Opposition tear into Government's new housing plan
James Cox
Here, we have a look at the topics likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.
New housing plan
The Government has launched a new housing plan, pledging to build a minimum of 300,000 new homes by 2030. This figure includes 72,000 social homes.
It has committed in excess of €9 billion in funding for housing through the Exchequer, the Land Development Agency (LDA) and the Housing Finance Agency in 2026.
One big change is the removal of annual housing targets. Critics have argued that this is a cop out from the Government, but Taoiseach Micheál Martin has defended the new plan.
Minister for Housing James Browne has also said the new plan will ramp up the construction of aparments. First-time buyer schemes currently in place will also remain until at least 2030.
Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin told reporters at Leinster House that the Government is underestimating overall housing need by a margin of about 20 per cent.
“The idea 50,000 new homes a year will address our housing crisis simply is not correct. That is not the view of the Housing Commission. It’s not the view of Sinn Féin or many other housing experts.”
Mr Ó Broin said the plan contained no increase in funding or targets for the delivery of new-build social homes, no scheme for new-build homes, nor an increase in affordable-purchase or cost-rental homes.
“What the Government have done is Orwellian in the extreme. They have taken all of the unaffordable private homes that receive any form of subsidy from the State, and they’re now describing all of those homes as affordable.
“And that’s just a brazen attempt to hide the fact that they’re not delivering affordable homes for working people.”
Fianna Fáil leadership
Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne has said Taoiseach Micheál Martin needs to bring more urgency to delivering on critical infrastructure, and tell people "if you're not finding solutions, you're part of the problem".
Sources have indicated unrest within Fianna Fáil at Mr Martin's leadership following Jim Gavin's disastrous presidential campaign, which met a premature end.
In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, Mr Byrne said this was an issue but that the main priority should be faster delivery in areas such as housing, childcare and disability services.
"The presidential election will fade from memory in a relatively short period of time. Jim Gavin will be the answer to a table quiz question in four years' time but if we're not seen to have made significant progress on housing, infrastructure, disability and childcare, those are issues that will really impact the wider public.
"I think I'm just articulating a frustration. Yes, the economy is doing well... we have a very good education system, really bright, incredible people.
"But for some reason in Ireland, there is an incredible slowness about getting things done. That is painful to watch at times. It never used to be that way to the same extent."
While he acknowledged frustration at Mr Martin within the party, Mr Byrne said "this is not just about Micheál Martin". However, he said the Taoiseach needs to take a more proactive approach in injecting urgency into delivery on key issues, particularly housing.
Abroad
In the UK, prime minister Keir Starmer's Irish chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has survived despite being at the centre of the 'briefing war'.
UK health secretary Wes Streeting was linked with a bid to unseat Mr Starmer as leader of the ruling Labour party. Mr McSweeney was believed to be the source of the rumours, but he has been backed by Mr Starmer.
US president Donald Trump was eager to claim victory this week after the record-long US government shutdown ended on his terms. But almost immediately, the White House was forced to battle a familiar bogeyman: Jeffrey Epstein.
A trove of emails released by Democrats in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday reignited questions about Mr Trump's relationship with the disgraced financier and how much the president knew about Epstein's alleged abuse of girls.
