It is delayed.

It is delayed a year.

I thank Deputy McAuliffe for raising this very important issue. On that, will the Minister give us an update on the social housing passport? I am concerned discretion will just not be enough to get what we are looking for here. Separately, it can be especially frustrating for people who have suffered domestic violence to have delays in HAP applications. I know that is an issue across the board but particularly for people who have suffered domestic violence, that needs to be given priority. Will the Minister comment…

The number of children growing up without a home has never been so high in the history of this State. There are record numbers of children growing up homeless. This is having a devastating impact on their development and well-being. What is the Minister doing to reduce the number of children becoming homeless? I ask the senior Minister to answer.

Has anything new been done to address it?

Record numbers of children are homeless.

There is record homelessness.

I raised with the Taoiseach previously the need to regulate management companies effectively. As apartments from the Celtic tiger era reach 20 years of age, management sinking funds will be needed increasingly to repair roof leaks, replace lifts and so on. When sinking funds are insufficient, repairs will not be take place or owners will be levied sums that they simply cannot afford. Failure to regulate management companies properly combined with sinking funds being used to fund building defects means that in the n…

If she shows up.

I have previously raised with the Taoiseach the plight of a number of young people who have been left without any day services after they graduated from school in St. Michael's House in Baldoyle. Despite promises from the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, that day services would be provided by the beginning of September, two of the young people are still awaiting an offer of any day service. One of them has still not even received an outreach service, while two of the young people affected are receiving a shared …

I thank Deputy Ó Broin for bringing forward the motion. I apologise for not being here at the start of the discussion but I was meeting with the Palestinian ambassador and her colleagues regarding the grave situation in Gaza. Never in the history of the State have there been so many children growing up without a home. Despite record levels of homelessness that are growing month after month, there are no new Government plans or initiatives to deal with this. A few weeks ago, I asked the Tánaiste what he and the Gove…

Since the Government lifted the eviction ban, we have had record levels of homelessness month after month. Never in the history of the State has the number of children living and growing up without a home been so high. Homelessness for children can have devastating and long-term consequences in their education and development. One woman was in touch with me in the past week who has been living with her five children in emergency accommodation for two and a half years. There is no evidence of any Government action o…

None of this is enough, is it?

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to introduce a requirement for property developers who are in receipt of State subsidies to publish annual financial statements. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle. This is a very straightforward Bill. If it is passed, it will provide transparency on the profit levels of developers who benefit from Government schemes and subsidies. For example, the shared equity scheme does this by amending section 41 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021. I…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time".

I want to ask about new-build house prices and developer profits. The ESRI has said that if the help-to-buy scheme was scrapped house prices would fall. Recent analysis by the architect Orla Hegarty has shown that in Dublin 15, in the Taoiseach's constituency, since the shared equity scheme was introduced new-build house prices have increased by €92,000. BNP Paribas has stated that new-build house prices are increasing at 18 times that of the rate of second-hand homes. These numbers are backed up by the CSO. Today,…

On disability, developmental disability and delays in opening autism units in schools, a new autism unit was meant to be opened for students in Scoil Íde, Kilmore, this September, but this has been delayed, causing great stress among the pupils and families, who are left without any school places. The lack of planning and lack of delivery on promises made are completely unacceptable and put the students and their families under additional stress that they really do not need. Why are autism units that have been prom…

I want to ask the Taoiseach about recent analysis on housing affordability and how this impacts on the economy and investment. According to analysis published by the Parliamentary Budget Office recently, since Fine Gael has taken office house prices have increased by 76% and rents have increased by 90%, while wages have increased by only 27%. Since the Taoiseach entered the Government, housing has become less and less affordable and homelessness has reached its highest ever level, with record numbers of children gr…

It is the lowest percentage for 50 years.

The serious financial difficulties at the Peter McVerry Trust raise questions about the way the State outsources the provision of homeless services and accommodation to charities and private companies. Research published by Dr. Mary Murphy and others found that Housing First contracts were awarded to the lowest bidder at levels well below the cost of providing the service. Awarding contracts to the lowest bidder, even if that bid does not stack up financially, shows little or no regard for the homeless people who r…