In respect of the work on equality, I want to ask the Taoiseach about the report just published by the Ombudsman for Children entitled No End in Site – An investigation into the living conditions of children living on a local authority halting site. In that report, Traveller children describe their living conditions as hell and say that because of these living conditions, they feel like garbage. The report exposes severe violations of children's human rights due to insecure, unsafe and uninhabitable accommodation. …

There is a huge gap between what the Minister and the Government are saying about housing and what they are doing. The Minister earlier referenced the proposed sell-off of public land in north Dublin, enough to build 1,200 affordable and social homes, to a private developer. If that sale goes ahead, more than 240 apartments will be built on those lands and sold off to investment funds. None of them will be available for people to buy. Why is it, under this Government, that 100% of new-build apartments are being sol…

At the outset, I wish to state that in respect of the contributions of the Minister and the Minister for State, it would be reasonable for the Government to outline its position on the use of rapid antigen testing. It was namechecked by one of the Ministers. At this point, given its importance in respect of the reopening of our aviation industry, it would be reasonable for the Government to provide a detailed position and explanation on this issue. It is not a new proposal. There is plenty of evidence around it. It…

Has the Taoiseach raised at European Union level the need for support for the International Criminal Court to investigate potential war crimes in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem? If he has not raised that, will he?

It is abundantly clear that the Government supports 100% of new build apartments being sold off to investment funds. That has been made clear by the Government over the past couple of weeks, especially with the proposals announced last night. Why does the Government not support home ownership for smaller households, individuals and older couples who may want to move out of a family home into an apartment but do not want to rent? Why is the Government opposed to home ownership for people who want it in our cities an…

I support the proposal by Deputy Duncan Smith on aviation. I wrote to the Business Committee this week looking for time for the Minister for Finance to come to the Dáil to answer questions on the hundreds of millions of euro in State funds that are being used to invest in investment funds that are buying up houses, pushing up rents and driving out first-time buyers. The Minister for Finance has refused and declined to answer questions, with €500 million going to Activate Capital, which is involved in this, so he sh…

The State has provided €500 million to Activate Capital, among the investments of which is housing at Blackhall Place that was built by a private developer and is being leased to Dublin City Council for approximately €2,000 per month per home. Why is the State providing funding to developers to build homes that will be leased to the State at such rents? Effectively, the State is providing the original finance and double guaranteeing the scheme by paying the mortgages without owning the homes at the end.

Yes.

Following on from what Deputy Smith said, there is significant anger and it is not just from young people. People in their 30s and 40s who would have aspired to own a home and in previous generations, working hard, saving and putting their shoulder to a wheel, would have been able to afford a home, are increasingly angry about this and about being locked out of home ownership. Older generations are angry about this. I remember the number of people I met during the election campaign who told me about how, when they …

Home Building Finance Ireland was set up by the State to provide funding for small builders to build homes for first-time buyers. We learned from media reports this week that €300 million of State funds channelled to Home Building Finance Ireland has gone to large developers to build homes that are then sold on to investment funds to rent out. In these instances, we are talking about high-end, high-rent developments. Why are State funds earmarked for small builders to provide homes for first-home buyers instead bei…

I thank Deputies Ó Broin and Doherty for tabling the motion. I was looking forward to hearing what the Minister's proposals and solutions would be. I was disappointed that instead he used most of his time to engage the usual attack on Opposition parties. That is probably designed to deflect and avoid responsibility. I would like to hear more proposals. Last week, we were promised by the Minister that there would be action this week. I hope he will carry through on that promise. The Bill the Minister tabled in 2019 …

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I thank the Acting Chair, but I am sharing time with Deputies Gannon and Cairns.

This day two weeks ago, I raised with the Tánaiste the sale of 435 apartments in Ashtown, Dublin 15, which were sold off to a foreign investment company that is based in Germany. I suggested this practice should be banned, and the Tánaiste stated I was being ideological. When my colleague, Deputy Shortall, raised the issue of international investment funds with the Tánaiste, he again accused us of being ideological, stating that he favours a practical approach to housing. Let us be very clear. There is absolutely n…

I thank all of the Deputies who contributed to this debate. It is very clear from the statement by the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, that the Government is not opposing the Bill at this time. We know it has no intention of working with us to help progress the Bill. Both Ministers of State effectively defended the Government's position on long-term leasing in their comments, as did the Minister last night. That does not surprise me. What does surprise me is that the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, repeated the …

I thank Deputy Ó Broin and Sinn Féin for tabling the motion. I wish to respond to a couple of comments made by the Minister. He accused the Opposition of plucking from the sky figures of 10,000 direct build affordable homes on top of 10,000 social homes. However, during the general election campaign, the Minister stated he would deliver 10,000 social homes and 10,000 direct build affordable homes. You do not need to pluck those figures from the sky. You just need to look at what the Minister promised during the gen…

The Taoiseach has told us that he and the Government are against global investment funds buying up suburban housing estates. There is nothing new in what is happening. In 2009, the Construction Industry Federation, CIF, stated that 95% of new build apartments were being bought up by these funds, leaving only 5% for everyone else. Is the Government going to act not just on suburban housing estates but also on apartments, new-build housing in cities - or perhaps the Government is concerned only with suburbs - and wil…

With respect to the growth in long-term leasing in recent years, what action has the Minister taken to ensure independent valuations of rent levels are carried out when leases are agreed?

I thank the Minister for the answer. The question refers to long-term leases involving five or more dwellings. Documents released to me under the Freedom of Information Act show that, at least in some instances, multimillion euro long-term leases were signed, having effectively gone through that process, without independent valuation. Incredibly, the valuations provided by the developer and the developer's agents were relied on. Has the Minister investigated this? How did this happen? Is he confident it will not ha…

Is the Minister confident this practice is no longer happening and there are no other instances of it? I would be grateful for an answer on that. An investigation by Killian Woods in the Business Post found evidence of institutional landlords and investment funds advertising and recording artificially high market rents that do not reflect the rents being charged. The practice of rent-fixing has serious implications for long-term leasing, which is based on discount off-market rents. Have the Minister and Department …