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What we have in Donegal in terms of housing is a perfect storm. We have the same issues as everywhere else around the State. There was a period of ten or 11 years where virtually no social housing was built in Donegal. Therefore, the private rental sector took … that role through the rental accommodation scheme and the housing assistance payment. We are now playing catch up. All of those private rental properties were taken up by that failure in that period from 2010 to 2021, which was an 11-year period. I will give an example

investor court element of the CETA agreement. I do not think we need pre-legislative scrutiny of every Bill that comes before the House, although we should have it for most, but we certainly should have had it for this Bill, of that there is no doubt … seems the Government is running away from scrutiny. I was present last Thursday, as was Deputy Ó Laoghaire, at the event in Europe House on Balfe Street organised by Lynn Boylan, MEP, which was a de facto pre-legislative scrutiny hearing. It was really good. It should have

Minister does not understand the damage that he does and that Governments have done when they announce a new housing plan. It takes a year to deliver but what a Minister does when he announces a new housing plan is create hope. People are so desperate for housing … people because this plan is only a rehash of what we have seen before. There is nothing in here that will solve the housing crisis. There is nothing in here that will solve the homelessness crisis. I take no glee in that. I am actually gutted that there

welcome the opportunity to speak on the Government's housing plan, delivering homes, building communities. I thank the Minister for his opening remarks. As has been said, this is a very ambitious plan. We know the overall target is 300,000 houses between now and 2030, with … additional €2.5 billion, which is significant funding, simplifying the approval processes in the Department so we have faster decisions in terms of housing approvals and, of course, the Housing Activation Office working actively with the 31 local authorities in helping to deliver homes. These are critical measures

challenges the market and the capitalist system, never thought I would be here, 11 years after first getting elected, and that the housing crisis would have been left to fester and become as rancid as it is. I want to ask about Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael … election. Suddenly a couple of younger Fianna Fáil TDs started piping up that maybe the Government was not doing very well on the housing crisis. The reason I mention it is I represent Dublin West, which has been at the epicentre of the housing crisis for over

develop something that is the same. That is what I welcome. The only way we are going to see ourselves out of a housing crisis is a business model. Accountability for building on budget and on time is the only way. I am in business all my life … year that the business lasts into the following year. This model is the only way we are going to get out of a housing crisis. It is developer-led infrastructure where the business model is used against our departmental models to show what we can deliver, even

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Bill 2022 on 21 June 2022 and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President on 23 July 2022. This scheme included an unprecedented suite of improvements … period of 40 years; provision of alternative accommodation costs, storage costs and costs for immediate repairs; a key role for the Housing Agency; the extension of the scheme to Clare and Limerick; the introduction of an appeals panel; and increased scheme caps and grant rates

ensuring that all such homeowners are financially assisted to remediate their homes to allow them to move on with their lives. The House will know that the scheme is currently open to applications in five counties, namely, Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo. When a local authority that … seek to have the scheme extended to include any such county or part of that county. Following reports received from the Housing Agency, Government approval will now be sought for the designation of the relevant parts of Fingal and Wexford local authority areas. This will allow homeowners

across this country already knew. Whistleblowers in Ireland are not protected. In fact, they are destroyed. The Tánaiste stood up in this very House and told it our laws are among the best in Europe. He said the Government values these people. Since then I have sat with … whistleblower and the full financial strength of this State is used to grind those people right into the ground. Every Member of this House knows the truth. A law is only as strong as those who implement it. Let me give an example. I welcome Sergeant Maurice McCabe

losses for which they can claim. Ordinary people could not do that. In 2009, Phil Hogan was the Minister for housing and €1.6 billion was given to local authorities in central Government funding. In this budget, €670 million is being given, almost €1 billion less than … with anything. I will tell him. People in every local authority area in the State are living in apartments and houses with windows that leak, doors that do not close properly, mould, damp and leaks. People are living in cold houses. Rents in Dublin increased this week

paragraph 9B(3))" after "Services", and (II) by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph 9A: "Supply and construction of housing as part of a social policy. 9B.(1) In this paragraph- 'apartment block' means a multi-storey building that comprises, or will comprise, not less than … completed, of immovable goods to which subparagraph (2) applies.", (ii) in Part 3, by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph 14: "Housing. 14. The supply of immovable goods used or to be used for residential purposes, other than immovable goods to which paragraph

County Council transferred those lands and buildings to the HSE when it took over the health service. There is valuable land there for housing but the HSE wants to sell the whole lot together. The Land Development Agency says it only wants the land. The Minister of State … want to build their own homes. When you are above €36,000 or €37,000, you will not even get on the housing list. There are people above that, middle income earners, and those sites should be made at least affordable for people in that category, so they

particularly welcome the overall target in the housing plan of 12,000 social units per annum, building on the progress made on the Housing for All plan, which, it must be acknowledged, made significant progress in the area of social housing. There are new initiatives in this plan … help deliver social housing such as the performance fund for local authorities, which is critical. Many local authorities do a great job but others not so. It is important that recognition is given to those that do a good job. Having ring-fenced teams is also critically important

properties, implementing a planned maintenance programme and carrying out responsive repairs are matters for each individual local authority under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities are also statutorily required to ensure all their tenanted homes comply with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations … voids programme, will focus on the prompt turnaround of casual vacancies and reductions in the level of overall vacancy in the local authority housing stock, while also contributing to stock conditions surveys and supporting works arising from these surveys. This funding should complement local authorities' own resources

welcome the opportunity to address the House on road haulage costs and how the Government is supporting this critical sector. I will share my time with the Ministers of State, Deputies Christopher O'Sullivan and Jerry Buttimer. Geopolitical events over the past number of years and the storm … year since 2021 and were above the 2019 levels by the end of last year. I want to draw the attention of the House to the recently published Freight Transport Association Ireland manager's guide to distribution costs 2025 report. It is positive to note that this year

discussion. My difficulty with the Government’s opposing this Bill is nothing the Minister of State has said and nothing in the new housing plan, bar a very vague commitment, sets out what the Government is going to do not only to address the energy inefficiency and energy … colleagues are supporting it. In one of the questions I asked, I made the case that while EnergyCloud is currently focusing on social housing tenancies, there are far greater levels of poverty in the private rental sector, the tenant purchase sector and the modest-income private homeowning sector

return to the saga of Dundrum House Hotel in Tipperary. On Monday, the High Court delivered a judgment that quashed the section 5 planning exemption granted for Dundrum House Hotel. The ruling confirmed what local communities have been saying for over a year, that there is no legal … engage with contractors who have not filed accounts and are not compliant with our laws. The High Court has ruled definitively that Dundrum House Hotel is non-compliant. We know that more than 20 IPAS contracts have already been terminated this year for non-compliance with planning, building

tribute to my colleague, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, on the occasion of his departure from Cabinet. It is an important moment for this House and the country because it marks the close of a remarkable chapter in public service, one defined by stability, integrity and an unwavering commitment … demonstrated the ability, year after year, to keep Ireland on a sustainable economic path while also ensuring the State could invest in housing, public services and infrastructure on a scale that simply would not have been possible without sound financial management. As he embarks on the next stage

Today is a significant day in terms of housing policy in Ireland. It comes after a number of decisions the Government has already taken. This plan today needs to be seen in the context of the national development plan published this summer, where we significantly increased the level … investment directly in house building. After listening to people across the country, local authorities and people who build our homes, we also significantly increased the funding for the enabling infrastructure, investing more than €50 billion between water, transport and energy to enable housing supply. The plan also needs

people at the head of county councils and local authorities saying that they have enough. It is incredible that we have had a housing crisis for 15 years and there is no agreement about where this zoned land is. There is serviced land that is not zoned residential … That is the low-hanging fruit when it comes to building houses quickly, and yet the Government still does not know where that is. In the context of taxes, it is incredible that €3 billion worth of VAT was taken in from the construction of houses last year

engaging with scientists for the first time. Last night, I had the opportunity to visit the Posters in Parliament exhibition in Leinster House 2000. This involves a team of young undergraduate researchers showcasing their work in an exhibition in Leinster House, one of five parliaments around Europe that … NASA imagery and offers visitors an extraordinary opportunity to experience the moon up close, complemented by musical performances. I thank Members of the House for the support shown for Science Week. I very much want to reach out to colleagues in the Chamber and beyond because there

taking the time to come here today to witness what is a really important debate. On a given day, colleagues across this House debate an eclectic mix of issues, with varying degrees of opinion and agreement. Today, I present this House today with an opportunity … Deputy Thomas Pringle, who all introduced similar Bills on extending voting rights to those aged 16 in recent years. The Bill before the House is a little different, however. The advice from the Office of the Parliamentary Legal Advisers, OPLA, tells us we cannot differentiate between local

fire going up on that stairwell. I refer to those three reprehensible acts because it is extremely important that in this House we do not allow that extreme behaviour or the criminal acts of others to dictate our policy when it comes to international protection. I know … this House will be outraged by the acts I have recounted. I urge people to ensure we do not allow extremists and people involved in criminal activity to dictate and mould how we will respond in terms of policy to the issues raised in respect of international protection

connections for data centres. (4B) The Board shall, within 6 months of the commencement of this Act and annually thereafter, lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report detailing: (a) the amount borrowed under section 4(4) of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act 1954; (b) the purposes … increase in domestic electricity tariffs beyond inflationary adjustments, and shall publish an annual statement confirming compliance to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.”.”. Due to decades of underinvestment, our energy system is not fit for purpose. With rip-off costs and a regressive approach to financing

taxpayer capital, with no plan, no accountability and no guarantees of benefit to the Irish people. Let us be honest in this House: the Government record on energy policy is a record of failure. Ireland now has the second highest household energy prices in the entire European Union … bills and getting up early in the morning, going to work and putting in their shifts and time - are choosing between heating their houses and what they are purchasing in Lidl, Aldi, Dunnes or SuperValu. The are picking between whether they can afford this or that

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of care-experienced young adults currently accessing emergency accommodation, supported temporary accommodation or Housing First-type supports, broken down by local authority area where available; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any review, assessment or consultation process has been undertaken regarding barriers faced by victims of domestic abuse in accessing HAP supports, emergency accommodation or social housing allocations; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether local authorities operate any dedicated prioritisation pathway, emergency transfer mechanism or accelerated assessment process for victims of domestic abuse seeking social housing support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41156/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any national guidance exists for local authorities regarding the treatment of domestic abuse victims under social housing allocation schemes or homelessness assessment processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41158/26

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on any proposed changes to the policy or guidance governing Transport Infrastructure Ireland objections to one-off housing developments with access onto national roads; if a review has taken place

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of concerns among young farmers and rural families that current policies applied by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) may prevent them from obtaining planning permission for homes on family lands adjoining national roads … along the N70 Ring of Kerry; whether discussions have taken place between his Department and TII regarding a more balanced approach to rural housing needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41321/26

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current criteria used by Transport Infrastructure Ireland when assessing planning applications for houses with access onto national roads; whether exemptions or special consideration apply in cases where there are existing entrances serving family homes

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing units owned by Kildare County Council currently not in use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40480/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether projected inward migration figures are incorporated into social housing demand projections at national or local authority level. [38868/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any local authority receives migration-linked housing demand projections from his Department; and if so, to provide details of the local authorities involved and the nature of the projections provided. [38870/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any interdepartmental working group exists between his Department and the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration regarding migration-related housing demand forecasting; and if so, to provide details of its remit and meeting

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if any sensitivity analysis has been carried out examining how projected housing demand to 2040 would change under reduced net migration assumptions. [39079/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if projected housing demand under the revised National Planning Framework distinguishes between demand arising from natural population growth and demand arising from net inward migration. [39080/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has modelled the impact of migration trends on emergency accommodation demand, social housing demand and private rental demand separately. [39081/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a cross-departmental modelling framework exists integrating migration projections with housing demand forecasting and infrastructure planning. [39083/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will publish the underlying migration assumptions used in calculating projected housing demand under Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030. [39084/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the revised National Planning Framework includes a scenario modelling examining the impact of lower net migration levels on projected national housing demand to 2040. [39085/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has quantified the projected number of additional housing units required annually under the baseline migration assumptions used within the revised National Planning Framework. [39086/26

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to allow those in approved housing bodies to purchase their homes, considering some are now over 30 years in these accommodations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39087/26

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the substantial amount of time that applicants for housing medical priority are having to wait to obtain a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39349/26

Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm if a person who has a right of residency in a property previously owned by them, is eligible for funding under the housing adaptation grant for people with a disability scheme

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is considering legislative or planning reforms to facilitate higher density housing, including apartments and duplexes, in existing urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40199/26

Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the steps being taken to address ongoing population decline and housing shortages in Gaeltacht areas; the number of housing units funded or delivered in Gaeltacht regions in the past two years; the way in which

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any policy review has been undertaken regarding access to social housing supports for persons leaving abusive relationships following the sale or transfer of a family home. [38583/26

Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has plans to adjust the income thresholds for the housing assistance payment; if he will provide details of those plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38490/26