Cian O'Callaghan
Question:1. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his plan for constitutional amendments. [49954/23]
Ceisteanna - Questions
Constitutional Amendments
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:2. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his plans for constitutional amendments. [50721/23]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:3. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his plan for constitutional amendments. [51154/23]
Paul Murphy
Question:4. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his plan for constitutional amendments. [51157/23]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, together.
The Government intends to hold a referendum next year on gender equality, as recommended by the Citizens' Assembly on Gender Equality and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Gender Equality. The decision to hold one or more referendums on this issue is in line with commitments in the programme for Government to respond to the recommendations of the citizens' assembly.
An interdepartmental group, led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, was established in March this year. The work of the group is close to concluding and policy proposals, to include heads of Bills, will be brought forward for the Government to make a decision on the matter as soon as possible. There are various other proposals for further constitutional reforms under consideration. However, no final decisions have been made as of yet on the timing for the holding of other referendums.
Some of the proposed reforms, such as on housing and extending the franchise at presidential elections to Irish citizens living outside the State, arise from the programme for Government, while others, such as on the EU Agreement on a Unified Patent Court, arise from existing legal requirements. The establishment of the Electoral Commission will help to streamline the conduct of referendums and provide independent oversight thereof.
The programme for Government commits to holding a referendum on housing. The Taoiseach has clarified to me in this Chamber that it will be on the right to housing. However, there does not seem to be any urgency from the Government in progressing this referendum. Increasingly, it is looking like it is not going to happen in the lifetime of the Government. With just over 12 months left in its term of office, there is still no date for this referendum to take place.
It increasingly looks like the commitment made in the programme for Government was made without any intention of holding a referendum on the right to housing. When will a date be set for the right to housing referendum? Will the Taoiseach commit to that referendum taking place in the lifetime of this Government, as already committed to in the programme for Government?
I agree with Deputy O'Callaghan. It is a promise there in the programme for Government. Many of us see it as an absolute necessity that the right to housing be written into the Constitution. We all realise the issues around the housing crisis and that we need to introduce mitigations now, whether we are talking about a ban on increases on rentals or ensuring that we absolutely deliver a greater amount of affordable, council and cost-rental housing. It is an absolute necessity. At this stage we need to get a definitive response on a date for this right to housing referendum.
I also want to ask when the referendum will take place on the right to housing that the Government promised, and when it would be inserted into the Constitution. Will it renege on the promise to have that referendum during the course of this Government or will it keep that promise? I have no doubt that the Taoiseach may say - because he has certainly said it in the past - that inserting a right to housing in the Constitution does not solve the housing crisis. Before he says it, of course we all understand that this is the case. To solve the housing crisis we need to dramatically upscale the delivery of public and affordable housing, we need to control rents and make them affordable, we need to protect tenants against unfair evictions, we need to take far more robust and radical measures to deal with the scandal of vacant and derelict property, and we need to deal with the problem of vulture funds exploiting the housing crisis for their own ends, all of which the Government has largely failed to deliver. A right to housing would put significant additional pressure on a government to ensure it was a priority for that government to use its resource to ensure that everybody has a basic right to that which people need to simply function in society, namely, a secure and affordable roof over their head, and that this would be an imperative for any and all governments to ensure this was the case. Will we have this referendum and when? Apart from anything else, it would be a welcome opportunity to force a national debate on this issue and to hear the views the people in this country who are impacted by this crisis.
Are we going to have a referendum about neutrality in this State? The Government claims now not to want to undermine neutrality but, de facto, it tunnels underneath this and does things bit by bit that undermine what is left of neutrality, including the use of Shannon Airport and participation in the Ukraine defense contact group and NATO alliance that is sending soldiers to train Ukrainians in Germany and in Poland. The Government has said, however, that it does not want to undermine neutrality. In that case, will the Taoiseach agree that we should have a referendum about neutrality and whether to enshrine neutrality in the Constitution?
Sometimes some people here speak as if being neutral means one cannot say anything about what is happening in the world and means that one cannot speak out against oppression or condemn, for example, what Israel is doing and cannot describe it as genocide. One could not, for example, take the action of sanctions against Israel. That is not what neutrality means. It is certainly not proposed in our Bill on holding a referendum on neutrality. It would mean that Ireland does not join any military alliance and does not provide any military, economic or political assistance to belligerents. This is what it means. In that context I want to ask a very particular question of the Taoiseach. In the Government's countermotion to our motion on Palestine today, the Government refers to condemning the killing of civilians and children. It is implicitly about Israel because the previous point is about condemning Hamas, but the Government is opposed to a very simple amendment to add the words "by Israel". The Government is opposed to that. I wish to ask clearly whether it is the Government's position that it will not condemn Israel. Is that the position? Does the Government refuse to condemn Israel? Is that why it is opposing the amendment?
On the questions asked about the referendum on housing, in line with commitments in the programme for Government and in Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland, the Housing Commission was established by the Government in December 2021 to independently examine and review the housing system in Ireland. The Housing Commission submitted its report, proposed wording for an amendment to the Constitution, and made recommendations to the Minister in August. The report and the next steps are currently being considered and the Minister will bring these to Government in due course. A minority report from two members of the commission has also recently been received only in the past few days. Neither have gone to Government yet and I believe that the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage will also want to consider the two reports.
I will restate in the House that I support a housing amendment to the Constitution provided it is a good one. I strongly believe that any housing amendment has to make it easier to build homes. Otherwise it will be meaningless. We see too many planning permissions for new homes being struck down in the courts. A strong housing amendment could tip the balance in favour of the courts approving these planning permissions rather than striking them down on various different grounds. That is the litmus test for me when it comes to any housing amendment. If it just creates a new right to sue for compensation, that is problematic. I do not want to see the housing budget being diverted into compensation payments or see housing officials spending their time managing litigation when they should be managing projects that build houses.
On the neutrality question, there are no plans for a referendum on neutrality. Ultimately we believe that matters of foreign policy and defence policy should be made by the Government and the Oireachtas and not by the courts. There is no clear definition of neutrality. It means different things to different people. To me, it means not joining a military alliance. I know that to Deputy Murphy it means something else and to other people it means something else again. That is one reason it would not be a good idea to put something like that in the Constitution.
On the latest motion on Israel, it is very clear in the Government's countermotion that we refer to Hamas in one paragraph and refer to Israel very clearly in another paragraph. In fact we use the term "deplores" in relation to Israel's actions in Gaza.
But the Government refuses to condemn. The Taoiseach will not say the word "condemn", never mind "genocide" or "apartheid".
The Deputy has an obsession with which words are used. It is the same thing.
Do words not matter?
They do matter. The Deputy will always need to find a stronger word, no matter what word we use-----
The Taoiseach cannot even say "condemn".
Departmental Policies
Cian O'Callaghan
Question:5. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the well-being framework for Ireland, overseen by his Department. [49955/23]
Aindrias Moynihan
Question:6. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the well-being framework for Ireland. [50689/23]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:7. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the well-being framework for Ireland, overseen by his Department. [51155/23]
Paul Murphy
Question:8. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the well-being framework for Ireland, overseen by his Department. [51158/23]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 8, inclusive, together.
Ireland’s well-being framework was launched in July 2021. It consists of 11 dimensions made up of different aspects of well-being, with a dashboard on the CSO website of 35 indicators. The development of the framework is a major new initiative of the Government and is modelled on best practice from the OECD.
We know that no single measure can accurately capture how we are doing as a country but by bringing together economic, social and environmental statistics in an integrated way, this framework helps us to assess where we are and helps us to make better choices and decisions in future. Analysis of the framework is published annually since 2022, and the 2023 analysis was published in June this year. It shows that Ireland is doing well when it comes to most things when we compare ourselves with the past and with other countries. We should never lose sight of the fact that Ireland is one of the best countries in the world in which to live, grow old, raise a family, pursue a career or run a business. It also shows that there is plenty of room for improvement too.
The Government has also committed to featuring the well-being framework at relevant points in the budgetary cycle. For budgets 2023 and 2024, the well-being framework was a theme at the national economic dialogue, was part of the summer economic statement, and associated analysis was also published on budget day.
We are committed to making use of the well-being framework across the Government as we look to improve the quality of life of our citizens. The Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform has published a number of working papers that seek to embed a well-being perspective into public policy and budgetary processes. Other Departments are also progressing work to embed the approach into policy development and decision-making. For example, the work of the new child poverty and well-being unit will make a difference, especially for children and their families.
The pace of the development and integration of the well-being framework reflects well in comparison with other countries. The Government will continue to review, identify and develop data and methods for further use and integration of the well-being framework. As part of this, a seminar on Ireland’s well-being framework will be held next week, which will be an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the Irish framework, its evolution and future development and its uses in policymaking.
We are also engaging internationally to learn from other approaches to measuring well-being. Yesterday, the OECD launched the Knowledge Exchange Platform on Well-being: Metrics and Policy Practice, which will create a space for peer learning across countries and to share good practice between governments on these issues. Ireland is contributing to the project and will benefit from its outcomes.
I will raise a matter I have raised several times. It concerns the well-being of a number of students who graduated from St. Michael's House, Baldoyle, this year. Shortly before they graduated, they and their families received a generic letter that told them there would not be any places for them in day services in September. The letter was not even personalised.
Despite promises being made by the Minister of State, several of these young people are still without any day services. This is having a detrimental impact on them and their well-being. It is leading to regression in their development and to isolation. They are cut off from their peers and supports. Given that I have raised this with the Taoiseach several times, will he now let these young people and their families know when they will get the places in day services they have been promised by the Government?
The well-being framework refers to the issue of quality of employment. In that context, I draw the Taoiseach's attention once again to issues that will be discussed later this evening during the debate on the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2023. Deputies from Sinn Féin and the Labour Party and I have put forward amendments to the Bill advocating on behalf of people who work in the arts, such as in the film industry, who experience high levels of poverty, financial hardship and employment insecurity. Workers in that industry including actors, performers, directors, stage crew, film crew and so on have to endure this, even though the industry receives huge amounts of public money. They do not have quality employment and training.
This is because film producers who get public money force them to sign buy-out contracts, under which they have to sign away their rights to future royalties and residuals which any actor, performer or writer will say are some of the few ways in which they can potentially benefit from the success of their work. They are being forced to sign those rights away, however. They have been campaigning strongly for the Government to end the use of buy-out contracts by film producers who are financed essentially by the public purse. Similarly, film crew often have to endure working for decades on fixed-term contracts under which they never have any security of employment and are vulnerable to blacklisting. They are never given contracts of indefinite duration and do not get sick pay, holiday pay or pensions. Is that the way to treat our artists and others who work in such an important industry as the film industry is?
I will raise issues about the well-being of staff and animals at Dublin Zoo. Serious allegations have been made about the mistreatment of animals, about a culture of bullying and mistreatment of staff and about the mismanagement of funds and there has been no independent investigation.
I will give a few examples of the treatment of animals. In October 2022, the elephant herd was divided in two and elephant bulls were left without access to fresh drinking water while in their outside habitat for nine months. They were using a contaminated water supply. That goes against the National Parks and Wildlife Service's Irish Standards of Modern Zoo Practice, which state that fresh water should be supplied on a daily basis. In early November 2023, the elephants were inappropriately sedated. They were given a powerful sedative in order to move them to Cincinnati Zoo to make them easier to manage and there was a plan to winch one of the female elephants into a transport crate, again against European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, EAZA, best practice guidelines.
There is a series of allegations relating to staff and a fundamental problem in that HR has been outsourced to a company, MSS Services, which has effectively ignored the issues raised by staff repeatedly. It is not clear why Dublin Zoo does not have its own HR department.
On the mismanagement of funds, during 2020 to 2021, as the zoo was begging for funds to keep animals fed, the lakeside lodge where the director lives as a tenant was refurbished with a hot tub, sauna and an extension and the garden was landscaped. It is not clear where the funds for those luxury items came from.
The Deputy has identified people who are not in the Chamber. I ask him to be careful about naming people.
I add my voice to what Deputy Boyd Barrett said. There is a huge power differential in the film industry between producers on the one hand and actors, crews and directors on the other. We have heard about blacklisting and other issues that do not add to the sustainability of the film industry. We need a stakeholders' forum and to ensure we have a framework for catching those issues.
The well-being framework also deals with environmental matters. I am glad to see that the SEAI has carried out and published a feasibility study on community heating schemes. We all want district heating to work. I am talking specifically about Carlinn Hall. There are possibilities for alternatives, such as geothermal heating and others, and for delivering efficiencies. A serious amount of engagement will be needed with the stakeholders, including representatives of the residents, the likes of Frontline Energy and other companies which might be necessary to the delivery of these solutions, the SEAI and possibly the Department. I would like to think that will be put in place because there are no simple solutions. One of the residents said that was his view at this stage in a message he sent to me.
I thank the Deputies for their questions. This block of questions relates to the well-being framework and I am not sure whether many of the issues raised by Deputies relate directly to that. Of course, they are entitled to raise any issue they wish in the House, but it makes it difficult for me to reply.
Day services in Saint Michael's House, which Deputy O'Callaghan has raised a number of times in the House do not fall directly into my remit, but I will follow up with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte on it and see if she could provide the Deputy with some more comfort and, most importantly, a solution for the people affected.
Deputy Boyd Barrett mentioned the quality of employment in Ireland. Generally, because of reforms pursued by the Government and economic policies introduced by the Government, we have seen the quality of employment improve considerably in the past five years. We have better pay and better terms, conditions and protections in particular. We are moving towards a living wage with a 12.8% increase falling due in January, which is much higher than the current rate of inflation. Sick pay is being expanded at the moment, which is of particular benefit to low-paid workers, women, part-time workers and private sector workers, who often had no sick pay previously. We will bring legislation on auto-enrolment through the House next year, which means that all workers will have an occupational pension on top of the State pension.
Again, a lot of part-time workers, private sector workers, women and migrants do not have an occupational pension. That is going to change. We have changed the laws considerably around parental leave, maternity benefit and parental benefit, all for the better. It is good to see that there are now 2.6 million people in Ireland working, more than ever before, with better pay and conditions than was ever the case before.
The Deputy particularly referred to the film industry. I know he has raised the issue on many occasions in the past. I think that some of the issues that arise there may be connected to bogus self-employment. People who are designated as self-employed ought to be employees, and are therefore losing out on some of the workers' rights that they should have. It is an area that the Government is doing some work on, in consultation with the trade unions and IBEC. There is a new EU directive coming forward on this issue which I think will bring about some changes.
Deputy Murphy raised the issue of Dublin Zoo. I do not really want to comment on the allegations that were made. I am not aware of them and have not seen any evidence to support them, but I encourage the Deputy to pass on any evidence he has to the relevant authorities, whether it is the Garda or whoever may be able to look into these matters. I do know there was a protected disclosure in relation to Dublin Zoo that was considered some months ago. It was found that the allegations did not stack up, but that might be a different matter and not the one that the Deputy has raised.
Deputy Ó Murchú brought up the issue of Carlinn Hall. It is not something that I am directly responsible for, but I know he has a real interest in it and has been a strong advocate for the residents there. Perhaps the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, will be able to find some guidance as to how we might go forward on this.
Housing Policy
Paul McAuliffe
Question:9. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Housing for All progress report published on 14 November 2023. [50685/23]
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:10. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Housing for All progress report published on 14 November 2023. [50686/23]
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Question:11. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Housing for All progress report published on 14 November 2023. [50687/23]
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:12. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach to provide a progress report on Housing for All for which his Department is responsible. [51156/23]
Paul Murphy
Question:13. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach to provide a progress report on Housing for All, for which his Department is responsible. [51159/23]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 13, inclusive, together. The Housing for All update and quarter 3 progress report was published last week. This report sets out our priority actions for the coming year as we build on the strong start we have made in tackling the crisis. It is clear that we are making real progress. We can see it on the ground, with new homes and apartments being built all over the country. In the past 12 months, 30,000 new homes have been built. That is 50% more than when this Government came into office and double the number when I first became Taoiseach in 2017. We have exceeded the Housing for All output targets for 2022 and we are on track to exceed them in 2023. We are also very optimistic about 2024, with almost 24,000 new homes started in the first nine months of 2023 and planning permission granted for over 20,000 new homes in the first half of this year alone.
Under Housing for All, we have seen citizens achieving homeownership this year at a greater pace than at any point in over a decade. In the 12 months to September, first-time mortgage approvals exceeded 30,000, helped in many cases by the first home and help to buy schemes. On State lands, building is underway on sites in Cork and Dublin which between them will provide over 850 homes, and the LDA now has planning permission for over 2,500 additional homes. This is on top of the 1,000 affordable homes due under Project Tosaigh.
Last week, Government took further action to bring additional vacant and derelict properties back into use, having doubled the target for the vacant property refurbishment grant. We have also agreed to extend the local authority home loan to people looking to buy and renovate derelict homes. Housing for All is a coherent plan designed to accelerate home building in a sustainable way. We have also shown a willingness to adapt policies as required. As set out in the action plan update, the coming year will see us continue reforms which will fundamentally improve our system of housing delivery. The new planning and development Bill, once enacted, will bring greater clarity, consistency and efficiency to how planning decisions are made. Importantly, the system will be more coherent and user-friendly, allowing for greater understanding on the part of both the public and planning practitioners alike.
For the longer term, we will revise our targets for home building, taking into account the census and the latest ESRI analysis. These revised targets will allow for better planning for housing delivery across the country between now and 2030. We will also continue to increase apprenticeships, launch campaigns to attract more people to work in construction from Ireland and abroad, promote the use of innovation in both public and private delivery and promote greater productivity in the house-building sector. We will continue to increase capacity in local authorities, An Bord Pleanála, Uisce Éireann and other State bodies to ensure faster decisions and accelerated delivery.
As I said, Housing for All is working. We are increasing housing delivery across all tenures. Over the next year, our task is to focus on implementation of the plan and maintain this strong momentum into 2024 and beyond.
I would like to raise an issue that the Taoiseach spoke about at the recent progress report update for Housing for All. It is something I have an interest in as a person who bought a house in the last few years, namely, the difficulties that people have when they go through the process itself. The Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, have spoken about the establishment of an expert group to examine the processes around purchasing a home with a view to cutting down on bureaucracy and stress involved for people purchasing their first home. I welcome the establishment of the expert group that the Taoiseach said will examine this. He referenced other countries when he was giving his few words at the progress report update. I know he does not want to impact the work that expert group will do, but he referenced how they do things very differently in Scotland and how it has worked. We can examine what happens in other jurisdictions and look at how we can learn from that. Can the Taoiseach elaborate on the ideas that he has going forward for that expert group, when it will commence its work, who will comprise the group and when he hopes to have an outcome and recommendations?
I have spoken to the Taoiseach about this issue before, as I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. Daily, I have people coming into my clinics in Carlow who are waiting to be assessed to go on the housing list. At the moment, the waiting time to join the list is between ten and 12 weeks. That is unacceptable. I can say that the girls in Carlow County Council and the staff are excellent, but I believe that we need more staff. I know people that are waiting to be assessed and they cannot rent a property because they are waiting to get the HAP. They are actually couch-surfing. I ask the Taoiseach to address it. As I have said, I am waiting to get a Bill introduced to change the waiting period to three to four weeks, because I think no one should wait that length of time. It is urgent.
I welcome the information the Taoiseach has provided today. We have a number of new schemes, including the affordable housing scheme, the first home scheme and the vacant property grant. They are all really good schemes. We probably need to get more information out on those schemes. Many people who come into my office are not really aware of how many good schemes are available. I am working with people at the moment who are applying for mortgages, which is really good, to Carlow County Council. As the Taoiseach is aware, applicants have to get everything ready, give it to the local authority, and then the application goes to the Department for approval. The timescale on waiting to hear from the Department is absolutely unacceptable. The other issue is that currently, there is a 55% refusal rate, through the Department, on mortgages. These are local authority mortgages that we are encouraging people to apply for. I am aware that the Taoiseach is working hard on this to try to get the challenges in housing sorted. I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, about it. These issues really need to be addressed.
Jennifer Bray recently did a fact check on the Government's Housing for All progress and it was pretty revealing. She revealed that in 2022, the Government's target for affordable housing was 4,100, but what it actually delivered was 1,757. In fact, it was really less because it had included 750 approvals for the first time buyers scheme, and there was actually only 137 draw-downs. This year, the target for affordable housing is 5,500, but in the first six months the Government only delivered 1,290. In terms of social housing, the target for last year was 9,000, and 7,500 units were delivered. Mel Reynolds has pointed out that the number of actual council houses built on public land was only 1,689, a fraction of what the Government actually stated was happening. In other words, we are relying completely on the private sector and purchasing. I believe we should purchase those homes in the absence of the State actually delivering, but where is the actual delivery of public housing? It is nowhere close to what is needed or the Government's own targets. Jennifer Bray has pointed out that when Housing for All started, rents were €2,082 per month in Dublin. Two years on, they are now €2,330.
Let us just think about that - €2,330 average rent in Dublin. Who the hell could afford that? The Government is doing nothing to control those rents. I urge the Taoiseach once again to look at the number of people who are trapped in homelessness. I had a couple come in to me this week, both working, who are two years in homeless accommodation. They are both going out to work every day. They are absolutely miserable and wonder how they can carry on with this stuff. Their case can be multiplied by thousands. An audit should be done of the long-term imprisonment of people in emergency accommodation to try to help people move out of emergency accommodation. It is just not right to leave working people, families, kids for years and years in emergency accommodation.
The Government is committed on paper to a major programme of retrofitting of homes, which makes all the sense in the world from the point of view of the cost-of-living crisis, allowing people to significantly reduce their energy bills, and from the point of view of the climate crisis, allowing people to significantly reduce their energy usage. However, the reality on the ground is very different. I am dealing with a woman in her late 80s living in a council home in Tallaght who has single-glazed windows, as is very common still in council properties across South Dublin County Council. Not only that, she cannot shut her kitchen window. She is facing now into another winter of being unable to keep her home warm. She has been waiting 15 years for the council to deal with the windows. This is not about some big deep retrofit, which is really what should take place, but just to deal with the windows. We have multiple cases people with entirely inadequate windows, and the council is not dealing with them.
On retrofitting, the council plan between last year and this year was to do 363 homes by the end of this year out of a total housing stock of 10,000. This simply is not good enough. Will the funding be provided by central government to ensure that people like that woman and others in that position are able to access basic standards in getting their windows done and their homes retrofitted?
Many of us have brought up the issue of housing adaptation grants, particularly those to be used for older people and those with disabilities. There are particular issues in respect of councils running out of money but beyond that, the thresholds and amounts are not sufficient to deliver what is required. We have heard about the review that is ongoing. Can the Taoiseach give us an update on where it is and the timeline? Hopefully, it will deliver on some of these issues.
We are constantly talking about modern methods of construction. Is there is a timeline or targets for the use by the State of modular builds and the likes of 3D concrete printing? When will we see a ramp-up? A matter was brought to my attention, particularly on foot of the recent flooding, which I could not miss it as it was outside my front door, and that is the need to deal with legacy systems that are not fit to manage wastewater. We need a drainage area plan for Dundalk, which is planned. The Government also needs to look at our capacity not only for getting rid of wastewater but also for delivering clean water, particularly in towns, cities and areas where more houses will be built into the future.
I thank Deputies for their contributions. Deputy O'Sullivan raise the process of buying a house. Approximately 60,000 people a year are buying houses. It is great to see that happen. For a lot of people who I know and who bought a house in the past couple of years, some found the process seamless and others found it really complex and stressful, particularly if they were involved in bidding wars or were victims of gazumping. In some cases, they found homes that were put on the market but should not have been put on the market at all for various reasons such as legal reasons around probate. The idea is to establish a review group to look at those issues and to look at best practice in other countries and recommend some changes that could be made. The group is currently being convened. It will comprise members from Departments, legal professionals, auctioneers, estate agents and, crucially, consumer representatives and other stakeholders. Having reviewed the current conveyancing and probate process and identified scope for greater efficiency and streamlining, the group will report its recommendations to the Housing for All Secretaries General delivery group. Hopefully, that will be done in the next few months.
Deputy Murnane-O'Connor from Carlow raised issues and delays for people having to wait to get on the housing list. I agree that people should not have to wait long, maybe just a few weeks from the time they make the application to a decision. I will definitely raise that and bring it to the attention of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien and Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell. It might be the case that more staffing is required in Carlow County Council. The Deputy also mentioned the high refusal rate for local authority home loans. Sometimes there is a reason for that. It must be borne in mind that if somebody applies for a local authority home loan, they have already been refused by a bank or maybe even two banks. That is often because they are not able to pay the money back. It is not a good thing to give people a loan they cannot afford to pay back. That does not do them any favours in the medium term either. That might be the reason but I am only speculating there.
Deputy Boyd Barrett raised Jennifer Bray's analysis in The Irish Times, which I thought was reasonably fair. I would not agree with it all but I thought it was reasonably fair and not as negative as the Deputy put across. It acknowledged good progress on overall home building, first-time buyers and social housing, but pointed out that we are falling behind targets on affordable purchase schemes. We know that and accept it. It is an area we are going to need to focus more on. That does not mean less focus on social housing or homes to buy in the normal way but it means a bit more focus on that, particularly by the LDA, which will lead on a lot of those projects.
There are many different forms of public housing. There is cost-rental, social housing, council housing, housing built by approved housing bodies, housing built by the LDA and the tenant in situ scheme. It can be built and it can be bought. There are too many people trying to drill down into statistics to diminish what has been achieved by not looking at social housing or public housing in the round, taking one aspect of it which might be direct build by councils and saying that is the only social housing being built. That is deeply misleading and it is not the reality on the ground. I have the pleasure to meet people from time to time when they have moved into new social housing projects. They are delighted to be there and to have a secure tenancy and affordable rent. They never raise with me whether it was the LDA that built it or an approved housing body. There is an academic interest in that, which is not reflected on the ground with real people in the way it is in the media.
Deputy Boyd Barrett mentioned people in emergency accommodation for more than a year or two years in some cases. Roughly a third to half of people who require emergency accommodation from the State are out of it within six months and most within a year. I agree it would be useful to have a better analysis and better understanding as to why people are in emergency accommodation for more than a year or two. There may be complex reasons. Having dealt with some of those cases, I know what some of the reasons are but I do not have a document that gives me a breakdown as to what the reasons are. That would be useful and I have discussed it with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien.
On retrofit, we are ramping up to 30,000 or 35,000 retrofits this year, which is pretty good going. Every year, we are building or retrofitting approximately 60,000 new homes. We can improve that further. Finally, Deputy Ó Murchú asked a question about modern methods of construction. We are using them. OPW does and Fingal County Council does in my own constituency. We have the construction technology centre in Galway and a demonstration park in Mount Lucas. "Modern methods of construction" is a very broad term. It ranges from factory-built homes that last for 30 to 50 years to whole slabs of concrete being brought in. It is a term that people use correctly and it is a better term than modular, but it mean lots of different things. It works in some places and not others. We are using it already and are going to use it more in the years ahead.
What about the housing adaptation grant?
That is with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell. A decision has not been made on it yet. It recommends changes to the income thresholds, recognising the fact that people earn more than they did before, and also increasing the amounts of grants given, recognising that the cost of construction has gone up. It has not been formally signed off on yet.
I assume the Taoiseach agrees with me on my third point on assessments of water capacity.
I do broadly, yes.
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Cuireadh an Dáil ar fionraí ar 1.50 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 2.50 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 1.50 p.m. and resumed at 2.50 p.m.