Absolutely.

A homeless crisis.

That is not the issue.

The Taoiseach does not respect this House.

But he is not saying anything.

No, by agreement.

You do not answer the question.

An answer would be nice for a change.

That is not the issue.

Very generous.

We want answers.

Of course we do.

He is running out of time all right.

What was the deal?

Hold you to your word is what he is trying to get you to do.

We would love to hear an answer.

As the Minister knows, the overwhelming majority of short-term lettings within the State are operating illegally and in clear breach of planning law. In 2022, the House dealt with legislation to strengthen the enforcement of the short-term letting regulations, specifically within rent pressure zones. Is this a proposition the Minister and his departmental officials are currently considering in parallel to the ongoing work for the register for short-term letting, which one of his Cabinet colleagues is working on?

It has been a decade since the issue of unregulated short-term lets in high rental demand areas was raised on the floor of the Dáil. Significant work was done on a cross-party basis in the Oireachtas housing committee in 2018. An all-party report was agreed and we worked with the Minister's predecessor, the former Deputy Eoghan Murphy, on the 2019 regulations. The problem with the regulations is they are now virtually unenforceable. As I am sure the Minister knows, our party is willing to work with him on the short…

Unfortunately, many of us warned of the challenges of enforcement when the former Minister, Eoghan Murphy, was introducing the 2019 regulations. There is a solution to this as regards the platforms, that being, to amend the Planning and Development Act to allow planning authorities to apply administrative spot fines to platforms like Airbnb for every day they advertise properties that are not in compliance with planning law. I strongly urge the Minister's Department - in parallel with the Minister, Deputy Burke's w…

A significant number of social and affordable housing applications were delayed in the Minister's Department at the latter end of last year, pending approval. We do not have the final figure but it could be anywhere in the region of 5,000 units. At Cabinet, the Minister got approval to progress 3,000 of those. However, my understanding is that the vast majority of those have yet to be formally approved with the relevant local authorities and approved housing bodies. Will the Minister confirm the status of the appro…