The Minister's response is genuinely remarkable. He does not even accept there is a problem despite the fact that the data from the AHBs and the LDA confirms it. What is worse, LDA tenants are effectively paying corporation tax as part of the rent. That amounts to 15% of the rent they pay. Although the LDA has been given an exemption from corporation tax for new developments, that will not be passed on as an affordability measure, as per the Government. Worse, the LDA has just hit almost 500 of its tenants with ren…

With 21 seconds left, the Minister cannot accept there is an affordability problem.

That is utterly shocking.

Hear, hear.

As the Minister knows, some of the worst quality rental accommodation in the State is the inner-city flat complexes owned by Dublin City Council built in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. There is widespread damp, sewage problems, overcrowding and decades of poor maintenance. While Dublin City Council has a comprehensive and ambitious plan to address those issues, the Department continues to put far too many barriers in its way. Will the Minister provide an update on funding applications and approvals specifically for th…

The Minister is developing a terrible habit of spending most of his time talking about everything other than the actual question, which relates to the currently tenanted flat complexes, such as Oliver Bond House, St. Michan's House and Pearse House, where the Department is preventing, blocking and delaying the approval of funding. Initially it was because the national planning framework required that density be increased, and following the intervention of Dublin City Council and many of us on this side of the House…

The only surprise that will be expressed following this debate is the surprise of the residents in the inner-city flat complexes listening to a Minister who clearly does not understand the scale of the problems. Someone living in an overcrowded flat that was built to 1930s or 1940s standards, which is riddled with damp, stinks of sewage and has a range of problems from rats to crumbling façades, needs to have that apartment fixed. This is not a question of density; it is a question of providing the funding so the S…

"But". That is the problem. It is the "but".

But the Department is not approving the funding applications.

No, the national planning framework makes it about density.

We told you. There is a national planning objective, legally binding, in the national planning framework.

No. Your national planning framework made it about density. What utter nonsense.

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to repeal the Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 605 of 2022) and Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No. 376 of 2023) related to the provision of temporary accommodation for persons seeking international protection or in receipt of temporary protection. Exempted development regulations are an important part of our planning system but they should always be the …

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

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been in government for ten years, first through a confidence and supply arrangement in 2016 and then in two formal coalition Governments. During that decade, 55,000 adults have been forced into homelessness. Let that sink in for a second. According to data from the Department of housing, from January 2016 to June 2025, 55,000 adults have been forced into emergency accommodation, funded by the Minister of State's Department. That is more than the entire population of Longford. It is mo…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend Planning and Development Regulations, 2001 (S.I. No. 600 of 2001) to provide for exemptions from planning permission for certain categories of public art murals where such work has artistic or cultural merit, has the permission of the owner of the building or structure on which it is displayed, is not a commercial advertisement and does not conflict with the Equal Status Acts. Public art murals are good for our cities and towns. They transfo…

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

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to allow the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to introduce a social housing passport in order to allow households on social housing waiting lists, or in receipt of social housing support, to transfer their social housing file, or their social housing support, to another local authority based on criteria set out in regulations laid down by the Minister. The Government is not delivering a sufficient volume of good quality social home…

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

I will speak in support of this group of amendments, amendments Nos. 2, 7 and 8. I will explain the detailed reasons for that in a moment. I will start, however, with two small pieces of housekeeping. First, I acknowledge the very helpful role of the departmental officials. They have obviously been working on this Bill in a relatively short period of time and at any stage when either we or our committee sought additional information they have been very obliging in making sure we were facilitated in trying to unders…