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their lives openly, safely and authentically without fear of discrimination, intimidation or abuse. Ireland has come a long way. Many people in this House will remember a very different Ireland. We have made enormous progress thanks to the courage of those who spoke up, shared their stories … humanity and dignity of others. That is true when discussing Pride. It is true when discussing immigration. It is true when discussing housing. It is true when discussing termination of pregnancy or any other issue that comes before this House. The tone we set here matters. The language

implementing the EU AI Act in Ireland and establishing the framework necessary for its effective supervision and enforcement. I have no doubt this House will continue to discuss and to debate the broader implications of AI in the months and years ahead. That is both necessary and welcome … accused of having rushed this without real and proper consideration and thought. While I do appreciate we are bringing it through the Houses quite quickly, I am certainly open to working with the Opposition on any aspect of this in the weeks ahead. On the protection of fundamental

following: “Report on NAMA performance 7.The Minister shall, within 6 months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the performance of NAMA including a specific analysis on the potential for higher returns to the State … want to put on the record again that I genuinely believe that NAMA has failed in its obligations, its duties and what this House set out for it in terms of the legislation, which I opposed and one of the Government parties opposed at the time. NAMA

requirement on the Minister to engage in any sort of consultation in coming to that decision. He might opt to consult the housing Minister, An Coimisiún Pleanála, the DAA and other Ministers, but only where the Minister is already of the opinion that the public interest provision already … stage in this process. For the record, not once is the climate and environment Minister mentioned in this Bill. References to the housing Minister appear repeatedly. Given that section 39 explicitly disapplies section 15 of the climate Act for both the Minister and An Coimisiún Pleanála, the absence

communities across the country, I am giving this matter my full attention. I have engaged with my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne, on a number of occasions. On foot of this engagement, the Department of children and the Department … housing have jointly sought formal advice from the Office of the Attorney General on this matter. As the Deputy is aware, this is not within the gift of the Department of children; we have no role whatsoever in relation to rates. It is a matter outside

relation to the best interests of the child, I agree with the Deputy as does the Government. We will amend the Housing Act 1988 so that it will be very clear that in the decision-making process on accommodation for households the best interests of the child … agree with the Deputy and the committee on the child and family homelessness prevention plan. It is committed in the Government's national housing plan. It will be published before the summer recess. I will make sure the points in that committee report, if they are not already

pitch. There are 11 local authorities that did not collect anything. It is not good enough. Deputies can come into this House, kick me around and say the Government needs to do more on housing; that is fine. The Government has a major role to play in housing … that date. Every day we come to work we take more concrete actions help to tackle homelessness. This week it was the housing activation funding across the country including the Deputy's county. The child and family homelessness action plan is the next major step we will take

support earlier diagnosis, better co-ordinated care, appropriate access to treatment and stronger patient partnership. I acknowledge the work of Members of both Houses, including Deputies Lahart and Pádraig O'Sullivan and Senator Costello, in continuing to raise awareness of rare diseases and the experience of patients … more so when it comes to the nuances of people's experience of rare disease. In every discussion about rare diseases in this House, people reference the real lives of the children, young people, adults and families in their areas who carry a weight that is often unseen

welcome. I welcome the opportunity to meet the group and the extraordinary individuals who are advocating, including Emily. The group travelled to Leinster House and successfully highlighted the unacceptable and prolonged wait they continue to endure. Emily put it very simply to me, namely that every delay … time there is a delay in the treatment of a rare disease which is brought to the attention of the media or this House by successful campaigners, it shows that there is clearly a systematic error in how we deal with the new medicines and treatments that become

infrastructure and delivery and as vice chairman of the Oireachtas infrastructure committee, I welcome any water infrastructure upgrades that are happening for houses in my constituency. I am, however, frustrated by the speed at which those upgrades and infrastructure in general are being delivered and rolled … levels and outages at the reservoir, an explanation as to why residents frequently receive inadequate advance notice, clarification on whether current and projected housing development has outpaced existing water infrastructure capacity and, most of all, details of any short-, medium- or long-term infrastructure works or investment plans

Taoiseach have chosen a figure to measure that does not include accommodation costs. When we compare poverty rates among renters without housing supports, before the impact of housing costs on their disposable income is taken into account, 20.5% are at risk of poverty. After housing costs, this becomes … That is more than double. Even more worryingly, the 22% of supported renters in poverty jumps to 58% once housing costs are accounted for. The Minister of State and I both know that direct cash transfers in the form of additional child benefit, or whatever way the Government

grid is creaking at the seams. Major upgrades are needed immediately and well into the future if we are to build the houses and infrastructure we so desperately need to support our citizens. Speaking at the climate committee in March this year during a session on private wires … ICTU noted a scarce resource of labour, giving us a stark warning that we can either throw our resources at housing, reinforcing the grid and protecting our infrastructure or we throw those resources at data centres. Expanding grid capacity to facilitate data centre expansion is not only costing

states that Dáil Éireann recognises that the Government will further increase carbon emissions by lifting the Dublin Airport cap, promoting unsustainable housing and economic development and by no longer prioritising public transport and active travel investment over road construction. The message must go out loud and clear from … here today that the Labour Party is against tourism and economic development, it is against house building and it is against the construction of roads. This is a very clear message by the Labour Party here in the motion. Targets underpinned by the climate action Bill, which

children who is trying to leave the family home. The mother is only slightly above the threshold but does not qualify for social housing. She is looking at her options. Does she ask her boss to reduce her hours so that she can come under the threshold, does … stay in the family home where things have broken down, or does she potentially accept substandard housing or move away from her community? She is salaried at €36,000 and, even with the allowances for her children, she does not qualify. Councillor Sheridan put it strongly when

absolute scandal that we have tens of thousands of vacant properties in this country while people face homelessness and the effects of the housing crisis. I ask the Taoiseach to look into something I became aware of this week. I have written to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council … credible source that there are 22 apartments in an apartment complex off the Stillorgan Road that were handed over for Part V social housing three years ago but have been sitting empty ever since. Those 22 apartments are empty while families are being sent from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown

European Parliament and of the Council, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 18th March, 2026. I thank the House for facilitating this motion. I welcome the opportunity to address the Dáil on Ireland's opt-in to a new EU proposal for a directive … month period for this proposal ends on 23 June 2026. The exercise of the opt-in is subject to the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas, so it has been necessary to bring this proposal to the Houses as swiftly as possible. Ireland can accept a proposal

above-the-shop grant which was introduced last April. That provides up to €140,000 to convert vacant upper floor commercial space into housing alongside a €5,000 expert advice grant. We have regeneration and local authority action. Government has allocated €150 million through the Urban Regeneration … Gaeltacht through the town and village renewal scheme and Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. We provide support to local authorities to address vacant housing. The local authority vacancy rate was 2.75% at the end of 2024. It had been a 3.18% prior to that. That is the national

does in terms of the application and enforcement of derelict site levies. There has been very significant progress in Cork in terms of housing. There needs to be more and we need to do more but in terms of the housing schemes that have started, been developed … continuing, particularly along the docklands and, more recently, the schemes at Creamfields, Ballyvolane and many more, there are a lot of big housing projects under way in Cork. Moving from a levy to a tax will make a difference. The other key issue is that the grants

coming days.". I thank the Deputies for raising an issue of considerable importance to all of us. Nobody on this side of the House in any way disagrees with the sentiment they express about the atrocities that have been committed against a humble, innocent group of people … what we are advocating for. Not responding to that request in no way limits the empathy of those on this side of the House or reduces the disgust and distress that we too feel about the atrocities that have been perpetrated on innocent civilians in that zone

Given the repeated delays to the legislation, will the Minister outline which specific provisions remain unresolved between Departments and whether disagreements relate to housing-supply projections, tourism impacts, planning law or enforcement mechanisms? Has the Department conducted any analysis of the economic impact on rural communities where short … term letting income supports local restaurants, pubs' activities, providers and tourism businesses? On Tuesday, 28 April, the Taoiseach told this House that if someone is operating an Airbnb for seven years, he or she does not need planning permission. Does the Minister stand over that statement? My understanding

live in a village in rural west Wicklow and have witnessed what these short-term lets bring. These industries were here before the housing shortage and they will be here long after the housing shortage is gone. They supply accommodation where hotels will never be built. They offer … experience to the tourist and show Ireland at its best. We cannot destroy an industry on the basis that it may increase the housing supply by some small amount. I know a poll was carried out across a number of host groups across the country. On average

work of Senator Frances Black on this Bill. She has led from the front on it for many years. I acknowledge in this House the Ministers of State, Deputies Dooley and Collins, who worked with Senator Black to introduce this legislation to the House, albeit in a different … services, and I would support the Government including such an amendment in the legislation. I note also that there are people in this House who have voted for a full boycott of the entire Israeli state. We have to be conscious of what a sanctions regime should

group reported in 2023 with detailed recommendations on an application-based scheme for the disregard of such convictions. The proposals now before this House have been carefully crafted to align as far as practicable with those recommendations while ensuring the scheme is legally and procedurally robust and that … have an opportunity to pass it into law in a matter of weeks. I hope I can count on the support of the House for achieving this objective. I recognise the very significant contributions made by Deputy Ó Snodaigh, Deputy Nash and other Deputies who put forward their

access to counselling, fair trial rights and the administration of justice. This is one of the most sensitive areas of criminal law this House has legislated for. The same can be said of the Defence Forces provisions inserted into this Bill. Hugely significant new statutory powers around State … complex and unrelated issues within the same Bill. The irony is that some of the most important legislation we pass in this House often receives the least focused attention because it arrives bundled together with so many other measures. While I am delighted to see provisions that relate

groups that have worked very hard and campaigned on them. I acknowledge the work of Deputy Nash on historical convictions. In this House we often wonder whether we achieve anything at all and maybe on days like this people like him can take note that the work … been seeking the transfer of responsibility for multi-unit developments and the legislation and regulation of that over to the Department of housing. That is incredibly important. We are about to pour millions of euro into an apartment defect scheme. The people with responsibility for spending and delivering

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has reviewed the governance structures of housing delivery agencies to ensure they are aligned with measurable output targets, rather than process-based metrics; and if so, the details of that review. [59223/25

Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has responded to the request by Leitrim County Council for funding support to deal with historic structural issues around an unfinished estate (details supplied); and if his will Department provide funding support … this unfinished housing estate. [59336/25

Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if carer’s allowance income is accessible when local authorities assess the income of a person in receipt of social housing supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59347/25

Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the pathways to housing for people in recovery from addiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59746/25

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether Cork City Council has submitted an application under the energy efficiency upgrade programme phase 2, or any successor scheme, for the retrofit of social housing units at Glenamoy Lawn and Árd Bhaile in Cork

Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the inclusion of Carlow and Kilkenny in the defective block scheme; the known number of households affected in each county; if the lab results for each house tested

Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Questions on Policy or Legislation of 16 October 2025, if he intends to provide additional funding to Monaghan County Council for the purpose of providing additional housing adaptation grants in 2025. [60056/25

presence of non-residents on such campuses indicate a systemic security failure; whether any safeguarding risk assessments were carried out prior to housing children on this campus with open or uncontrolled access, and any other State accommodation that houses children; the measures now being taken to prevent

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing units that have been realised by local authorities from 1 January 2020 to date in 2025 from the refurbishment/regeneration of vacant and derelict residential buildings and from the adaptive reuse of vacant

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of home for life mortgage-to-rent properties inspected by the relevant local authority; the percentage of homes deemed non-compliant and requiring remedial works to meet minimum housing standards, in tabular form

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on his Department's review of social housing income eligibility guidelines including the treatment and possible disregard of payments or part of payments such as child maintenance and family income supplement

Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine the case of a person outlined in correspondence (details supplied); if a person in such circumstances qualifies for the affordable housing scheme or any other form of Government support with purchasing their first home

Hospital Site in Dublin; if any relevant State bodies formally declined in writing or in any other way to take the property for housing; if there is a public record by way of emails, minutes, memos, written or electronic correspondence of discussions between the HSE, the Department … Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the LDA on this site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57579/25

Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authorities that consider carers allowance payments as income and include it in the calculation for social housing rent reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56558/25

Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there has been any increase in the housing adaption grants in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56589/25

Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that his relevant Department officials participate in the Multi-Stakeholder Working Group (details supplied), established to address the range of problems affecting victims of the defective concrete block crisis … given the need to restore a normal and functioning housing market in the affected counties. [57143/25

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that his relevant Department officials participate in the Multi- Stakeholder Working Group including representative groups (details supplied) established to address the range of problems affecting victims of the defective concrete block crisis … given the need to restore a normal and functioning housing market in the affected counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57230/25

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of funding for Traveller accommodation applied for by each housing authority per year from 2024 to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57232/25

Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that his relevant Department officials participate in the Multi- Stakeholder Working Group including representative groups (details supplied) established to address the range of problems affecting victims of the defective concrete block … crisis, given the need to restore a normal and functioning housing market in the affected counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57235/25

Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to holding a joint meeting of emergency service agencies/bodies to implement a plan for providing streamlined access for emergency services to gated housing complexes; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount that has been allocated to each local authority under each programme for the delivery of social and affordable housing in 2025, including any loans; of this, the amount that has been drawn down

Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage with respect to the Social Housing Support Household Means Policy 2021, the criteria with respect to maintenance payments received by an applicant. [57407/25

Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that his relevant Department officials participate in the Multi- Stakeholder Working Group including members (details supplied) established to address the range of problems affecting victims of the defective concrete block crisis, given … need to restore a normal and functioning housing market in the affected counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57425/25

Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider removing the working family payment from consideration on social housing income thresholds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56099/25

Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities will be permitted to exercise limited discretion when the income threshold for social housing is marginally exceeded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56101/25