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legislation focused on one objective; getting homes built. It does two key things. First, it allows the holders of planning permissions for housing developments with less than two years left and not yet commenced to apply for an extension of up to three years. Second, it makes sure … technicality. That is not in the interest of young families, renters or, indeed, local communities who come to all of us across the House crying and giving out that there is not enough housing. For us in this House who want to champion housing and want

that the issue is not primarily judicial review. I have been listening to every Member. There are so many good ideas in the House but we need the planning law that we are making now to drive delivery, not only manage delay. I acknowledge that the Bill provides … gives temporary breathing room for inactivated permissions. It also rightly acknowledges that some permissions are caught up but Members across the House have spoken about how it is ridiculous that someone in Galway can object to developments in Dublin. It is also hilarious how some Members talk about

programme for Government commits to the introduction of a new, all-of-government national housing plan to follow Housing for All, underpinned by multi-annual funding. This plan will take a whole-of-government approach, as Housing for All did. My Department is engaging across government to agree … means available to do so. Almost €6.8 billion, a record level of funding, has been provided by the Government for the delivery of housing in 2025. In recent months, the revised national planning framework was approved, An Coimisiún Pleanála was established with a new chairperson appointed and rent

thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this question about the encouragement of new technologies in the construction sector, including modular housing. I understand he has raised this issue on numerous occasions. The use of modern methods of construction, MMC, is a key policy measure to boost construction sector … productivity and to support the scaling-up of delivery of new housing supply. MMC is a collective term which describes a number of innovative alternatives to traditional on-site construction methods. It does include 3D volumetric modules, which are commonly known as modular houses, but also includes

what it says not just to Deputies in this Chamber but to the people experiencing the hard edge of the Government's failed housing policies, which is that nothing will change. It is more of the same failed policies into the future. Yesterday, the housing committee … reports the average price of a second-hand home in Dublin is now €600,000. We also read that the promised revised housing plan is delayed; what a surprise. That means local authorities still have not been given their revised housing targets and therefore cannot commence the process

First, I will lay out a little of the work we are doing for the Irish abroad, because that is important to the House. Second, I would like to address the specific proposal here. Third, I will reply to a few of the points or questions, should … Deputy O’Reilly alluded to. It must be said Irish people emigrate for many reasons. Some indeed do so out of economic and housing necessity and the prospect of a better life, but many also wish to work or study abroad and experience life in another culture, which

they cannot have people over for sleepovers and they cannot have a normal life. Despite the Government’s best efforts to normalise this housing crisis people still have a memory of what it was like before they destroyed it. People still have some residual memory of what … outside this building protesting about homelessness. One of them was my father. Fifty-six years ago, he was a member of the Dublin Housing Action Committee. That was a group of people who came together to fight for the rights of people to decent and secure housing

with a straight face he has the arrogance to stand over this poorly-thought-out and ill-conceived piece of legislation in the House. This is the theme throughout Government and nowhere more so than in housing policy. The Government has an ideological opposition to building public homes … built by the State. We know this. The public-private partnership scheme was a farce. Effectively the Government rediscovered the concept of council housing but had to make space in it for its investor friends to wet their beaks. It is right the Minister has pulled the plug

Give me somebody who will deliver. I would like the Minister of State to look at Pallaskenry. I contacted Uisce Éireann regarding 42 houses being built in Pallaskenry to help the Government to meet its housing targets. On the website, it stated that Pallaskenry was a green flag … ready to build. We contacted Uisce Éireann and advised it we had an out-of-date letter for the 42 houses so we could deliver for the people, through the Government. I do not care who delivers them as long as the houses are there. It said

welcome this legislation. As the Chair of the housing committee, I also thank its members from all parties for waiving pre-legislative scrutiny at a meeting yesterday so this Bill could be on the agenda here today and passed before the week is out. I just wanted … trying to create an environment to get inward investment into the building of apartments. As Deputy Devlin said, the report of the Housing Commission was referred to the Housing Agency, and that body was tasked with coming up with recommendations on the RPZs and the best formula going

tomorrow morning, there are still funds to replace it with what the Government has been taking from people building their own houses. The waiver for the planning contribution fee has been removed and it has been reintroduced. A person building a 2,000 sq. ft house … between €5,500 and €6,000 to build their own house, on top of a local property tax. Four years ago, the charge was €120 per sq. ft. The Government at the time, on VAT alone, was making €34,500 from a person building

Cork this Saturday at 2 p.m. for Raise the Roof for Munster and raise the roof for people who are crying out for housing. I will provide the Minister with an example of what he has done. I am not being personal, but the Minister needs to understand … consequences of his actions as the Minister for housing. I know a 68-year-old lady, Maria, whose family has lived in a house for 90 years, a house that was supposed to be purchased under the tenant in situ scheme. She will be evicted, at 68 years

will begin by reiterating that, for the common good, I want every Government housing and homelessness policy to work. For every person on a housing list, for every one of the hidden homeless, for every family in a homeless hub and for all of those in emergency accommodation … work. However, I do not know what way it needs to be communicated to the Minister for him to accept there is a housing and homelessness crisis and to the Government for it to understand that the housing and homelessness crisis will not go away

years, we have known about the state of the housing crisis and calling it an emergency. The President, Uachtarán na hÉireann, called it disastrous when he came to my constituency in north Kildare. Record level house prices, rising rents and missing its own building targets year after year … Government's record on housing as well as misleading people in the last general election with made up figures. In my constituency of north Kildare, a second-hand three-bedroom house is currently €500,000. How is any nurse, teacher, bus driver or retail worker expected to afford

During the election, Independent Ireland said a housing emergency needed to be declared and everyone ran away. Now it seems as though we are rushing through legislation in the Dáil this week in a frantic bid to try to overturn the emergency that is there. There … happening on the ground. While the Government is rushing through stuff, it is letting loads of other problems remain. Declaring a housing emergency would have dealt with that. Unfortunately, that has not happened. The Government talks about infrastructure and funding. We have not got the funding; it does

thank all those who took part in the cross-party Raise the Roof motion on the housing crisis. I also thank all those who took part in the Raise the Roof protest at the Dáil tonight. There will also be a Raise the Roof rally in Cork city … June at 2 p.m. and CATU will have a national housing demonstration on 5 July in Dublin. We urge people to come out and support them. Having listened to the speeches during the debate tonight, especially from the Government and those who sit on the Government benches

them, such as the collective commitment to human rights and international law. I believe these are principles shared by all Members of the House. As the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, outlined previously, the Government and Social Democrats motions share more common ground than differences when it comes … issues in Gaza. It is our belief, however, that our countermotion is the correct motion for the House to endorse. It sets out the work the Government has done to date but, more importantly, the work we will continue to do to try to help and assist

Perfect. The Department is undertaking a review of the exempted development provisions, which will provide further options for provision of housing. A public consultation process will commence this month and updated regulations will come into force later this year. The commencement of Part 17 of the Planning … things moving and ensuring we do not lose out on important developments and that the many planning permissions granted are realised and increase housing supply. Infrastructure is another crucial aspect of enabling housing supply. The provision of critical infrastructure is at the centre of Government's priorities

housing emergency is the biggest challenge facing people in Ireland today. There is no leadership or strategy from the Government. Its response has been flip-flopping, chaos and confusion. This has a direct impact on public services with teachers, gardaí, firefighters and nurses unable to afford rent … this Government to wake up to the damage its policies are doing to our communities. My office in Fingal East is inundated with housing queries. Every day, I deal with people languishing on housing lists, families in overcrowded conditions and those constantly living with the threat

minutes, I want to focus on the issue of affordable housing in Meath East for working people to buy and rent. I looked at daft.ie before I came to the Chamber. Four-bedroom second-hand properties are €535,000 to buy, on average, with three-bedrooms … constituency. There was a discussion across party lines among local councillors regarding a council-owned site and the issue of affordable housing, and I looked at the minutes of it, which state: There was a lot of discussion around affordable housing and the Executive shares the Members concerns

When speaking to people in Kerry and dealing with the housing officers in Kerry County Council who are swamped with a deluge of people who are suffering from notices to quit, long waiting lists, rents they cannot afford and being denied access to some of the various schemes … obvious that the answer is more social and affordable housing. However, in Kerry, there was no affordable housing scheme. Under the tenant in situ scheme there were three sales agreed but they have all been pulled from the most vulnerable of people who were waiting. Houses in Kerry

Chamber, I listened in my office to what he said. I was surprised. As he knows, we officially have 220 boarded-up council houses, of which 62, or 28%, have been boarded up for more than a year. He knows that because he has seen it. Across … city, Ballynanty, Kileely, Thomondgate, Moyross and Southill all have boarded-up houses. Those 220 homes should have families living in them. They are lying empty while children grow up in hotel rooms without access to play areas or, in many cases, a desk at which to do their

just had statements on the report of the Housing Commission. We hear all sorts of arguments about how this is complicated, we need to do this and how there are multiple factors at play. We are talking about 2,500 apartments and houses that the State already owns … They are there. They are empty. Of all the low-hanging fruit in terms of the housing crisis, surely the 2,500 houses and flats the State already owns should be first and foremost. Other people have given examples of constituents living in overcrowded accommodation with three generations

thank all of those across the House who supported Labour's important motion on Gaza today and I thank the Government for not opposing it. I look forward to working with the Government and the Opposition to bring about an end to the suffering and genocide being perpetrated … shown leadership but we can do more. We want to work constructively and collectively to do so. I will raise the issue of housing with the Taoiseach. This Friday, the latest homelessness figures will be published but the Taoiseach's Government is already presiding over a shameful record

thank Deputy Cahill for raising this important matter. The Programme for Government - Securing Ireland’s Future includes several commitments to deliver practical housing for positive ageing. These commitments build upon the policy objectives in Housing for All that commit to increasing the housing options available to older people … ageing in place with dignity and independence. The commitments in the programme for Government include: mandating local authorities to find suitable sites for housing specifically designed for older adults, ensuring accessible options within local communities; making it easier to convert houses into separate living spaces to allow older

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to the Budget 2027 Expenditure Report, which states that €5.6 billion in capital expenditure is being provided to Programme A – Housing in 2027, the reason the Estimates for Public Services

Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of people who have applied for the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme in Limerick; the estimated total number of applicants in Limerick in the future; the reason the cost of demolition … views on whether it is unfair that an individual may have to pay significantly more than the grant awarded to rebuild their house. [71963/26

Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if persons granted refugee status, subsidiary protection status or permission to remain are subject to the same social housing waiting list rules and prioritisation criteria as Irish citizens; and if he will provide details

Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households on social housing waiting lists in November 2025 that had entered the State within the previous ten years; and if he will provide a breakdown by immigration category. [72182/26

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the development of the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill 2024; when the Bill will come before the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if the remediation scheme will cover balcony

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a breakdown of the capital spend on housing by scheme and project type in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of HAP tenancies registered to cost-rental properties with an approved housing body or a local authority as a landlord; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69831/26

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details of the number of social, and affordable houses respectively, completed in Arklow, County Wicklow in 2025 and to date in 2026; the number currently under construction; the number for which planning has been

Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will consider increasing the current income limit thresholds for eligibility for social housing for Cork County. [70118/26

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether standard Section 254 and MapRoad Licensing, MRL, frameworks between local authorities and telecommunications providers accommodate minor public footpath excavations for last-metre domestic broadband connections; and what guidance is provided to local authorities, including Dún … Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, to resolve lead-in infrastructure deficits between public footpaths and private curtilages in mature housing estates. [70392/26

Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the schemes available to assist a private resident-owner of an apartment, situated in an urban area, who wishes to vacate their current property and relocate to another property within the locality; if there … swap scheme available to two such individuals who may be in this position; and if the housing purchase support schemes available would support an individual looking to sell a property and purchase another due to anti-social behaviour. [70486/26

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage given that he has indicated previously that his Department would be reviewing and raising social housing income limits this year, to provide an update on his work in this area. [70626/26

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures his Department is taking to ensure that the delivery of large-scale housing developments is matched by the guaranteed provision of essential community infrastructure, including community centres, libraries, childcare and other local amenities

Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the income eligibility limits for social housing in Cavan and Monaghan will be increased. [69157/26

Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures being considered to increase the number of affordable-to-buy housing units provided by local councils. [69263/26

Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide additional funding to Sligo County Council to enable the housing adaptation grant scheme to reopen to priority 2 and priority 3 applications, which have been paused for a number of months. [68949/26

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has responded to a letter sent to his Department by An Taisce about a proposed housing development (details supplied); and whether he intends to exercise the powers outlined in the letter

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the review of the social housing income eligibility thresholds. [69383/26

Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his targets for the delivery of social and affordable housing in County Monaghan in each of the years 2019 to 2025 and to date in 2026; the outturn; and his targets in each year until

Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the additional resources he will make available to assist people with chronic disabilities to find suitable housing. [69353/26

Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if councils have been given housing targets; and if these targets are being monitored. [69341/26

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures are in place to help older social housing tenants who wish to move from a larger home to a smaller, suitable home in their own community; and whether additional right sizing homes

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether a child spending months or years living in emergency accommodation is not merely a housing issue but a serious children's rights and equality issue; the assessment his Department has made

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his Department's assessment of the purchase prices being sought for homes under affordable housing schemes in Galway County; his Departments views on whether such prices are genuinely affordable for average-income households in the county

Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the policy for the number of car parking spaces to be delivered in new housing developments; if current public transport connectivity is taken into account or if it based on future routes; to outline