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post-crisis economic journey. It is a moment that deserves to be acknowledged and understood and not just processed quietly through this House. NAMA was born in crisis. It is ending in recovery. That arc from emergency to resolution is a demonstration of this State's capacity … construction in Ireland during the recovery period. It funded the delivery of tens of thousands of homes, contributed directly to social and affordable housing through local authorities and approved housing bodies and helped unlock development on key strategic sites around the country. This is a substantial part

current income limits for council housing are completely outdated. They are too low and must be increased urgently. These low income limits have the effect of locking large numbers of low- and middle-income families out of public housing and indeed private home ownership as well. The families … qualify for council housing or the housing assistance payment, nor will they qualify for a mortgage. They are condemned to private renting at enormous rents for ever more. They cannot save for a deposit. Some of these families have been on council lists for years, only

homeless accommodation. That is what is happening right across the country. This is Ireland in 2026 - too rich for social housing and too poor to survive in the private rental sector. That is what the Government's housing policies have done. In County Mayo, where evictions are spiralling … control, the social housing support threshold is €30,000. Let us imagine trying to run a household, pay bills, pay rent and run a car on €30,000. Once upon a time, homelessness was associated with complex problems like addiction and so on. We are facing

repairs and the retenanting of homes, is entirely a matter for each individual local authority, as set out in section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities must also ensure tenanted homes comply with the provisions of the rental standards regulations. To that end, local authority elected … members and officials must make adequate budgetary provision for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance utilising the significant housing rental income available to them as part of the annual budgetary process. That said, my Department is providing €260 million as a contribution towards the remediation and maintenance of local

When the Taoiseach entered politics, people were able to buy a family home for £50,000. Now house prices in Galway have exploded. They are up by almost 50% in the city and more than 60% in the county since 2020. Buying a home now costs over … more than it did a few years ago. In five years of the Taoiseach's so-called affordable housing scheme, not a single affordable home was delivered in Galway. Now, finally, the Government has announced 33 affordable homes. Does the Taoiseach know that the prices being charged

delete lines 22 to 26 and substitute the following: “(4) A draft of the designation order shall be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas, and the order shall be made only after a resolution approving the draft has been passed by each House of the Oireachtas … similar amendment from the Labour Party is very reasonable. It is simply that the designation order shall be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas, and the order shall be made only after a resolution approving the draft has been passed by each House of the Oireachtas. That

moratorium on disconnections. I wonder why. I accept that people are faoi bhrú and I share the views expressed by many in the House that there needs be greater transparency on the pricing structure of bills so people can understand. If you sit down in an office … engage with them, it is a comment that is made quite clear. People came into the Chamber tonight, in some sections of the House, like confetti at a wake, speaking about the profiteering and high profits. I ask people to read the CRU's report from yesterday about

travelling distances to work, and many travel from County Laois. There are also retired soldiers, some of whom, unfortunately, end up in difficult housing situations. It is important these properties are put back into use. We cannot have vacant homes of any kind lying empty, given the housing … crisis. Has there been liaison with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the issue? I would make one point about the consultants and the report. The Minister and I know that things can go around the houses over a long period of time

Curragh is of particular concern. This has gone on for a long time and in the past three or four decades, these houses have gradually fallen into disuse. I know some of them might be a challenge as they were built at a different time, some during … period of British rule. Whether it was 100, 120 or 130 years ago, housing standards were not what they are now. There has been a lot of talk in this House about upgrading houses and bringing old houses back into use. There is a lot more technology

Families across Donegal are desperate for the opportunity to secure an affordable home and build a better future for themselves. The cost of houses has risen, soaring rents have left many unable to afford suitable accommodation and thousands remain on the social housing waiting list. New housing development … play a vital role in easing the housing crisis and provide people with a safe secure place to live. I ask the Minister to encourage her colleagues to look at the 60 applications in Carndonagh and to review the 17 houses in Milford that have already been refused

because of the votes of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and, in some cases, Green Party councillors and others - goes onto the prices of houses. That is why the prices of houses and rents are so high. That is where they get their money from. It does not come … people get rich overnight. It is not magic. It is a transfer of wealth from working people who cannot afford a house or cannot afford the rents into the pockets of rich people who have done nothing except own a piece of land that has been rezoned. This

gcuid óráidí ar an díospóireacht thábhachtach seo. I thank the Labour Party and Deputy Nash for bringing the motion before the House today. It is important, in the context of the debate we are having, to make three points. I know the Opposition has to play a certain … role and I appreciate that. I have been a Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas for 19 years, have dealt with many of the Members here and I appreciate that. There is a commonality here because all of us are on the side of the people

this is important. I have great faith in people like Deputy Nash. I admire him greatly, having served with him in both Houses. He has that ability to look at the national economic dialogue and engage constructively. He was in government. He knows what it is like when … appease, win and excite people. However, do not for one second think that those of us on this side of the House do not recognise the difficulties people face. We understand them fully. That is why we intervened. Many of us in our parliamentary parties engage with

years following the enactment of this Act, and to provide for related matters. I introduce this Bill because we are in a housing and eviction emergency. Figures published by the RTB show that the number of terminations rose by 41% in the last three months of 2025 compared … increase for the year as a whole compared with the previous year. I introduce this Bill in the context of a housing market where rent has increased by more than 100% in the past ten years and by 50% since the onset of the Covid pandemic six years

welcome the opportunity to address the House on statements on Michael Shine, and much more importantly, his victims and survivors. The abuse of trust and attack on the dignity and the person of patients by Michael Shine was a terrible betrayal. I have the deepest sympathy and concern … place appropriate safeguards on a statutory footing. No processing could commence until the necessary statutory framework was in place. On 24 March, the Houses approved the data protection regulations for this scoping exercise and I signed them on 9 April. Our commitment is to ensure a process that

homes as part of Dolphin House phase 1, and 32 homes for older persons at Glin Court in Coolock. The Department is funding eight projects currently on-site, delivering almost 1,000 homes at a total investment cost of €490 million. Additionally, Dublin City Council has a strong … Department has also provided funding approval for regeneration projects in Dublin city, where DCC is working on the design, including Pearse House, Dublin 2, Dolphin House 1B, School Street, Dublin 8, Constitution Hill phase 2, Dublin 7, as well as Glover's Court, Dublin 2. In addition

down to a large volume of studios, one-beds and some two-beds. That is going to fundamentally undermine the coherence of those housing estates. The Minister will not be able to do that across all of the blocks in Pearse House or in Oliver Bond flats … these flats, they would be in front of the Residential Tenancies Board, fined and the problems would be fixed. If an approved housing body was the landlord of these flats, it would be in front of the Residential Tenancies Board and forced to fix them. However, the Minister

serious issue to the people I am representing. The Minister of State will know well that we are in the middle of a housing crisis. In the midst of that crisis the very least we could or should expect from a half-decent government is that it would … Government sponsors that stops people in any way from becoming homeless is the tenant in situ scheme. I am sure the local authority housing list is as bad in the Minister of State's area as it is in mine, where people have a 14-year wait

Families are waiting for the basics. Side-by-side building is where you go onto an acre of land that could have a house on one side that is defective and a house on the other, and then pull it down and keep the family in this house … until the other house is rebuilt, and then pull the defective house it down and move them over. That is what we are waiting for. That is what people are waiting for if the capacity is there to do it. The family I am talking about in Carrowkeel

Every week, month and year, working people who have been waiting on social housing lists for years are being thrown off those lists because they get a pay rise or an increment or, as was the case for one civil servant I spoke to this week, are awarded … family income supplement. They lose their years on the housing waiting list as a result. They do not have enough income for cost rental. They cannot afford affordable housing or to bid on the open market. When will the Government, as I have asked repeatedly, raise the social

homes damaged as a result of the presence of defective concrete blocks. It is six weeks since the Minister finally received the Housing Agency's report, along with its recommendations for the Carlow area. There are only a handful of affected homes in Carlow, but the families involved … answer. They deserve clarity on whether they will be added to the scheme and a clear timeline for action. These are not just houses; they represent lives. People's lives are left standing still. People are watching their houses crumble in front of them. Their kids are wondering

single line of the law they are supposed to comply with. That is not good governance. Will the Taoiseach explain to the House why the Bill has still not been published? I raised this issue numerous times with the Taoiseach and others but the Government still went ahead … down a Topical Issue on the matter but neither the senior Minister nor any of his two sidekicks could come into the House to debate the issue. Instead, I got a well-worn, stock answer delivered by a random junior Minister who appeared to lack a good grasp

modular homes in their gardens and subdivide them because it is a hugely important issue. It is definitely not a panacea for the housing crisis but it will help in certain situations. For example, yesterday I had a gentleman on to me worried that the legislation will … cover an area where the person who has a big enough house and wants to live on the garden and rent out the house. There are a lot of older people who want to live in the ground floor of their houses and then let someone else move

There will be some legislative changes needed. I agree 100% with what the Deputy said. In fact you can now subdivide a house as well under this planning statement. Equally, you can do what the Deputy said in terms of people creating a unit for themselves and renting … house. There is no question that in many of the older housing estates, the density has gotten very low. Whereas when we grew up, there was five or six people per family - in some cases, there was eight or nine people per family - but all of that

development for the past decade and a half. The lack of infrastructure such as wastewater treatment is strangling the development of desperately needed housing in the village, which would keep local people in the local school and living locally instead of exporting them across the world. Lack … that to which I refer is particularly infuriating for the entrepreneurial minded people I met today who want to build small clusters of houses in these villages and those who want to develop facilities for tourism or maybe repurpose an old building or a closed down building. They

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will publish the review of the income limits for social housing, discussed in recent correspondence (details supplied). [6402/26

Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the policy on one off housing will be changed to make it easier for people to build on their own land as per the recent statement by the Taoiseach; and if he will make

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage considering the testimony of witnesses before the Oireachtas housing committee stating that the proposed legislation would lead to increases in rents, and no witnesses stating that they believed rents would fall because of the legislation

Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the initiative to allow builders and private developers to construct wastewater treatment facilities for smaller housing developments; when the new regulations will come into effect; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if additional funding will be made available to local authorities in 2026 for housing adaptation grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4932/26

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he is taking to address the lack of affordable housing in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3349/26

Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department is tracking the progression of commenced housing units through the construction pipeline, including build-out timelines and completion rates; and how this information is being used to identify and remove bottlenecks after commencement

Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has engaged in any consultation processes with approved housing bodies and local authorities in advance of legislation removing blanket pet bans. [4416/26

Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the powers local authorities have to pursue developers who do not finish housing estates in terms of lighting and roadways and footpaths; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4921/26

Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an overview of the National Development Plan sectoral plan for housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5059/26

Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the initiatives being taken to support affordable housing in north Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4875/26

Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when Sligo County Council will receive its 2026 funding allocation to enable the reopening of the urgently needed housing adaptation grant scheme, which has been paused for several months; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to review the house price and income thresholds of the local authority home loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4926/26

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there has been any resolution to a social housing project in the Athy area suspended due to cost overruns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4864/26

Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in view of the inadequate income eligibility limits for social housing in Cavan and Monaghan, if he will have these income limits increased without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of the modular housing guidelines; when publication is expected; and whether local authorities will receive direction on their implementation. [5044/26

Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he will take following recent 2025 data indicating house price rises of 7.9% in Maynooth, 9.15% in Celbridge and 11.8% in Naas; the measures he will take to improve affordability in these areas

Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the mechanisms in place for engagement between his Department and local authorities to identify and resolve obstacles to housing delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4949/26

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the provision of allocated housing for those that work in frontline public sector jobs including teachers, nurses and members of An Garda Síochána; if this is under review within his Department

Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline any policies that his Department has in relation to in-fill housing in local authority estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4920/26

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason for the delay in getting housing developments started on State-owned lands in Dublin 8 and 12 (details supplied); the timeframe for commencement of building work; and the number of homes expected

Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the ongoing contact that is taking place, and planned, with local authorities in relation to monitoring housing targets on a monthly basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4933/26

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider the re-instatement of the provision of new heating boilers under the local authority housing adaptation grants for older people and disabled people; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider financial support for unfinished housing estates, in terms of lighting and so on, where the bond is not paid, the developer is not still operating and homeowners are being left in limbo

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the data for the local authority new build housing output for quarter four 2025 will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4938/26