Cabinet to discuss uniform allowance, housing crisis

RTÉ News​

6 hours ago

Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary will seek Government approval to extend access to the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance to 2,300 children being cared for by foster families in receipt of the Foster Care Allowance.
The once-off payment helps eligible families with the cost of uniforms, clothes and footwear when children start school each autumn.
It is payable in respect of children between the ages of 4 and 17 and children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education.
The Taoiseach, alongside ministers Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe, will look to publish the Analysis of Well-Being in Ireland report for 2025, which will be used to help set out priorities for Budget 2026.
While performance is positive overall, the analysis identifies areas where work is needed.
It highlights that unemployed people, younger workers, people in bad health, single-parent households, lower income households, and renters paying market rates are faring less well than other groups in society.
Tánaiste Simon Harris will outline the significant preparations underway for Ireland's presidency of the European Union next year.
This will be the eighth time Ireland has hosted the Presidency of the European Council and the first occasion to do so since 2013.
During the presidency term there will be 23 informal ministerial meetings hosted in Ireland and a quarter of them will be held outside Dublin.
There will also be a summit of the European Political Community (EPC) and an informal meeting of the European Council, both of which will take place in Dublin. The EPC summit will be the largest meeting Ireland has ever hosted involving leaders of 47 states as well as several heads of EU institutions and international organisations.
The Tánaiste will tell colleagues that resourcing and delivering a successful presidency in the second half of 2026 is essential for Ireland's position, influence and reputation in the EU.
Work is underway across the Government to define Ireland's policy priorities for the presidency and will intensify in the autumn. In addition to these ministerial meetings, there will also be a range of conferences and other large-scale events which may be held in locations outside Dublin to help ensure an appropriate regional distribution of presidency events.
The Tánaiste will tell ministers it is essential to have strong relationships established with key figures in the parliament in advance of the presidency and to be on first-name terms with their counterparts in other EU countries.
There are also plans for a programme of community, youth and schools engagement around the presidency, which will have a particular focus on children and young people, and will be designed in a way which takes the views of young people on board.
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe will seek Cabinet approval for committee stage amendments to the Local Property Tax Bill, including one that relates to property adapted for use by disabled people.
This will provide for a reduction of €105,000 in the chargeable value of a property which has been adapted for use by a disabled person, subject to certain criteria being met.
Proposals to address housing crisis
Housing Minister James Browne will bring three proposals to Cabinet in an effort to address the housing crisis.
The proposals include legislation to quickly extend rent pressure zones across the country, to expand the remit of the Land Development Agency and to establish Coimisiún Pleanála to replace An Bord Pleanála.
Later this evening the Dáil will debate an opposition motion calling for emergency action on housing while a Raise the Roof protest will take place outside Leinster House.
Priority legislation that will bring the 17% of tenancies currently outside the Rent Pressure Zones within the 2% rent cap rule is now expected to quickly progress through the Oireachtas.
Minister James Browne will tell Cabinet the move is a practical measure to protect any renters from rent hikes in advance of the new rent control system that will be introduced next March.
Separately former HSE boss Paul Reid is expected to be named as the chairperson of An Coimisiún Pleanála, which will replace An Bord Pleanála.
It is expected Minister Browne will bring a memo to Cabinet to establish the new body which is aiming to speed up planning decisions.
The Cabinet will also hear that the Land Development Agency is to be tasked with delivering more homes across the country.
The agency will get stronger powers to find and acquire land suitable for housing from both public and private sources.