James Browne
Wexford · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I cannot accept amendments Nos. 10 and 11. The interpretation of "lawfully resident" and "habitually resident" is construed in accordance with section 20A, which sets out the new residency requirements for social housing applicants.”
“The safety net provision is to be provided by the local authority on a night-to-night basis, and this is to allow local authorities to reassess the circumstances each day to determine whether the safety net should still be provided.”
“I cannot accept amendment No. 21. This amendment proposes the introduction of a social housing passport allowing households to transfer between local authority areas while retaining their original waiting list or transfer list position. The amendment as it stands is well-intentioned.”
“No one factor is intended to be decisive and it is not necessary for a person to score strongly on all five factors outlined in section 20A(7) in order to get a positive decision. However, the local authority decision-maker must be confident that there is strong evidence that it is the applicant's main centre of interest.”
“In relation to Senator McCarthy’s amendment, while it was a very well intentioned and constructed amendment, it has been disallowed. It was not my decision on those matters. I am satisfied the safeguards and safety net are there for those who are not entitled by way of legal or habitual residence.”
“In practical terms, if an Irish citizen has severed ties abroad and has decided to return home, the process of establishing habitual residency could be determined from day one.”
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“The Government also agreed to an ambitious expansion to the remit of the Land Development Agency to support the delivery of housing, including unlocking key strategic public lands for urban brownfield delivery through infrastructure investment and to support local authorities, the housing activation office and the Department in master planning and infrastructure provision in new towns and districts. Regarding calls for the Government to build capacity of the construction sector, I argue a concerted effort is already under way. For example, budget 2025 has seen the single largest investment of core apprenticeship funding since the formation of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in 2020 and an increase of 83%.”
“In response to increased demand for energy, the systems operators, ESB Networks and EirGrid, prepared business plans that propose to significantly increase investment in the electricity grid for the period of 2026 to 2030. While the Government looks forward to the conclusion of the sixth price review by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, which will provide a clear framework for investment in the electricity grid, it will support operators in building capacity and a more reliable and decarbonised energy system.”
“The Government is in fact investing record levels of capital funding in critical infrastructure, including in the areas of water and energy and will continue to do so under the national development plan for the period 2025 to 2035, to be finalised by July of this year. The Government is therefore committed to delivering on the key objectives for infrastructure to support the delivery of the homes needed. Uisce Éireann has ramped up capital delivery for water services and infrastructure from €300 million in 2014 to roughly €1.3 billion in 2024. For 2025, the Exchequer will provide more than €2.2 billion in funding to Uisce Éireann. The programme for Government commits to investing additional capital in Uisce Éireann under the revised national development plan to support our new housing targets.”
“The new targets are ambitious but provide a credible pathway to delivering the scale of housing needed. Our immediate focus must be on achieving these targets. Key to achieving them will the delivery of new apartment developments in our cities and urban quarters. Much of the investment needed for such developments must come through the private sector, financed through appropriate sources of private capital, much of which will come from international sources. This capital is critical in apartment delivery, particularly for the private rental sector. The Independent Ireland motion calls for increased capacity of critical infrastructure required for the delivery of housing.”
“The simple fact is that the largest social and affordable housing programme in the history of the State has been rolled out under Housing for All. This is demonstrated by our record level of investment being provided for the delivery of housing in 2025, with overall capital funding of almost €6.8 billion now available. The capital provision for 2025 is supplemented by a further €1.65 billion in current funding to address housing need. Despite this undoubted progress, we must acknowledge that housing remains an enormous challenge and that the number of new homes coming on stream each year is far short of where it needs to be. The number of homes coming on stream each year is far short of where it needs to be. In the programme for Government, the Government has committed to delivering more homes.”
“The plan will incorporate pragmatic actions to boost housing activity in the short term as well as longer term actions that will implement systemic change and help to achieve and sustain the levels of supply needed in the long term. There is no one single policy approach, decision or silver bullet that will solve the housing challenges that we face. We must therefore consider every means available. The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, has set out the progress we have made under Housing for All, including those relating to social and affordable housing delivery, and some of the key changes that we have introduced, particularly with regard to planning reform and our plans to scale up the supply of housing.”
“The measures introduced under Housing for All helped to establish a strong platform to scale up housing delivery further in the short term and secure a sustainable level of future supply that will help us to meet unmet and emerging demand. At the same time, we fully acknowledge that housing remains an enormous challenge. The number of new homes coming on stream each year remains far short of where it needs to be. The Government has committed to delivering 300,000 new homes by 2030, targeting at least 60,000 homes annually by the end of that period. To this end, the programme for Government commits to a new national housing plan to build on the success of Housing for All.”
“I thank colleagues for all their important contributions here today. I echo the comments made by the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, earlier and reassert this Government's commitment and determination to tackle the challenges in housing. Housing is a cross-sectoral challenge that has a real impact on people's lives. Our goal remains a housing system that serves the needs of our people. While there is still much to do, the Opposition motion inputs here today do not fairly represent the efforts and progress made to date. The motion claims that the Government is not treating housing with the urgency that it deserves, but we have laid a strong and secure foundation that will allow us to continue to ramp up delivery for the coming years.”
“It is an interim measure and will safeguard tenants from high rent inflation during the period to next March. Go raibh maith agaibh.”
“Section 4 amends section 8(2) of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 to provide for a two-month extension until 28 February 2026 of the operation of existing rent pressure zones that were designated under section 24A(5) of the principal Act. The current rent control system is not optimal for renters, potential new landlords or investors and changes need to be made through this Bill and follow-up legislation later this year. The changes approved by the Government last week will provide significantly stronger protection for tenants and finely balance the interests of tenants with the need for further private investment in the rental market. The Bill before the House is balanced and takes into account the legal advices of the Attorney General.”
“Section 3(a) provides for a two-month extension until 28 February 2026 of the operation of rent pressure zones in the administrative areas of Cork City Council, Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council, which were deemed to be rent pressure zones under section 24B(1) of the principal Act. Section 3(b) provides for a two-month extension until 28 February 2026 of the operation of rent pressure zones in the local electoral area of Drogheda rural, which was deemed to be a rent pressure zone under section 24B(2) of the principal Act. Section 3(c) provides, through a new section 24B(3), for the deeming of any area that is not already a rent pressure zone to become a rent pressure zone from the day after the passing of this Bill until 28 February 2026.”
“Currently, 17% of tenancies are located outside of rent pressure zones. I will briefly outline the provisions of the Bill, which contains five sections. Sections 1 and 5 contain standard provisions. Section 1 defines "Principal Act" to mean the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. Section 5 provides for the Short Title, commencement, collective citation and construction of the Bill. Section 2 amends section 20, concerning the frequency with which rent review may occur, of the principal Act to provide for the termination of bi-annual rent reviews outside of rent pressure zones, as the entire country will become a rent pressure zone from the day after the passing of the Bill. Section 3 amends section 24, concerning areas deemed to be rent pressure zones, of the principal Act.”
“I thank Senators for their co-operation and the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for granting a waiver on Tuesday from pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. I thank the committee's Chair, Deputy Carrigy. I hope that the informal briefing from Department officials was useful. Given the risk of high rent increases for tenants outside of rent pressure zones who have not had their rent reviewed in the past 24 months, the intention is to seek the early signing of this Bill into law by the President. It is important for all tenants to be protected as soon as possible by the rent increase restrictions that apply in rent pressure zones. This Bill provides that necessary protection for all tenants from the day after its passing until 28 February 2026, when general legislation comes into being.”
“The Bill is a straightforward interim measure to extend all existing rent pressure zones and to deem all non-rent pressure zones to be rent pressure zones from the day after the passing of the Bill until 28 February 2026. Comprehensive rental reforms will be the subject of a further Bill to be introduced in the Houses of the Oireachtas for scrutiny and debate later this year. As Senators can appreciate, the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the upcoming changes to rent controls and tenancy protection feed into a broader suite of measures to increase housing supply. On Tuesday the Government approved the Bill's publication for progress through the legislative process in this House and Dáil Éireann on an urgent basis to facilitate early enactment.”
“We aim for tenancy protections that best suit tenants and landlords but we also need to deliver supply so those who are at home in families' box rooms can have somewhere to live. Let me be very clear: this is just one strand of a suite of measures, including planning extensions, planning exemptions and a tranche of further key decisions this week and in the coming weeks from the Government. This Bill, along with the legislation which will operate from March 2026, includes a number of key changes and represents progress. We aim to strike a balance and to bring clarity and certainty. Without all of these measures, we cannot ramp up the supply as needed, and the Government is determined and ambitious to get this right.”
“The new policy measures announced last week to apply from next March aim to boost investment in the supply of homes. A new national rent control will come into effect on 1 March 2026, immediately following the expiration of rent pressure zones. Legislation will be introduced later this year to give effect to the new measures from March. The impending changes to rent controls have been informed by the findings of the Housing Agency review of rent pressure zones, the potential policy options identified and its recommendation to modify the operation of existing rent pressure zone rent controls. These changes will have a significant impact for our rental sector. I accept there is a fine balance to be struck in our efforts. We aim to attract investment but we know tenants deserve and need fair treatment.”
“From the day after the passing of this Bill, with the co-operation of both Houses of the Oireachtas and enactment by President Higgins, the current rent pressure zones will apply right across the country, to include the 17% of tenancies not currently protected by rent pressure zone rules. This is an important measure. No rent increase can exceed 2% per annum pro rata or, if lower, the rate of inflation, as measured, unless certain exemptions apply. This is an immediate and concrete protection against high rent inflation. Rent increases outside of rent pressure zones are now at a level where the application of the rent increase restriction can be justified nationally. We want to provide certainty, clarity and stability for the rental sector.”
“I am grateful to all Senators and everybody behind the scenes for facilitating today's debate on this urgent legislation in Seanad Éireann at such short notice. As Senators know, on 10 June 2025 the Government approved policy measures to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections from 1 March 2026. Last week, the Government also approved, as an interim measure, the provision of a two-month extension of rent pressure zones and the deeming of all areas of the country as a rent pressure zone from the day after the passing of this Bill until 28 February 2026, when the general legislation comes in to being. On Tuesday the Government approved the publication of this Bill to implement this measure. We are moving fast because renters need protection and I am determined to make that happen.”
“I want to be clear. After a week and a half of Deputy Ó Broin complaining about there being too many tracks in this legislation and too many different applications, he is now calling for a new track to create a geographical difference between rent pressure zones that have been extended to date where short-term lets are affected and extending it now to where they would not be affected. The Deputy needs to listen to what he is talking about. After a week of giving out about too much complexity and tracks, he wants a new one introduced. That is what he is calling for now.”
“I welcome the clarification. Rent pressure zones have been extended to new areas again and again since 2019. On every one of those occasions, short-term lets have been brought in with them. That is the law at the moment and that is how the law will continue.”
“The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 will protect tenants in non-RPZs who have not had their rent reviewed in the past 24 months from high rent inflation during the period from the day after the Bill passes to 28 February 2026. The Government intends to seek the early signing of this Bill into law by President Higgins and it is important for all tenants to be protected as soon as possible under the current rent increase restrictions that apply in rent pressure zones. The Government will introduce a more comprehensive Bill as soon as possible to give effect to the enduring policy measures announced last week to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections for new tenancies created.”
“I cannot accept amendments Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, and 8, which appear to have the aim of extending the operation of rent pressure zones to 23 June 2028. As Members are aware, on 10 June last, the Government approved policy measures to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections from 1 March 2026. Last week, the Government also approved, as an interim measure, the provision of a two-month extension of rent pressure zones and the deeming of all areas of the country as a rent pressure zone from the day after the passing of this Bill until 28 February 2026 when the general legislation will commence. Accordingly, there is no apparent reason for the Sinn Féin amendments to cover the period until 23 Jun 2028, as new national rent controls will come into operation on 1 March 2026 and upon the expiry of RPZs.”
“Allowing a rent increase of up to 2% per annum pro rata is considered to provide a reasonable balance between stable rent control and allowing landlords to adjust rents in line with general inflation, bearing in mind that achieving 2% general inflation is the stated price stability mandate target of the European Central Bank. If a notice of termination is served, the rent cannot be reset. It does not matter if it is a matter of selling, putting a family a member in or whatever the case may be. If a notice of termination is served, the rent cannot be reset. There is no incentive there.”
“I will speak to amendments Nos. 1 and 2, which appear to have the aim of introducing a ban on rent increases. The Government's view is that the imposition of a ban on rent increases is highly likely to be subject to a legal challenge and would almost certainly deter continued investment in the rented accommodation market and cause a greater recourse to the State for social housing supports. The current rent pressure zone arrangements, under which rent increases are capped at 2% per annum pro rata where inflation is higher, were introduced as a balanced set of arrangements to regulate rents. The most effective way to reduce and stabilise rents in the medium to long term is to increase supply and accelerate the delivery of housing for the private rental, cost rental and social rental sectors.”
“People sometimes like to take enforcement proceedings away from the planners, but we will allow people to work quickly in those areas. We can get planners to focus on the big decisions they need to make in terms of delivering homes. We are reforming the Land Development Agency. One of the key aspects will be having a master plan for key areas. The housing activation office will deal with the other end of the LDA and will work on the ground to help to unlock sites for which it will have master plans. It will also review the secure tenancy affordable rental, STAR, programme. We have proposals and plans. The Opposition does not have to like them, but it needs to start coming forward with its own solutions and not simply insult everybody and insult the intelligence of the general public by deliberately confusing them.”
“Making personal attacks, stating clichés and offering no solutions are not what people want. That approach is clearly not working. Regarding the national planning framework, in the next couple of weeks, I will write to every local authority to request that it massively increase the amount of land to be zoned. We are addressing planning exemptions. We will take a whole raft of work off our planners. We have a shortage of planners and it will take time to increase their number because it takes time to train them. Becoming a planner takes a long time. We will give people control of their own properties in respect of health and education services, transport and other areas. We will address the small adjustments that have to go to planning.”
“We are moving from a rolling rent pressure zone with a level of uncertainty where nobody really knew where they were going to be to permanent national rent control. That is a phenomenal change. We are also providing security of tenure. We talked about this for decades when I studied and practised law. Other Deputies know the fundamental change being introduced. Rather than having a rational discussion and engaging, the Opposition simply wants to whip up anger with misrepresentations and misleading comments in the hope it can create confusion. I am a TD and I speak with people in my constituency every day. The confusion to which other Deputies referred is not there. People know the crisis we are in and want us to do things, including make bold decisions, and that is what we are doing.”
“There is no incentive for landlords to put people out. This is only one of a series of measures. We made the decision to extend planning permissions to preserve the pipeline. Another decision protects renters, but also makes a small adjustment to try to remove a blockage from investors who will not invest with a 2% rent cap in new buildings because they can make a loss and investors simply will not do that. We will make other decisions in the coming weeks to make sure we can address the viability issue because we were never going to make renters address that. People in all counties will now be in rent pressure zones. These proposals are fair and balanced. There are safeguards. The measures are sustainable.”
“Those protections are fundamentally changing our landlord and tenancy law for the better in order to protect tenants across this country. The measures in the Bill today, which the Opposition will vote for despite all of the giving out, will extend rent pressure zones nationally. The first thing the Opposition will do is vote for our measures, which is instructive in terms of trying to have it both ways. As I said, we are doubling down on rent protections. We had more misinformation today, that somehow in the Bill there is some incentive for landlords to put people out. There is no incentive to put people out because if a landlord serves a notice to quit, they cannot reset the rent. It is as simple as that. Rent can only be reset if the tenant voluntarily leaves. That is an essential protection.”
“Can the Opposition not see the danger in using the Chamber to whip up that kind of false anger? It is deeply dishonest. It is a Faustian pact. Labour did that to get into Government before, and it is going down the same path again. When people make a Faustian pact to whip up anger and try to get into Government, they should bear in mind that the Opposition in the previous Dáil at least tried to be constructive. This is pure populism. If the Opposition gets into Government on the back of whipping up that kind of anger, it should note what happened to the Labour Party the last time. That is what happens. When people mislead people, they burn. The protections we are introducing are important. As I said, Threshold, the Simon Community, Mick Byrne and others have welcomed these provisions.”
“The Bill to which the Deputy referred could not go on the Order Paper. The heads of the Bill went to Cabinet last Tuesday and the policy was approved. Yet, Deputies from Sinn Féin, the Labour Party and the Social Democrats, all of whom know the procedure, deliberately stated that because the Bill is not on the Order Paper, it would not happen and there would be some sort of sudden and fast change. That is the kind of politics we see from the far right being introduced here. Ordinary people cannot be expected to understand the procedures in a Chamber like this. Procedures are not political. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Independents, the Labour Party and the Social Democrats do not own the procedures; the House does. Yet, the Opposition deliberately misrepresented the procedures to whip up a false narrative.”
“It is currently trying to work out new proposals. We no longer hear about its manifesto. The only thing Sinn Féin has mentioned here is freezing the current housing situation. How does that give us more homes? That does not solve anything, as Deputy Ó Broin knows full well. We have to get supply going. There are no solutions coming. We need private investment to do that. The Government is delivering over 50% of all of the homes in the State. We will deliver more social and affordable homes, but if we are going to reach a target of 50,000 homes and more, we need private investment. Nobody in opposition has said where we are going to get this funding from, which is deeply frustrating. Very few Members know procedures as well as Deputy Ó Broin. He knows that a Bill cannot go on the Order Paper until it is approved by Cabinet.”
“What the Opposition is trying to do, in a really dishonest way, is try to deliberately create confusion and whip up false anger among people for purely political ends. It is putting politics before people. It is a dishonest approach. We are doubling down on protections for renters. The tenancies of indefinite duration continue, and we are adding the additional protections of security of tenure. Threshold welcomed this. The Simon Community gave it a cautious welcome. Mick Byrne commented. People Deputy Ó Broin regularly likes to cite in this Chamber are being conveniently ignored on this occasion. Yesterday and today, we heard a lot of personalisation of politics, criticisms and clichés, but no solutions. Sinn Féin's manifesto from last year, a policy of a home you will never own, has been quietly shelved.”
“It is important to state that those in a tenancy will face increases of 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is the lower. That was a decision of the Cabinet last week. It was in a memorandum. All of the deliberate confusion by the opposite side is not good. It is a fact. It is a decision. People can have their opinion, but facts are facts. People cannot make them up, which is what those in opposition are trying to do. A memorandum that we would move to one national rent control went to Government last week. That was a Cabinet decision taken last Tuesday. That we would do it as a matter of priority and with urgency, separate from the main legislation, was also agreed at Cabinet last week. Not only that, but the heads of the Bill went to Cabinet last Tuesday. These are all facts.”
“We know there is a housing crisis and the only way to address that is by increasing supply. We have increased it from 20,000 to 30,000 homes. We need a step change to get to 50,000 homes and more so that people have the homes they want to live in where they want to live in their communities. Rent pressure zones were due to end this year, as Deputies well know. If the Government and I did not take action everything would go back to market rates and we were not prepared to allow that to happen. The Government’s proposals are balanced, considered and measured and they ensure a continuation of tenants’ protections. They also make necessary adjustments to help promote investment in the sector. We have to increase supply. For anyone who is currently renting, there is no change.”
“These are just some of the measures introduced by this Government and the previous Government under Housing for All. We will continue to work hard to deliver the housing needed in this country.”
“The Government is also committed to supporting the needs of specific groups through a range of measures and supports to improve the delivery and standard of housing for Travellers, disabled people and older people in conjunction with key stakeholders, particularly local authorities and the affordable housing sector. Traveller-specific accommodation funding has been fully drawn down by local authorities in recent years, from 2020 to 2024, resulting in more than €100 million in capital investment in Traveller-specific accommodation. My Department also offers grants, such as the housing aid for older people and grants which help older people with necessary repairs and improvements. We are also addressing the critical infrastructure challenges being faced as a result of the massive and rapidly increasing population in this country.”
“The Government has supported, and will continue to support, a targeted second-hand social housing acquisition programme, which responds to the needs of the most vulnerable. The Government increased the 2025 budget for second-hand social housing acquisition programme from the €60 million available under Housing for All to €325 million. This has given local authorities the flexibility within their programmes to respond to needs locally. The clear focus of Government is to increase the supply of new-build social and affordable homes. Increasing the overall housing supply is key to addressing the housing challenge, particularly in preventing and ultimately eliminating long-term homelessness.”
“Expanded significantly under Housing for All, the housing first programme provides the most vulnerable of our homeless population with a home for life, as well as key wrap-around health services and social supports to help them. The housing first national implementation plan aims to create 1,319 tenancies by the end of 2026. The programme for Government increased this target to create a total of 2,000 tenancies by 2030. More than 860 tenancies were created under the current plan up to the end of quarter 1 of 2025. A total of 1,060 individuals were in a housing first tenancy. Tenant in situ acquisitions are recognised as a key measure in the prevention of homelessness. As such, I reassert the Government's commitment to the continuation-----”
“The measures providing greater certainty of protection from no-fault evictions will also be a critical intervention in preventing homelessness. Addressing homelessness is a top priority for this Government. Funding of €303 million will be available for the delivery of homeless services in 2025. This will ensure that local authorities can provide emergency accommodation, homeless prevention and tenancy sustainment services, including housing first and other services to households experiencing or at risk of homelessness. It will also ensure that these households in emergency accommodation are supported to exit homelessness as quickly as possible.”
“We will deliver more social and affordable homes. To get the numbers up to 50,000 or 60,000, however, we have to get the private sector to deliver. The State simply does not have that level of funding. The changes approved by Government last week regarding new policy measures to support the rental sector by strengthening tenancy protections and security of tenure will provide significantly stronger protection for tenants and are finely balanced between the interests of tenants and the need for further investment in the rental market. Ultimately, we aim to improve the situation for renters by increasing the supply of rental and private accommodation, social accommodation and affordable accommodation.”
“Again, the Opposition will not say where this funding will come from. It is quick to criticise but has no solutions. The capital is critical to apartment delivery, particularly for the private rental sector. Many of the apartments delivered last year were State-led. While this has secured much needed social, cost-rental and affordable housing, it is not sustainable in the long term to get from 30,000 to 50,000 or 60,000 homes. The State delivered 50% of all homes in this country last year-----”
“The State has invested unprecedented levels of public money in the delivery of housing in recent years, and we must continue to do so. We must consider every available lever at our disposal. In the programme for Government, the Government has committed to delivering 300,000 new homes between 2025 and 2030, targeting at least 60,000 homes annually by the end of that period. New targets are ambitious, but they provide a credible pathway to delivering the scale of housing needed. Our immediate focus, however, must be on activating. Key to achieving targets will be the delivery of new apartment developments in our cities and urban cores, and much of the investment needed for such developments must come from the private sector, financed through appropriate sources of capital funding, much of which will come from international sources.”
“The Opposition motion calls for a dramatic increase of investment in and delivery of public housing to meet social and affordable housing need. The Government and the previous Government, under Housing for All, have rolled out the largest social and affordable housing programme in the history of the State. We will continue to do so. This is demonstrated by the record level of investment provided for the delivery of housing in 2025, with overall capital funding now available of almost €6.8 billion. The capital provision for 2025 is supplemented by a further €1.65 billion in current funding to address the housing need. Despite the undoubted progress, we must acknowledge that housing still remains a crisis. The number of new homes coming on stream each year is far short of what we need.”
“Nearly 13,000 affordable home supports have been delivered since the launch of Housing for All to December 2024 by AHBs, local authorities and the Land Development Agency alongside schemes such as the first home scheme and the vacant property refurbishment grant. More than 7,100 affordable supports were delivered in 2024, the highest yearly figure to date, exceeding the year's target of 6,400. On 13 May, the Government approved an additional €30 million State commitment to the first home scheme, bringing the total State commitment to the scheme to €370 million. Under this scheme, more than 6,700 buyers have been approved to date. More than 3,300 homes have been bought using this scheme to the end of quarter 1 of 2025.”
“By 2022, an undeniable step change in delivery was achieved, with almost 30,000 homes, and more than 32,500 homes delivered in 2022 and 2023, respectively, exceeding the targets in Housing for All. More than 92,000 new homes were built from 2022 to 2024, an annual average of almost 31,000 new homes over the past three years. Nearly 48,000 social homes have been delivered since July 2020. There is also a very strong pipeline, with more than 24,000 social homes at all stages of design and build, which will be delivered over the coming years. Housing for All also provided for the introduction for the first time of a number of new affordable housing supports, enabling the delivery of a significant number of affordable homes through both new builds and homes brought back into use.”
“I want to set out some of these achievements that have been made to date, but very much recognise that we are in a housing crisis. I am treating it as an emergency. I am taking rapid decisions to address the housing crisis in this country in order that people can get the homes they need where they need them. We will make bold decisions because that is what we have to do to get out of the challenging crisis we are in. Despite the upward trajectory in supply under Housing for All, the number of new homes built last year was disappointing. Overall, we delivered more ahead of our targets under Housing for All. We will achieve that step change. It is important to reflect on the progress we have made in recent years under Housing for All. After all, in 2012 and 2013, fewer than 5,000 new homes were built in this country each year.”
“----- that is why I have not heard any more about it since then. Deputy Gould will not shout me down. I ask him to show a little bit of respect, please. That is what we have heard. We have heard clichés, personalisation, observations and criticisms, but no solutions. That is what one has to come up with - solutions. The only solution is to increase supply, not freezing the housing situation as it is, but increasing supply. That is what all of our proposals are working towards doing. We also heard about social housing. We are delivering the largest social housing build since the 1970s. That is a fact. We will deliver even more. We have increased the number of houses-----”
“Listening to their speeches, all of them are very good at observing, criticising and personalising politics with lots of clichés, but we heard no solutions-----”
“I am thankful for the opportunity to come before the House today to introduce the Government's amendment to the Sinn Féin motion and to outline the progress that has been made to date by the Government and the Housing for All programme. I will set out a few things to begin with to address some of the points that have been made. The first thing I did when I became Minister was to increase the capital spend by €725 million. When I became Minister, the funding that was available for the tenant in situ scheme was €60 million. I increased it to €325 million. Sinn Féin's own policy on the tenant in situ scheme is to slash it to 800 units per year over the coming years, a fact its Members conveniently keep leaving out.”