can provide financial records outlining the percentage of total site revenue derived from outsourced operations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21706/26

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will supply records or internal assessments evaluating the financial impact of branding (details supplied) on cross-site ticketing, bundled offers, or visitor numbers to include income/overall Revenue (rephrased requests); and if he will make

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide consolidated income statements or revenue summaries for 2024 for all Shannon Heritage and Clare Tourism East sites under Clare County Council’s management; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the ceilings for the first homes scheme will be raised and if he will raise the ceiling for Limerick city as it currently stands at €425,000; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the income breakdowns from banquet and overnight accommodation bookings at sites (details supplied), especially following the outsourcing arrangements and refurbishment initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21710/26

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the financial records showing revenue generated by a site (details supplied) since its transfer to Clare County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21711/26

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the seasonal income data comparing revenues, expenditure and operating costs from the summer high season versus the shoulder off-peak seasons in 2024 across sites (details suppled); and if he will make a statement

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide documentation outlining operating costs and expenditures for all tourism sites (details supplied) in 2024, including staffing, maintenance, capital works, and outsourced service contracts; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide budgetary documents and forecasts related to the Clare Tourism Directorate’s planned capital investments for 2024–2026, including site-specific project expenditures; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide copies of revenue budgets for 2024 and 2025 for tourism operations, specifically highlighting any allocations or projections related to new developments (details supplied); and if he will make a statement

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21717/26

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will expedite the legislative review of the Directly Elected Mayor of Limerick legislation; to provide a clear timeline for when the review will be commenced; when the review will conclude; and if he will

Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to increase the property price ceiling for the first home scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21728/26

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacancies that exist for qualified planning staff in each local authority, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21740/26

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of sanctioned posts for qualified planning staff in each local authority, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21741/26

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacancies that exist for qualified planning staff in each regional assembly, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21742/26

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps being taken, including a list of open competitions and future planned competitions to fill the vacancies in qualified planning staff in local authorities and regional assemblies; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of qualified planners that have resigned from local authorities between 2020 and 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21744/26

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authorities that are supporting their staff to get an accredited planning qualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21745/26

Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the full breakdown of expenditure by his Department on St. Patrick’s Day related activities; the details of any travel abroad; the number of officials that travelled; the costs involved; and if he will make

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of heads of government, heads of state, ministers, governors, mayors or other senior elected officials he and Ministers of State in his Department met for the St. Patrick's Day engagements overseas this year

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of Irish diaspora groups, including but not limited to sporting and cultural organisations, as well as emigrant organisations he and Ministers of State in his Department met for the St. Patrick's Day engagements

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of businesses and business representative organisations he and State Ministers of State in his Department met for the St. Patrick's Day engagements overseas this year. [21941/26

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the value of trade and tourism respectively, between Ireland and the states visited by him and by Ministers of State in his Department for the St Patrick's Day engagements overseas this year