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more of the required effect. The Deputy calls them "vulture funds" because that is a loaded term. We need private investment in the housing market. That is not just my view; it is the view of the Housing Commission. We need people to come into this country … invest because we also need rental properties in this country. Houses are required for the rental market. As of the last census, there were 330,000 units in the private rental sector, of which 62% were outside Dublin. We need to make sure we also have a rental

thank the Minister for his response. I welcome the engagement on housing. While housing comes under a different Department, we cannot separate the future of the Irish language from the housing crisis in Gaeltacht areas. As the Minister knows, there is a particular emergency there. This morning, there … morning that 12,000 homes are needed in Gaeltacht areas. We have had presentations by the GAA about how it cannot field teams. Housing is the core issue for Gaeltacht communities. I have met with BÁNÚ and Conradh na Gaeilge, as has the Minister. More needs

bedroom home – but the banks will not look at them because they are in their 50s. What they need is genuinely affordable housing. The last bit of affordable housing in our area was 30 affordable homes in Shanganagh but there were 640 applicants and there are no more … million of LIHAF funding to build it. At the time, we were initially supposed to get 40% of the development in affordable housing in exchange for that funding. That did not happen. Then we were supposed to get 300 affordable homes. Now we are told that

properties in my own constituency. A one-bed apartment in Crumlin is advertised at €2,266 per month. A three-bedroom, two-bathroom house, which is advertised as a family home, is €3,200 per month in Chapelizod. I do not know who can afford this … live in Dublin and pay their rents. Every single week, my clinics in my constituency are inundated with people in absolutely dire housing situations who are being evicted through no fault of their own and literally have nowhere else to go. People who are approved

thank all the Deputies who spoke in relation to this question. Deputy Connolly raised the issue of affordable housing and the local authority affordable scheme in Galway. I will certainly engage with the county manager and the city manager there on the low progress in respect … application of that scheme in the Galway context. Certainly, as part of the housing action plan, we want to do more on the affordable housing front as well as the social housing front. There have been certain local variations in terms of the application of the schemes. Some

This goes partly to short-term lets but what is a short-term let? We have people who want to build their own houses. If we go to Wexford, we have people who will be looking for lettings while their houses are being retrofitted after flooding. What happens … there? A problem has been caused by the Government failing to dredge the rivers, which has meant it flooded people's houses to protect different species. It could have put a plan in place to dredge the rivers in different sequences, protecting the wildlife and protecting people

regeneration, they are left like that for years. The council does not want to spend money on them because they know the house is going to be knocked. Should people be left to live in the damp and cold for 26 years? How many more years must they … Many people cannot put money into their homes. Why would you put in a new kitchen or a new floor or paint the house? People still do it, but why would you invest in a home when you know it is going to be knocked down? The people

thank social workers and all the people working in the industry. The amendments to the Bill build on calls from Members of this House over several years. I welcome the work put into it. Also on a positive note, the changes to improve Tusla and childcare across … Giving children with additional needs supports after they leave is important. The Clontarf Bulls reiterated that. I thank other Members of the House, as well, for their welcoming into it. Childcare is not a luxury. I know everyone in this House heard that on the doors

average, while nearly 40 per cent live in enforced deprivation". The motion reads: ... in the context of escalating costs in energy, food and housing, disabled people are particularly vulnerable to cost pressures, especially as they are more likely to spend more of their time at home ... We know … lived reality described by the Irish Wheelchair Association, the Disability Federation of Ireland and Access for All Ireland, which protested outside this House in December asking for one urgent and modest intervention, an emergency winter payment of €400. Disability in Ireland is not just about individual circumstances

critical infrastructure. I have been a Deputy for a decade. I am one of a number of people on this side of the House who have been talking about lack of investment, lack of reform and lack of ambition regarding critical infrastructure and delivery of key projects involving … housing, renewable energy and public transport. Despite the fact we have many times proposed changes that are required, only recently has the Government started to join the conversation. I will name some of those. Unless the Government delivers these, its new-found interest in addressing infrastructure deficits caused

have so many schemes to help people to make homes more affordable for them, while also driving the delivery of social and affordable housing through our local authorities, and through schemes led by the Land Development Agency. In both of those counties we have seen a significant delivery … significant uptick in the delivery of homes there. It is all about supply. The way we get control of rent prices and house prices is through increasing the supply. Our approach is to put in as many schemes as possible, and to try to make houses as affordable

will start with accountability in Irish Water. As the Minister knows, Members of the House have the right to ask parliamentary questions to various Ministers, including to him. If I want to help someone with a driving test, I can write a parliamentary question to the Minister … question for the Minister for Health, and she will refer it to the HSE. When I write a parliamentary question to Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage asking about Irish Water and when it is going to invest in a certain plant or when it is going

serious crisis, but that is also the case with its wastewater infrastructure. This connects directly to the need to develop housing, which we know is significant across Dublin city. We need to expand and increase the number of homes that are going to be built, but that … allow private developers to provide wastewater infrastructure. I understand that he is saying it is in order to accelerate the delivery of housing infrastructure, but I have a concern about it. What this shows is that despite the claims that Uisce Éireann is sufficiently funded, it is clearly

excellent work he has been doing, in a very practical, down to earth and sensible way, in trying to help the housing situation. By his initiatives and his control of the situation, along with the senior Minister, Deputy Browne, whom I also thank publicly, he is certainly introducing … They will help our planning authorities by giving clear direction with regard to subdivision, exemptions, modular homes, and the subdivision of properties into houses and apartments. That is all to be welcomed. I hope that initiative of the Minister of State's will be a help in this

Drogheda last year, the problems are so long and so vast that three minutes is not enough. I will point out the housing growth pressure issue. County Louth is ahead of its social housing targets and the number of private houses is growing at a rapid rate throughout … county. Yet, we see that the infrastructure is not keeping pace with the growth of houses in the county. Constituents' concerns in Dundalk have been treated with what I can only describe as disdain. Following a recent meeting with constituents, serious concerns were again raised about the pump

welcome the opportunity to speak on this debate. The provision of water supply and wastewater infrastructure is critical for sustainable development. With housing being our number one priority, we must have the infrastructure to go with it. In County Laois, despite the best efforts of Laois County Council … Graiguecullen, Borris-in-Ossory, Ballinakill and The Swan are in need of upgrade. All of those towns and villages need infrastructure to meet housing demand. We cannot just keep putting all the housing in Portlaoise. It is good that there is housing being built, but the town

thank the Minister. We have challenges and we are very aware of that. Building houses is a priority for this Government. The more houses we deliver the better. This is about the families, communities and people who need housing. In my area of Carlow, for example, through … working on this and that is why it is important we are looking at the wraparound services. The council was going to build houses in Ardattin because there was the need. It was going to look at local authority and private homes but it could

nearby in Cherrywood with 30 two-bedroom and one-bedroom apartments lying empty for 18 months. They are supposed to be for social housing to house people like Joe and Joan. Since I highlighted that yesterday, I have heard there are two more apartment blocks in south Dublin … also sitting empty, which are also designated for social housing. I also note that the Irish Independent highlighted at the weekend another apartment block in the Phoenix Park, which is designated for social housing but is sitting empty for months and months. This is systemic. This is property

ensuring a sustainable economy and a successful society. Neither of those things is possible unless we address the lack of social and affordable housing and the housing crisis that is faced in this country. Recently, in my area, an area called Old Connaught, on the border of Dún … Laoghaire-Rathdown and Wicklow, there was a local area plan discussion about building social and affordable housing. Our councillors, Melisa Halpin and Dave O'Keeffe, proposed that we should have a condition that all the housing, much of it on public land, should be social and affordable, because

carer. I find it amazing that we are now in 2026, and we are discussing that. This Bill should have been before this House 20 years. It is totally outdated. This Bill does not push for oversight. It risks more bureaucracy and costs for the people. I have … been in the House for the entire debate. It has been mentioned that there are four- to five-month waiting lists to apply for carer's allowance. That is the average in this country at the moment. That is the average that TDs around this House are telling

authorities continue to highlight the ongoing challenges in acquiring land for active recreation and sports facilities, not least of all because of the housing pressures that are in the capital and the pressure on them to deliver housing, as well as the fact that they often cannot compete … with the premium that is on land that is being bought for houses and that could be used to develop additional playing pitches. Clubs and community groups have repeatedly raised the pressures with elected representatives and my clinic has often been attended by club representatives who point

families and individuals as an initial payment where they first encounter difficulties in meeting rent costs. Longer-term support is given through the housing assistance payment. The rent limits applied on rent supplement are aligned with those on the housing assistance payment. Expenditure for rent supplement paid … compares with the 2026 estimate of over €570 million for HAP and the rental accommodation scheme within the Vote of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. A review of rent limits is a matter on which my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

states: Local Government is the beating heart of our democracy. It is responsible for many of the essential services on which we depend – housing, local roads, planning [and many other things]." I wish to talk about my experience of over 20 years as a local councillor before … areas of land because of the Planning Regulator's guidelines. These were based on the outdated 2016 census. We knew we had a housing shortage. At the time, I pointed out how crazy this was but nobody was listening to us councillors at the time. At one stage

thank the Minister of State for joining us in the House. I know she had a personal situation this morning but in fairness she and her office reached out to nearly every Member of this House to tell us why she would not be in the House … Oireachtas computers. It has been enormously beneficial. Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 has been enormously beneficial to me. I can upload something from Leinster House which could be 100 or 200 pages and it reads it back to me. It is very helpful to me. AI has been beneficial

that the small towns and villages programme was predicated on growth. To me, that does not make sense and I will tell the House why. Growth in an area is based on the building of housing in line with infrastructure from Government. As my colleague said … have the infrastructure, we cannot build the houses. I met a group of residents in Carrignavar a number of months ago. It is a great village. It has a new primary school and it is to be hoped there will be an extension to the secondary school, along

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether an extension has been granted to the replacement of boilers under the housing aid for older people grant in exceptional circumstances. [2917/26

Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports available to a person who requires an urgent boiler replacement, who would previously have received this under the housing aid for older people grant and is not a suitable candidate for retrofitting given

Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if in the instance of a social housing assistance income assessment being undertaken and that the decision is disputed by applicant after appeal with the local authority, the applicant has any recourse

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost of social homes delivered in 2025 broken down by delivery stream, including SHIP Construction, SHIP Turnkey, CALF Construction, CALF Turnkey, CAS Construction, CAS Turnkey, and social housing acquisitions. [3003/26

Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of new social housing homes delivered in County Waterford in each year from 2020 to 2025, and the pipeline for 2026, in tabular form, by funding stream and-or acquisition type. [3008/26

Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has engaged with stakeholders in the housing sector to assess the potential implications of the proposed restrictions on investment options for self-directed PRSAs changes for housing supply and affordability. [2930/26

Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, where a house commences a lease before 1 March 2026 for a period of 12 months, with the possibility of extending the lease after the 12 months, the lease will fall under the new legislation

Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has received an updated and or amended proposal from bodies in respect of a site for public housing (details supplied). [2845/26

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance his plans to utilise State Savings products to support housing delivery; the expected level of funding to come through the ISS for housing delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1631/26

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update regarding the proposed exemptions for building a granny flat for a family member onto an existing house. [2719/26

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans for the delivery of social and affordable housing in county Louth in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74029/25

Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Tenants-in-Situ scheme will continue or has it been subsumed into the Second Hand Social Housing Acquisitions Programme; if it is to continue whether funding has been allocated to Councils; the funding which

Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Council has the authority to buy a property under 6.12 of the Second Hand Social Housing Acquisitions Programme, if the tenants-in-situ are at risk of becoming homeless, even if the property

Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department or the National Parks and Wildlife Service has issued any public notices that it is perfectly legal under the Wildlife Acts 1976 and 2000 (Amended) to remove nests from occupied buildings provided … they do not contain eggs or hatched chicks; if no such public notice has been issued, and as the Houses of the Oireachtas has legislated for this entitlement, if he will direct his Department/NPWS to issue such a public notice in the interests of adherence to normal public

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to increase the thresholds to qualify for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74354/25

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the Q3 affordable housing delivery figures will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74468/25

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if staffing, procurement or tendering issues within Kildare County Council are contributing to delays and cost overruns in delivering social housing in Newbridge, Kildare Town and Athy; and the corrective actions which are being taken

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh 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 2020; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will approve exceptional funding measures to unlock stalled social and affordable housing developments in Newbridge, Kildare town and Athy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74670/25

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions he will take in 2026 to ensure that approved but delayed housing projects in Newbridge, Kildare town and Athy will proceed to construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reasons construction costs for social and affordable housing developments in County Kildare are significantly higher than the national average; the specific factors contributing to these costs, including land prices, labour shortages, construction inflation, infrastructure

Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to increase the income threshold eligibility criteria for social housing supports (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74874/25

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to significantly increase affordable housing targets for County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [75135/25

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the work of the housing delivery office including its current membership; the number of meetings it has had to date; the dates of those meetings; the actions that have been

Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of applicants on local authority housing waiting lists, including those receiving HAP and RAS payments, broken down by county council, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter