A chairde,
Housing is the defining challenge facing this country.
And Fianna Fáil is taking that challenge on.
Not with slogans.
Not with shouting from the sidelines.
But with delivery, with action and with a clear plan.
And I want to acknowledge the leadership of our Taoiseach, Micheál Martin.
Micheál has made housing a central priority of this Government because he understands what every family across Ireland understands.
A home is security.
A home is stability.
A home is the foundation on which people build their lives and communities.
Every person in this hall knows someone affected by the housing crisis.
And I also want to thank Seamus McGrath for his work chairing the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party Housing Committee, along with Paul McAuliffe and Mary Fitzpatrick for leading the parliamentary party discussions on housing in Dublin.
Our housing policy has been built from the grassroots up.
From the ideas and input of our members into our manifesto at the last General Election, through negotiations on the Programme for Government, and through the ongoing work of our parliamentary party, Fianna Fáil has stayed focused on practical solutions and delivery.
Young people trying to save for a deposit.
Parents worried about whether their children will ever afford a home.
Families struggling with rising rents.
Older people looking for security and certainty.
And too many people still without a permanent home of their own.
That is why this Government and this Fianna Fáil team have made housing our number one priority.
And as Minister for Housing, I can tell you this.
I am driving this work forward every single day.
The housing challenge does not have one simple solution.
There is no quick fix.
We have to tackle it from every angle at once.
Planning.
Infrastructure.
Finance.
Viability.
Home ownership.
Rental supply.
Homelessness.
That is exactly what we are doing.
My focus since taking office has been straightforward.
Cut delays.
Simplify systems.
Standardise processes.
Get homes built.
For too long in this country, projects got tied up in delay and bureaucracy.
And every unnecessary delay adds cost.
Those costs are ultimately paid by renters, buyers and families trying to put a roof over their heads.
So when we simplify planning and standardise systems, we are not just speeding things up.
We are helping to bring costs down and make housing more affordable for ordinary working people.
We are streamlining planning.
We are unlocking infrastructure.
We are investing heavily in water and wastewater services.
And we are making sure local authorities have the support they need to deliver homes at scale.
We are also making sure rural Ireland is not left behind.
People should be able to build and live in their own communities.
That is why we are updating the rural housing guidelines to support sustainable rural housing while protecting the character of rural Ireland.
I want young people in rural communities to have the chance to stay close to their families, their schools, their work and their community.
That matters.
And while we continue to grow our towns and cities, we also need communities where people can live locally, work locally and have the infrastructure and transport they need around them.
Housing policy is not just about units and targets.
It is about communities and quality of life.
Despite global inflation, supply chain disruption and international uncertainty, Ireland is building again.
And despite all the noise from the opposition, we are delivering results.
Last year over 36,000 new homes were completed, the highest annual level since records began in 2011.
More than 9,000 social homes were delivered, the highest level in the history of the State.
Planning permissions reached their highest level in 16 years.
And home commencements increased strongly this year, showing real momentum in the pipeline for future delivery.
Importantly, first time buyers are being supported too.
The first part of 2026 saw the highest first quarter volume of first time buyers since 2007.
That matters because Fianna Fáil believes in home ownership.
We believe that people who work hard should have the chance to own their own home.
These are not just numbers on a page.
Every one of those homes represents a person or family getting security and certainty.
A child getting stability.
A young couple getting a start.
A community growing stronger.
That is what drives me as Minister for Housing.
We are now seeing momentum because of sustained investment by this Government.
Local authorities are scaling up delivery.
Approved Housing Bodies are delivering more homes.
Construction activity is increasing right across the country.
But we need to keep going.
We need to build more homes, more quickly and at greater scale.
That means supporting home ownership.
Expanding affordable and cost rental housing.
Protecting renters.
And bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use.
There is nothing more frustrating for communities than seeing buildings sitting idle while families need homes.
That is why we are also expanding and strengthening the Living Cities Initiative so we can bring more vacant buildings back into use, support regeneration in our towns and cities and create vibrant communities in urban centres once again.
The Housing Action Plan we launched marked an important turning point.
It is backed by €40 billion in investment through the National Development Plan.
That investment is going into housing, infrastructure, water and wastewater services to unlock development across the country.
Because homes cannot be built without serviced land and proper infrastructure.
And let’s be honest about this.
The State cannot build every home on its own.
We need partnership.
We need investment.
And we need certainty in the system so projects can move ahead.
That is why we are reforming planning, unlocking land and improving viability.
In Budget 2026 we reduced VAT on apartments to improve apartment delivery.
We introduced tax measures to support cost rental housing.
And through affordable purchase schemes Croí Cónaithe Cities and affordable purchase homes we are helping developments proceed that otherwise would not happen.
Because every delayed project has a real human impact.
Every stalled site means another family waiting longer for a home.
A chairde,
We also know there is still far too much homelessness in this country.
And we should never become used to that reality.
Homelessness is not just a statistic.
It is children growing up without stability.
It is families living with uncertainty.
It is people without the security they deserve.
I do not accept that as normal.
That is why we are accelerating the delivery of permanent homes, strengthening prevention measures and increasing support services.
In the last Budget alone, we provided more than €563 million for homelessness services, including dedicated funding to help families move from emergency accommodation into permanent homes.
Because this has to be about people first.
As we look ahead, let us be clear about what success means.
Success means more homes built.
Success means homes people can afford.
Success means young people being able to see a future for themselves in Ireland again.
And success means strong communities right across urban and rural Ireland.
That is the mission of Fianna Fáil.
And I can assure you of this.
I am determined to keep driving delivery.
I am determined to keep cutting delays.
And I am determined to get more homes built for the people of this country.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.