William Aird
Laois · Fine Gael · Ireland
“Middle-income working families continue to shoulder the greatest burden of rising living costs. Many are earning too much to qualify for targeted supports and they are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the costs of childcare and housing, and also to meet everyday expenses.”
“The message from families is very clear that people living with dementia want to remain connected to their communities and families want to know what else is available when they need it. Government must continue to invest in dementia services through the whole-of-government approach.”
“Vincent's Community Nursing Unit in Mountmellick, which provides care for older people, including people with dementia and complex care needs. I also recognise the contribution of St.”
“I would like to take the opportunity to speak on this issue which affects thousands of families across this country, many in my own constituency. Dementia is not just a health issue. It is a family issue, a community issue, and a societal issue.”
“We must also strengthen palliative and end-of-life care for people living with dementia by ensuring specialist services work closely with community teams, residential settings, and family carers. Families also need support during this difficult time. Improving early diagnosis and access to dementia-specific supports is essential.”
“It is a vital support in continuing to provide care at home while also protecting their own health and well-being. Families are waiting too long for respite placements and carers are reaching crisis point before support becomes available.”
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“Middle-income working families continue to shoulder the greatest burden of rising living costs. Many are earning too much to qualify for targeted supports and they are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the costs of childcare and housing, and also to meet everyday expenses. At the same time, wage increases intended to keep pace with inflation are pushing more workers into the higher rate of income tax. As the Government prepares for budget 2027, I am asking the Tánaiste to prioritise middle-income families through adjustments to the standard rate tax band and tax credits, together with targeted supports to help with childcare and housing costs. Will he set out the principles that will guide decisions to ensure work continues to pay and that middle-income families receive meaningful support?”
“They provide care every single day, often behind closed doors and without recognition. I join everybody else here today in acknowledging Jordan and Cian Adams in the Public Gallery and commend them on their huge achievement. People like them bring attention to dementia. This is my first time since being elected to Dáil Éireann that I have addressed this House on a question like this where not only is there one Minister but there are three present. I thank the Ministers of State for that because that shows the interest that this Government has in providing services for families and people with dementia.”
“The message from families is very clear that people living with dementia want to remain connected to their communities and families want to know what else is available when they need it. Government must continue to invest in dementia services through the whole-of-government approach. Dementia policy must be about supporting people to live with dignity and maintaining their quality of life. Our responsibility as legislators is to ensure that no family feels alone after a dementia diagnosis. By investing in community services, respite care, and supports for carers, we can build a system that respects the dignity of people living with dementia and their families. I pay tribute to the many family carers across Laois and the many support groups and volunteers working in this area. Their contribution is huge.”
“We must also strengthen palliative and end-of-life care for people living with dementia by ensuring specialist services work closely with community teams, residential settings, and family carers. Families also need support during this difficult time. Improving early diagnosis and access to dementia-specific supports is essential. Early intervention allows people and families to plan, to access supports sooner, and to maintain independence for as long as possible. Community supports are particularly important in rural counties such as Laois. Transport accessibility and proximity to services can have a major impact on whether people can continue to live well in their own community.”
“It is a vital support in continuing to provide care at home while also protecting their own health and well-being. Families are waiting too long for respite placements and carers are reaching crisis point before support becomes available. In Laois, we have Abbeyleix Community Nursing Unit available to provide respite care for the whole of our county. There are nine respite beds for the entirety of County Laois. We must ensure that respite capacity keeps pace with demand. This requires investment in dedicated respite beds, community services, and appropriate supports. Supporting family carers reduces pressure on hospitals and residential care services.”
“Vincent's Community Nursing Unit in Mountmellick, which provides care for older people, including people with dementia and complex care needs. I also recognise the contribution of St. Brigid's Hospital in Shaen, County Laois, which provides long-term residential care and supports for people with dementia, palliative care, and respite needs. These facilities, together with healthcare workers, carers, and families, provide essential services to our community. I want to take this opportunity to invite to the Minister of State to visit these excellent facilities in Laois, to meet the staff, residents and family and to see at first hand their outstanding work. An area where we continue to see significant pressure is in respite care for families caring for a loved one.”
“I would like to take the opportunity to speak on this issue which affects thousands of families across this country, many in my own constituency. Dementia is not just a health issue. It is a family issue, a community issue, and a societal issue. Behind every diagnosis is a person whose life has changed and has a spouse, son, daughter, neighbour or friend who is adapting to new responsibilities and challenges. In County Laois, we know the reality of this challenge. It is estimated that we have 800 people in Laois who are living with dementia. Given demographic changes and our ageing population, that number is very likely to grow. I acknowledge the vital role played by local facilities in Laois, including St.”
“It has nothing to do with that. We need to go back and see what the root problem is when animals like that go extinct. If we are going to have a debate we should not have one where the issue is being blamed on one particular set of people who, in my opinion, are looking after the hare. We should look at the wider picture and then come back to a debate when there is proof.”
“I have no problem saying I acknowledge the work those clubs do in preserving and watching the hare. They are watching because they know they are looking at an animal that is in this country for as long as we have existed. There are fewer of them, but why? I would like an answer. We can see that less than 1% is due to what is happening in the debate being presented here today. I ask somebody to please look into the overall picture and find out the real reason our hare population is going down. I acknowledge that is happening and I support all the studies which go into it. We find ourselves seeing fewer and fewer of the curlew, corncrake, and all of the other birds which at one time we saw frequently. We come along and ask if it is because we are building houses in rural areas. I saw a debate one night about that.”
“A person could be walking beside a leveret and it will not move but the buzzard is able to catch it. It will swoop to the ground. I have seen it, it is awful. It picks the little leveret up, goes up like a rocket, and drops it. When the leveret goes down it is either stunned or dead. This happens in a couple of seconds. The buzzard picks it up and it is gone. I do not want to see that but I have seen it a few times. I would like those involved - and they do great work, those who list birds and animals which cannot be hunted so they do not become extinct – to look at the buzzard. While we want to preserve it and I want to preserve it - I do not know enough about the buzzard - it is wreaking havoc in the countryside on the small, young hare. That is all I can say.”
“These are not people who look after the hare, who go out and make sure when nobody else is interested that illegal hunting is not taking place and report it to the gardaí when they do see it. Only recently there was a big article in the paper stating that fines are only €250. What deterrent is that for anybody who is going out intentionally to kill a beautiful animal like a hare? I would like the people putting this Bill forward to look at this issue. There is a preserved bird called the buzzard. I personally have nothing against the buzzard. It is lovely. For people who might not know it, it spreads its wings and you can hear it calling. However, I have witnessed on at least ten occasions the buzzard dropping down and picking up a little leveret, which is a young, small hare. It is able to catch it with its eyesight. No-one else could.”
“The hare goes out to its natural footpath and then it will stand up on its hind legs and look back, as if to say “I have you finished", and off it will go. The animal pursuing it could be lying flat on the ground exhausted. I have seen that numerous times. The Deputy is laughing but I would like to know how many times he has been in the rural parts of Ireland - his rural pursuits - watching this. If it was not for the people looking after the hares there would be far fewer of them because of the illegal netting going on. They illegally pursue with specially-bred dogs which have speed and follow hares, sometimes under the cover of darkness. I have seen it. I have witnessed it.”
“The eating of grass does not affect the hare and I can be a witness to that; I have seen it. With my leisurely pursuits whenever I get the time I love to be in the countryside. We fail to mention the natural habitats which are there for the hare, such as bogs where hares really thrive. Many is the time I stood to watch the hare. It is a beautiful animal to see running. There is nothing I see with the hare more than the pleasure of a hare when it sees a dog when people are out walking. If the dog pursues it, any owner who is ever in the countryside will see it has a natural route out of its habitat and what it will do is take the animal pursuing it - it does not have to be a dog, it could be a fox – around the place and exhaust it.”
“I have listened with interest to the debate. I hear exactly what is being said but I stand here as a person who has a great interest in the hare. The hare has been a part of our heritage since long back, as both speakers said. The hare was on the old threepence coin. It can be seen in many pictures in many places throughout the island of Ireland. As a person who farms and likes land, and loves all kinds of animals in the wild, what I have observed with the hare is illegal hunting by people who have no concern for its preservation and are using new devices. A debate like today’s is one-sided against people - the only ones out there besides conscientious people - and I take umbrage when farmers are mentioned as sowing grass seed which is affecting the hare population. That is totally untrue.”
“I ask the Minister of State in his own good time, and maybe he knows it, to go back sometime and look at what happened in the Marian year in this country. The Government of the day took the initiative and thousands of houses were built. I would say that there is not a person in this House who does not have a "Marian something" in their area. The Minister of State should look at the quality of the houses. A green area was built around them, and if there was misbehaviour or anything, the lady of the house would knock on the window and say something. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Minister of State and all his officials who have worked on the new plan. This is oxygen that has been given to people. I thank the Minister of State for the very good job he has done.”
“I do not have a problem with apartments but I do have a problem with the size as a family grow. At the moment in our local authority, I will make representations, as I have done and always will do, for people who need a one-bedroom house. Again, the officials in the housing section of Laois County Council go on what is presented to them and the plan they have to work off. I will be told that where two people cohabitate or whatever, they would maybe get a two-bedroom house. A person with one child would get a two-bedroom house. As time progresses, however, all these people should be given the opportunity to move up to a three-bedroom or four-bedroom house, or whatever the case may be. With regard to the housing we are building, I am very concerned about the amount of recreational space that is left available.”
“The Minister of State and every public representative who sits in this House will at some stage make representations to their local authority and to their planners. What will the planners say to them in return when they are making that observation on behalf of a constituent who wants to live in a particular area or wants to get planning permission? In my time the planners would hold up the piece of paper and say, "That's the bible; you drew up the plan." This is why I ask the Minister of State to ensure that every possible advice is given to local authorities as well so that they will have a throughput into the make-up of a county development plan. I will move on to the type and quality of housing that the Minister of State will preside over in the Department of housing. I ask him to please look at the size of the houses being built.”
“When we did our county development plan every five years, I would inquire as to which Minister had said we were not to zone the land or that people from a rural area could not live in that rural area, but I could never get a copy of the letter from the Minister who had sent it to the local authorities. With regard to the county development plans going forward, I ask one thing of the Minister of State. Will he allow the public representatives who are elected throughout this country and who engage in county development plans in their own local authorities to be provided with the same advice that the executive staff can get when they are preparing the plan to present it to the councillors? This is not a big ask.”
“I will argue all my life about county development plans. County development plans were supposed to be plans of the public representatives of the county council at the time they were being drawn up. While plans were always presented to us in the county council chambers, however, and while we could put observations in and vote on the plan, which we did several times, a message would come back to the local authority. In respect of what we the public representatives were asking of the chief executive about the plan that he had produced, and which we were not agreeing with, we would be overruled by a Minister. Whose plan was it at the end of the day? I am delighted that I am getting an opportunity to stand in the Houses of the Oireachtas and to repeat what I have said for many years.”
“I have probably been involved in more planning applications in my county of Laois than any other public representative ever. I gave over 40 years in Laois County Council and a lot of my work went into planning issues. It was awful to see that people could not live in an area in which they had gone to school in, been reared, played football and where they were members of the community. They could not live in that area because they could not get planning. I assure all those people here today that this Bill, once enacted, will give them an opportunity. I will take this opportunity to thank all the people involved in planning, not alone in County Laois but throughout the country. They had a very hard job. They never wanted to refuse planning but they were forced to do so under what we would call the very famous county development plans.”
“If somebody wants to build in Camross, perhaps they would prefer to build in the village rather than go 2 miles or 3 miles outside the village, where there might be problems that the Minister of State and I know about as public representatives, and where they might not get the planning. At least they could live in the rural village. If we do not adopt that attitude, and I am thankful this Bill will do that, I will have to come back and stand up here and criticise the Minister of State, which I certainly do not want to do. I believe this is our opportunity to ensure we give viability and oxygen back to all our small villages throughout our counties, for the people who left those villages because they could not get planning. I do not ever talk myself up as a representative, but I will tell the House one thing here.”
“The clarity provided on the transition to ten-year development plans and the measures to improve the viability of apartment developments are practical reforms that will directly support housing delivery. I acknowledge the work the Minister of State and his Department have done on this to try to ease the burden that is on people out there. We are talking about rural development as well as urban development. When we talk about urban development, we must include, or else have it separated, all the villages we have throughout all our counties. I am a firm believer that if we can get the infrastructure into our villages, then people who come from there and want to build in a rural area and who are looking to buy a site there will consider moving to the village. I will give an example from my own area.”
“We must continue to address issues relating to infrastructure provision, the servicing of lands, construction capacity and the availability of skilled workers. However, an efficient and modern planning system is an essential foundation for all other housing measures. It is also important that as the Bill proceeds, we continue to engage constructively with local authorities, planners, communities, environmental groups and the legal profession. Effective planning reform requires public confidence. The public must be sure that transparency, accountability and environmental protections are at the heart of the decision-making. Ultimately, what people want is homes built more quickly, infrastructure delivered more efficiently and decisions made without unnecessary delay. They want certainty, fairness and common sense.”
“This is a practical and sensible reform that has the potential to unlock housing delivery in the short term. By allowing those updated standards to apply to existing permissions, the Bill will improve the viability of a large number of schemes and help turn permissions into homes. I also welcome the increase to the borrowing limit of the Housing Finance Agency. At a time when the delivery of housing remains a national priority, we must ensure that the agency has the capacity to support housing investment. Access to finance is a critical aspect of housing delivery. This measure strengthens the State's ability to support local authorities, approved housing bodies and wider housing initiatives. Of course, legislation alone will not solve our housing challenges.”
“That clarity is essential for local authorities, communities, developers and our infrastructure providers. A ten-year planning framework will help ensure that we maintain an adequate supply of zoned land for housing over a much longer period. Too often we have found ourselves planning for immediate demand instead of anticipating future need. By extending the lifespan of the development plans, the local authorities will be in a better position to zone sufficient land, co-ordinate infrastructure and investment, and create the pipeline of housing delivery that our growing population requires. Long-term housing supply demands long-term planning, and this reform represents a very important step in that direction. Another welcome measure in this application of the revised Department standards is to the existing planning permissions.”
“Planning decisions must always be open to challenges where genuine legal issues arise, but we must recognise that lengthy and complex court procedures can delay housing, public infrastructure and investment projects for years and years, as the Minister of State can see himself. I welcome the reforms in the Bill intended to streamline procedures, reduce unnecessary delays and provide greater certainty for all stakeholders. One of the most important aspects of this legislation is the clarity it provides around transition to ten-year county development plans. Moving to a longer term planning scope is a significant and necessary reform if we are serious about meeting Ireland's future needs. The Bill provides certainty that local authorities will move to this new ten-year cycle.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill and support its passage on Second Stage. Ireland faces a housing infrastructure challenge that is well known to every Member of this House. Families are struggling to access affordable housing, communities need vital infrastructure to be delivered and businesses require certainty within our planning system. Good planning must always protect public participation, environmental standards and proper oversight but it also must be capable of making timely and effective decisions. The Bill builds on the reforms already introduced. Its main objective is to ensure those reforms can be implemented smoothly and effectively by removing barriers that have caused delay, uncertainty and unnecessary costs throughout the planning process. I welcome the measures relating to judicial review procedures.”
“I ask the Taoiseach to use his good offices at this critical time and sit down with relevant Ministers to ensure that we get somebody in there because it is such a new factory. It is there available with all new equipment and is open, from my point of view, to many industries in the food sector. We have to compliment the likes of Tirlán and Kerry Group that have invested huge money in this. I am asking the Taoiseach to please take a personal interest in it for the people of Portlaoise and County Laois.”
“I want to raise the issue of Leprino Foods Company in Portlaoise. This was a joint venture between Glanbia and the Leprino family which is known worldwide for its mozzarella cheese. The company came to Portlaoise in a joint venture to manufacture stringy mozzarella cheese. The Leprino family bought Glanbia out of the project, so we now have a situation where Leprino Foods is exiting this country and moving to the North of Ireland and Wales. This factory is three minutes from junction 17. It is in our enterprise park, which I am delighted to say is completely full now. This factory cost €130 million to build. Roughly €7 million of taxpayers' money went into it and it is now for sale, as I speak here today, for €12 million.”
“I know the Minister is committed to improving outcomes for those living with rare diseases. I know that significant work is underway with the Department-----”
“Rare disease policy requires us to think differently. One size does not fit all. Traditional health technology assessment models are designed around larger patient populations. Rare diseases do not fit neatly into these frameworks. This is why flexibility and innovation are practically essential. I ask that every effort be made to explore practical solutions for this exceptionally small group of patients through management access arrangements, conditional reimbursement measures, special rare disease pathways and other approaches. There is scope for constructive engagement that balances fiscal responsibility and compassion. Our national rare disease strategy recognises that people living with rare disease face many barriers. These 16 adults are experiencing a unique barrier - their age.”
“I appreciate fully that decisions on reimbursement must be evidence based, clinically informed and financially responsible but I ask that, alongside the necessary procedures, we apply a degree of joined-up thinking, practicality and humanity. We need to think outside the box for this small group of adults. Their lives could be improved by treatments that are already recognised, licensed and reimbursed elsewhere for others with SMA in this country. When this group of adults looks to Europe and sees other adults with SMA accessing therapies, and when they look to Northern Ireland and across the Irish Sea where similar patients are receiving treatment, and when they see younger Irish patients benefiting from these medicines, is it any wonder that they feel frustrated, excluded and let down?”
“However, there remains a small group of adults with SMA who have been denied treatment because their dates of birth do not comply with the chosen cut-off date. Approximately 16 adults in Ireland with SMA are currently excluded from reimbursement of treatments that are available to younger patients. Through no fault of their own, they miss an opportunity afforded to those who came after them. As a result, we have a situation where two people with the same condition are treated very differently. A patient diagnosed as a child will continue to receive the treatment into adulthood but another adult with the same diagnosis and the same clinical need may be unable to access reimbursement at all. That is unjust and inequitable. It discriminates against this small group of people because of their age.”
“I join with other speakers in highlighting the issue of rare diseases. In particular, I want to speak about a condition affecting a small number of people in Ireland, which is SMA, a genetic disorder that affects motor neurons in the spinal cord, leading to progressive muscular weaknesses, loss of function and even shortened life expectancy. For many years, families affected by SMA lived with little hope of effective treatment. Thankfully, however, breakthroughs in research mean that there are therapies available today that can dramatically improve the quality of life for many patients. Ireland can be proud of the progress that has been made. The State has agreed reimbursement for innovative SMA treatments for children and young people. These decisions have transformed lives, and this is something we should acknowledge and commend.”
“We must increase orthopaedic capacity, reduce waiting times and ensure that those who require urgent surgery undergo their procedures without further delay.”
“I raise the urgent issue of waiting lists for orthopaedic surgery, especially hip and knee replacements, at Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore. In recent months, I have received numerous queries from constituents who are in severe pain and unable to engage in day-to-day life while they wait for surgery. Many of them have been told by their consultant that they are a priority but they are still waiting more than eight months, and longer in some cases, without any confirmed date for surgery. This is not acceptable. It is also very frustrating for patients to learn that the same treatment is available across the Border with almost no waiting list. People who can no longer endure the pain are being forced to look outside the State for timely care. Those who cannot afford to do so are left waiting indefinitely. This is not equality.”
“Too often, counties like Laois end up at the back of the queue when funding decisions are made. I want to acknowledge the work of Laois County Council and the local groups that are pushing this forward. The support is there, the demand is there; what is missing is delivery. We need better joined-up thinking involving agencies like Bord na Móna. We cannot afford to lose projects that already have roots and strong backing.”
“This is a continuation of an existing route, with strong potential conversion into a greenway, that exists and that was used to take the peat off the bogs, which is no longer allowed. That is why I am really passionate about what I say. I have called this proposal the O'More way. It reflects local identity and ambition. The corridor exists in its entirely, including under railway lines and national roads and routes. It is all there, ready to go up and ready to run if we get the funding. I raised this recently at a joint committee meeting on rural development policy where I highlighted the need to prioritise viable greenway projects that are not yet funded. This is the frustration on the ground. Ready-made projects are waiting while others progress. I have also raised this directly with the Minister, Deputy Calleary.”
“Laois is located within easy reach of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. However, tourism does not happen by accident. It needs investment in infrastructure, walking and cycling routes, public area improvements, heritage conservation and destination development. If we want counties like Laois to reach their potential, we must be fair in how national tourism funding is delivered. One of the biggest tourism and recreational gaps in County Laois is that we do not have a greenway. Ours is one of the few counties in this State without one. At a time outdoor recreation tourism is growing, that is a serious disadvantage. However, I have good news as a Laois TD. Laois has real potential in this space, especially with the old Bord na Móna rail corridor from Cashel bog through Togher Woods and over to Ross bog.”
“For far too long, Laois has been overlooked as a tourism destination but the reality is that the county has outstanding heritage, outdoor recreation and cultural experiences. We have the Rock of Dunamase, one of the most iconic medieval sites in the country, and Emo Court, one of the finest neoclassical estates in Ireland. Emo Court had 305,000 visitors last year and the Rock of Dunamase had 44,000. These figures show what is possible when the product is supported. Beyond that, the Slieve Bloom Mountains offer some of the best walking and cycling in the country. Our towns and villages, including Abbeyleix, Durrow, Portarlington, Timahoe and many others, have strong cultural and heritage experiences, supported by festivals and sporting events - real economic benefit into rural, local communities.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the importance of tourism to our economy, our communities and our national identity. Tourism remains one of the most important and significant industries, supporting employment, enterprise and regional development in every county. Hundreds of thousands of people depend directly or indirectly on tourism activities, from accommodation to visitor attractions, transport, festivals, heritage sites and other recreation. Despite recent challenges, Ireland continues to attract millions of visitors each year. As a TD for County Laois, I want to highlight the enormous tourism potential that exists in the midlands and in my own county and the need to match that potential with real investment on the ground.”
“It is unfair that these families are being penalised. I ask that this matter be reviewed in order to ensure pensioners will not be disadvantaged because they are providing accommodation to their children.”
“The fuel allowance scheme is a critical support for many pensioners who are on limited incomes. I acknowledge that must be clear eligibility criteria in respect of payments of this nature. However, an inconsistency in the current system has been brought to my attention. In the case of a pensioner whose adult child has moved back into the family home, if that child is not dependent and is working, the pensioner is deemed ineligible for the fuel allowance under the current rules. At the same time, an eligible person can rent a room to a stranger and earn up to €14,000 per year under the rent-a-room scheme without it affecting their eligibility for the fuel allowance. In the context of the housing crisis, the Taoiseach and I know of many cases where adult children have had to move back in with their elderly parents.”
“On the buy and renew scheme, where a council can CPO houses, while I agree with it 100%, I will give the Minister of State an example. In the case of the County Hotel in Portlaoise, this has been going on for over 12 years and we still do not have confirmation to do it. That is what is really killing people in my area. Why is it taking so long? It is a no-brainer to do up houses. I remember the main street in Portlaoise. I can remember the main streets in Mountrath, Mountmellick, Portarlington, Abbeyleix and all these places. If we are serious about bringing people back into the heart of a town-----”
“We can have headings and the Ministers, in fairness to them, can do their level best to bring out schemes but the bottom line is this is taking far too long, from the announcement of the scheme to the time a local authority can take it up, get the money and get blocks and boots on the ground. That is not the Minister of State's problem; it is problem in the Department of housing. In regard to the acquisition payments, I guarantee the Minister of State that when a house is subject to a compulsory purchase order, it has to be perfect for living in because you get no money to do up the house. That is a fact and the Minister of State needs to know that. People accuse local authorities of not acting fast enough but if the house is not in turnkey condition, they get no money from the Department to do it up.”
“As I said, I welcome the introduction of the new grant supports aimed at turning vacant buildings and above-the-shop spaces into liveable spaces. I also welcome the €70,000 grant. However, if the Minister of State goes to any town and village in his local area, he will see, given the cost of building and everything else, that despite the €70,000 grant to do up a house, where the individual owns it, it is still very difficult to do. I could cost anything from €270,000 to €300,000 to do up any of these buildings. We talked about acquisition payments. On the CPO, I thank everybody in Laois County Council who is involved in this. It is a tremendous concept and the council has done an awful lot of work but we need money from the Department.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to advise everybody to reflect on their nearest town or village, take a walk through it and see how many vacant properties there are. Putting aside probate and all the difficulties as regards ownership, there must be something that can be done with a short timeline of 12 or 24 months to see work carried out on them. I do not mean taking them from people but what was done all my life on the council - a valuer values the property at its value on the day. That money is put aside and when the owner comes forward, they are paid the money.”
“This is a problem that can be seen in all towns and villages. I welcome the grants for vacant properties and over-shop conversions. I also want to be very positive about the steps already helping to bring them back into use. I thank the Ministers and the Government agencies working on this. We must accept that land will not always be available for the development of houses. This is why we must focus more on the homes we already have which are lying idle. We need stronger supports for that and less bureaucracy, faster planning and probate processes and more incentives to bring vacant properties back into use. At a time when so many people are looking for a home, we cannot allow thousands of properties to sit empty and fall further into decline. Vacancy and dereliction must be a central part of the national response to the housing crisis.”
“This is a shocking figure at a time when homelessness is rising and families are in desperate need of housing. In Laois alone, there are almost 963 vacant properties. These homes are sitting empty in our towns and villages while people are struggling to find somewhere to live. Many are tied up in probate or legal issues and others need major renovation that owners just cannot afford. At the same time, more than 17,000 people are living in emergency accommodation, including 5,000 children. If even a portion of these vacant homes were brought back into use, it would make a real difference. It would provide homes for families, ease pressure on emergency accommodation and help bring back life to the towns and villages not alone throughout my county of Laois, which I represent but every county in Ireland.”
“The housing crisis continues to affect every town and village across Ireland. It remains one of the biggest challenges facing families, young people, older people and workers. As a TD, I hear every week from people struggling to find a home, buy a home or to cope with raising rents. The message is clear - more houses and more needs to be done. There is no single solution to the housing crisis and no silver bullet. We need a mix of actions. We must increase supply, support first-time buyers, improve infrastructure, speed up planning and make better use of homes we already have. One of the most urgent issues is the number of vacant and derelict properties. CSO figures - not my figures - show there are almost 70,000 vacant homes nationwide.”