The latest figures from the Department of housing show that, again, the Government will miss its targets for building social and affordable homes this year. It promised 10,000 new social homes and completed fewer than 2,000 in the first half of this year. The Minister for housing has boasted that more than 26,000 social homes are at various stages of design and construction. He had the temerity to describe this as indicating the Government's efforts to accelerate the delivery of social homes. However, remaining at the planning and design change is simply not good enough to put a roof over anyone's head this year. Look at the numbers of children, with 5,000 children homeless, and the numbers of families and people in homelessness, with so little available to people looking to find a home of their own - so little affordable to rent, so little to buy, and the tenant in situ scheme so ineffective for so many. When will we hear about the housing plan and the reality of the likely figure for the construction of social and affordable housing?

By any objective yardstick, one would have to acknowledge that the last five years has seen extraordinary, exponential growth in the provision of social housing in this country compared with any decade going back to the seventies. A total of 50,684 social homes have been added to the social housing stock between July 2020 and quarter 2 of 2025, more than 13,700 homes were brought back into use under the voids programme, and 2023 and 2024 saw the delivery of newly built social housing reach levels not seen since the 1970s, with almost 16,000 social homes built over the two years. There has been very significant progress on the social housing front, which will continue with increased allocations in this budget for social housing and, indeed, for affordable housing. From the launch of Housing for All, nearly 16,900 affordable housing supports have been given.

I am hugely impressed by the courage shown by Niamh Kelly. Last year, she was viciously attacked by her ex-boyfriend and stabbed 50 times, leaving her with life-changing injuries. Yesterday, he was jailed for 14 years and Niamh has bravely spoken out. She has encouraged other women in toxic relationships to leave and get help. I welcome the measures the justice Minister brought to Cabinet today, including plans to create a domestic violence register, which I hope will include stalking and coercive control, as well as physical abuse. I would like to know why the Government is putting a 12-month pause on legislation that my colleague, Senator Patricia Stephenson, has introduced.

Her Bill would create a safe passage travel scheme for survivors of domestic abuse and their children. This would entitle them to free travel for three months while they try to rebuild their lives. This is a small measure that would make a huge difference. Does the Government support this Bill and, if so, why is it delaying it by 12 months?

The Minister for Social Protection is examining the proposal and will work with a range of groups and organisations in respect of it. The free travel scheme, more generally, has expanded very significantly since its conception and has very wide coverage. The Government is not opposed to this but the Government wants to work through the implications.