Dessie Ellis
Dublin North-West · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“Notwithstanding the obvious requirement for the Garda to have the resources to adequately provide security during Ireland's tenure holding the Presidency of the EU, the loss of ten gardaí from Ballymun deals a substantial blow to an area that has seen a rise in violent criminal activities in recent times, particularly in relation to a wid…”
“This can be a result of staff shortages as the HSE has recruitment and staff retention problems. This has impacted school dental screening programmes and caused significant delays in routine dental assessments for children.”
“Early childhood dental examinations are important because they identify problems before they become serious. Early assessments of a child's teeth, jaws and bite can detect developmental issues that can reduce the need for more extensive treatment at a later age.”
“This is a result of the many children reaching secondary school before receiving dental assessments. There are also fewer dentists participating in State-funded schemes.”
“It systematically and deliberately attacked not just civilians, but civilian infrastructure as well as using starvation and thirst as a weapon against the Palestinian population. The barren landscape of rubble across Gaza demonstrates that for Israel Palestinian homes, schools and hospitals were legitimate military targets.”
“Detainees are denied adequate food, water and proper medical care. Settler violence has escalated and the illegal land grabs are continuing with the connivance of the Israeli military. If Palestinians intervene to protect their homes and farms, they are the ones attacked and killed by the settlers and the Israeli military.”
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“Notwithstanding the obvious requirement for the Garda to have the resources to adequately provide security during Ireland's tenure holding the Presidency of the EU, the loss of ten gardaí from Ballymun deals a substantial blow to an area that has seen a rise in violent criminal activities in recent times, particularly in relation to a widely reported feud between local gangs in Ballymun. The loss of these gardaí has also resulted in the stopping of certain vital Garda operations targeting such criminal activity. The loss of these gardaí goes against assurances I received and it will have an immediate and long-term consequence for communities plagued by such criminal activity. I urge the Minister to get a review of why this decision was made and to look at whether it is necessary to take gardaí from an area that is badly in need of help.”
“This is a result of the many children reaching secondary school before receiving dental assessments. There are also fewer dentists participating in State-funded schemes. Among the measures the Government plans could implement is to put in place a plan to reduce waiting times for dental care and to increase resources for the school screening programme. Our dental healthcare is a system beset by workforce shortages, underfunded State schemes and outdated legislation.”
“This can be a result of staff shortages as the HSE has recruitment and staff retention problems. This has impacted school dental screening programmes and caused significant delays in routine dental assessments for children. The long waits for specialist orthodontic treatment and the fact that orthodontic treatment is not covered by a medical card have meant that parents and adults have turned to private care. The cost of private orthodontic treatment can be prohibitive and treatments can cost several thousand euro. Children requiring moderate orthodontic treatment will not qualify for free care as the HSE will only fund treatments for children with severe orthodontic problems based on strict clinical criteria. There are significant backlogs in targeted check-ups in the school dental screening service.”
“Early childhood dental examinations are important because they identify problems before they become serious. Early assessments of a child's teeth, jaws and bite can detect developmental issues that can reduce the need for more extensive treatment at a later age. Early check-ups can detect other health concerns and dentists may note the signs of conditions that can affect the child's overall health, such as nutritional deficiencies, oral infections and so on. Preventative dental care and early treatment is more cost-effective and less invasive than treating advanced dental disease. Early dental examinations ensure healthy oral development and establish good dental habits into adulthood. However, children can often face years before orthodontic treatment begins.”
“Detainees are denied adequate food, water and proper medical care. Settler violence has escalated and the illegal land grabs are continuing with the connivance of the Israeli military. If Palestinians intervene to protect their homes and farms, they are the ones attacked and killed by the settlers and the Israeli military. If Ireland competes against the Israeli national team, we are helping to legitimise the genocide and torture and the stealing of Palestinian lands. We would be saying that these human rights abuses and war crimes are acceptable and normal. Israel needs to be sent a clear message that we will never allow it to use sport to normalise its apartheid system, the genocide or systematic abuse and its torture of Palestinians.”
“It systematically and deliberately attacked not just civilians, but civilian infrastructure as well as using starvation and thirst as a weapon against the Palestinian population. The barren landscape of rubble across Gaza demonstrates that for Israel Palestinian homes, schools and hospitals were legitimate military targets. Israel has also killed hundreds of Palestinian athletes and footballers and 300 sports facilities across Gaza and the West Bank have been destroyed. A comprehensive report from a United Nations commission concluded that Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip. The horror stories coming out of Israeli prisons and detention centres are shocking beyond belief. Detainees are regularly beaten, electrocuted, sexually tortured and shockingly abused by military dogs.”
“The world witnessed in the Israeli offensive in Gaza some of the worst excesses and some of the most extreme cruel actions a nation can inflict on another group of people. The devastating toll on human life resulting the deaths of tens of thousands of men, women and children as a consequence of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza far exceeded any of the norms of a civilised society. The vastly disproportionate number of civilians and children killed in the Israeli offensive clearly shows that Israel has had nothing but total and absolute disregard for balancing military necessity with its obligations to protect non combatants. Israel did not just target what it would consider legitimate military objectives.”
“Tá díomá orm an rud atá ráite ag an Aire Stáit a chloisteáil. Níl sé soiléir go bhfuil aon dul chun cinn á dhéanamh. Tá sé scannalach nach bhfuil aon rud le tabhairt ar ais don scoil mar gheall ar an bhfoirgneamh nua a thógáil. Tá sé de dhualgas ar an Rialtas fás ár dteanga a chur chun cinn. Níl ach scoil Ghaeilge amháin i bhFionnghlas cé go bhfuil líon mór scoileanna Béarla ann. There are lots of English schools all around Finglas. We see seem to be the second class. We do not seem to be taken seriously. This has been hard work. The principal, the pupils and the people in the area have done huge work to get this school running. There is massive demand in our area. This is a kick in the teeth to people trying to get their children into Irish schools and trying to put our language first.”
“The new school is urgently needed because the school is constantly firefighting as maintenance problems continually arise and a lot of money has gone into maintaining this old building. Teastaíonn freagraí uaim maidir leis an bhfáth ar tháinig deireadh leis an tionscadal seo.”
“The project is currently at stage 2a, architectural planning, and is being delivered under the ADAPT programme. To date, the project has stalled. According to the timeline agreed with the Department, the project should have moved on to stage 2b, that is, approval for statutory application, in August 2024. The agreed timeline, as presented to the school by the Department, is not being adhered to. Previously, in a meeting in January 2025 between the school authorities, design team and project manager, the Department requested an additional report to address issues of concern raised by the Department. The report was submitted to the Department addressing these concerns. Since then there has been no further progression of the project.”
“It was with great disappointment that the príomhoide, staff, pupils and parents discovered that Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin was not included in the list of prioritised projects for 2026-27. Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin, Bóthar Ghlas Naíon, Finglas East, Dublin 11, is a recognised DEIS school and has been acknowledged by the Department of Education and Youth to be in extremely poor condition. It has long been accepted that a new school building needs to be constructed to replace the current school. Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin has been seeking a proper school building since it first opened in September 2005. The new school building will include 16 general classrooms and a two-classroom SEN unit. The school currently has 291 pupils and the new school will cater for approximately 400 pupils.”
“This amendment to the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 will protect consumers and struggling families. It is needed now more than ever in this uncertain world. Families who are suffering need a break and to be protected from the rip-off energy prices.”
“Families have received exorbitant electricity bills in recent years, leaving people stressed and fearful for the future, especially in these economically and politically unstable times. Many have gone into significant arrears and have even gone into debt because of these huge electricity bills. Families need protection from price-gouging and anti-competitive behaviour, and they need proper monitoring of energy prices. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities needs to be given additional powers to carry out such functions. Ireland once had some of the cheapest electricity prices in Europe. The break-up of the company has led, over time, to Ireland having the highest household electricity prices in the EU, with costs roughly 40% above the EU average. This is not sustainable and it is the ordinary person on the street who is suffering.”
“My constituency of Dublin North-West has a growing older population, showing high concentrations of older residents, particularly those over 80 years of age. The constituency also has areas of economic disadvantage and high unemployment. People are struggling daily and this cost-of-living crisis and escalating costs are continuing to impact families, who are forced to make hard choices between putting food on the table for their families or paying for essential utilities and various housing costs, including medical care. Families are facing an almost €2,000 annual increase in household bills. Over the last number of winters, we have seen how families have struggled to heat their homes, as energy costs have gone through the roof. Electricity bills now make up a big part of the annual household expenditure.”
“DCC has to make up the shortfall. It is outrageous that so many of these regeneration schemes face delays and roadblocks because the Government is blocking the funding necessary for projects such Pearse House regeneration and the Moore Street redevelopment. Today we heard the regeneration of Dublin's Oliver Bond Street complex is to be scrapped. These regeneration projects need to be fully funded and any roadblocks to progress lifted. The neglect of our communities needs to end.”
“Where a terrace of houses gets wraparounds, a single house in the middle does not because it is privately owned. Dublin City Council's new differential rent scheme is supposed to augment its maintenance budget and has increased rents for almost all of the city's 68,000 council tenants. It disproportionately impacts social housing tenants already struggling with the cost of living and has placed the burden of funding DCC's maintenance programme on the shoulders of its most vulnerable tenants. Additionally, Dublin City Council manages a significant number of vacant social housing units or voids awaiting refitting or refurbishment. Government assistance is inadequate for such works as the cost of refitting a unit is approximately €40,000 but the Government provides around €10,000 for each unit averaging out from its contribution.”
“It is important that such redevelopments and regeneration projects ensure community-led decision-making by actively involving local residents and other stakeholders in the planning and decision-making process. A recent report from Eurostat shows Ireland has the highest household electricity prices in the European Union. DCC currently maintains an ageing housing stock with over 50% of its properties built between 1930 and 1977. A big problem with the council's retrofitting works programme is that is stops in October and does not resume until April, which leaves a huge gap in knowing what works are required for the following year and contractors left without confirmation of future contracts. There is also an inefficiency in how it works.”
“Dublin's inner city like other areas of the city, including my constituency, Dublin North West, has long faced challenges related to social inclusion, economic disparity and the consequences of many years of ageing infrastructure and buildings coinciding with a lack of proper maintenance of such structures or adequate financial investment in the areas. In the past there were efforts to revitalise local communities, improve the quality of life of residents and stimulate economic development. The Ballymun regeneration project is one such effort as is the more recent project in O'Devaney Gardens and the redevelopment of St. Mary's Mansions in the north inner city. Regeneration is not only about renovating or building new houses or apartments; it is also about providing proper community facilities and services.”
“Dublin City Council's financial contribution scheme allows homeowners over 60 to sell their home to the local authority in return for making a financial contribution to the council, which then provides senior citizen accommodation to the homeowners. Dublin City Council has been told by the Minister that there is no funding available for this scheme. There are a number of people on a waiting list who wish to avail of this scheme, which can also deliver badly needed housing to the community. Are there any plans to resume funding of this much-needed scheme?”
“The benefit for employees is that they can negotiate for improved compensation and better benefits. Collective bargaining can ensure overall fairer treatment for workers, can offer greater job security and, most importantly, legal agreement protecting working conditions. Additionally, the delay in replacing the national minimum wage with a living wage until 2029 will severely impact the lowest-paid workers who, according to the ICTU, will lose approximately €600 this year alone. Strengthening workers' rights and improving conditions in the workplace is not only good for the worker; it also creates a productive economy. Workers earning the living wage will spend their wages on goods and services-----”
“Workers also have concerns about the quality of jobs that they are doing. A significant portion of the workforce has characterised the work they are doing as low paid, insecure and with poor working conditions. What could offset much of this would be making collective bargaining a statutory right. Ireland is behind much of Europe by not having this as a statutory right. The Government's response to this anomaly is to introduce an action plan to promote collective bargaining which unions have condemned for lacking concrete legal reforms as well as its measures being primarily aspirational rather than mandatory. The plan is insufficient when compared to the rest of Europe. Collective bargaining strengthens employees' negotiation power and balances the employer-employee power dynamic.”
“The cost-of-living crisis has hit particularly hard those on low and average incomes, who are more exposed to this crisis as well as the mounting inflation that has driven up costs. Public and private sector workers' earnings are being eroded. Such households have become especially vulnerable as a consequence of the fluctuating political problems across the world and the unnecessary wars that have brought us to the brink of a global recession driven by the escalating conflict in the Middle East and a related rise in worldwide energy prices. Low and average income households are struggling with spiralling energy costs and the Government's response to this current escalating problem is inadequate. There is a need for the reintroduction of energy credits and a removal of excise duty on home heating oil to help struggling families.”
“However, restricting flavoured vapes also impacts adults and is not productive. Adults should be allowed to make a decision on such matters themselves. I have many people who have given up smoking and have had to take up vapes. It is the lesser of two evils. We know that vapes are not healthy but we need to look at the Minister of State's definition with regard to flavours because there are a lot of flavours out there like menthol and others that seem to be acceptable. People make choices. They did it with cigarettes. They used to take John Player, Major and things like that, so people are very good at making these decisions about what is good for them.”
“According to the Royal College of Surgeons, a 20-year-old male who is a cigarette smoker is expected to spend an extra €28,000 in healthcare costs over his lifetime. Cigarette smoking-related illnesses result in the hospitalisation of around 1,000 people every week. While using vapes is not necessarily a great solution to weaning people off cigarettes, it is better than people being on cigarettes. Vape use does involve health concerns and people coming off cigarettes should also engage with the HSE's programmes assisting people to quit smoking. Selling vapes to a minor is a criminal offence that could result in fines or imprisonment. The licensing of and restrictions on the sale of the vapes will go a long way towards preventing minors from accessing these products.”
“Thankfully, I have never smoked a cigarette in my life. With regard to tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products, I would support measures that would protect children by placing restrictions on both the advertising and display of such products, including how they are presented on the packaging of the products. Addiction to nicotine is a costly addiction, both in terms of a person's health and the price of the product as well as the cost to the health service of dealing with the health consequences of this addiction. The cost of cigarette smoking to the Irish health service is over €460 million annually, with total societal costs exceeding €10.7 billion, which includes lost productivity with almost 100 people dying weekly from tobacco-related illnesses. These statistics are staggering.”
“My constituency has also experienced unacceptable delays in the construction of urgently needed ASD units and special needs classes. It is very distressing for parents who expected that a special class or ASD unit would be open for the new school year to be told they have to wait another year before construction ever begins. To make a serious impact in Dublin North-West, resources and funding need to be sped up. The delivery of these badly needed facilities that are long outstanding needs to be sped up.”
“His mother, Holly, has been struggling in recent years to find a place for him in a school that would provide the educational supports he needs. She is at her wit’s end as yet again she has no confirmed school place for him for the coming September. Christian has significant additional needs and has been recommended for a special school placement. Holly is a single parent with four children. She has made multiple applications to schools that could provide Christian with the supports he needs. However, to date, he has not been offered a place, leaving him without access to an education, which is his right. This has been deeply frustrating for both Holly and Christian. Having exhausted all avenues, parents like Holly feel isolated, forgotten and ignored.”
“There is a deepening crisis in the provision of educational facilities for those with special needs. This is compounded by a crisis in both teacher recruitment and retention, particularly in Dublin, which is one of the most severely affected areas in the country. The most vulnerable students are impacted the most, especially when schools are unable to fill teaching positions. Special education teachers are moved from support roles to teaching mainstream classes. Additionally, the lack of sufficient funding for additional special needs classes means there will be a significant shortfall in such classes come September. Every year, my office receives representations on behalf of parents who are seeking to place their children in a special needs class. Christian, a young boy in my constituency, will be seven this year.”
“I understand the Minister, Deputy Naughton, is not here to take this really important issue. I appreciate the Minister of State taking it. I hope this does not lessen what we are saying and what we are looking for. The urgency of this and of prioritising it is crucial to the people in the area and to the school itself. They have done tremendous work on this. Everything is in place and ready to go. We need a commitment. I know the Minister of State said there might be a possibility of some other schools being included. We are urging that they be included as soon as possible to get this moving forward.”
“The project was granted permission by An Bord Pleanála on 24 February 2025. However, the school, the parents and the community are dismayed that, to date, St. Aidan's is not listed among the 105 projects specifically highlighted as moving to tender and construction by 2026 and 2027 in the first tranche of the 2026 NDP roll-out. This oversight needs to be addressed, and St. Aidan's should be included on the NDP priority list.”
“St. Aidan's CBS Whitehall first opened in 1964 and is part of the very fabric of our community. It has provided an excellent education for generations of boys from around Whitehall, Glasnevin and Ballymun. Over the years, substantial amounts of money have been spent on maintaining the school buildings and 60-year-old prefabs. The demand for secondary school places and applications for admission to St. Aidan's are high and the school is always hugely oversubscribed. There are two phases to the proposed new development. The first phase will be the construction of the new, modern school into which the students will decamp from the old, dilapidated prefabs. The second phase will be the removal of the old prefabs and the building of much-needed ASD units, which will include a sensory room as well as special educational needs classrooms.”
“As I said, we have a perfect storm heading our way that will make the homelessness situation even worse than it is already.”
“We also have the residential tenancy Bill coming, so we are heading for a perfect storm that is going to increase homelessness substantially. We already have 17,000 people homeless, including over 5,000 children. We are now going to see a massive increase in that homeless figure over the next while. I urge the Minister of State to sit down and think about some of this. When we look at the residential tenancies Bill, what are people to do when their contract is up? Some of them have two- or three-year contracts. Their market value is now going to be set on that tenancy. Market value in Dublin is between €2,500 and €3,000. Some people have been paying far less than that. What is going to happen? They are not going to be able to pay it and they will end up in homelessness. That is the problem.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Alongside the cost-of-living crisis we are in that moment, we are now faced with rent hikes by Dublin City Council and there have been rent hikes elsewhere. This affects senior citizens. I mentioned to the Minister of State a couple in their 80s on fixed incomes, and one of them is being charged €43 extra. It comes to €43 extra between the two of them. In another case, it is over €60. It is hard to understand how we can stand over €43 out of €280 being taken from senior citizens. That does not make sense. It is immoral; it is not right. There are flaws in what is being done here. I ask the Minister if State to examine this and see whether that can be rectified because that is far too much to take from any senior citizen.”
“HAP tenants will not benefit from any money spent on the maintenance of social housing, and rental accommodation scheme, RAS, tenants will be equally disadvantaged. This new rental scheme is a recipe for adding to the homeless figures, and these rental hikes will exacerbate financial stress and debt, particularly for HAP and RAS tenants and for those in poor quality housing.”
“The primary earner has €303.70 and will pay €44.77 and his wife on €298 will pay €43.74. The primary earner goes from 15% to 18%, less €55. This is a huge increase for a senior citizen of €23.74 per week, and an extra €20 from the secondary earner. That is what has been added on. To give another example, a woman on the lone parent payment with one child and a son on disability is at present paying €78.80. This will now see her payment going up to €118. If the council is underfunded to carry out maintenance works, then it is up to the Government to increase its grant funding. These rent increases will only serve to push communities further into poverty and exacerbate antisocial behaviour. Housing assistance payment, HAP, tenants have been squeezed from two directions with both council rents and private rents rising.”
“The issue of funding or maintenance is now being placed on the shoulder of some of the most vulnerable members of our community. The consequences of these rent increases for many people on low incomes or on a basic welfare payment is that their quality of life decreases. Their struggles with this cost-of-living crisis are greater, and all of this impacts on their mental health and well-being. I have been inundated with calls into my constituency office about these new rent increases. I have had many calls from pensioners who are fearful for the future. Pensioners can ill-afford to lose any more money from their small pensions when the price of energy and groceries are all going up. For example, one elderly couple has been informed that their rent will go from €65 to €89.”
“This new scheme will increase the primary earner rate from 15% to 18% of net income, with a €40 cap for secondary earners. Also, a higher self-employed income of €700 per week will be assumed if supporting documentation is not provided. The reality is that these rent increases will disproportionately impact Dublin City Council social housing tenants who are already struggling with the cost of living. While if it is true that there is a funding gap between the cost of Dublin City Council running its social housing programme and the combined income from rents and Government grants, this is something that should directly concern central government. The Department of housing is not sufficiently funding Dublin City Council, which has to maintain some of the oldest properties in the State.”
“Tá áthas orm go bhfuil an tAire ag tógáil na ceiste seo. Dublin City Council's new differential rent scheme, which will begin operating from 6 April next, will see increases in rent for almost all of the city's 68,000 council tenants. The new scheme is supposed to augment the council's maintenance budget. The council currently maintains an ageing housing stock, with over 50% of Dublin City Council properties being built between 1930 and 1977. Previously, Dublin City Council calculated rents based on weekly payments on a percentage of household income rather than market value. Rent was calculated as 15% of the primary earner's income above a €32 to €64 threshold, plus additional contributions from secondary earners, who are charged a maximum of €21.”
“De ghnáth, bíonn an cumann seo plódaithe le daoine, óg agus aosta, agus atmaisféar den scoth ann. Tá dhá bhunscoil i mBaile Munna, Scoil an tSeachtar Laoch agus Gaelscoil Bhaile Munna. Tá seanscoil ann in aice le Scoil an tSeachtar Laoch, agus an scoil seo leathfholamh agus an CDETB á húsáid. Bheadh sé feiliúnach an scoil dara leibhéal a chur ann agus tá spás ann. Ba mhaith liom aonad Gaeltachta a chur ann idir Scoil an tSeachtar Laoch agus Cumann Báire Setanta. Tá Gaelscoil Uí Earcáin i bhFionnghlas ag feitheamh ar scoil nua a thógáil in aice na scoile. Tá an scoil as dáta agus tá an iomarca le déanamh chun í a thabhairt suas go dtí caighdeán ceart. Tá sé thar am infheistíocht a chur sa scéim seo.”
“D’éirigh an dearcadh seo fite fuaite le a lán glúin de mhuintir na hÉireann, agus d’fhág sé gur diúltaíodh don teanga agus gur beag an toil a bhí uirthi. Tá athrú mór ann anois, agus aithníonn daoine go bhfuil saibhreas agus áilleacht inár dteanga. Caithfimid níos mó béime a chur ar labhairt na teanga. Muna bhfuil muid ábalta timpeallacht a chruthú chun Gaeilge a úsáid agus a chleachtadh, tá sé simplí go leor dearmad a dhéanamh ar fiú an tuiscint is bunúsaí ar an teanga. Mar shampla, tá cloistear Gaeilge go minic i gCumann Báire Setanta i mBaile Munna. Freisin, tá an-bhéim ar rudaí Gaelacha - damhsa, ceol, amhráin agus araile, chomh maith le spórt - iománaíocht agus peil. Tá ceardlanna deisiúcháin acu le haghaidh earraí ar nós an chruit, an fheadóg, an maindilín agus araile.”
“Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuil Gaeilge ag fás agus ag scaipeadh i mo cheantar. Tá níos mó suime i bhfoghlaim na Gaeilge agus í a úsáid i rith an lae. Tá an-éileamh ann le haghaidh naíscoileanna agus bunscoileanna, agus liosta feithimh le haghaidh áiteanna sna scoileanna. Níl go leor meánscoileanna timpeall na háite. Níl ach scoil amháin dara leibhéal, Scoil Chaitríona i nGlas Naíon. Is mór an trua é go bhfuil scoláirí ag fágáil bunscoileanna agus ag dul go dtí scoil Bhéarla toisc nach bhfuil meánscoil ar fáil chun leanúint leis an oideachas ina gceantar féin. San am a chuaigh thart, is mór an trua é go raibh an dearcadh ann go raibh an Ghaeilge ina bac ar dul chun cinn agus ar rathúnas.”
“This has been a big shock for many people who are already struggling financially. Parents may now have to delve into their savings to pay the extra rent or consider putting their children out of the house. I advise anyone in financial difficulty to apply to the council's hardship fund to assist them in their financial distress and alleviate pressures on the family income. While the reasoning for these increases in rent is that the moneys will go toward housing maintenance, insulation of homes, adaptions etc., the reality is the Department of housing is not sufficiently funding councils, which have some of the oldest properties in the State. Basically, the Government is putting the critical funding required for maintenance back on the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities.”
“The income-based assessment approach has had the consequence of adversely affecting many tenants, as the calculation on rent owing is now made according to who is the highest earner in a household and not who is the primary tenant. This has substantially increased rents for many of the most vulnerable in our communities, particularly old-aged pensioners. One old-aged couple's rent is increasing from €63 to over €80, over €20. It is absolutely terrible. In a housing crisis, as people struggle to get on the property ladder, many adult children have remained in the family home to save money for a deposit or mortgage. Their parents are now being punished for helping their children save for a house because if their earnings are more than their parents, their parents' rent goes up substantially.”
“The national total for those considered homeless is 16,734. Of that figure, 5,188 are children. These figures released in December 2025 show a shocking increase in both adult and child homelessness. These figures also mask the real number of those who are homeless because they do not tell us how many people are couch surfing and sleeping rough on the streets or in their cars. Eviction notices from landlords have continued at pace, with tenants having nowhere to go after eviction, except the homeless services. The new differential rent scheme being introduced in April by Dublin City Council has created additional problems. From the number of people who have contacted my constituency office in recent days, it is almost certain that a new cohort of people will enter homelessness.”
“In this housing crisis, it is a scandal that foreign investment funds can bulk-buy houses. It is scandal that the Government has created the conditions to allow them to do this. This has to stop and if it continues, it is clear that many people never be able to own their own home or even afford the rents being sought.”
“Young families and people who want to get on the property ladder cannot compete with such large institutions. Many can barely afford the exorbitant rents being sought. In my constituency of Dublin North-West, a company that bought an entire housing estate in County Kildare bought entire apartment blocks in Santry to rent them out at exorbitant rates. It had been known for some time that investment funds have been bulk-buying houses in estates across the constituency. This has resulted not just a rise in the price of houses but also a significantly reduced supply of houses for first-time buyers. The Government has not put in place any real deterrents for this sort of bulk buying. Its 15% stamp duty rate on bulk acquisitions has not stopped investment funds from continuing to buy properties.”
“The Government's answer to the housing crisis caused by Governments its members were also members of is to encourage mainly foreign investment funds to buy up land to build apartments and to bulk-buy housing stock and estates. We have had an influx of such investment funds over the years because Governments have in the past created advantageous market positions for them by giving them favourable tax exemptions and grants. Investment funds have also taken advantage of stamp duty loopholes and exploited regulatory gaps that allow them to act with fewer restrictions than apply to traditional financial institutions. All this has had a detrimental effect on the cost of housing and apartments and has made homeownership unaffordable for ordinary workers and families.”
“There is great anger among schools and parents in my constituency of Dublin North-West at the proposal to cut the number of special needs assistants in schools. There is already a clear imbalance between the number of SNAs available in schools and the numbers required to cater for the ever-increasing number of students who need such essential assistance. Why is the Government only pausing these cuts and not stopping them entirely? That would reassure a lot of people. We need more SNAs - not less - across Dublin North-West.”
“Along with such measures, the Garda needs to work with schools and local authorities to educate young people and parents about the dangers and legal consequences of the illegal use of scramblers. The Government must take this opportunity to tackle this menace once and for all.”