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welcome the opportunity to update the House on the response under way following publication of the clinical audit into developmental dysplasia of the hip, DDH, surgery on children in CHI and National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, published last Friday, 23 May. This follows on from our debate … have met and spoken with parents whose children had these surgeries and I know their worry, as do my colleagues in this House. This experience of worry for your child and of being completely in the hands of a clinician, their advice and decisions is one those

thank Deputy O'Meara for raising the important question around the expansion of the provision of modular housing. I thank the Deputy for his ongoing work and engagement in this important area of housing delivery. My Department, working closely with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment … adoption of modern methods of construction, MMC. MMC is a collective term which describes innovative construction alternatives to traditional construction, which includes modular housing. In 2023, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, in collaboration with my Department, published the roadmap for the increased adoption

deliver the minimum of 50,000 homes a year we need. There is no commitment to implement the radical strategic reset of housing policy the Government needs to deliver. That was the recommendation of the Housing Commission. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have once again failed … want critical infrastructure, water and wastewater services need to be funded. There is a village in Cork called Carrignavar. A dozen houses were built there over ten years. They are brand-new and ready to go but there is nowhere for the wastewater to go and Cork County

Would the Minister agree that his Government's record on housing over the first 100 days has been an unmitigated disaster? A total of 15,376 people are in emergency accommodation, housing completions are down by 6.7% and social and affordable targets are down by 18%. These … explained why it stayed quiet about them. To top it all off, search parties have to be sent out for the housing Minister because nobody has a clue who he is. Before he even took up his post he announced that he needed a housing tsar. What this

issues of the day is the housing crisis. I am sure the Minister of State will agree with that. However, the last planning framework, from 2018, significantly underestimated the level of housing need in the State. As a consequence, two successive Government housing plans failed to address … volume of housing required, although the previous Governments did not meet their targets in any case. The new framework being proposed involves a housing needs demand assessment as one of its core features but it seems to have underestimated the level of demand. The published draft targets

hoping the Government had learned its lesson when it was caught out deliberately misrepresenting last year's housing delivery numbers. I was wrong. When the figures for affordable housing were finally published last week, something was clearly off with them. Cooking the books was the only … failure. Continually trying to mislead the public comes at a cost - your credibility. The reality is that nobody trusts this Government on housing. Nobody believes your plan is working. Even your own TDs are telling journalists your handling of housing is a disaster. At this point, any rational

that, in my time as a county councillor. Coincidentally, a first revision was published today. I hope it can be put through the Houses of the Oireachtas quickly. The delay so far is preventing much-needed house building because the current plan is based on outdated population figures … preventing planning permission approvals. Recently, in Blessington, County Wicklow, planning for 335 houses, supported by Wicklow County Council, was refused by An Bord Pleanála because the town plan had not been updated. This update was not possible because the national planning framework had not been updated. Red tape

know, housing production is the number one priority for the Government as is reflected in the programme for Government. Ireland's housing need is real and we need to consider all methods of construction to deliver the targets we set out in the programme for Government. We have … increase housing supply, improve sustainability and boost construction productivity. A recent report by the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, published last autumn, which was welcomed by the Government and the industry, was the first critical review of modern methods of construction in the landscape in Ireland

When the Minister's predecessor entered office, there was a debate about whether there was a housing crisis. Ultimately, he accepted that there was a housing crisis. In truth, we have had a housing crisis and a housing emergency for seven or eight years, maybe longer … number of policy areas in recent years - in many instances, these were warranted - but nothing similar has happened in terms of housing. The Government's approach has been to hope that business as usual will resolve the housing crisis. There has been no radical shift and no significant

think I have had the opportunity to congratulate the Minister in the House so I will start by doing so and wishing him well in his new role. I wish him great success. I am sure he will make a success of it because I know … honest and decent character. Is there a doctor in the House? I feel a bit faint because I found myself agreeing with Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett and I may need my pulse taken. Some valid points were made by Deputy Boyd Barrett today, especially in the context

There is now a mountain of evidence that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael deliberately misrepresented housing delivery figures during the election. The Taoiseach cannot continue to deny it. This is a Comical Ali routine he is playing in pretending it was somehow an honest mistake. Not content with … figures, the targets for this year are now being clearly reverse engineered. When the Taoiseach was asked by RTÉ in February about housing targets for this year, he dodged the question. He would not give an answer on housing targets for this year. In advance of the election

cruinne, daoine óga agus iad ag tógáil fréamhacha i dtíortha coimhthíocha. It is because of this Government's failure on housing that we see such a large scattering of our young people, people who have no hope in this Government turning the corner on the issues of housing … sitting, was not achievable. The Minister for Finance got up two days before he received that document and said that 40,000 houses would be delivered by the end of the year. The experts in his Department give him a document stating that 40,000 houses

current one. The commission's report states that there have been systematic failures and ineffective decision-making in the Government's housing policy but this only confirms what we already know. The report also states that the mandarins were merely reacting to the housing crisis and that risk … Fingal East, I spend much of my time making representations on behalf of households across the constituency who are stuck on the housing list or in emergency accommodation. A majority of our constituency office work is focused on housing. Some families face homelessness for a second or, indeed

thankful to have the opportunity to speak on the report today. The discourse on housing is often influenced by numbers, namely the number of people experiencing homelessness, the number of homes delivered below the Government's target in 2024, the falling number of planning permissions and commencement notices … recommendation from the report because it goes to the heart of the issue. It is to recognise and prioritise dealing with Ireland's housing deficit and to address it through emergency action. I reflect on how this Government has recognised and prioritised this issue with emergency action

best in the years to come because what is ahead is the biggest crisis this country has ever seen when it comes to housing. When reading the Housing Commission report, I was shocked to find no mention of the defective concrete block crisis. The thousands of houses that … once in the 250-page report. It is an absolute disgrace. Whether an oversight or an intentional omission, it is equally concerning. The Housing Commission claims to have studied the challenges of the housing system in detail but this could not be further from the truth. The commission

tenant would have to leave, but in practice it is very hard to get that through and to get the house back. As I said about the road from Kenmare through Kilgarvan and down to within five miles of Killarney, it is just one road and I believe … there are hundreds of houses, even in Killarney itself, that are idle. They are in Marian Terrace, St. Brendan’s Terrace and all those sorts of places in Killarney town and it is just because it is not worth the owners’ while to rent the houses. A fellow

will use my time to focus on a few of the recommendations of the Housing Commission’s report. I note there have been some important policy changes in recent years - the introduction of cost rental housing, the vacant property refurbishment grant and the new land hoarding … still have a dysfunctional housing market. People are still struggling significantly to access home ownership and rents are far too high. While the fundamental aim has always been to have supply, that is the job of the State and the market in tandem. The task of delivering

Social Democrats. He asks where our solutions are and what we would do differently. I have a simple question now. Where is the housing Minister? It is becoming farcical at this point. Parliamentary debate means that we present in our time, which does not come for us regularly … about six opportunities a year - and we use it to discuss housing. We bring forward the solutions but this Government, which is now taking a hostile approach to parliamentary function and debate, decides the Minister will not be available and simply will not answer questions. We used

Social Democrats for bringing this motion. There are six basic asks in their motion. They are pretty basic when we have a housing crisis with just under 15,000 people homeless. Homeless accommodation in Galway is at capacity and people are waiting between 15 and 20 years. People … their policies. One of the worst was the HAP, and the legislation for it, which twisted language on its head and called the housing assistance payment - money straight into the landlord's pocket - social housing. Another was our utter failure to build public housing on public land. Even

holding up many planning permissions. I ask the Minister to look at that. I also ask him to look at one-off housing because councils are so inconsistent. I was talking to a person in Sligo this morning and apparently Sligo is nearly a no-go area … there are inconsistencies between councils. I will give an example. I know a person whose chimney was cracked in their old two-storey house. They took it down and put up slates. They then could not get an exemption because they had taken down the chimney. What madness

investors. However, even Fine Gael Ministers are baulking at the suggestion that enriching developers and funds even further is a solution to the housing disaster. The Taoiseach is actually very close to understanding the problem in housing: he has acknowledged that his plan is not working … week, Accord released a survey which found that 84% of people are putting off getting married and having a family due to the housing crisis. This is not just a housing disaster - it is a housing catastrophe. There are people the length and breadth of this country

This devastating housing crisis was created by the privatisation of public housing by Fianna Fáil under the then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. Local authorities were prevented from building social and affordable housing for more than 20 years and this policy was continued by successive Governments. The housing crisis … undermining the social fabric of Irish society. Everybody says repeatedly that housing is the single biggest issue facing the country. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste tell us daily that it is their highest priority. We have heard that for more than ten years but the crisis

thank the Deputy for her question. To set out the context on housing supply, it has significantly increased since 2020, with 130,000 new homes delivered in that period. Everyone on the Government benches and across the House was disappointed with the final numbers for 2024, which were … less than what we expected. However, it is not true to say that we missed our Housing for All targets. The overall net position over a period of three years shows 29,000, 32,000 and 30,300 units delivered, a combined total that exceeded the overall target

Politics is never boring, anyway. It is a very long time since I have had the opportunity to address the House from up here. I spent many years on these backbenches. The place looks a lot different when viewed from here than from the Chair below, where … daoine ionraic, macánta iad. Is beirt iad a bhfuil fealsúnacht acu atá bunaithe go hiomlán ar sheirbhís phoiblí. Today, I address the House with immense pride and appreciation of having had the privilege of serving as Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil. A little over eight years

will do a rare thing this afternoon and pay the Taoiseach two compliments on housing. It may not be a surprise that both come with qualifications. Last week I was glad to join new Labour Party councillors Peter O'Brien, Martha Fanning and others for the turning … door of their own home is another. Speaking of turning the key, I have a second compliment. The Labour Party welcomes the housing Minister's plans to end turnkey acquisitions for social housing by the end of next year. For far too long, the State has pumped public

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to explain the relationship between the €111 million capital funding for social and affordable housing announced on 31 March and the €450 million capital funding approved for social and affordable housing by Cabinet

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the €325 million for social housing acquisitions announced on 31 March 2025 is additional to the €1.867 billion allocated to A4 SHIP, A7 CAS and A11 CALF in the revised estimates published … this is the amount from within the revised estimates as published in December 2024 that can be spent on social housing acquisitions. [16435/25

Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the capital funding for housing available to Cavan County Council for this year’s house building programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16443/25

Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the capital funding for housing available to Monaghan County Council for this year’s house building programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16444/25

Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing adaptation grants, mobility grants and housing for older people grants approved and drawn down by Kilkenny County Council in 2021 to date in 2025 and regarding volume and value, in tabular

Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing adaptation grants, mobility grants and housing for older people grants that have been approved and drawn down by Carlow County Council in 2021 to date, broken down regarding volume and value

Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department has taken to identify zoned, serviced lands owned by local authorities that could be utilised for delivery of social and affordable housing in that local authority; the area of such lands … numbers of housing, by local authority area; and whether those lands are the subject of applications for funding to his Department. [15594/25

Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the affordable housing scheme in light of difficulties local authorities such as Galway County Council are having in providing affordable housing, given that the affordability gain of 15% cannot

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether the commencement of a multi-stakeholder group (details supplied) on 27 March 2025 to address the range of problems affecting victims of the defective concrete block crisis is a welcome development … that it is important that his senior Department of housing officials accept the invitation to attend and participate, given the need to restore a normal and functioning housing market in the affected areas. [13412/25

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in light of the ongoing delay in his Department's approvals for affordable housing projects funded via SHIP, CAS, CALF, CREL and AHF, if he believes it important to deliver affordable housing units

Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of new build homes to include both apartments and houses, both private and social housing, constructed in 2022, 2023 & 2024, in Greystones, Delgany, Kilcoole, Newcastle, Newtownmountkennedy & Roundwood; and if he will make

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant housing officers, per local authority, in terms of full-time equivalent posts, in tabular form; the expenditure per local authority on addressing housing vacancy in each of the years

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clarify the current status of the tenant-in-situ scheme; if the scheme is still in operation; the funding allocated to the scheme in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025; the number … housing units purchased via the scheme in 2023 and 2024, by local authority, in tabular form; if he will provide the guidelines issued to local authorities and the Housing Agency in respect of the scheme’s operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14156/25

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm if he intends to review the housing completion target for 2025; the number of new homes his Department estimates will now be completed in 2025; the additional measures he plans to take to increase … housing construction; the engagement he has had with the Department of Finance and Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, respectively, on new taxation and expenditure measures to boost delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12698/25

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to comment on the ongoing delay in his Department's approvals for social and affordable housing projects funded via SHIP, CAS, CALF, CREL and AHF; to confirm the total number of projects submitted … under each funding stream since September 2024 to date in 2025; the number that have been approved, and the local authority, or approved housing bodies, involved formally notified of that approval during the same time period. [13256/25

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm the total delivery of affordable purchase and cost-rental homes in 2024 by local authorities, approved housing bodies and the Land Development Agency; and his views on the low output under these schemes … growing number of people unable to access these properties due to the unaffordable rents and house prices. [13257/25

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the role of accessibility officers in Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council; what oversight is in place to ensure future housing developments meet universal design standards; and if additional measures … being considered to improve accessibility in social and affordable housing projects. [12947/25

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the planned provision of disability-specific housing to include all schemes such as second-hand acquisitions programme, housing adaptation grants funding and new builds; and if he will make

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will commence a survey to establish the number of defective concrete block homeowners in counties Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, and Limerick who cannot avail of the defective concrete block grant scheme for financial … other reasons; if he will commence a parallel survey to establish the number of defective concrete block homes in the housing stock of local authorities and approved housing bodies in counties Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, and Limerick. [11849/25

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for a timeline and action plan for meeting the targets to work towards ending homelessness, as agreed in the Lisbon Declaration; the additional policy measures he intends to take; if he will consider amending the Housing … oblige local authorities to take into account the best interests of a homeless child, as outlined in the Housing (Homeless Families) Bill 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12699/25

Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action he proposes to take regarding research received by his Department from the Housing Agency on Social Housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12686/25

Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the measures he is taking to increase housing supply in Kerry, including social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12782/25

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which modular housing will be utilised to meet housing targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12905/25

Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the long-term social housing leasing scheme in the context of expenditure and a shortage in housing supply. [12914/25

Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports in place for persons who are victims and survivors of domestic abuse with accrued time on the housing list, but cannot accept housing in an area due to the presence of their abuser