Simon Harris
Wicklow · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are more than 10,000 routes and thousands of buses involved and the number of students using the services is not a million miles away from 200,000. The current terms of the scheme are going to continue to apply for the 2026-27 school year.”
“I thank Deputy McDonald for raising what is genuinely an important issue. I do take the point that when we talk about this in the abstract or from a process point of view in here, that for people watching this is their real lived experience.”
“There number of children who have been supported by means of the school transport scheme, as Deputy Fitzmaurice knows and has alluded to, has grown significantly in recent years. Since 2018, the number increased from 120,000 in 2018 to more than 181,000 now. Included in that figure are 24,000 pupils with special educational needs.”
“I knew the Deputy would have to mention the GAA, especially with Galway and Limerick playing at the weekend. I wish everybody involved the best of luck. We are very committed to the school transport scheme. If the Deputy wants to see our commitment, he should look to our budget.”
“An ageing population, increasing healthcare needs, the transition to net zero and the need for continued investment in housing, energy and infrastructure will place a significant demand on public resources.”
“There is also a legitimacy to the point the Deputy made about how it is a legitimate form of transport for some people. We see this working in other European countries. We see it in our nearest neighbours. I do not want to get the regime wrong, but I think they have registration at the point of purchase that allows people to track this.”
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“The issue of deemed disposal is valid and important. We just need to consider all of these in the round and how to move forward. The next step is to bring a roadmap to the Government before Easter and to set up a savings and investment forum to engage directly with stakeholders with a view to being able to move forward later this year.”
“This is an area I really want to get right. We have a very strong culture of saving in Ireland but not a strong culture of investment. That is not a criticism of anyone; that is just a reflection of the reality. We have €169 billion or €170 billion on deposit today in Ireland. Lots of people, despite the challenges families face, are trying to put a few bob away for their future, for a rainy day, for their kids or for whatever they are trying to do in their own lives. At the moment, not only are they not making money on this but sometimes they are losing money on it. We therefore need to look at how we can set up savings and investment accounts. I am absolutely committed to this. It is a priority for me in the two budgets I will deliver as finance Minister. As part of that, there are tax rates, tax sequencing and financial literacy.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising an issue that has not come to my attention before and for bringing it to our attention. A broader point I will make, while not taking away from the seriousness of the issue, is that people generally view a house before buying or renting it, obviously. That is not the point the Deputy is making, though. It is misleading to people, it can waste their time and so on. I ask that I be allowed give some consideration to the matter with colleagues on foot of the Deputy raising it. I take the point that there are meant to be labels about material being AI generated and so on, but we should not all have to squint to find those things. It is also very bad practice. Just showing us what the actual house looks like is a much more decent way of engaging with people.”
“I hope Wicklow is there too. I fully agree with the Deputy. We live in a county that is both young and fast growing. We know that through our own work not only on school capacity and the likes but also on childcare capacity. While I fully accept that childcare costs are too high, and we all have a similar view on the direction of travel that needs to take place on reducing childcare costs, one of the big issues we face in Greystones, Delgany, Bray and right across County Wicklow is access to places. I was pleased that the Minister, Deputy Foley, announced a fund to start intervening directly. I believe we must do that. We cannot just leave this to the market. The Department is going through a mapping exercise as to where the need is most acute. I will ask that Wicklow be considered as part of that and revert to the Deputy directly on it.”
“I certainly would not want to contradict or disagree with the Taoiseach on views he has given on this project in Cork but what I will do is speak to him directly about the issue. I hope this is a matter of common sense prevailing in terms of engagement. I say this respectfully, but even the idea of mediation having to take place sounds to me like a process that did not go well in terms of proper engagement. That is based purely on what the Deputy has told me here today. I do not have the details of the project. I will talk to the Taoiseach about it and we will engage with the Minister for Transport. I know the Deputy will send me on the details.”
“I thank the Deputy. I say very respectfully that he will understand that I am not familiar with the details of the specific project, roundabouts or safety concerns. However, it is important that he has raised the broader issue of the need for consultation and engagement with communities, which is a fair one. It is a serious point. I hear, more than from time to time across the country, that there are many projects that the majority of residents support in the main but that have certain elements that residents have concerns about and in respect of which they feel they are not heard. What I will do, on foot of my not being familiar with the details, is ask the Minister for Transport specifically to examine the issues the Deputy has raised and revert to him directly.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this and for her considered contribution on it. The first thing I want to say, which the relevant Minister of State, Deputy Butler, would also want me to say, is that the independent national prescribing audit did not identify the fundamental care deficits elsewhere nationally, but that is not the point the Deputy is making. I just wanted to say that because it is important. The Deputy is making a broader point, namely that we need to review the standards more generally. That is certainly worth considering. We are very fortunate that the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is passionate about and committed to this area. I will ask her to reflect on what the Deputy said and revert to her directly.”
“We are trying to develop a campus that will serve 1,000 full-time students and up to 5,000 part-time learners so 6,000 people could benefit. The relevant Minister, Deputy James Lawless, is very committed to this and has given approval for the relevant site. I believe legal due diligence requirements need to be dealt with now. The acquisition of the site is the next aim. I will ask the Minister to provide the Deputy with a specific update. I look forward to visiting Swords with her shortly.”
“How do I know Fingal is the youngest and fastest-growing area in Ireland? It is because the Deputy keeps telling me so it must be true. I know it to be true. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and acknowledge that she and our colleague Councillor Luke Corkery are working closely on it. It is something I genuinely care deeply about. The population of Swords is huge, bigger than that of a number of cities. It is one of the ten locations the Government has chosen with SOLAS and the education and training boards to develop a college of the future. The idea that Swords would be without college opportunities is unfathomable at this stage. It has to change and this is the project that is going to change it. We said when we announced the project that such projects take a number of years. They genuinely do.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this. My sympathy to his constituent on all she has been through and for her loss. If he wants to send the details to the Minister for Health, I will ask her to engage directly with the HSE on it. As he rightly said, there are two ways of accessing a medical card. There are the means ground but, above and beyond those, the exceptional burden that illness and loss can place on one is also supposed to be factored in. Without knowing the details, one would hope this could be examined again. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to engage with the Deputy if he sends on the details.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for the engagement he had with the childcare sector this week. This is certainly something we intend to examine as a Government. We all know in this House that there is huge demand for childcare places. We need to support our childminders and help them to remain viable and in the sector, not making life harder for them. I am aware that there are legal issues to be worked out and there is also the matter of the Valuation Act, but the Minister for children, Deputy Foley, is engaging with the Minister for housing to seek clarity on how childminders who care for children single-handedly in their own family homes can avoid being disadvantaged. I thank the Minister for children for the work she is doing on this. She will keep the Government up to date as we make progress on it.”
“I will ask the Minister for Health, once she receives the HSE capital plan, which will probably be next week, to update the Deputy on the specific projects he referenced. I will also follow up with her on the specific specialties the Deputy said are required in the hospital.”
“I thank the Deputy for a comprehensive question on St. Luke's in Kilkenny. It is a hospital I know well and have been in many times. I note a number of works have been carried out there, from a capital point of view, including the extension to radiology, the provision of a new MRI, which was completed in 2022, and the new 72-bed replacement medical ward block. I am told the replacement of the existing CT scanner was completed in 2024. An acute inpatient bed capacity expansion plan is due to be completed this year. The HSE capital plan is due very shortly, probably as soon as next week. There will then be an opportunity to update on what is next in the pipeline of projects. There are a number of projects, including mental health facilities. The new 50-bed acute mental health unit, ACHU, is at appraisal stage.”
“I accept Deputy Murphy used Dáil privilege, as is his right, but because matters are before the courts, I am not in a position to comment further, other than to say the Government's position in general is it wants to see all reports published and to be transparent in relation to this. The legal realities as to what it is possible to publish or not are matters for the Minister for Health to work through, as she is doing. We also want to see a broader inquiry into the workings of a number of issues in relation to CHI and certain specialties. A lot of this work could be helpful to any such inquiry too, but these are matters for the courts to determine.”
“If anybody in the Deputy's constituency, or anyone in the country, is concerned about heating or eating, as he said, I genuinely encourage them to engage with our exceptional needs payments. No one should find themselves in that situation in Ireland. That is what those structures are there for. We just need to have that balance in the conversation. The cost-of-disability payment is a priority for the Government. The consultation will open tomorrow. We look forward to engaging with the Deputy and his party on it also.”
“I will say more broadly, about any comment, when I hear of people saying they are choosing between heating and eating, I genuinely say to everyone in this House that no one should find themselves in that situation.”
“What I will certainly do is accept the Deputy is quite rightly highlighting the issue of disability, as is his party. That is an important and good thing to do. No one wishes to engage in any sort of derisory view. These are important and legitimate issues. The next priority for the Government in terms of the work of the Minister for Social Protection is the development of a cost-of-disability payment. As it happens, coincidentally, the consultation on that payment is due to open tomorrow. I know the challenges people with a disability face. I met many of them in Galway and engaged with their lived experience only two weeks ago. They do not need to be on the streets protesting. We need them to be in the rooms engaging so we get this payment and structure right.”
“I will say more broadly, because lots of families are interacting with CAMHS, that it is important to stress the independent national prescribing audit did not identify the fundamental care deficits in Kerry anywhere else nationally. I wanted to say that. I also want to say that a number of improvements to the service have taken place since 2022 in Kerry, including the two teams that are working there. I am also conscious, as the Deputy will be, that a lot of people working today in CAMHS in Kerry are doing a very good job in a very difficult and stressful situation. Once the Minister of State is back from her engagements in Kerry, she will provide further updates on next steps in relation to this.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this deeply and profoundly concerning issue. I join with her and everyone in expressing my profound sympathy and thoughts to the children and young people affected, their parents and their families. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is in Kerry as we speak and engaging directly. She briefed the Cabinet yesterday on this issue. She will leave no stone unturned in providing support and answers, and in making sure we extend the likes of the existing non-adversarial compensation scheme in place for families impacted by deficits in care. She has directed her Department to engage with the Attorney General's office and the State Claims Agency to progress this.”
“I think the Deputy knows I gave that commitment in good faith after significant engagement with the HSE and it being given to me. While it did result in many more procedures being carried out and many more children getting their surgery, I think we have seen a number of very concerning developments in relation to this specialty. That is why I believe there needs to be that full inquiry. We have even seen as recently as last week significantly concerning clinical reports as well. I do not want to comment specifically on an individual case on the floor of the Dáil other than to say I know the Minister for Health is aware of the case of Roxanne Kelly. She has asked officials in her Department to communicate directly with the HSE and CHI on the case and to follow up directly with the family.”
“The conversation we have to have alongside that is, as we develop more housing developments and more homes for people with disabilities in their community, so if, as you and your parents age and want your own independence and your own hall door, that you can still live within your community. I have not seen enough examples of it but I have seen some small examples of it around the country. As part of our new housing plan, we are determined to have that conversation. We should not just be having a conversation with developers about building social housing. That is important. We should also be having many more conversations about building homes for people with a disability and for older people. That would be part of the solution too.”
“My gut was right there. The Minister of State actually met the group last Wednesday. I look forward to hearing how that meeting went and I will ask her to update the Deputy directly in relation to that. That was to kick off a conversation in relation to how we can have that more holistic view. In terms of practical steps that we are taking this year, €65 million has been provided for new responses in respect of disability residential services. We are going to see funding for at least 152 new residential places. Beyond that, other residential responses that I am suggesting might not be the full required in resident places. That is not always required as well. We will continue to increase the funding to our disability services.”
“Forget us, as a Government, it is about the parent and we know these people in their 80s and 90s and that great sense of anxiety they carry about what will happen. The Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, is determined to engage with this group. I thank the Before We Die group on the work it is doing. The Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, the Minister, Deputy Foley, with the support of the Department of housing, the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, and the Minister, Deputy Browne, and the whole of Government will have to look at how we can have informed conversations about housing solutions, about community supports and about additional residential places where they are required. I will ask the Minister of State to directly update the Deputy after she has that engagement.”
“We need to have a much more meaningful conversation that is not just about numbers, places and budgets but actually about how we plan earlier. Transition points are always really important in all our lives but they are particularly important in the life of a person with a disability. We see it when a child moves from primary school to secondary school. We are doing work now when a child with a disability moves from secondary school to third level. Being very honest, the piece of work we now have to do is that transition piece that the Deputy is referencing. Thankfully, people are living to be older but what happens when they transition? How do we have those conversations in a respectful way but earlier, so we do not end up with this emergency situation?”
“That will see additional funding for specialist disability residential places, above and beyond what is already provided. I think the issue is more complex than that, quite frankly, because from the people the Deputy is talking about and the people I know in my own community, there is not one size that fits all. It has to be person-centred. There are many people - I can think of them and the Deputy can too - who are living successfully at home with their family. They may not require or want a residential place and they want to continue to live in their family home but if their parents are no longer with us, they may require a level of in-reach support or community support. There will be others who may require residential support, either as they age or as their parents age or pass on.”
“I thank Deputy Brabazon for raising this very serious issue. I fully accept that it is a huge concern for parents regarding what will happen to their son or daughter when they are no longer around. I was checking on my phone because my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Emer Higgins, is due to meet the campaign group Before We Die. My notes state she is due to meet them next Wednesday. It is really important that we have that engagement as a Government and that we are willing to listen and plan. I can tell the Deputy all sorts of statistics and he can tell his constituents, and we are proud of these facts, but there are other issues too. Yes, we have increased the disability budget by 20% - about €618 million more.”
“We have to make sure that we reduce the bureaucracy around these schemes. As I talk to farmers in Ireland, and as I hear from colleagues across the European Union, one of the reasons people opt out of schemes is they feel it is not worth their while. There is too much bureaucracy, too many checks and too much red tape. Along with making sure we get a decent sized budget the next time in terms of CAP and other supports for farmers, we also have to make sure that simplification is not just something reserved for foreign and indigenous companies but also is something that Europe applies to its farmers, including Irish farmers.”
“I have enough challenges answering for the actions of the Irish Government without answering for the actions of the Danish Government. What I assure Irish farmers is that the policies being pursued by different European governments will not be reflected in the policies being pursued by the Irish Government. Anything we do in this space in relation to nature restoration will be done in partnership, in collaboration and on a voluntary basis. I want to be really clear on that. I want to reassure farmers in Ireland that it is voluntary. I also want to say to farmers as we approach the next CAP, the CAP money cannot be used for that. I think this is a European-wide issue. The loss of 5.5 million farms is a serious economic issue of concern for Europe; I agree with the Deputy. This is our indigenous industry that we should be protecting.”
“We will have the Presidency in the second half of this year and we need to make sure that is reflected in the priorities of the European budget.”
“We have come through a difficult flooding situation. The Deputy is very knowledgeable on this. Things like adaptation and using State lands, in the first instance, to provide better resilience will be important to rural, and indeed urban, communities. We have to support our farmers financially in making the transitions that need to be made; support them in participating, whether in ACRES or the areas of natural constraint scheme; support them in nature, biodiversity and environment; support the forestry sector, with funding of €93 million allocated this year - an increase on last year; and work with them in partnership and recognise farming is not some sort of discretionary extra or hobby. It is the crucial backbone of the Irish indigenous economy. I do passionately believe that.”
“I still think we can do better in engaging with and addressing the views of farmers and agrifood producers earlier. The second point I will make is on land in general. I agree with the Deputy that we cannot have a situation where the farmer is held up as the bogey-man for the climate emergency. It is not fair and it is not true. We see really good progress being made in agriculture. Instead of lecturing farmers, we have to work with them and incentivise them. We have to make sure they can continue to make a living and that we can continue to support the family farm. That brings me to things like the nature restoration law. Anything to do with that will be voluntary, voluntary, voluntary. It cannot use CAP funding, but it is up to farmers to choose whether they want to pursue it or not. We need to support our farmers.”
“We have to start having earlier and honest conversations with farmers It always seems the conversation with the farmer comes at the end of the trade deal and that is mistaken. I have said that to the trade Commissioner. We should be engaging much earlier with the farming community to understand and address those issues earlier. We also have to be honest. The figures have been or are about to be published. I think we made about €21 billion in agrifood exports in the last year. That is based on selling our stuff to other places. The natural outworking of that is that we need to allow people sell their stuff into the European Union. It is a two-way relationship. This country is a small, open economy that is extraordinarily reliant on trade.”
“I have always admired the Deputy's bluntness. I will make a couple of points. I say this respectfully. We have to be considered in our comments around trade. The Deputy knows this and I do not need to be telling him or his constituents this but we are exporting about 90% of the agrifood we are producing in this country. We need to understand that. Again, I am not suggesting the Deputy does not, but we need to bring it into the public debate. Do we want a trade situation where we can sell our product anywhere but no one else can sell theirs here? That is not what the Deputy said but it is a natural outworking. If we want to continue to sell Irish produce across the world, as we proudly do, we need to understand that trade is two-way and that will mean continuing to engage in trade agreements.”
“The Deputy would not like people suggesting her participation here is inconsequential. Soccer players and young boys and girls across the country who play sport want to see our soccer team do well. They want to see our soccer team participate. I think we can and should differentiate in relation to this. I do not think we should apply this pressure to individual soccer players or our national soccer team in relation to a decision they should take. I gave up soccer when I was about nine years of age because I was appalling at it. I took up politics and I intend to stick to politics and allow the soccer players to stick to soccer.”
“No. We are supporting the decision taken by the FAI to participate in the competition. We have enough to be doing running the country without running sports organisations as well. I do not run the FAI. I think it is a bit sneery of the Deputy to call it an inconsequential tournament. It might be inconsequential to her, but I do not think we should suggest to the soccer players that it is inconsequential. It is not for the Deputy to attach that value to this.”
“I share that depth of feeling but this is about the Irish soccer team. I want the boys in green to put on the jersey and win. I want them to win the game. I want to support the soccer team. I do not want to apply pressure to the team or to individual players. I reckon there are many people, including people in grassroots community organisations such as soccer academies in the Deputy's own community, who also want to see the team play. If we pull out, we will feel better for five minutes but who actually suffers? It is not the Israeli football team. It is Irish soccer. It is not a wise thing to do.”
“While I am not suggesting the Deputy has done this, I do not like what I am seeing happening now, which is that pressure is being applied to individual players. They are being asked whether they are going to play and told they should not. We should be supporting the men who are putting on the green jersey and who represent our country with distinction. They have a couple of crucial games coming up in relation to the World Cup. We have to go back to our childhood, or I certainly do, to remember when we were last this close to having that opportunity. Sport is sport. I never expected Deputy Coppinger to reference Charles Haughey in an admirable light but she has. However, I believe this is a separate and distinct issue. I really do know that this is a challenging issue for many people. I know the depth of feeling in this country.”
“We hosted a conference on the two-state solution in Dublin Castle only last month. We continue to work for a two-state solution. We continue to recognise the Palestinian State and support the Palestinian people in their legitimate aspiration to have their own state. However, when it comes to sport, we also have to think this through logically. The FAI, the governing body of Irish soccer, took a view as to what should happen in relation to Israel's participation. It canvassed and conveyed that view, as is its right. I do not run sporting organisations. UEFA decided not to take that view on board. The tournament is going ahead. If Ireland pulls out, what does that achieve other than to damage Irish soccer and participation in sport?”
“I do not agree with the Deputy's view in relation to the football game. Our position in relation to Gaza, the genocidal activity there and the horrors the people of Palestine have experienced is very clear, as are the views of the Irish Government and the people of Ireland in relation to the horrific terrorist organisation that is Hamas and the terrorist attack it carried out. We continue to take active steps almost every day to try to assist in practical ways. My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence, was at the Rafah crossing in recent weeks, where she announced on our behalf a significant increase in funding. That is an example of a direct action we can take. We have recognised the State of Palestine, stood by UNRWA and increased our support for it.”
“However, at the same time, it is about getting it right rather than doing it quickly. Some of what we have all heard about happening on the ground in individual school communities was not right. Let us make sure some good comes from what has been a very upsetting week for parents, children, SNAs and teachers. We are all fully committed to putting this pause to good use and to getting things over the line that have been an issue for too long, including that redeployment plan. We are happy to keep the Oireachtas updated.”
“It is an issue for the whole of Government to get right. We are absolutely determined to get it right. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, are working hand in glove, along with all colleagues in government, to get this right. There should be no change in the application of the care needs criteria. The Deputy asked me what my view is regarding what must come from this pause. That is my view. That is what needs to happen. We also need to get the redeployment piece right. The Deputy very fairly asked me how long the pause will last for. I will give him an honest answer, which is that it will take a number of weeks to get this right. There is a short window. We need to provide clarity and certainty to schools so it cannot go on for longer than a few weeks.”
“The Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, listened this week. They listened to the upset, anxiety, concern and anger and they rightly took the action to pause. We are going to get this right over the next number of weeks in that the approach to the review will be child-centred, there will be an SNA redeployment scheme and we will finally have a proper workforce plan for special education. We will intensively engage with stakeholders in the weeks ahead to get this right.”
“They are two key components that have to be put in place to get any form of child-centred review right as well. I fully recognise the vital role our SNAs play in supporting children with special educational needs. I fully recognise that there are children who would not have been in a position to complete their education successfully, whether in a mainstream school or a special school, were it not for the SNAs. I fully recognise the very valuable work they do. We are increasing the number of SNAs. We are going to see nearly 25,000 in our schools from September. We are also increasing the budget. However, I take the Deputy's point that this is at a macro level and that we have to see how it applies individually, school by school and child by child.”
“I say this to be constructive. Like the Deputy in his constituency, I am aware of schools that sought reviews because they know they need more SNAs. This review cannot be some sort of one-way street. It has to be about identifying the care needs of the children in the school and matching the resource to the care needs. Also, and this should have happened quite frankly in advance of the review, it has to be done in conjunction with a redeployment plan for SNAs. This is something that I believe is almost there. I hope that is a fair characterisation. It is very nearly there. We need that redeployment scheme in place. It will be the first time that we have ever had one. It will put our SNAs quite rightly on a par with teachers, for example. Again, for the first time ever, there will be a proper special education workforce plan.”
“I join the Deputy in welcoming Rush Tidy Towns to Leinster House. It has been an extraordinarily upsetting and difficult week for parents of children with additional needs, for SNAs, for the children themselves, for teachers and for school communities. That is why it was really important to pause and get this right. The first thing I want to say is that we will see more SNAs in our schools next September than this September. The second thing I want to say is that no SNA should lose their job or will lose their job. In fact, we need more people to be willing to put their hand up to become a SNA. We need to provide them with the job security that is required for that to happen. Any approach to any review has to be child centred. There was significant feedback around the country that this was not the experience of schools on the ground.”
“The first home scheme has helped 9,000 people. Sinn Féin wants to abolish that scheme as well. As recently as yesterday, 24 hours ago, the leader of Sinn Féin lodged her objection to 249 student beds in her constituency. When Sinn Féin comes in here, it is a housing emergency in the Dáil and it is a housing objection in the constituency.”
“Of course I recognise that house prices are still far too high for far too many, but I also recognise that the figures - the very same set of figures the Deputy has quoted - show more home transactions last year than the year before, and more first-time buyers last year than the year before. They are real people too. They exist in the Deputy's community and mine. Six hundred people every single week are getting their keys for the first time to a first home. That is progress. We used to talk about that figure as 500 people a week. Yes, there is more to do in relation to that, but we cannot selectively quote the figures. The median is not the same as every and the Deputy accepts that too. The help-to-buy scheme has significantly helped people. It has helped more than 60,000 people. Sinn Féin has a policy to cut it by nearly two thirds.”
“It is why we are rolling out unprecedented levels of funding for infrastructure, such as water and energy. It is why we are strengthening the Land Development Agency's powers. It is why we have brought in some of the strongest tenancy protections in Europe. It is why we are cutting the VAT rate to activate apartment building, and we are seeing some positive signs in relation to that. We have a hell of a lot more to do. Objectively, the figures that we see show progress in relation to housing supply. We have got to drive that on throughout 2026.”
“When look at planning permission, we see that momentum has picked up as well. I tell the very young people that the Deputy referenced that we are seeing more homes being built, we are seeing more homes being commenced, we are seeing more homes being completed and we are seeing more people every week being able to buy their first home. In the CSO figures yesterday, we are seeing more housing transactions last year than the year before and first-time buyers making up a greater proportion of that. I agree with the Deputy that this is a continuing housing emergency. That is why we are reforming the planning laws and why we are increasing zoned land. We really need all our councils to get on board here right across the country and zone more land. I appeal to all political parties to assist in that.”
“It ensures that people can actually benefit from cash through the help-to-buy scheme and from an equity share in relation to their first home. We are also conscious when we look at how we are doing compared with other European countries that we now live in a country that has one of the strongest rates of home completion in the entire European Union. For every 1,000 people in Ireland, we are seeing 5.9 homes being completed. In the EU, that averages at 3.3. Home completions were up last year, at 36,280. That is up 20% on the previous year, and indeed represents the highest number of homes completed since 2011. We saw very positive housing commencement figures in December, with 3,065 homes commenced, which was more than the previous month. We will continue to see positive commencement figures.”