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also have to respect that within Gaeltachtaí, there are people who do not have Irish. They have to be given a housing a right in their own community

assert the principles of a social Europe with an emphasis on climate action and an active state that can engage on housing, workers' rights and equality. The Spanish left Government has shown leadership on climate, renewables and so much more. I raise three points that the Minister

experienced exponential growth in 30 years, more than doubling from the 1990s. In truth, we have been failed by successive Governments who rightly want housing delivered, but have utterly failed in their duty to deliver the necessary social infrastructure required in tandem with housing. This week

received a reply. I do not know if the Deputy expects her to address it today. The Deputy comes into the House and rightly says we need student accommodation - I agree with her - but she should tell Sinn Féin councillors to stop opposing and objecting to such accommodation

which is €37,000. If they exceed this, they will not be left on the housing list. It is the divine right of a house owner to do what they want to do with the house and they should not be made to something they do not want

Deputy is right to highlight housing, which is the biggest domestic challenge we face. There are many young people, both here in Ireland and Irish young people abroad, who want to see and need to see more progress made on housing. I would point out some progress

That is happening. However, it is unacceptable that communities in Clonmany, Carndonagh and north Inishowen do not have the proper water infrastructure. Right now, housing developments are being turned down in places like Carndonagh and Moville because of the water and wastewater deficits. Particularly when we have

export any component that could be used in committing war crimes against Palestinian civilians? At this time, when the House has rightly named Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide, and when the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs speaks of Israeli war crimes, does the Minister

local area plans, but they also provide a long-term strategic framework for investment and delivery of much-needed infrastructure and for housing. Getting it right is crucial and getting it wrong is more than damaging. In order to get the plan right, the process … operation of the HNDA is a matter for the Minister and the Department, if it is not got right, everything that follows, including the targets for social and affordable housing, whenever they are announced, as well as targets for age-friendly accommodation and accommodation for people with disabilities

during recess. This is unfair and unacceptable for workers who serve the public interest. We cannot keep discussing workers' rights when we have not sorted out our own house. This must be addressed … essential to how the Oireachtas functions. We have no right to criticise other groups outside the Oireachtas when this House struggles to get it right

better. The Government got an F grade in respect of trans rights and intersex rights. There is work to be done. Many people in the House have talked about the progress that has been made. It is always worth acknowledging that it is rarely the politicians who make … country. I could go on. There is a lot of work to do and we need to work together, across these Houses, to advance rights. Collectively, we should set the goal of becoming the best country in Europe to be LGBT. It is a target that

raising these matters. As we said previously, they are matters that are of enormous concern to all of us in this House and, indeed, right across government and I would say right across society. I want to say sincerely that I am deeply saddened by the very tragic … independent steering group, which is to be chaired by Ms Tanya Ward, the CEO of the Children's Rights Alliance. As I said earlier to the House, I can confirm that phase 1 of the project is under way and a number of steps have been taken

than a particular square footage. Half of the people in the country were reared in such houses. The Deputy is absolutely right. Some of the houses that are being built at the moment are far too big in terms of their energy consumption. The Minister of State, Deputy

worked extremely closely to ensure we are doing the right thing for children and their families. We have engaged with all Deputies right across the House in making sure the concerns they have, quite rightly, in representing families are brought to our attention. We will try to find

drive rents down, not up. This proposal puts landlords and their profit margins above renters and their basic right to a roof over their heads. Housing developers are making tens of millions in profit yet the Government continues to hand out tax credits and cuts and now paves … some of the more than €8 billion in the Government's 2024 surplus to build social and affordable housing, and viewing housing as a human right and renters as people rather than as commodities to be exploited

Deputy has made regarding an audit. To add another point, what we mean by "inclusive education" is a debate we should get right in this House too. If some good is to come from the very large investments being made, which I will not go through, we will … place is the new forum on inclusive education. There needs to be a way for everyone in this House to have input if we are to get that right. If we are spending a vast sum of money and still seeing many kids not getting the education they

Taoiseach spoke earlier about the need for housing and everyone right around the Dáil here agrees on the urgent need for more houses. He spoke about 50,000 houses and it is welcome that he has that aspiration and the policy to try to back

certainly talk to the Minister for housing and Limerick City and County Council on that issue. The balance has to be right. We want approved housing bodies and councils to be building houses in the first instance. The more social houses we build, the more pressure will

preference for large private developers to empowering local councils to lead housing delivery, enabling local builders to build. We would also make housing a constitutional right, which it needs to be. I encourage the Minister to examine those proposals, which would empower local authorities. By contrast, the announcement … blame for the disgraceful homelessness and housing need figures, for which the Government bears absolute and sole responsibility. The Minister has to reinstate the tenant in situ scheme. There are families in Mayo who are in fear of being made homeless right now. The short-term solution

build local authority houses in small villages, such as Scotia's Glen, Gneeveguilla, Firies, Curragh, Currans and all these places. I hear the council is slow to buy these land banks because it will be hit with the residential zoned land tax. Is that right? That is serious … urban regeneration clause is causing severe difficulty far from towns where people who never lived in a town are being denied the right to build houses. Will the Minister of State please do something about those things

strategic focus of the overall national development plan. It is about getting the basic infrastructure needs of the economy right to really deliver housing supply

move very rapidly through the House. I know that there will be very strong co-operation forthcoming from the Deputy and right across the House. We will continue to engage with all the Government agencies and Departments involved. Implementation of some of the recommendations is well advanced

review of their own county development plan at the moment. It is important in that review that we are all increasing our housing targets and the allocations that we have been given, and that we are making sure land is zoned on land that is appropriate, but also … right. We have a national development plan of over €100 billion and much of that is to make sure we are delivering houses in the right places and the infrastructure is there so that people can access them and the local authorities can deliver them

their great professionalism and patience. I want to end the year by raising an issue I have raised throughout 2025, which is housing – the civil rights issue of this generation. I want to raise it at an EU level. This week the first EU housing plan was published

told me now and what she has said previously in this House, that there are parts of this that may require due process. There are very clear laws in this country, quite rightly, regarding rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexual violence. An Garda Síochána are the people … college. I will ask the Minister to come back to Deputy Coppinger directly. The final thing I will say is that this House has quite rightly taken serious action in recent years on the sharing of intimate images, or indeed even the threat of sharing intimate images under