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wastewater infrastructure. We know about the need for this in the context of both future industrial development in the Dundalk area and housing. Decisions were made regarding a new development of 502 houses. The latter could not proceed because of insufficient infrastructure. This is an issue that cannot … industrial sites to allow for the possibility of having a new WuXi, medtech, pharma or tech of any sort. When the development of housing is refused, industrial development will also be refused. I thought it was utterly shocking that, whatever about me, other elected representatives are bringing

Guard unit. The Minister of State said it himself. It is operating under licence, not even under a lease, in a local parochial house. By the way, in order for the vehicles to come out of that parochial house they have to go through the churchyard. When there … year, a confirmation or communion, you can imagine the difficulty. I cannot believe the Minister of State is saying to the House that it is suitable. He referenced the facility built in Westport and he is very familiar with it. Why are people in Courtown and across

That is a huge increase. That is because of the help to buy scheme, the first home scheme, and the derelict and vacant housing grant schemes, which are helping first-time buyers. The costs are too high but the only answer is supply. We need more and more … supply. We need fewer people and political parties objecting to housing to make sure that we have sufficient housing to provide for the younger people in the country. That is the target and objective of Government across social, affordable, and private housing

used to dealing with convoluted ways of dealing with matters. There is clearly a habit of limiting democratic oversight and scrutiny of this House in announcing and bringing forward proposals at short notice; minimising the period of time for debate; guillotining important legislation; and moving things from committees … blaming the need to move this in at short notice on Russia apparently. There would be openness from all sides of this House to ensure our Defence Forces had the powers necessary for the safeguarding, protection and defence of the State, particularly in respect of maritime security

nursing crisis in Ireland with three quarters of new graduates considering emigrating due to burnout, poor working conditions and, of course, the housing crisis. Some 6,000 funded posts remain vacant, meaning that recently announced HSE staffing controls are extremely worrying to all nurses. As the INMO warned … strong commitment to the existing workforce in terms of pay and conditions, safety, respect, support and professional development. We must invest in affordable housing for nurses, midwives and their families near their workplaces. Locally, I am talking to the approved housing bodies and requesting of them

have been done a long time ago by previous Governments. I welcome it in that sense. The cliché every Member in this House is using is the phrase "heating or eating", but that is the truth. That is what is happening in Cork, Dublin, Donegal, Galway, Kilkenny - anywhere … country. People are choosing between heating and eating. Recently, I visited a gentleman's house where they had one bar on the fire and were wrapped in blankets. He is afraid to turn on the heating in his house. In my constituency, there are many families leaving their

enormous costs on nuclear energy - that is the record - as a reason for caution. That position is on the record of this House in response to my question. Which is it? Is it the answer that the Taoiseach gave this Chamber two weeks ago or the answer that … exploration ban. I made the point to the Taoiseach in this Chamber two weeks ago - it is on the record of the House that he did not deny it - that Ireland bans nuclear energy at home while it imports nuclear-generated energy directly from France through the Celtic

deeply personal to so many. You want to do justice to them and their trauma every time you come into these Houses to speak about them, but the truth is that none of us in here really can. The only way in which we can push for them … authorities. Thank God we have had representatives like Deputy Nash and others to speak out about this and represent, in these Houses and other places, the people affected, the whistleblowers and everyone who, against all odds and to the detriment of their careers, spoke out against this absolute

Government that is willing to put on hold any chance of regeneration in Oliver Bond Street. I have sat on the Dolphin House regeneration board for many years. In that instance, they keep telling lies, coming up with new dates and then turning them upside down … does not happen. I have documents and questions here where we have been continuously told that phase 1B of Dolphin House will proceed. It was supposed to be finished by the end of this year; it is now 2029. Let us look at how disgraceful the Government amendment

They would not live in the conditions they are asking residents in my constituency to live in, whether it is Oliver Bond House, Emmet Buildings or Basin Street. There are quite a lot more, including Bernard Curtis House, Dolphin House and Seagull House. In some places, they have

questions need to be answered on what we are discussing here. I commend my colleagues in Sinn Féin on bringing this to the House and I welcome those people to the Visitors Gallery. I say to tenants in Dublin that they are not alone in what is happening … thing in Cork city and county. I received a copy of an email from Councillor Noel O'Flynn, a former Member of this House and member of Independent Ireland. He informed me that he received an email from one of the senior engineers in Cork telling him that

recently undertook a housing survey across the State. There is more information in it than in everything the Minister or Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, said earlier because these are the facts. I will give the Minister a few facts. Some 83% of people said they had maintenance … issues with black mould all over their houses. Some 77% of people said they had damp. They are major issues. Black mould, damp and cold in homes can do damage to people, including young people, people with asthma, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, and people with

been in place since 2012. It is understood that Deputy Scanlon is referencing a situation where a person is selling a second house, such as an investment property, for the purpose of providing funds to a child to buy their own house and, as such, no relief from … from capital gains tax on the disposal of a person’s principal private residence. A principal private residence is defined as any dwelling house, together with surrounding land, occupied as gardens or grounds up to an area of 1 acre. There is no requirement to pay capital gains

deficits. I am not painting the picture that everything is perfect - it is not. We have a growing population. We have growing housing and had good news on housing again this morning - a 33% increase in housing completions in quarter 1 of this year. That is the type … sustainable progress we will continue to make across housing, transport and education

Ceann Comhairle. I will be sharing my time with the Minister of State, Deputy Canney. I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the road transporters' support scheme, RTSS. I will provide more detail on the scheme and who the scheme will support . The road haulage sector … over €755 million. This is proportionately the largest package of supports provided by any EU member state. I am pleased to inform the House that the details of the scheme to support the haulage and coach sector have been agreed by Government. I can now provide a detail

Expressway's provision are addressed. The public discontent about how people were treated during the recent protests cannot be ignored by this House. There was too much inconsiderate language used to described those who were on the protest. The people I met on the protest in Kilkenny … Ireland, who organised the event, worked closely with the Garda. They provided stewards and there was no hassle. As I said in the House during another debate, it was the first time I saw kids having the space to play hopscotch on a roundabout. There was a good

welcome the opportunity to address the House on supports for hauliers and the wider supply chain sector. Global instability from the Middle East conflict continues to affect international markets. We have seen sharp increases in oil and fuel prices and households and businesses are under sustained pressure … this has all been well debated in this House. I welcome the Government fuel support scheme announced yesterday. I acknowledge in the House today the work of the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Ministers, Deputies O'Brien, Heydon, Canney and Calleary, who is responsible for the islands. I wish

families. They are families exactly like that. It is for this exact reason the Government is allocating funding. According to the Department of housing, last year the Department funded a total of 68 second-hand acquisitions for Fingal County Council. Of those, 61 were for tenancy sustainment, allowing … year Fingal County Council has only seven second-hand acquisitions in the pipeline. That is the information I have from the Department of housing. It has been given €30.7 million to fund acquisition of housing. This is a 54% increase on its allocation last year. I will certainly

move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am delighted to be able to introduce this Bill in the House today. It is a good-news story. The Bill simply seeks to extend the democratic franchise, the right to vote, to all Irish citizens across … However, the crazy thing is that the power for this change lies not in Westminster or Stormont, but here in Leinster House. It is we who can make the change in law to create the constitutional right for people to have a referendum on this issue. This

need that war to end. We have built about 170,000 houses since 2020 and 50,000 apartments have been built. There were 8,000 permissions in quarter 4 of 2025, up 20%, and 20,000 houses were granted permission in 2025, which is the highest number since … year. The Home Building Finance Ireland, HBFI, loan book has grown by 25% to €3.2 billion. We have announced the €1 billion housing infrastructure investment fund, which is also doing very well. I can go through all of the various investments that the State is putting into this

euro every month to live in cabins in back gardens than to regulate Airbnb. Nearly every week, the Taoiseach tells us that housing is the Government’s number one priority. I do not think anyone believes that. Not only has it refused to introduce long-overdue regulation … some areas of the country, there are 25 times more homes on Airbnb than homes to rent. A Government that took the housing crisis seriously and wanted to protect renters would do something about that. On top of all this, there is no clarity on what will happen

have engaged with the Minister of State and the Minister of State herself. She has engaged with many of us across the House, and particularly with some of her Government colleagues who had concerns in relation to the Bill. I wish to speak to this group of Seanad … commitment she gave in the Seanad here in the Dáil as regards a dual diagnosis protocol. I ask her to outline to the House how that might work or to write to me about it. What I want is to record in this House what happened

scheme has effectively been designed to fail. The fact the Act still requires rigorous case-by-case technical assessment by the Housing Agency to designate a new area delays urgent repairs for homeowners in areas that are awaiting designation. There are also the other issues that, at this … stage, have been well aired in the House for many years regarding the fact it is still not 100% redress. There is nothing to cover social housing or childcare facilities. We still have the outstanding issue of the side-by-side rebuilding, which Deputy Ward very eloquently raised

provisions to two designated areas in County Wexford. I thank the Minister for ensuring this happened and commend the work of the Housing Agency and Wexford County Council that allowed this to happen. The two areas concerned are, as the Minister indicated, in Bunclody and Ballyboy at Ferns … house in Ballyboy at Ferns. It was a family home of a hardworking and decent family. This is where they wanted to spend their lives. They invested their lives in this home and I could see the cracks in the walls and how the difficulties they faced caused

welcome this debate on workers' rights. I said in the House 12 months ago that if we are serious about workers' rights, we also need to be serious about protecting industries, infrastructure and investment to create and secure skilled and well-paid jobs for Irish workers. In recent … working with the Government, from the upkeep of plug-in solar. I would love to see this rolled out across social and affordable housing, which does not have access to rooftops and could benefit from a Government-led plug-in solar scheme. If we bought plug-in solar

Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding streams that may be open to construct the planned northern relief road at Gorey, County Wexford, in order to open up the St. Waleran’s area for housing; and if he will make

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department provides specific funding to local authorities for the purposes of refurbishment of vacant social housing stock; if he will detail the amount which has been made available to each local authority for this

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average length of time a planning permission applicant for a single house has waited for a decision from An Bord Pleanála in each of the past ten years. [55227/25

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of planning permission applications for houses which have been received by An Bord Pleanála in each of the past ten years; the number of applications which have been refused; the number which have been

Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities can 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. [55383/25

Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the two-year restriction is being reviewed or removed regarding the housing in situ scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55411/25

Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that small landlords in rural areas (like the North West) are leaving the market in anticipation of the new regulations, reducing the amount of available rental properties putting further pressure … such a measure should be considered on a regional basis because not all areas are the same when it comes to the housing rental market. [55469/25

Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing units that have been realised from July 2022 to date from projects that availed of the Vacant Homes Refurbishment Grant in the cities of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Kilkenny and Waterford, in tabular

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans within his Department to address the current restriction on one-off planning for rural housing across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54306/25

Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to advise if social housing rents, including HAP differential rents, are based on a household's gross or net income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54311/25

Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide the number of social housing offers accepted in each local authority per month, by local area, from 2024 to date, in tabular form. [54351/25

Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the housing activation office and its work and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53635/25

Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he is taking to increase the amount of affordable housing in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52989/25

Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to hold a referendum and legislate for a constitutional right to housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53899/25

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the delivery of affordable and social housing in Cork city and county, including the expected number of units to be completed in 2025; and if he will

Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures his Department is evaluating to promote the conversion of older buildings for housing delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53387/25

Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the income eligibility limits for social housing in Cavan and Monaghan will be increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53740/25

Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures his Department is taking to support those in social housing whose home is affected by pyrite; if legislative amendments to the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks

Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plan to increase capacity of Dublin City Council to address their housing list, homelessness and those at risk of homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53295/25

Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on whether Roscommon and Galway local authorities have been directed to reopen their development plans to re-zone land for housing; and the measures being taken to ensure compliance with Revised National Planning

Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider introducing a starter home scheme to address the imbalance in affordable housing provision for lower and middle-income earners to enable them to purchase their own homes; and if he will make

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 front-line public sector jobs including teachers, nurses and members of An Garda Síochána; if this is under review within his Department

Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will incentivise local authorities that deliver or exceed their housing targets, by providing additional funding in schemes such as tenant in situ and vacant/derelict property grants; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is satisfied with the level of funding provided for housing in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53817/25

Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the assessments his Department has carried out, or plans to carry on, in respect of the impact of student and employment residency permits on housing pressures in the State. [53806/25