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provide encouragement and facilitation. Through Róisín Sullivan, I have brought groups of breastfeeding mothers from my constituency in here to Leinster House and we go down to the coffee dock. The great thing about that is not just that they are here and they get to make … trip to Leinster House, which is lovely in itself, but that it is visible and normalised. Far too often women who are breastfeeding in a public place get a look from somebody suggesting they should go somewhere else, somewhere private, because this is not the place

housing crisis is touching every sector of society. Staff cannot be recruited to keep schools and hospitals running because they cannot afford to live anywhere nearby. Pensions are stretched because older people are forced to rent well into retirement. House prices and rents are soaring. The root … affordability crisis. Its big-ticket measure in this budget, the increase for the help to buy scheme, will, regrettably, simply put up house prices even further. It is an inflationary measure. Raising the rent-a-room tax-free ceiling risks becoming a rent hike dressed up as relief

mortgage. They then qualify for a mortgage, which these days lasts 30 years, but they not only borrow the price of the house. They also have to borrow the taxation the Government is taking on the house. They are repaying the mortgage and an average mortgage … while they are at work and now it will tax them while they sleep, for the next 30 years, while they put a house over their family's head. I got a message today that has shaken me. It was from a person who will remain nameless

over €3.4 billion in budget 2027 for older persons' services in the Department of Health and, with my colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputies Browne and Cummins and others, €169 million for housing application grants. These are record budgets and they represent substantial … funding to five additional healthy age-friendly homes co-ordinators. They are based in the local authorities and deal with people's housing requirements. There is €600,000 to support day centres. A sum of €610,000 for family carer supports and emergency respite. Family Carers Ireland will

solar. Not everyone has tens of thousands of euro for a deep retrofit. A lot of my constituents live in social and affordable housing and want to be able to have a quick €500 kit - possibly cheaper if the Government does a maximum scheme - to reduce their energy … four-month Civil Service discussion on where we need to look first, I will identify three places right now. The first is housing. We must cut the cost of delay and delivery and look at the consultancy speed. The seller’s legal pack, which I brought to committee

transformation. It is a budget of bare minimums. The Government had record resources at its disposal. It had the opportunity to fundamentally address housing, rural decline, farm viability and the cost pressures facing carers and ordinary families. Instead, the Government has largely opted for a series of incremental … people. This is wrong. We need to get real and focus more on the issues here in Ireland. In terms of housing and migration, the Tánaiste has repeatedly stated that the only long-term answer to the housing crisis is increased supply, and on that point

assure the Deputy that the Government is taking a comprehensive approach to tackling homelessness, focusing on increasing housing supply, strengthening protection for renters and, crucially, preventing homelessness in the first instance. Increased supply is key to addressing homelessness, meeting need and addressing the challenges in the housing markets … have therefore been building more than ever in recent times. A record level of investment is being provided for the delivery of housing in 2026, with €5.2 billion in Exchequer capital funding complemented by investment through the Land Development Agency and lending from the Housing Finance Agency, bringing

taking a number of very significant measures, including significantly increasing the number of social houses delivered. Last year, new builds were at the highest number delivered in the history of the State. I expect it will be higher again this year. They are crucial to bringing people into … social housing and giving them a secure, safe home for the rest of their lives. That is reflected in the significant decrease in the number of people in HAP properties moving from rental properties into permanent State social homes that are owned by local authorities or approved housing

thank the Deputies for their questions in relation to social housing limits. Deputy Brendan Smith raised the issue of social housing limits in Cavan and Monaghan and asked when those limits will be increased. As the Deputies will know, applications for social housing supports are assessed … relevant local authorities in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated social housing assessment regulations of 2011. The 2011 regulations prescribed maximum net income limits for each local authority in different bands according

wider immigration framework but remain distinct. A migration strategy must be underpinned by the needs of the country, recognising capacity challenges in housing and public services, our capacity to integrate those who come here and the need for a humanitarian response to those fleeing war and persecution. Citizenship … been driven by the needs of sectors whose skills shortages Governments have failed to adequately plan for, with no account of pressures on housing and public services. Then there is the dysfunction that has marked the international protection system. These failures have created chaos, increased tensions and undermined

constituency of Dún Laoghaire, the people most exposed to this kind of threat are not the major broadcasters with in-house legal teams. They are the local and regional papers, residents' association making a planning submission and the volunteer who runs a community page and asks a hard … that our rules are proportionate and cannot be sidestepped by crossing a border. Corporate interests and the NGOs press their agendas in this House and around the country every week. In a liberal democracy that is a good thing. We must hear ideas, including new ones

cannot keep up. This is unsustainable. People in Naas feel powerless . The Jigginstown centre is going to be a mere 100 m from houses and schools in the area. People are frightened at that prospect and want accountability. They expect it in a democratic society. Public participation … emissions from any connection to electricity transmission and distribution systems. We also believe in the social obligations the State has to build houses. This Bill, in its current form - I am sorry for this - could potentially lead to housing developments being rejected on the grounds that the emissions

thank Deputy Sheehan for raising this matter. He said he has raised it on numerous occasions in this House. He outlined the huge success rate of CCTV in Moyross and Limerick. CCTV across the country makes us feel more secure in the community and in our own homes … terms of who is responsible for the funding. The majority of funding for this scheme was previously provided through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, together with significant support from the mayoral fund. In August 2025, a business case was submitted to the Department of justice

apparent from them is that there is a divergence of opinion not just between the Government and the Opposition but throughout the House when it comes to how we respond to this issue. In a way, I think this reflects the complexity of the issue. It is sometimes … healthy that there are diverging views around this House and issues are not just presented in a binary way. There are, however, two points on which I think there is general agreement in this House. The first is that the Irish people have been very generous in their

certain services and”. This will be discussed with this group. On a procedural point, these, of course, are not amendments to the Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill. This is a new piece of legislation. It was not contained in the general scheme of the Bill … really problematic and means the issues we are going to discuss are going to come back in front of this House at some point in the future. As I said at the start of Second Stage, when the Minister of State was addressing it, from Sinn Féin

Eoghan Murphy was the Minister for housing. At that point there was a very strong lobby coming from a section of the development community that apartment building was not viable and the problem was that design standards and building height restrictions introduced by our local authorities were making … from having virtually no judicial reviews, JRs, of large residential developments to having an explosion of them. When I first came into the House, it was unheard of for people to judicially review residential developments, particularly estate developments. The misuse of the section 28 ministerial guidelines created conditions

move: That it be an instruction to the Committee on the Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, that pursuant to Standing Order 194, the Committee has power to make amendments to the Bill which are outside the scope of the existing provisions of the Bill … provide that Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 be amended for the purposes of: (i) introducing legal and habitual residency eligibility criteria for access to homeless accommodation provided by housing authorities under said Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988; (ii) obliging housing authorities to have regard

Before I start, the Housing Agency was tasked with researching and monitoring housing-based interventions that sought to strengthen social cohesion. I am wondering if that report informed this Bill, or if there is yet to be a report. If you ask the people of Dublin South-Central … they will clearly tell you that affordable and social housing is key in addressing the fragmentation and displacement of their communities, as vulture funds, student accommodation and transient accommodation smother their area. Swathes of high-rise, transient accommodation have been imposed on their communities. The historical community

people are creaming it. The more they charge in rents and the more they speculate on property affecting ordinary people affected by the housing crisis, the richer they get while ordinary people are crushed with the cost of living. I cannot help pointing to the fact that while … benefit of the international arms industry. Money that should go into addressing the cost-of-living crisis and into housing, health and childcare is going to go into the pockets of the arms producers to make the billionaires and trillionaires even wealthier while ordinary people are bombed

China. Ultimately, as we assume this Presidency, Europe is scrambling - scrambling to increase defence spending, scrambling to tackle a housing crisis that is felt more acutely in Ireland, and scrambling to reduce our reliance on the United States as it moves toward an isolationist economic and foreign policy … underinvestment in our own defence capabilities. We have also still not got real answers to the drone incursion. Neither the Members of this House nor the defence committee know the exact details of what happened that day, and that is hugely concerning. As we discuss air defences

thank the Deputy for his question about addressing rent increases in Kerry. As he will know, the key to solving the housing crisis, which includes homelessness and high rents, is through increased supply. That is why the Government is providing record funding towards the supply of homes … taking emergency measures to address the delivery of homes. We are also taking other measures. As the Deputy will be aware, under the housing infrastructure investment fund, we announced significant funding for County Kerry only last week for additional housing. My understanding is that those projects are shovel

Government on the passing of Sr. Colette Hickey, who passed away at the age of 108. She was the founder of Edel House Cork and the first winner of the 1993 Cork Person of the Year Award for the tremendous work she did for our city. This week … well settled into their retirements, not sleeping in hostels and hubs. It is not long ago that I brought up in this House a case in Mallow in my constituency, where we have a lady approaching 80 years of age who has been placed in homeless accommodation

actually be up to 20,000 homes, and that is just the figure for private estate homes. This estimate excludes data from social housing, businesses and community buildings. In relation to the Government’s amendment, it is significant that a new revised standard, I.S. 465:2026, was published … stay in the meantime, while their towns are dotted with short-term lets. They told me stories about engineers telling families that their houses needed to be knocked, only for the scheme to only approve partial works. They told me how all these costs have to be paid

there are thousands of them now. What about the families? It is a noble intention for any person to build their own house and have a house for their family. It is the noblest intention in the world. Now people are forced to replace their homes because … will not fine it here; not at all. We will put a 5% levy on the ordinary man trying to build a house to pay for this, instead of making the company pay. Everybody knows which one it is. I would be nearly afraid to speak the name

caite mar gheall ar cheiliúradh Bhród. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for her leadership as the custodian of the Chair of the House, for being impartial and for being a leader in building an equal and inclusive Houses of the Oireachtas. It does mean something … important. I thank all Members of the House for their participation in this important debate. It is not just a debate; it is an opportunity to participate in a discussion and look at where we have come from and where we are going to move

Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a list of all capital projects including social and affordable housing, water services, heritage and local authority-led projects funded under the remit of his Department which have been completed on time

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households on the social housing waiting list, broken down by household type and by length of time on the waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33619/26

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a list of all capital projects including social and affordable housing, water services, heritage and local authority-led projects funded under the remit of his Department which have been completed on time

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a list of all capital projects including social and affordable housing, water services, heritage and local authority-led projects funded under the remit of his Department which have been completed on time

Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the Summary of Social Housing Assessment for 2025 will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33909/26

around the basis on which grants are awarded for home energy upgrades, with particular attention being focused on if a homeowner buys a house that historically has had grants awarded for the house already for energy upgrades with a previous owner, can now avail of the grants

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the legislative or planning reforms under consideration to facilitate higher density housing, including apartments and duplexes, in existing urban areas, particularly in Dublin; the current status of any such proposals; the expected timeline for their introduction

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the latest available estimate of zoned but undeveloped residential land in the State; the breakdown for Dublin or by local authority area; the estimated housing capacity of such land; the measures currently in place or under

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the process in place for a person who has literacy issues, who receives a social housing income assessment but does not fill it out in time or fully understand the document. [32144/26

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether it is possible for a person to nominate an appointed contact person for their social housing application. [32145/26

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions he has taken to resolve issues with funding for smaller AHBs delivering special needs housing units. [32148/26

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding provided to AHBs delivering special needs housing units for new units in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [32149/26

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will finally commence the defective concrete block scheme for social housing. [32840/26

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has any plans to increase the housing adaptation grants scheme given the increase in construction costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33077/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the recorded outcomes for persons exiting emergency accommodation, including transition to social housing, private rental, return to family accommodation or other outcomes; and whether such outcomes are analysed by household type or nationality

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether a whole-of-government strategy exists linking housing policy with migration and population planning; if so, to outline the governance structure underpinning that coordination; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether a formal interdepartmental framework exists between her Department, the Department of Housing and the HSE for the planning and delivery of housing and care supports for adults with an intellectual disability; and the governance structure underpinning such coordination

Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a review of the current social housing application process will be undertaken to ensure it adequately captures the specific needs of adults with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities requiring bespoke accommodation. [31606/26

Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if policies will be introduced to ensure individuals with intellectual disabilities can access housing within their local communities, in order to maintain family and social networks. [31608/26

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the analysis in which his Department has been engaged, in relation to the raising of income threshold eligibility for social housing supports, has been concluded given his statement that it would be concluded

Children, Disability and Equality if consideration is being given to establishing a single "one-stop-shop" statutory agency to coordinate between the HSE, housing bodies, local authorities and service providers in processing and managing housing and support applications. [31601/26

Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether support will be expanded for “cluster housing” or “cluster of homes” models, given strong family preference for community-integrated housing with on-site care. [31607/26

Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps being taken to ensure consistent application of the National Guidelines for the Assessment and Allocation Process for Social Housing Provision for People with a Disability; when a circular was last issued in this area

Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to review the first home schemes threshold for areas outside of Dublin where house prices have risen significantly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31323/26

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration has been given to expanding the first home scheme and help-to-buy scheme to cover second hand homes for first time buyers given the cost of new homes in this housing crisis