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have the opportunity to speak on the Second Stage of this important legislation. At the outset, I would like to thank the House for facilitating the taking of all Stages of the Bill today. The Bill provides for two separate and important issues. First, the Bill includes amendments … while not directly transposing elements of the pay transparency directive, will assist with its transposition. I will be bringing further legislation to the Houses in the coming months to complete the transposition of the directive. Mandatory use of the portal and having this information available on a centralised

refundable credit. The Government only increased it by €150. Not a single cent of additional capital funding was allocated for housing. I have spoken to young people and their parents about this. I have two young boys myself, one of whom is in college. I fear … able to afford their own home. Every time they hear the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste talk about turning a corner or how housing is the biggest challenge of our time, they see house prices and rents increasing and more people who cannot afford to pay their mortgages. That

comes to budgets, our priority and the Government's priority should be to help those who need a leg up. The situation regarding housing measures is similar. They will not benefit first-time buyers or renters. The €150 increase in the rental tax credit is going … swallowed up by landlords. The raising of the cap on the help-to-buy scheme will, and already has, put up house prices. This is done at the behest of large property developers. We all know it. We were all lobbied by them. The increase in the rent

After years of paying rent, saving and watching house prices climb faster and faster, they still do not have the deposits they need. They have had years of being told that they have to put their lives on hold. That demanded a massive response from the Government … were going to make home ownership affordable again, a budget that would protect renters, a budget that would bring vacant and derelict houses back into use, and a budget that would treat housing as a basic need rather than an investment opportunity. What did we get from Fianna

such a scheme. It did not pretend that it was for because it represents young people who want to get on the housing ladder. Those people are not who it represents. The Construction Industry Federation represents developers. It explicitly stated that it wanted this scheme because it wants … property prices and push those prices up further. When he introduced the scheme, Michael Noonan stated, "There is an acute shortage of new houses being built in Ireland and I am introducing a help-to-buy scheme to address this problem." In other words, it was a supply

again about this help to buy scheme that the Government is literally chasing the prices. It has no plan for genuinely affordable housing across vast swathes of the country. Even in the places it is doing it, the homes are not affordable at all. I can talk with … authority about my county of Donegal. Not a single affordable house has been build on public land in the county. As matters stand, there are no plans to do build any such houses. It is the same story in other counties, From what I can see, there

vehicles. Will the Minister show the machinery that will do that? Will he show me the digger that will dig out for a house here in Dublin? We will talk about housing as the Minister is responsible for it. Will he show me a 30 tonne digger … fuel other than diesel? We will charge them all carbon tax. That is what we will do. Let us not talk in this House about changing culture when we do not have something different. I heard the most disheartening thing tonight. We talk about lowering the carbon

slyness and the cynical trick the Government did that day. We did not get much support from any of the parties in this House. The Government put on an incremental increase every year for ten years up to 2030. The Government is coming badly unstuck today … want to be able to heat their home. All they want is a modicum of heat and comfort. They do not want airtight houses with air-to-water pumps or everything else; they want an ordinary spark in the fire to sit in front

situation and to tackle homelessness through prevention but also speeding up exits as quickly as possible. Driving on with the delivery of public housing is absolutely critical. That is why last year, we provided the highest number of social houses in the history of the State … exit people from emergency accommodation into social housing and to remove people from HAP, where the State is paying rent to private landlords, and into State-provided housing. That is why we have seen the number of HAP properties fall very significantly because of people exiting into permanent

hear Deputy Heneghan's concerns in relation to supports for communities where significant housing is being delivered. The provision of funding to support the delivery of community facilities and infrastructure falls within the remit of a number of different Departments. My Department established the housing activation office … ensure we accelerate housing delivery and also the necessary infrastructure required to support housing development. To that end, we are also providing significant funding for urban regeneration within communities to support regeneration infrastructure, public realm projects that facilitate housing delivery, and sustainable community development. A number

Department provides funding under the suite of housing adaptation grant for older people and disabled people to assist those in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants, which include the housing adaptation grant for disabled people, the mobility aids grant … housing aid for older people grant, is funded by my Department with a contribution from the local authority. The detailed administration of the scheme, including assessment, approval, prioritisation and apportionment, is the responsibility of local authorities. The Exchequer funding available for these grants in 2026 increased substantially

precious that is. Earlier this month, Donald Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico were to be banned from the White House because of reporting he did not like. That was not just rhetoric. Journalists from those organisations subsequently arrived at the White House and were denied … because that is my job. It is also worth acknowledging that, thankfully, there should be nearly cross-party agreement in the House for a law such as this. We have a functioning democracy. Journalists can stand outside this building and criticise the Taoiseach, the Minister, the Opposition

place. The Minister of State might explain why the Defamation Bill was not simply amended in its final Stages, rather than asking the Houses to legislate twice on the same subject. She should give the House a clear, ideally published, comparison of what the new Part 4A changes … presented until 1 July of this year. We do not have a good track record and the Minister of State should tell the House when she expects the Act to be brought into force. The Bill promises a bit more than it delivers. The language in the Bill

welcome the Minister of State to the House today and for giving me an opportunity to discuss with him the urgent need for additional special school places in my area of Kildare South. Over the past number of years, particularly since I have been in both Houses … previously given a commitment that we would have a special school in Kildare South. Unfortunately, as I have said many times in this House and the Upper House, that school turned out to be located in Craddockstown in Naas, which is in north Kildare. However

doing so. The issue of the explosion in the number of these monstrous data centres for AI is once again before the House. Last week, I and na Teachtaí Pa Daly and Deputy Conway-Walsh tabled a Bill which would ensure that any new connections to the grid … solely for private profit. We have repeatedly seen cases of data centres being given priority access to the grid ahead of much-needed housing developments. They are hoovering up energy while simultaneously driving up the price of household energy bills. Ireland is a complete outlier in the context

economy, despite the multiple shocks of recent years, and a Government that is motivated to give young people hope when it comes to housing, when it comes to their future and in terms of their employment and their wages. That is our central motivation as part of budget … economy and give them a break. It is why we want to make significant interventions and further progress when it comes to housing and delivering greater housing supply across our economy because, yes, the challenges and the pressures faced by young people are concentrated in affordability of homes

Aontú, called for a proper debate on the issue of immigration. We were the first party to do so in this House. We said very clearly that if there is not a debate that the issue will not go away. It will be pushed underground. It will … this country. Many are working positively and putting their shoulder to the wheel. However, it is also putting significant pressure on the housing crisis. It is a foundation of economics. The supply and demand determine the price and availability. The Government has not been able to supply housing

investing in the health and education professionals needed to operate a properly functioning system. The Bill is not about addressing that in Chamber House CDNT, where well over 1,000 files simply have not been opened, there is a vacancy rate of more than 50% in some professions … campaigners, parents and families who fought for years to put it on the agenda. Cara Darmody has been outside Leinster House again and again. The campaigners have demanded action on assessment of need and provision of the therapies that must flow from that. The Government is feeling

tenants in local authority and approved housing bodies social housing stock impacted by defective concrete blocks have been waiting a very long time for this scheme. I have to say that, like its parent scheme, the Minister is making an absolute mess of it. The defective concrete blocks … only 604 applicants of the tens of thousands of impacted homeowners have completed remediation works. The idea that he can just incorporate social housing into this defective scheme really shows he does not understand the scale of the problems. What is worse is that local authorities and approved

welcome the defective concrete blocks social scheme 2026. This is the first opportunity for those who have been living in affected council houses in recent years. They did not have an opportunity to have remedial works carried out to their houses, so it is a welcome development. Officials … affected. In short, it is my strongly held view that the works must be fully funded. There are approximately 1,900 council houses in Donegal and 80 are shovel ready. I hope work on them will start quickly. The difference between the other scheme and this

have the opportunity to talk about this matter, as I have done many times in the past. I welcome that the social houses in Donegal that are damaged will have a scheme to replace them. I cannot understand why it has taken so long … only at this now. Clearly, this must have happened at the same time as the private houses. Like Deputy Gallagher, I insist that the Department of housing cover the cost in full. It cannot be left to the local authorities to do so. As has been pointed

undergo a full Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, warmer homes retrofit or whatever. Previously, they would have been able to apply for housing for older people supports from the local authority but now the only thing you can get if you want an oil or gas boiler … this or to do the full retrofit required. We all know the best thing that can be done for a lot of older houses is to ensure they are proofed from the point of view of decent windows, doors and insulation. It does not always make great sense

money from carbon tax, you help the poorest in society. That has not always happened. For example, there are people in local authority houses who are waiting for them to be insulated. The roll-out of insulation works for such housing is absolutely abysmal. Some people are benefiting … very basic retrofit, up to €80,000 if you are doing it properly and more if you are getting the whole house refurbished. It is not something you can just do and say, “My bills have gone up by an extra €2,000 that I do not have

duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013 opened to applications from owners' management companies in December 2023. The scheme is administered by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis. The scheme provides for the full funding of interim measures in order to provide an acceptable level of fire safety … necessary fire safety measures, as well as those related to water ingress and structural damage, will be funded under the statutory scheme. The Housing Agency has committed its knowledge and resources to helping to design and now operate this scheme. Its experience of dealing with, for example

parts of this Bill I really welcome, particularly moving towards better digital records. That is something I have continuously pushed for in this House. I congratulate the Minister of State and the Department staff for all the work that went into this. However, it will be better … what I do not like and what I want to see improved - namely, enforcement. I spoke in this House yesterday about supporting gardaí before they become gardaí, while they are gardaí and after they are gardaí. We can do a lot better as a State. I come from

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will provide a breakdown of credit unions who have invested in the Credit Union Approved Housing Body fund since its inception; the amounts invested; the total number of housing units delivered; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the average credit union housing loan issued to end December 2024 and to end December 2025; the total amount of outstanding housing loans issued by credit unions to end December 2024 and to end December

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason an approved housing body cannot continue to provide property management services at (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9179/26

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of staff directly responsible for cybersecurity, as distinct from IT, within his Department; if a threat analyst, vulnerability manager and a cyber infrastructure engineer are employed; if not in-house, if this work

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether national housing delivery targets assume electricity infrastructure upgrades that have not yet received planning permission or secured funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9709/26

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether projected housing completions to 2030 assume electricity grid upgrades that have not yet received planning approval or secured funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9743/26

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether regional housing targets have been adjusted to reflect regional electricity grid constraints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9744/26

Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to review issues raised with this Deputy (details supplied) in relation to housing and provide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9850/26

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to address the housing crisis by changing national planning guidelines that prevent applicants who wish to build a family home in rural areas (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9995/26

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm the origin of guidance issued by the Housing Agency stating that homeowners cannot avail of a full technical review following the revision of the I.S. 465 following an appeal and adjudication by the Appeals

Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason an approved housing body, in receipt of State funding, will not install a security entrance gate at a location (details supplied) to protect older and vulnerable residents; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health what formal engagement 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

Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update as of January 2026 on the Programme for Government commitment to enhance compulsory purchase order powers to increase housing supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8832/26

Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as of January 2026, the number of positions that remain vacant in the housing section of Cork City Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8835/26

Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as of January 2026, the number of positions that remain vacant in the housing section of Cork County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8836/26

Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of houses that have been purchased through the tenant (incremental) purchase scheme in 2025 through Cork City Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8837/26

Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of houses which have been purchased through the tenant (incremental) purchase scheme in 2025 through Cork County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8838/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department receives regular reports, briefings, or statistical updates from the Residential Tenancies Board in respect of notices of termination or eviction notices issued by private landlords; if so, the frequency of such reports … annual aggregate data; and the manner in which this information is used by his Department in the formulation, review, or evaluation of housing and rental sector policy. [8856/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department plans to compile, hold, or publish a centralised official dataset on notices of termination or eviction notices issued in the private rental sector, drawing on data held by the Residential Tenancies Board … reasons such data is not centrally maintained by his Department despite its policy responsibility for housing; his views on the way in which transparency and oversight in this area are to be ensured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8857/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether he considers the number of notices of termination or eviction notices issued in the private rental sector to be a core housing performance and policy indicator; if so, the way in which this indicator

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for details of any guidelines or legislation governing the appraisal of a person’s need in assigning medical priority for the allocation of social housing. [8875/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any rental accommodation scheme tenant whose tenancy ends through no fault of their own is guaranteed an offer of alternative accommodation or housing support sufficient to prevent homelessness; to set out the specific statutory

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the estimated cost if the stamp duty on first-time house buyers on houses valued at less than €370,000 was scrapped based on 2025 figures. [7383/26

assess whether the Built to Innovate initiative has delivered demonstrable productivity gains at sector level within the residential construction industry, including impacts on housing output, build times, or unit delivery costs beyond firm-level performance indicators; if such sector-level metrics exist, to outline them … explain how the effectiveness of the initiative is being assessed in terms of its contribution to national housing delivery objectives. [7712/26

Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 1133 of 4 November 2025, if he has been given the completed report and recommendations from the housing agency which commenced drafting in May 2025 , relative to the concrete block test