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When will the penny finally drop? When will the Government get that its approach to the housing crisis not only means it is incapable of solving it, but is making it worse for tens of thousands of people across this country? The numbers tell a grim story … because they do not have the space or are ashamed of their living conditions? When the Minister of State sits down to devise housing policy, who comes to mind? Who does the Government think of? Is it the people struggling to make ends meet, who pay extortionate rents

young individuals using that scheme. Sinn Féin proposed to abolish that. That is, I believe, why the people were not persuaded by its housing policy platform. Then it had a convoluted idea under affordable housing that people could buy the house but could not buy the land … which the house was built, and a Sinn Féin government would dictate how they would sell the house subsequently, which appealed to nobody out there in respect of young people looking to buy a house for the future

challenge her to find that statement for me and present it because it is a deliberate distortion of what I said. The Housing Agency began a review of RPZs last year - not me, the Housing Agency. The expiry date is the end of this year. The Housing Commission … says the same thing but Deputy Bacik now challenges me to go back to the Housing Commission. It is in the Housing Commission report about reference pricing. Threshold wrote to every party in its election manifesto saying we should go that route. We have not decided

during the last couple of days. One concerns a woman I met myself. She has multiple sclerosis and has been on the housing list for 14 years. It has been seven years since she was granted medical priority. Her living conditions in her home, the place where … living now and in receipt of HAP, are making her condition worse. The Government's housing policy is making her sick. She cannot transition out of an inappropriate location into appropriate housing, although she is waiting years. Her family have been watching her suffer in pain for years

United Kingdom to engage in those endeavours. Other countries in the EU, however, do not have the same benefits. In this House, we are aware, and anyone who has been away as a student will be especially aware, of the benefits that come from youth experience schemes. They … wherever possible, and a demonstration of our pledge to protect and promote EU values in the area of freedom, security and justice. The Houses' approval at this stage, before the decision has been adopted by the European Council, which is expected to happen in the coming weeks, would

welcome Ryan McKeown and his partner here. I have no doubt they will sit here one day. They are welcome to Leinster House. I turned on the TV recently in my house and purely by chance saw a rerun of "Oprah". I immediately saw what happened … appoint more Ministers because we have a growing population, but we have a population of 5.1 million. There are 174 TDs in the House. Some 21% of the Dáil will be made up of Ministers. The population of Germany is 84 million, and there are 16 senior ministers

Minister is at it again. The Government has just been caught out using dodgy housing data and talking about 40,000 homes completed last year and just now, the Minister told us work commenced on 60,000 homes in 2024, using the same dodgy data based on commencement … notices filed and housing sites then lying idle, which has been happening all around the country. Do not take my word for that; Property Industry Ireland, the lobbyist for the investment funds that the Government listens to so much, said at the weekend that the 60,000 commencement

gratitude to the good people of Cork East and to my canvassers, family, supporters, neighbours and friends on being re-elected to the House. I walked in here at the age 22, and I am back at the age of 27. I have to admit that … special to be in the Oireachtas, but to be here as a Member is an enormous privilege. I have great respect for the House, as an institution, for the civil servants who run it and for us as Members as well. I thank the Minister of State

effect that the Government would deliver 40,000 homes last year now hang like an albatross around the neck of its credibility. The housing crisis permeates virtually every corner of Irish society. Schools are unable to hire teachers, gardaí are unable to secure accommodation in the communities … Neither of these will serve as a relief to the people in counties such as Cavan and Monaghan who are struggling with a housing crisis not of their own making. The previous Government failed to even set an affordable housing target. I assure the Minister for housing that

last year are disappointing; that is true. When we look at the past three years together, however, we have significantly exceeded the housing targets that were set. We significantly exceeded them in 2022 and 2023. We now have good momentum, with in excess of 60,000 commencement notices … proceedings today. Of course, we have published a new programme for Government. It commits to publishing a new fully funded, radical and realistic housing plan to get more homes built. We are going to ramp up construction capacity to reach 300,000 homes

deliver the transformative change that is deeply desired and urgently required. In particular, it will not deliver the change that is needed on housing, healthcare, childcare, disability services and climate action. This is deeply disappointing, particularly in housing where the previous Government's own expert commission called … radical reset in policy. The new programme for Government continues the failed housing policies of the past. They have left us with record levels of homelessness, soaring rents and unaffordable house prices. The health section of the programme lacks vision. The very thing that should underpin this entire

only five of the past 70 days since my election on 29 November. The culture of breaks and holidays in this House needs to end. This House needs to show the urgency that the Government and the party of the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, showed over … election campaign. I was shocked to learn that this House closes on the Tuesday following a bank holiday weekend, as well as on the Monday itself. I welcome many aspects of the programme for Government but it is very weak and vague. Some of the detail is just

being used as an election ploy, an attempt to convince people that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had turned the corner on housing. Here is the catch: none of it was true. The figure of 40,000 new homes was pure fiction, a trick designed to mislead … public because the Government could not face an election based on the actual facts of its performance on housing, and not alone had the rate of house-building stagnated on the Taoiseach's watch but it was in fact going backwards. Now his election lies have been exposed

wider family and for your team, and all the people behind you who worked so hard to ensure you were elected to this House, just like all of us in this House can relate to. I know it is especially significant for you, your family and your team … join that Government later, and to working with all colleagues in government - Ministers of State, TDs, Senators and people right across this House - as we work together for the people of Ireland. I will speak at greater length later on when the Dáil reconvenes but I would like

week is a brazen attempt to avoid sufficient scrutiny and accountability. Where is the urgency to tackle the challenges that we face in housing, disability, health and climate action? Where is the new energy that we heard so much about during the election campaign? It seems to have … used to silence critics of a genocide. In the run-up to the election, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the previous Minister for housing all insisted that 40,000 homes would be delivered last year in the absence of any evidence. In fact, you contradicted forecasts from

candidate for the position of Ceann Comhairle. I have the greatest respect for that office and for the democratic processes within this House. I know there are two sets of opinions here. There is the view that political parties can nominate and suggest to their members … what was best in the interest of the State and in the interest of the individuals concerned. I am saying this to the House today because I believe what is best for the Members of this House is to work together to first ensure you have a Parliament

enough support to claim a mandate for government. Since the election we have been engaging in good-faith discussions with others in this House who we believe to share at a minimum a commitment to various core values. We are progressing fully in line with the approach which … than words. We now need to further accelerate the work of this initiative and to deepen the scale and ambition of its work. Housing must be a defining issue for the next Government. We have just come through a period of dramatic change in policy and also sustained

welcome the opportunity to address the House on the independent Report on Children's Health Ireland Inquiry into Spina Bifida and Complex Scoliosis Scoping Exercise by Mr. Remy Farrell, SC. More importantly, I acknowledge the group of people who are here today in the Gallery, who have advocated … acknowledge that here today. I also want to acknowledge that for so many people I am very aware that any process that this House or the Government progresses will not alleviate pain and will not alleviate the past. What the Government and the Oireachtas are attempting

troops left for the Congo, the Dáil first legislated for UN service. At that time, Seán Lemass told this House that the UN Charter obliges every member to give the UN every assistance but he also warned that the Security Council had only too often in the past … ahead of the last general election and in the Fianna Fáil manifesto, it promised reform. The programme for Government, approved by this very House, committed to reform and action. Ireland is an independent State. Our right to set our own foreign economic policy was hard won and developed

peacekeeping, peace enforcement and conflict prevention. I do not know whether Deputy Bennett misread the legislation or was deliberately putting misinformation into the House when she spoke of making our soldiers conflict participants. That was egregiously wrong and the record of the House should be corrected … news for them. The Lisbon protocol is attached to the Lisbon treaty, which is in our Constitution. We cannot change that in this House. We would have to have a referendum. The Lisbon protocol stays. It remains the law of the European Union and the law of Ireland

current income limits for council housing are completely outdated. They are too low and they need to be increased urgently. These low limits have the effect of locking large numbers of low and middle income families out of both public housing and of private home ownership. Families … qualify for council housing or for the housing assistance payment nor do they qualify for a mortgage, so they are condemned to rent privately at enormous rents forevermore. They cannot save for a deposit because of that. Some of these families have been on council lists for anything

pump or in your home during this winter period". We all know that is not true. Can we all admit in this House that that is not true, because he did not say that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will jack up the prices of petrol, diesel … years, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, now backed by the Independents, have failed to tackle land hoarding and dereliction. As a housing crisis deepens, the Government continues to delay. The increase in the renter's tax credit stands out as very small, given that this is the year

tragedy that happened in Waterford, in Edenderry, and other events that have happened around the country, leave an indelible mark upon this House. Like everybody on all sides of the House, I have witnessed it in my constituency. I have sat in kitchens with mothers and fathers … their child was in so much debt. Some of them were serving prison sentences in Cork Prison, some had moved out of the house and some were in homeless accommodation or in homeless services. The then family gets a knock on the door from thugs. That

again thank the Deputy for raising the issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. My Department has continued to work on reviewing the current differential rents system with a view to developing a standardised national framework … sustainable rent system that will contribute to the needs of the local authorities in terms of maintenance and management of their social housing stock. The Government priority is the delivery of social housing. It is, therefore, more important that social housing supports are targeted appropriately and managed efficiently

move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." We have had a number of debates over the years in both Houses of the Oireachtas setting out the context of this Bill. After spending nearly €2.5 billion, surely Children's Health Ireland, CHI, and the Government could … Dáil and had been supported in a public petition by thousands of people, including historians, doctors, trade unionists, Members of both Houses and, if memory serves, members of all parties at the time. The Department of Health has emphasised that the naming process centred on engaging with stakeholders

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether consideration has been given to introducing greater flexibility into the Land Acquisition Fund, including but not limited to staged acquisitions, advance purchase, or earlier intervention in the land market, in order to accelerate housing delivery

Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail the annual funding allocation to Circle Housing AHB for the years 2020 to 2025, and to confirm if there is a dedicated contact email for Oireachtas members; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the schemes available to local authority to retrofit solar panels on to existing social housing stock. [11590/26

Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the publication of updated rural housing guidelines; if he intends to amend the definition of ribbon development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11707/26

Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will clarify a timeline for when the new guidelines on rural housing will be announced and if the legacy sale of sites will be impacted by the new guidelines; and if he will

Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he would consider introducing measures to assist people to downsize, in particular older people who have 3/4 bedroom houses and are unable to afford the maintenance and upkeep of a larger property

Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to give an update on the implementation of the revised national planning framework and housing supply targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11754/26

Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has met with the Office of the Planning Regulator on the implementation of the revised national planning framework and housing supply targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11755/26

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social and affordable houses respectively that were delivered in Arklow, County Wicklow in 2025 and are planned for Arklow, County Wicklow in 2026, 2027 and 2028; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if it is necessary for local authorities to require evidence of income from the previous 12 months for example, 2025, when assessing housing adaptation grants, and so on, for people who are self-assessed earners, where

Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 614 of 20 March 2024, the number of houses and duplexes that received planning permission with conditions restricting the bulk buying or multiple sales to a single purchaser and ring-fencing

Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of wheelchair-liveable houses in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12816/26

Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he acknowledges that households who were compelled to sell their home following the onset of a spouse's disability or long-term illness may be excluded from the fresh start principle and other housing

Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the Housing Agency did not proceed with the purchase of a property (details supplied) in County Donegal; if the request for the report to be carried out will be made available

Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reasons domiciliary care allowance is treated as household income for the purposes of assessing eligibility and contribution levels under the housing assistance payment scheme; whether he acknowledges that this places an additional financial burden

Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households currently on the social housing waiting list in Kildare south; the number of people who have been removed from the list since 2022; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department carried out any formal impact assessment, cost-benefit analysis or behavioural modelling prior to the roll-out of the tenant rent-a-room scheme for local authority tenants … Department satisfied itself that the scheme would deliver additional housing supply in practice. [11395/26

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to state, with respect to a proposed change to a local authorities section 48 development contribution scheme review (details supplied), whether the Department has issued any instruction, guidance or circular on the charging of development … cost rental and affordable purchase homes to local authorities; and his views on whether the proposal will impact on the rents and house prices of the homes involved should the proposed amendment to the scheme proceed. [11503/26

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to cases whereby people have been removed from local authority housing lists due to receiving a promotion at work and thereby going over the income threshold; if this acts

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will engage with local authorities to ensure that existing income thresholds and the lack of flexibility therein do not act as a disincentive to career progression for housing applicants; and if he will make

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the fairness of a person losing 13 years in time accrued on a social housing list due to getting a pay increase that pushed them marginally over the income threshold

defined any sector-level performance indicators for the Built to Innovate initiative, beyond firm-level project assessments; to measure impacts on residential housing output, construction timelines, or unit delivery costs; and if not, the reason his Department satisfies itself that the initiative contributes meaningfully to national housing delivery

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) rent limits have not been increased since July 2016, despite significant rises in market rents during that period; the rationale for maintaining these limits at 2016 levels; his views

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the rental accommodation scheme (RAS) has no national rent thresholds despite its central role in housing long-term rent supplement recipients; the absence of updated, standardised rent caps within RAS schemes

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the formal engagement that has taken place between his Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Land Development Agency regarding the potential transfer or reuse of vacant HSE-owned residential properties for housing purposes