The Government is expected to approve emergency legislation by the end of this week to extend rent pressure zones (RPZs) to all 26 counties in the State.
The Bill will be brought to the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday by Minister for Housing James Browne and is expected to be introduced in the Dáil on Wednesday.
The Government expects it to have passed all stages in the Oireachtas by Thursday and be ready to be signed into law. A waiver from pre-legislative scrutiny will also be sought from the Oireachtas Housing Committee.
It is expected to become law by the end of the month.
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Under new housing policies laid out by Mr Browne last week, it was originally proposed that the date for extension of RPZs to the entire State would coincide with new rent controls being introduced next March.
However, after the Opposition raised concerns that landlords in what are at present non-RPZ areas would hike rent prices before the March deadline, the Government agreed to introduce the “swift” changes.
At present 55 of the 166 local electoral areas, or seven of the 31 councils, are not classified as RPZs at present.
The new law, the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025, will extend the RPZs to all areas of the country until next February in advance of the new rent controls coming in from March 1st.
Mr Browne has indicated over the past few days that this would be a practical and a swift measure. Rent increases would be limited to an annual cap of 2 per cent or the rate of inflation – whichever is lower.
As it stands, roughly a fifth of tenancies are outside of RPZs.
All Opposition parties have long-standing policies on extending the RPZ throughout the State. It is understood that Sinn Féin, Labour and the Social Democrats are willing to support the move in principle, but will wait to see the text of the legislation before deciding separately on their stances.
Mr Browne will bring a memo jointly written with Minister of State John Cummins proposing new responsibilities for the Land Development Agency (LDA).
The LDA’s remit will be widened to enable increased delivery of private housing, the acquisition of more private land and support a wider spread of housing delivery beyond current geographical areas of operation.
Separately, Tánaiste Simon Harris is to brief the Cabinet meeting on preparations for Ireland’s presidency of the European Union during the second half of 2026. He is expected to emphasise strong relationships established with key figures in the European Parliament in advance of the presidency and for members of the Cabinet to be on first-name terms with their counterparts in other EU countries.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, alongside Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe, will look to publish the analysis of the Wellbeing in Ireland report for 2025, which will be used to help set out priorities for Budget 2026.
Department of Social Protection officials would be permitted to participate in Garda interviews with suspects in complex cases involving welfare fraud under proposals to be considered by the Cabinet.
Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary will put forward plans to permit a social welfare inspector or an authorised officer of his department to take part in such interviews under proposed legislation.
The move forms part of proposed amendments to the Bereaved Partners Bill.
Mr Calleary will also seek a memo to allow about 2,300 children in foster care to gain access to the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance.
The once-off payment helps eligible families with the cost of uniforms, clothes and footwear when children start school each autumn.
