I thank the Deputy for his support for the work of the Government and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Increasing the supply of housing is a priority for this Government. Last September, the Government published Housing for All, which sets us on a path of delivering 300,000 new homes between now and the end of 2030, including 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. The plan is backed by historic levels of investment with in excess of €20 billion t…

I thank Deputy McAuliffe for his remarks. When the housing need and demand assessment, HNDA, is submitted by local authorities, it will be looked at forensically, because it will be the guide rails in terms of where demand will be and construction will take place over the coming years. The Deputy has, quite rightly, pointed to what citizens need to see. They need to see developments going on around them, with the prospect of and hope to have keys to their new home in their hand in order that they can have a secure …

I thank the Senator for raising this most important matter today and in recent weeks and months. I am aware that my officials have been liaising with Galway City Council on this matter in recent days on foot of the Senator's representation and intervention. The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the…

I thank the Senator for his intervention. As a former student of NUI Galway, I know the city very well. This is of critical importance, and that is why officials from our Department met with the chief executive of Galway City Council when this issue was raised. We assured him that once a site is found and an application is brought forward, we will give it the attention it deserves. These things take time, however, and we must be honest about this point in respect of the different stages in the process. We will, tho…

I am conscious that this is the Senator's Bill. In the first instance, the Government is supporting it. We have no issue with the Senator's right to bring the Bill forward, but we believe that secondary legislation is the most appropriate mechanism to deliver this vital change. I listened to the Senators articulate their points of view on the benefits of this exemption and I fully agree with them. It has to be done, and we are doing it as quickly as we can. However, that does not give me, or anyone else for that ma…

It is four weeks.

We are awaiting the ecological assessment as well. A lot of these things can-----

We are awaiting the ecological assessment, but once we get that we will move on it.

No, it is okay. Once we get those back we will move on it, but it takes time. As frustrating and as important a piece that it is, it takes time.

I cannot give an exact time, but it is rated very urgent by the Department. Second, we had that bilateral engagement with the Department of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. The Irish Aviation Authority has raised the issue of glint and glare. It obviously requires an exemption exclusion zone because 90% of the country will be covered. To do that and carry out that mechanism, it must go through that threshold. That only emanated over last year from those negotiations. Many individuals probably thought it would be mo…

In the first instance, we have to wait until the ecological assessment is back. We have appointed the consultants so we can immediately commence the SEA then. There is a four-week consultation period built into that. Once that happens we will come straight to the Houses of the Oireachtas with them. We will act very quickly on this. The Senator says the UK has done this previously. This is a very different country and we have different environmental impacts.

It is the environment surrounding it; it is totally different. One has to go through the thresholds. I cannot just say that the UK did this so I do not have to do it. We have to do these things.

We have to go through it.

I do not have anything further to add. We are all aligned. I will not delay the Bill. The contribution of Senator Martin was very apt. We are all in agreement.

I have listened carefully to many of the Deputies opposite in their well-intentioned arguments on the increase in the cost of living. As a rural Deputy in Longford-Westmeath, I too, through my weekly clinics, meet very vulnerable people every single week that I attend Dáil Éireann and right through the year, people who are trying to find a solution, who are looking for help and who want support at a very vulnerable time in their lives. One thing I want to make very clear from the outset is that I am meeting vulnera…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and for the consistent work he has done on this, specifically on the income eligibility criteria and the workings he has articulated in his argument. The overarching principle of social housing support is to provide adequate housing support to those households unable to provide accommodation from their own resources. Applications for such supports are assessed by local authorities in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in the Housing (Miscel…

That is a very difficult question to answer at times. I can only respond on items that are under my control. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy O' Brien, has the review on his desk and is considering it in the context of the other affordability measures that he introduced by way of the Affordable Housing Act. Under Housing for All the review was due to be published in the fourth quarter of 2021 and the same applies to the tenant purchase scheme. Both should go hand in hand in terms of a…

Yes, shortly.

I thank Senator Keogan for her very-well presented argument in favour of this allowance. The household benefits package comprises the electricity or gas allowance and free television licence. The Department of Social Protection will spend approximately €273 million this year on the household benefit package for more than 484,000 customers. All proposals, including any proposal to introduce a new broadband allowance as part of the household benefit package could only be considered while taking account overall Govern…

I thank Senator Keogan for her remarks and the case presented. I will revert to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, with the case the Senator has made in the context of the next Estimates process. I know the Government is adjudicating on an estimate for an increased package to counteract inflation, which has to be targeted at those who need it most. The Minister has said the allowances that have been increased significantly are the ones that have been means tested to ensure those who need them most get them. I will rel…