It's (almost) all housing as emergency RPZ laws sent to Cabinet with two other housing memos

THE GOVERNMENT PLANS to publish emergency legislation today to extend Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) across the entire country. 

Last week, the Tánaiste confirmed that the legislation would be fast-tracked, indicating that legislation around the bigger reforms, which will be introduced after 1 March, will be advanced at a later stage.

Housing Minister James Browne will seek to introduce and publish the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 as emergency legislation today, with Cabinet agreeing last week it would be progressed as a priority.

This will extend the RPZs to all areas of the country until Feb 2026, ahead of the new rent controls coming in from 1 March.

Moving on extending RPZs as a matter of urgency is being done to prevent landlords from increasing rents in areas that are currently not protected in the interim period. 

Under the current system, over 80% of the country is already in an RPZ and subject to a 2% cap on rent increases or an increase in line with the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.

It was confirmed yesterday that former HSE chief executive Paul Reid is to be named as chairman of An Coimisiun Pleanala, which will replace An Bord Pleanala, with a memo set to be brought to Cabinet later.  

The third housing measure will see Browne ask Cabinet to agree to expand the role of the Land Development Agency to enable it to secure additional housing supply.

It is understood this will enable it to activate urban brownfield sites and allow for better land transfer powers when it comes to underused State lands.

Ireland’s presidency of the European Union next year

Separately, 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 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 today that resourcing and delivering a successful presidency in the second half 2026 is essential for Ireland’s position, influence and reputation in the EU.

Aside from 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 European Parliament in advance of the Presidency and to be on first-name terms with their counterparts in other EU countries.

Back-to-School Clothing expansion

Two other memos will be brought by Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe. 

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Calleary will seek approval to extend access to the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance to 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.

This could help around 2,300 children in 2025. It is payable in respect of children between the ages of 4 and 17 and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education.

Donohoe will seek approval for committee stage amendments to the Local Property Tax Bill, including one that relates to a property adapted for use by disabled persons.

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.

This is an increase from €50,000 in the 2012 Act and will allow owners of properties which have been adapted for use by disabled persons to self-assess the value of the properties at 1 November 2025 at one valuation band lower for the purposes of calculating their LPT charge.

The Taoiseach, alongside Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe, will look to publish the Analysis of Well-Being in Ireland report for 2025 tomorrow, which will be used to help set out priorities for Budget 2026.

Yesterday, at the National Economic Dialogue event in Dublin Castle, it was indicated by a number of government ministers that a VAT reduction for the hospitality sector is a key priority for the upcoming Budget. 

While the performance in the well-being report is being described ai]s positive overall, the analysis identifies areas where work is needed, such as unemployed people, younger workers, people in bad health, single-parent households, lower income households, and renters paying market rates faring less well than other groups in society.