149. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to ensure transparency in the home-buying process, to curb ghost bids and gazumping, and to curtail bidding wars that are leading to higher house prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18166/26]

Sentiment score: -0.16

House prices are completely out of control and have been for a long time. They have increased by 68% since 2020 when Fianna Fáil took over the housing Ministry - 68%. In Dublin, the median price of a home is €500,000. That is half a million euro for a home. What is the Minister doing to address the issues that are contributing to inflation in the market, such as dysfunction in our housing market, ghost bids, gazumping and opaque bidding processes? What is he doing to address that?

Sentiment score: -0.06

Does the Minister accept that we have a serious problem in our housing market? We can look at it in terms of the gap between advertised sale prices and actual selling prices. We have a problem with that massive gulf and it is ordinary people - families and individuals - who are being squeezed on house prices, which are absolutely unaffordable. What is happening in the housing market can be seen on the Crazy House Prices Instagram page. People are highlighting it. This is going on right now. There is case after case of people being gazumped. There are ghost bids with people putting in a bid in with a price, then it says it has been withdrawn, then it says it does not exist and all the time the house prices are going up. The Minister can do something about this. We need action quickly on this, not just another report that sits on a shelf. We need action. Does the Minister accept there is a problem around bidding in the housing market that is adding to house price inflation?

Sentiment score: -0.10

I am very concerned because what we saw from the previous Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael Government was a commitment to address gazumping, ghost bids and the problems in the market. I am deeply concerned because the Minister is again making commitments to review it but I am not sure about the timeline for delivering changes and action on this. You can read article after article about this. We have examples of estate agents using AI photos to show potential properties and the ads regulator not enforcing. There are massive problems in our housing market that are adding to house price inflation. We cannot just let this be a review of a policy that sits on a shelf. We need to see action and I want the Minister to outline a timeframe for action on this.

Sentiment score: -0.14