Search the record

Bill is before the House. I am not criticising the Minister. I am talking about the past when the Bill was not brought to the Houses, and how long it has taken for a Government, that is, this one rather than the previous one, to legislate to address … this issue. I compliment the Minister on bringing the Bill to the House and bringing us to this position. As a small, open economy, we face intense competition for the foreign direct investment that has been the bedrock of our prosperity. We do not compete for this investment

enough to buy an electric car, do not have enough sitting in their bank account to put air-to-water systems into their house or cannot afford a deep energy retrofit in their homes and do not qualify for the free one. It is not fair … change behaviour but for that to happen we need alternatives and those alternatives have to be readily available and affordable. Members of this House will be asked when they vote on the schedule later on to vote for an increase in the prices of petrol, diesel and home

asylum and migration. Of course, Sinn Féin turned tack again and changed its position when the International Protection Act came before the House. It was not rushed through the House. There was pre-legislative scrutiny, a long debate on Second Stage and it went through Committee Stage … next week because of this pact coming in. The Act has been signed off on by the President following its passage through the House. We have never had a situation where legislation was passed and an attempt was made to try and fool the people into believing that

worth reflecting on the journey that we have travelled in that 100 years. Before I get into that, though, I hope the House will indulge me a brief personal note. Had I not been performing parliamentary duties today, I would have been attending my grand-aunt, auntie Alice … challenges that Ireland faces at this time of change and how we can respond. I look forward to listening to colleagues around the House on their contributions on the same theme. I will start by raising what we often refer as the four Ds that summarise the challenges

provisions of the 2021 Act were in place until 30 November 2021 and have been further extended nine times by resolutions of each House of the Oireachtas in November 2021, May 2022, November 2022, May 2023, November 2023, May 2024, October 2024, May 2025 and November … Second Stage in the Dáil on 22 January and completed Committee Stage on 19 May. As the progression of the Bill through the Houses is ongoing, it will not be possible to bring these provisions into operation prior to 31 May next. The extension of provisions

based on what it has produced so far, in terms of the substance of what it has put forward. Soundbites will not build houses. It is good play but it will not build houses. I do not mind having an honest debate on housing but the Deputy consistently … fails to acknowledge any progress at all in terms of the social housing issue, for example. There have been 58,000 social houses built in the last five years. That is dramatically better than anything built in the previous ten years, but the Deputy cannot acknowledge that

solution to the housing issue is supply. We need far more supply than we are getting, notwithstanding the fact we are building more social houses than we ever have per annum. We will continue to build social houses over the next ten years because the investment is being … made. There is massive State investment in housing, and there is additional, discrete ring-fenced funding for emergency housing but also to deal with those on the emergency housing lists and provide them with homes. In the budget, the Minister secured ring-fenced funding to enable

housing crisis continues to affect every town and village across Ireland. It remains one of the biggest challenges facing families, young people, older people and workers. As a TD, I hear every week from people struggling to find a home, buy a home or to cope with raising … rents. The message is clear - more houses and more needs to be done. There is no single solution to the housing crisis and no silver bullet. We need a mix of actions. We must increase supply, support first-time buyers, improve infrastructure, speed up planning and make better

thank the Deputy for highlighting this important issue. I am taking this on behalf the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment has drafted the general scheme of the short-term letting and tourism, STLT, Bill in full alignment with … threshold-based approach to generally preclude new planning permissions for short-term lets in larger towns and cities where, often, long-term residential housing need is significant. Further to this, the Cabinet committee on housing has proposed that the threshold be set at towns and cities with

This is an important matter. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has worked closely with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, and is committed to developing a fair and balanced approach to the short-term letting question, which is crucial. As the Deputy said … different Departments working together. I believe this will have a good outcome. With the approach outlined earlier, the need for rental housing stock is being balanced with the need to protect rural and regional tourism and jobs, which are important. The long-term development of tourism requires that

confidence with which the Taoiseach tries to slate the Social Democrats' policies on housing is honestly astounding, when we consider that he is coming in here on a day when there is news that rents have gone up more than they ever have since records began. That … context of a housing crisis that has turned into a housing disaster and then into a catastrophe, where there are record levels of homelessness, where rent prices, house prices and homelessness are all going in one direction under this Government. Then the Taoiseach stands up in here

taken by government that reinforced, through austerity, the circumstances that created a detrimental economic impact across the board. We had no building of houses or plan by government. We went from a situation where the market would sort everything, where all was going well and where … Celtic tiger situation, when the Government had moved away from building houses, to a situation where all the moneys dried up. The only people who were facilitated were the vulture funds. We have ended up in a scenario where we have the most dysfunctional housing market

bigger property portfolios, particularly in Northern Ireland, were being discussed, very little help and information were given to the committees of this House to enable them to pursue matters in the interests of the citizens of this country. Particular cases were mentioned. What concerns me about this legislation … case from the other side, which was NAMA, was. That never happened, even though it was promised to an Oireachtas committee representing these Houses. That was before the election. I really thought they would meet with the Butlers and deal with each of the specific accusations or allegations

Over 9,000 social houses were built last year. Those were direct builds that the State funded. Housing is the number one issue facing the people of the country. Our population has grown exponentially, and if we dig deep under the demographics and the population figures … impact on the pressures on the housing situation because of the different parts of that demographics story. I can deal with that at a later time. We need to increase housing supply, and this is what the Government is focused on in a whole range of initiatives that

every part of the country and it is spiralling at an alarming rate. At the moment, I am dealing with a group of houses in my constituency in Enniscrone, Sonas. It is elder care accommodation beside a nursing home. Older people who live there have received eviction notices … move out. They have nowhere to go. Some of them are on the council tenancy list, waiting to get into local authority houses. There are no local authority houses in that area or anywhere in Sligo for them to go to. Others are above the threshold because their

paid. They have all got their deals. This Government will go down in history, and in shame. Multiple Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing Ministers presided over the worst housing evictions since the Famine. Is that why we fought for our freedom and independence? Is that what … couple are being evicted this Friday. The mother has severe medical needs and needs daily medical care. The family is not on the housing list. They are new to the system and are terrified. They cannot afford €2,000 in rent. A couple of apartments are owned

This House must be about finding solutions to address the housing crisis. We have put our policies forward to address that crisis and we stand behind them. That is why we saw a 20% increase in housing delivery last year and the highest number of social houses built … history of the State. We are going to build more houses, including an increase in affordable provision. An eviction ban does not and will not work. It has already been tried in the State and all it does is kill supply. I want to help not just

really respect that process. I agree that most legislation can be fixed if there is agreement on principles across the Houses and through the different Stages. In this case, however, I am afraid I cannot agree in that way because the issues are based on principles, which … words we say. This Bill raises both significant legal and operational concerns and I have to bring those concerns to the House. It proposes five major changes to the existing legislation. I see policy difficulties with four of those changes and legal difficulties in all cases

Defence took as its policy the depopulation of the Curragh camp. Worse still, in recent years, we have seen the demolition of many houses in the area, which is completely wrong. I thank the current Taoiseach and former Minister for putting a stop to the demolition of houses … welcome the Minister, Deputy McEntee's reply today. The commitment to refurbish those houses is very positive. I ask her to also look at the Orchard Park 100-house development, where a few houses remain in Army ownership. The intention is to transfer them to the local authority

míle fáilte to all the residents up there. I want to give a shout out to the flat complexes of Meath Place, Dolphin House, Tyrone Place, Braithewaite Street and Seagull House in my constituency alone. Unfortunately the residents of Oliver Bond House, who planned to attend, cannot … estates for public health and to clear some of the slums. In 1917, Sinn Féin alderman Thomas Kelly chaired the Dublin Corporation housing committee and kicked against funding delays, a mirror image of the failings of today's Government and the Minister. Residents of Dolphin House

come. They are paying high rents while living in conditions that no one here would be expected to tolerate. The Government talks about housing numbers but a substandard home is not a housing solution. We must fix the homes we already have and make them warm … live. We must look at different ways. The Government has, in fairness, been looking at some ways, including extensions at the back of houses. I fully agree with that and think it is wrong for anyone to criticise it. We must look at every opportunity out there

introduction of a register of all short-term lets in Ireland. That will be accompanied by a planning statement from the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne, governing that entire framework. That will broadly restrict the approval of new planning permissions for short-term lets … figure of 20,000. We think it is a reasonable balance. If we can get the short-term lets back to housing in the cities and the large towns, that will be a good day's work. It is not simple either, in terms of planning laws

have constantly raised the issue of side-by-side rebuilding under the defective concrete scheme through amendments, a motion in the House and parliamentary questions. This is happening in people's homes right now. For many families, side-by-side building is the only workable way to rebuild … dealing with a family in Carrowkeel who have a child who is severely disabled. They are currently dealing with electrical issues with their house because it is structurally unsound and is moving. That child, who will be 18 next week, is on an air mattress and when

coming to an end in relation to the development of Our Rural Future, the new national development policy. I will provide the House with an update on what we have delivered under the policy over the past five years but I also want to hear, as we finalise … outdoor recreational plans for counties Sligo and Mayo over the past weekend. In 2022, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, launched the town centre first policy. The town centre first approach is now being implemented in rural towns and villages

economic development, town and village regeneration, inclusivity and protection of our natural and built heritage in rural communities. Rural Ireland needs services, infrastructure, housing, transport and the renovation and repurposing of long vacant and derelict buildings - in short, serious investment in the everyday foundations of a decent quality … natural heritage. There is a false and divisive narrative in some of our public debate on rural Ireland. Some people, including in this House, seek to appropriate rural Ireland as an identity, restrict who is allowed to belong within that identity and portray anyone who cares about

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that a plot of land adjacent to and including a part of a rare alluvial woodland in Rathcoole, County Dublin is being considered for a new housing development; his views that

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the name of each engineer and engineering firm currently operating under the Housing Agency framework panels in relation to the defective concrete blocks scheme; the date of appointment of each; the criteria applied for inclusion

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Questions on appeals relating to downgraded remediation options under the defective concrete blocks scheme, whether he or his Department holds the data requested; if not, whether the appeals panels or any associated bodies … data is held by an independent body, whether he will engage with the relevant body or bodies, including the appeals panels and/or the Housing Agency, to obtain and provide this information to Dáil Éireann; whether any legal or administrative barriers exist to the provision of such data

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding being allocated for housing acquisitions per local authority for 2026. [30304/26

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has assessed the impact of probate delays on national housing supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30577/26

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities are obliged to participate in inter-county/council tenant-in-situ agreements/arrangements; whether they decide that they will only consider the scheme for families/individuals on their own housing waiting lists

Minister for Health whether consideration has been given to prioritising the reuse of vacant Health Service Executive residential properties for social or affordable housing purposes under Government policy, including Housing for All; and if so, the mechanisms in place to achieve this. [29854/26

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, pursuant to section 10(2)(m) of the Planning and Development Act (2000), his Department has given consideration to the development of guidelines, in consultation with local authorities, that would provide relevant criteria and guidelines … development and implementation of provisions in local authority development plans that are designed to ensure that the provision of private and social housing in Gaeltacht areas shall ensure the future sustainability of the Gaeltacht as Irish speaking areas. [29367/26

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the progress of the working group established by his Department to examine changes to the codes of conduct for local authority and approved housing body tenancies allowing tenants to have pets

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a membership breakdown of the working group established by his Department to examine changes to the codes of conduct for local authority and approved housing body tenancies; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage to provide an updated timeline for the completion of the review of the code of practice regarding pets in local authority and approved housing body tenancies; if it is still on track for its scheduled

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the Health Service Executive has engaged with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding the potential use of vacant residential properties for housing or accommodation purposes; whether any formal interdepartmental framework exists governing

Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans and timeframe to review housing supply targets arising from Census 2027 plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29173/26

Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on his Department’s work in lifting pet bans in social and AHB housing. [28029/26

Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update in relation to the proposed eight-unit women's refuge in County Laois; if an application for funding was made before the 1 March deadline; if so, which housing body has made

Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can provide an update on the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF) application submitted by Meath County Council to provide funding for the Local Distributor Road (LDR) 1a, linking the Trim and Dublin Roads near

Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the date on which the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund will reopen; the amount applied for and drawn down to date by local authority and project. [28534/26

Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason women and children residing in domestic violence refuges are not included in the official homeless figures; if he acknowledges that their exclusion may underrepresent the true scale of homelessness, particularly among women … methodology used in the compilation of homelessness data to include those in refuge accommodation, so as to provide a more accurate reflection of housing needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28632/26

Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of supported housing units in Meath west; the number planned for Meath west; and the timeline for delivery of these units. [28713/26

Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the inequity in the rent differential scheme can be corrected to avoid people’s social housing rent being increased when they receive an increase in their social welfare payments namely the State pension. [28714/26

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the remediation scheme for social housing with defective concrete blocks. [27728/26

Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the number of house calls that doctors from each D-Doc treatment centre carried out during each day of the recent Easter bank holiday weekend; the average time from receipt of call at each D-Doc treatment centre until … doctor arrived at that house in question, in tabular form. [27484/26

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the policy or infrastructural improvements that have occurred since the introduction of the 2023 waiver that justify its expiration; and the details of any review undertaken to assess its impact on rural housing development. [26159/26

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost to provide Supported Housing for Youth support to one young person in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26530/26

Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage given that a housing form/application is required to request a long-term residential place for an adult with an intellectual disability, the number of people in this category; the number of people on such a list