I met Before We Die and I met local groups and individuals in my own county, Wexford. I am very much aware of the very understandable worry and concern of older parents for their children with disabilities as those parents age and maybe get to the later end of their own lives. That is why I have had multiple meetings with the Minister, Deputy Foley, devising a proposal and a plan to be implemented in my Department on delivering housing for people with disabilities, whether they require residential support or to be …

I thank Deputy Toole again for raising this important matter. In some ways, what we are doing in the Department of housing is intending to lead with the drive to deliver the necessary homes, both for independent adapted living and also for community residential living. While it certainly will not take five years, it will take a lead-in time to start getting those homes delivered. I certainly have heard the Deputy and will take her concerns and proposal into consideration. I will come back to her on the issue.

I thank Deputy Heneghan for his important question about community supports for housing delivery. Planning for the provision of infrastructure and amenities is a core element of the statutory plan-making process. National policy objective 105 of the revised national planning framework sets out that the planning authorities and infrastructure delivery agencies should focus on the timely delivery of enabling infrastructure to priority zoned lands. At local level, the local authority development plan set out relevant …

I hear Deputy Heneghan's concerns in relation to supports for communities where significant housing is being delivered. The provision of funding to support the delivery of community facilities and infrastructure falls within the remit of a number of different Departments. My Department established the housing activation office to ensure we accelerate housing delivery and also the necessary infrastructure required to support housing development. To that end, we are also providing significant funding for urban regene…

I hear the Deputy's concerns. It is very important that, where we are delivering housing, infrastructure and regeneration to support housing, community supports are also put in place, along with the additional supports that are required from other Departments. I will ensure we have a cross-government approach to this.

I thank the Deputies for their questions in relation to social housing limits. Deputy Brendan Smith raised the issue of social housing limits in Cavan and Monaghan and asked when those limits will be increased. As the Deputies will know, applications for social housing supports are assessed by the relevant local authorities in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated social housing assessment regulations of 2011. T…

I thank the Deputies for their questions on the social housing limits. There is very much a recognition that those limits need to increase. We are working on that proposal. In my view, they absolutely do have to increase. They should be reviewed on a more frequent basis rather than when certain pressures have built or a certain amount of time has passed. I am conscious that social protection payments have increased since the last limit was set. Incomes have increased as well. I do not want to have people waiting to…

I thank the Deputies again for raising this matter. I assure them it is being given very serious consideration. There will be announcements on this in the near future.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 102 together. I thank Deputy Stanley for his questions on the increase in the number of affordable-to-buy housing units provided by local authorities, and plans to increase the number of cost-rental units that will be provided in schemes by local authorities as well. Providing affordable and high-quality homes for purchase and long-term rental is at the centre of the Government's housing policy and our housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The housing plan re…

I again thank the Deputy for his important questions on affordable homes to buy and cost-rental units. As he knows, Laois has an excellent record of delivering homes. It is one of the stronger counties. It is benefiting from taking the lead in delivering homes. It will benefit in the medium and long term economically as well as enjoy the key benefit of providing roofs over people's heads. I wish every local authority would deliver homes at the rate of Laois. Nonetheless, we know we have an awful lot more to do. We …

I hear the Deputy's concerns for his constituents in being able to have a housing solution they can afford. He is correct; we need multiple housing solutions for people. People of a certain age will not be able to get or will find it extremely difficult to get a mortgage, even with the mortgage supports available because repayment times are squeezed as people get older, repayments go up and it becomes harder and harder to get a mortgage. I very much hear the concerns of the Deputy for his constituents. We will cont…

I thank the Deputy for asking this important question. A response was issued from my Department to the correspondence received from An Taisce on this matter. As outlined in that reply, Dún Dealgan, which is also known as Cú Chulainn’s Castle, is a national monument - national monument No. 388 - in ministerial guardianship and, therefore, already has a high level of protection under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014. Such statutory protection will continue to carry over to the Historic and Archaeological Heri…

The Deputy touched on an important aspect of what our heritage section does, ensuring our heritage sites are both protected and accessible and not put away or wrapped in bubble wrap. Rather, they will be accessible for this generation and future generations to appreciate, understand and enjoy. Notwithstanding the statutory protections afforded to Dún Dealgan under the National Monuments Act, the Department, in its submission to the respective local authority, recommended a suite of archaeological conditions for the…

The Deputy is correct. A buffer area of 50 m should be implemented. That was a recommendation and condition of the local authority to ensure the continued protection of the archaeological setting. It was also recommended that no groundworks, including boundary works, landscaping or ground reduction are to be carried out within the buffer area, and the area should be fenced off and protected during construction and should not be used for storage or vehicular access, for example. In addition to the buffer zone of 50 …

I will start by thanking Deputy Hearne for bringing forward this Bill to amend the Constitution to include a right to housing. While the Government cannot support the Bill at this time, I welcome the opportunity to set out the Government’s position on this important issue. Our housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, 2025-2030, sets out that housing is a basic human right. The Deputy will be aware that almost one third of all our National Development Plan, NDP, funding is going towards housing and wate…

I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following scheme in draft: Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme 2026, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 7th August, 2026. I welcome the opportunity to speak this afternoon on what is an important matter. As Deputies are aware, a defective concrete blocks grant scheme was put in place in 2020 to financially support affected homeowners in counties Donegal and Mayo, whose homes were impacted by defective concrete blocks. A number of impro…

I thank Deputies across the House for their contributions to this important debate. The motion before the House seeks approval for the social homes scheme for designated local authorities and approved housing bodies affected by defective concrete blocks. To be clear, I acknowledge the pressures Donegal County Council in particular is under regarding this matter. I have committed my Department to working hand in glove with Donegal County Council on it. The Department acknowledges the financial challenges at play, bu…

In relation to Senator McCarthy’s amendment, while it was a very well intentioned and constructed amendment, it has been disallowed. It was not my decision on those matters. I am satisfied the safeguards and safety net are there for those who are not entitled by way of legal or habitual residence. That can be ongoing for as long as is necessary but it will be night to night. I am satisfied the vulnerable groups the Senator mentioned will not be impacted. As for those who are the beneficiaries of temporary protectio…

The Government supports section 6 standing part of the Bill, and cannot accept any amendment to it. Section 6 of the Bill comprises amendments to section 10 of the Housing Act 1988, and the purpose of these amendments is to extend local authority powers to withdraw the provision of homeless accommodation. Those powers will extend to circumstances where a household refuses a reasonable offer of social housing accommodation. That word is very important as it is not any offer; it must be a reasonable offer. Any offer …

I fully agree with the Senator that there should be guidelines to follow to ensure that there will be consistency and they will follow because part of what we are doing here is ensuring consistency across the country. Part of what we are doing here is ensuring consistency across the country. We are implementing a statutory appeal for the first time. That should help a family in that type of situation. We are also introducing an obligation on local authorities to have regard to the best interests of children when ma…