I thank the Senator again for his comments. I reiterate the Government's commitment to providing income supports to the most vulnerable, in particular in the context of the fuel allowance. This was demonstrated in last Tuesday's budget with rate increases for both the fuel allowance and the living alone allowance as well as extended eligibility for the fuel allowance for certain cohorts of long-term welfare recipients and an increase in the means threshold. Other supports are available in addition to the fuel allow…

My portfolio as Minister of State with responsibility for heritage and electoral reform is expansive. It spans incredible dossiers from the cultural wealth of our archaeology and monuments, to the distinct architecture of our built heritage, the beauty, resilience and fragility of nature, and our democratic future. Ar dtús, tá cúpla focal le rá agam ar leasú toghchánach. Some €4.7 million has been allocated in 2022 to support delivery of our ambitious programme of electoral reform. This includes the establishment o…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I am glad to have an opportunity to discuss the European committee ruling and, in particular, the regeneration budget and the regeneration of social housing and flat complexes in inner-city Dublin. These housing complexes are intrinsic to the city and have huge cultural and heritage significance but should be habitable to modern and current standards. The Government and my Department, in particular, have given careful consideration to the report of the European …

The conditions the Deputy has described are unacceptable. When the issue was raised in relation to Oliver Bond House by Deputy Bríd Smith, I had direct contact with the residents association there. It has been very active in Oliver Bond House and I give it great credit for that. That approach from a residents association is good but we have to make inroads in resolving these issues. To that end, the Department has given careful consideration to the findings of the European committee ruling and is committed to ensur…

I thank Senator Wall for raising this issue and providing me with an opportunity to give an update on the matter on behalf of the Department. The Department provides funding to local authorities under the suite of housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs and also to facilitate an early return from hospital stays. The grants include the housing adaptation grant for people with disability, the m…

Following the stock response that we have given the Senator, as well as the specific issues the Senator has raised here, the Department needs to come back with a specific set of answers. The workshop that was held with local authorities was useful in teasing out these issues. A new set of challenges has come about as we emerge from the pandemic. Building costs are surging. There is another issue around contractors and their availability. Many of them are probably taking work that is easier to come by. Hence those i…

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important matter. The story he has told is replicating itself with thousands of families across the country. I hope I can provide, by way of background, where we are now and assure the Deputy that the Government is working tirelessly to try to resolve this matter on behalf of families. The Department is not familiar with the specific details of the case but there are a number of broader points to be made. It may be useful for the Deputy to forward the exact details of the ca…

It is expected that significant changes will be made to the scheme. Progress has been made to date through the group and issues such as removing upfront costs for assessing the scheme have been agreed with homeowners, as have other issues, including rent costs for those who have had to move out of their homes. Planning permission exemptions have been agreed for like-for-like developments, as have proposals for the replacement of damaged septic tanks. In addition, a guarantee on second grant access for homes that un…

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí go léir. I have taken note of their comments. We are deeply grateful to all the officials in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage who did such incredible work on this. There has been a high level of dedication to Housing for All, led by the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. The Department has a Fianna Fáil Minister and two Minister of States from Fine Gael and the Green Party. They are united in this common cause. It is not just about the Ministers; it is also…

I am aware of the demand for wastewater infrastructure in towns and villages where there is no access to public infrastructure, particularly in County Galway, which the Deputy represents, and other areas of the country.  Our Department builds its strategic water policy and infrastructure delivery programmes around the national planning framework 2018-2040 and the National Development Plan 2018-2027.  Investment is primarily delivered through Irish Water. Our Department operates the rural water programme directly. T…

I agree with the Deputy regarding the situation in Athenry. It is unacceptable in this day and age that raw sewage could be flowing from people's houses. Our Department will certainly give consideration to that with Irish Water specifically. It is fair to say that Project Ireland 2040 supports the growth of small towns and villages with regard to water services infrastructure. The National Planning Framework 2018-20240 support proportionate growth of rural towns and a programme for new homes in small towns and vill…

We expect the report the Minister has commissioned in respect of requirements for smaller villages and settlements that do not have access to public water and wastewater infrastructure to be completed in the coming weeks. It will be a help to answer the question posed by the Deputy. I appreciate that the preparation of the report includes a broad range of research and consultation with a large number of stakeholders, particularly local authorities. The research element of the report focuses on villages and similar …

Deputy Murnane O'Connor joined the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and I at the opening of three wonderful housing projects in Castlecomer and Kilkenny city last week, which is always a positive day. It is so uplifting to hand keys over to families and new tenants for very high-quality, A2-rated, highly efficient and well-designed homes. That is what we are attempting to achieve, and will achieve, with Housing for All. Increasing the supply of social and affordable homes is a priority for this Government, as show…

In terms of the social housing pipeline for Carlow, to respond to the Deputy's question, the construction status report for the first quarter of 2021 showed 13 projects, to deliver 229 social homes, were either at design or planning stage or on site in Carlow. Details of these projects are available on the construction status report. In addition, there has been some impact from Covid-19 which resulted in some restrictions on construction activity from 8 January to 12 April this year. However, the restrictions allow…

With regard to the community centre hub at Tullow Road in Carlow town, the Deputy made the valid point that the community hub could serve over 2,000 houses on the Tullow Road. It is a vital amenity for the community and will provide a lifeline for children and the community alike. The land is owned by Carlow County Council and, as such, the project is being led by Carlow County Council as there was a necessity for this project to service the community. The estimated cost of the hub is €2.5 million. Funding for such…

In a letter to the Secretary General of the Department last week, the EPA outlined two serious incidents in recent weeks in drinking water plants serving parts of Dublin city and surrounding areas, which occurred in the Ballymore Eustace water treatment plant and in Gorey, County Wexford. This included, in the case of Gorey, illnesses detected by the HSE in the community served by that water supply, as the three Deputies have outlined. It is important to note that Irish Water reports that these incidents have been …

I again thank the Deputies for their comments. I appreciate their ongoing worries about the serious incidents that occurred in the water treatment plant at Gorey and in Dublin. The safety and security of our water supply, as the Deputies have said, is paramount. There is a need to rebuild any trust that has been lost. I give the assurance that tap water is safe to drink in both situations. One of the first initiatives that the Minister advanced on taking office was to develop a Government policy paper on the steps …

I thank Deputy Bacik. She is an experienced parliamentarian but this is her first Bill to bring to this House, so I congratulate her on that.

I acknowledge the spirit of the Bill and its genuine attempt to improve circumstances for tenants at a time of undersupply in the residential rental sector. The Government will not oppose this Bill and commits to examining the positive ideas contained therein in the context of progressing its own rental reforms later this year. Some of the measures proposed in the Bill have been provided for in Government legislation or have been committed to under the Government's Housing for All: A new Housing Plan for Ireland. O…

The Government welcomes the opportunity to highlight the recent amendments to Part V it has brought forward, which are a very important part of accelerating the supply of affordable and cost-rental homes. It also welcomes the opportunity the Bill presents to continue working on ensuring that our Part V provisions are appropriately calibrated and the Government will not be opposing it. We welcomed the support of Sinn Féin and other parties for the Affordable Housing Act 2021, which originally brought in these change…