I want to join the Cathaoirleach on sending sympathies to the extended White family. Mary was someone with a great vision, determination and energy. She did not put up with any chit-chat or guff. She got straight to the point. She was a strong republican, as is her husband Padraic. I would like to extend my sympathies to the White family.

I want to propose an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 13 be taken before No. 1." I refer to the Planning and Development (Provision of Public Housing) Bill 2026, which has been put down by the Sinn Féin Senators. This is a simple Bill. It is to ensure and protect the provision of public housing, removing an exemption from Part V obligations for high-density development sites of less than 0.1 ha. We have seen the continual use of this loophole by developers seeking to avoid their Part V obligations. This is particularly relevant in the inner city of Dublin and other highly populated areas across the State. When we see large commercial developments of up to 50 units being exempted from providing public housing on the basis that their sites are particularly small at street level, it is clear that the existing legislation is flawed. This is a common-sense change that would have been put in place when the height limits in Dublin were raised some years ago by the then Minister, Eoghan Murphy. Developers should be held to their obligations to the community on the basis of the true size and scale of their developments and not on the arbitrary assessment of acreage.

Communities in the inner city are experiencing the worst side of the housing crisis. Families are living in damp, overcrowded conditions only fit to be condemned and pulled down. Communities in areas like Ringsend, Pearse Street and Kevin Street are the heart of this city. These communities are facing neglect and the public – ordinary working families – are being priced out of housing in the inner city. We are seeing a generation of people being forced to abandon the community they know and grew up in in order to try to find a home a long distance from the inner city.

It is ordinary people like this who make the inner city. Without them, Dublin will be and would be a shell of a city. We need to amend legislation to ensure public housing is delivered in communities most under pressure. The only way we are going to solve the housing crisis is by delivering public housing on a massive scale to bring down private sector rents and ensure that no one is left sleeping on the streets or in a hostel. This Bill is a small step forward towards that goal and I hope this House will support it at a later stage.