Search the record

protest. There is no doubt each policy from each Government has intensified the crisis as it has failed to recognise - deliberately so - that housing is a basic human right. Each Government has dealt with it like an asset and allowed the market to provide. When … very well and the misquoting and misusing of figures. We also absolutely made local authorities non-existent in relation to the provision of housing. We stopped building housing in Galway in 2009. We never built a single other house until about 2020. An integral part of the solution

welcome this opportunity, particularly as it is the first time I have taken part in a housing debate in the new Dáil with the Minister present. It is important that we get our points across to him. I was also outside at the protest. I am looking forward … thing I will never forgive the Government for is the oxygen it is giving to the far right by refusing to tackle the housing crisis. In the diverse communities I represent, many people are living in fear because of the hate and division being stoked up in places

Carlow-Kilkenny has much to offer in terms of amenities, education and jobs but we have a difficulty with providing houses for the people who would love to live there. Some of the difficulty relates to the provision of water and wastewater treatment plants and road infrastructure. Developer … only way we will move forward. It is imperative that we make provision in this regard. In County Kilkenny, not a single housing development can currently be built in The Rower, Inistioge, Toher, Mullinavat or Graiguenamanagh. This is simply due to the lack of wastewater services. I balance

welcome the opportunity to make a statement on housing, which every representative in the House knows is the most important issue facing families in our country today. I was delighted with the news last week in my constituency, Dublin Rathdown, that an agreement had been reached with … acres, giving the Government the ability to develop 800 new homes on the site. This land was identified under the Government's Housing for All plan and shows that real progress is being made. I also commend the foresight used in selecting the location. Every new housing development

place. We were advising it should be introduced years ago but nobody would listen to us. We must consider the building of houses in cities. We are building out but what about building up? When I am in Dublin and places such as that, I meet people … they are well able to do that but are being blocked from going forward. The turnover of council houses is an issue in Cork and elsewhere in this country. There is a problem with the speed of turnover of houses. We meet many people who would love

Minister of State is very welcome. It is great to have an opportunity to talk about housing. This is a huge issue. It is a serious issue that consumes all of us in these Houses and in each and every one of our constituencies. It affects our families … rental. That belief is at the heart of our role in the Government and is central to the work we are doing under Housing for All. This is the most ambitious programme in the history of the State but we need to see more delivery, although we have

Most of this Government's housing policy has thrown renters around the country, and in particular in my area of the inner city and Dublin South-Central, under the bus. However, the peculiar decision to severely limit a successful programme, the tenant in situ programme, seems … notice to quit and contacted DCC in November 2024 to offer the unit for tenant in situ. The tenant's position on the housing list is over 500, meaning it would take decades to place her. She said: You will be well aware of the dire housing situation

delighted to be here for these statements. We are all well aware of the housing issue. It is the single biggest issue and everybody knows that. I believe the Government thinks there is a panacea with Airbnbs but it is not. We had that before in this city … Tipperary are solely used for holidays and are bringing people into the area who spend money in the area as well. Social housing purchases, including the tenant in situ scheme, has been reduced significantly this year. While I acknowledge the importance of focusing on local authority-led social

underdelivered and a catastrophic social disaster that is resulting in the untold misery of thousands of people who are trapped in a bleak housing nightmare. We are witnessing an epidemic of incompetence when it comes to housing. We are witnessing the third Government in a row that … will not speak in an honest way about the impact that massive levels of unsustainable inward migration are having in terms of our housing and accommodation capacity. This is not just moral and political cowardice; it is betrayal. It is the kind of refusal to describe the known

left to rot. We constantly hear the Government saying that bringing vacant properties back into use is key to tackling the housing crisis and yet we have over 2,600 council houses boarded up across this State. We need these houses turned around and brought back into … families and workers. There are people in these communities who have been languishing on housing lists for decades. Can we imagine how it feels for those people or those living in emergency accommodation to be walking by boarded council houses every day? In some cases, they are walking

There are 126 boarded-up homes in Fingal County Council's area. That amounts to 500 men, women and children who could be housed. Can the Minister of State imagine what it must be like for people to walk past those houses when they are living in overcrowded … unsuitable accommodation that absolutely interferes with their ability to live a decent life? They walk down the road and see a boarded-up house. The Minister of State's party colleague is clever enough not to have an office locally. Constituents cannot find her because she is hiding

simply facing a housing shortage, but confronting a failure of governments, of planning, of priority and of moral seriousness. This motion shines a light on a scandal that should never have been allowed to become routine. There are 2,656 vacant council homes across the State. Nearly … shortfall of €17,000. This is not policy, but dereliction that is expensive, bureaucratic and utterly inefficient. Let us be candid in this House. This government policy is neither centre-right nor centre-left, but it is certainly the centre of chaos. It has no ideology beyond inertia

mentioned previously, we have 2,749 council houses boarded up and left idle. Some 800 of these have been so for more than 12 months. Another shocking figure is the 15,580 homeless citizens in emergency accommodation - not including those on the streets - including 4,775 children … only yesterday. He is 34 years old and his wife is 30. Their rent was increased substantially and they had to leave the house they had rented for more than nine years. They had to spend nine months in emergency accommodation with their two children aged under

thank Deputy Doherty. Housing is the biggest domestic challenge that this country faces and the people in this country face. It is the biggest societal challenge on a domestic level and it is now a real economic challenge as well. We have to do more when it comes … housing. We, the parties that formed the Government and the Independents who support it, were very clear that if returned to office, we would work to increase the scale of housing delivery. The Deputy's party put forward its plans as well, which I do not think convinced

think the Tánaiste has been at the Cabinet table for nearly a decade, nine years or so. In that period, the average house price has increased by €200,000 which a huge sum of money for any family. That is just the increase for a new home since … Tánaiste took up office around the Cabinet table. Indeed in the last five years, the average house price increased by €100,000. Every five years the price of housing has gone up by €100,000 under his Government. Is it any wonder that there

real investment in dwellings, the Irish economy registered the fourth largest increase across the 27 EU countries. The recent ESRI publication comparing housing supply across Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales found that on a per capita basis, Ireland and Northern Ireland had the highest rate … house building and Ireland and Scotland had the highest rate of publicly built housing. That is against the backdrop of a very significant population increase, persistent strong economic growth and income growth and huge pressures on housing. The Government is spending very significant amounts of public capital money

thank the Deputy for his question on departmental approvals for social and affordable housing. The Government is committed to working with all stakeholders to deliver social, affordable and cost-rental homes at scale and to continue accelerating housing supply across all tenures. This is demonstrated by the record … level of investment for the delivery of housing in 2025, with overall capital funding now available of almost €6.8 billion. With regard to approvals, the Department continues to both receive and issue approvals and, indeed, make payments to AHBs and local authorities. Only this week, a number

thank the Minister and I know he very much values affordable housing. I thank him for the figures he provided indicating that 6,400 units will be provided this year, which is very welcome. Prior to the election I strongly committed to individuals and couples that I would … strong voice in relation to affordable housing. We all know the cohort of people who are above the social housing income limits but not in a position to acquire a house in their own right. We need to support those individuals and couples but unfortunately, at present, there

water, wastewater and electricity infrastructure is part of the reason the same Governments have failed to get to grips with the housing crisis. I asked the then Minister for housing, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, about these issues in 2023. Typical to form, he denied there was a problem … replied to me saying there was enough water supply and wastewater treatment at Uisce Éireann plants to support the need for housing developments. He was wrong; it was clearly not the case. This was symptomatic of his approach and of the inability of this Government to plan

taken a long time to get the Government to accept that there is a housing crisis. The Minister of State's predecessors would not accept it, but I think it is now accepted. We have huge constraints when it comes to water, wastewater and electricity infrastructure. In County … that low-interest loans need to be made available to small builders. We need to activate small builders and developers to build small housing schemes in these towns and villages that would meet much of the demand that is there. Not everybody wants to live in a city

euro for every time we spoke about housing since I came to Dáil Éireann, we would have a hell of a lot of houses built. We have a massive problem. We know that. I cannot understand why Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and Labour … have thrown out figures for delivery of housing which they know they can never deliver. Go down to my patch in west Cork and you cannot build a house there. Not one house in Dunmanway. Imagine. It is an astonishing situation. I would love the Minister of State

think it would be appropriate to make any assertions or allegations connected to it. We must respect the ruling of the House. The named individual the Deputy references is not here to defend himself. The new housing activation office the Deputy continues to criticise is being established … deliver homes at scale. What the Minister, Deputy Browne, is seeking to do is to have a structure within the Department of housing, which brings co-ordination to strategic sites that can deliver homes at scale. That is what he is doing in the context of the strategic

debate on this issue. We were addressing what exactly happened to Grace. At the end of that debate, it was suggested that this House, as it represents the people, should insist on continuing to go back to the Grace case, to highlight the issues involved and to make … should pressure the Government to ensure that this case is fully dealt with. When the original terms of reference were presented to the House by Finian McGrath, it was stated that the commission would only investigate Grace's case. With the help of Brendan Howlin and others

today. I am keen to make a contribution on the national planning framework, which is essentially the creation of an environment for accelerated housing development in Ireland, and other issues it concerns itself with. In no particular order I will just throw in a couple of ideas … last number of years and a lack of love, generally speaking. It needs to be front and centre. For some people in this House prioritising Dublin - generally speaking - never seems to be met with a serious response but often with a jaundiced response. It is the capital city

land, not farmers' sons or daughters because they are being looked after. There are others who own an acre beside their parents' house, four or five miles outside Killorglin or seven or eight miles east of Killarney, but are still not allowed to build. We talk so much … about housing here every day. It is scandalous that people who want to build and are asking for nothing but planning permission - no money or funding because they would build the houses themselves - are not being allowed to do so. It is all because of this significant urban

Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline his proposals and associated targets to deliver age friendly housing in counties Cavan and Monaghan. [48260/26

Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans in place to simplify the process of addressing the issue of void housing and dereliction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48179/26

Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether consideration has been given to the genuine affordability of homes being delivered under the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund, particularly in rural areas such as County Galway; the measures being taken to ensure these homes match

Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when it is proposed to increase the income eligibility limits for social housing in areas such as Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48299/26

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when additional funding for housing adaptation grants in County Louth, applications to which have been closed since May 2026 will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48225/26

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail his plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the Oireachtas Committee Housing, Local Government and Heritage on homelessness; to outline specifically which recommendations he intends to implement; the timeframe for such implementation

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which his Department is ensuring that rural planning policy supports sustainable communities while also enabling appropriate housing development in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47609/26

Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is considering any proposals to increase the current social housing income eligibility limits; the timeline envisaged for such threshold adjustments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48269/26

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his Department's plan to address the housing needs of people with an intellectual disability who are cared for at home by aging parents and family as highlighted by a campaign (details supplied

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to reform rural housing planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46792/26

Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on vacant and derelict housing in Galway city and county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48288/26

Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the implementation of the Programme for Government commitments on rural housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48272/26

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will consider reviewing the income thresholds for social housing applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48114/26

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether an assessment has been undertaken by his Department of infrastructural deficits, including wastewater, transport, and electricity capacity, which are constraining housing delivery in the Dublin region; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of a campaign (details supplied); his plans to facilitate the housing needs of their members and more broadly people with intellectual disabilities; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of housing commencements in Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48187/26

Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has assessed infrastructure constraints, such as water and wastewater capacity, which may be limiting housing development in Mayo; if so, the measures his Department is taking to address these constraints

Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress that has been made in bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use in County Galway; whether additional supports are being considered to assist local authorities and homeowners in returning these properties … housing stock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48305/26

Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the annual housing targets which were given to local authorities in summer 2025; the way this is being monitored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48303/26

Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department is taking to upscale and measure the number of cost rental housing in Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48276/26

Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage following on from the first phase of announcements under the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund, when the next phase of funding will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48235/26

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration has been given to making the advertised sale price of houses, the actual maximum price as in France, rather than in most parts of Dublin the sale price being 15-20% above

Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way in which the design and build approach is accelerating social housing delivery, cutting costs and expanding capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48064/26

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department is taking to increase the number of affordable homes to purchase; the measures being taken to address the cohort of people whose incomes are too high to qualify for social housing

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to increase the supply of affordable housing to County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47987/26