Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that in respect of accessibility. Last week, we talked about universal design, houses and wheelchair-liveable homes in the context of adaptable construction. The groups represented were of the view there were certain practical issues regarding some of the second- and third-floor buildings, because of their limited size, existing staircases etc. There should be full accessibility, however, where building is starting from scratch on a greenfield site and where work is being undertaken on the ground floors of commercial properties.

Regarding the work being done by the ICSH, how can we encourage more builders to get into this space? If the ICSH has been able to do this and has found it a viable approach that can be done affordably, then this type of work would probably suit small builders rather than large commercial building outfits. What do we need to do in this space to make it more attractive? The census figures are coming in and possibly 160,000 homes are vacant. We would of course have to break that figure down. Some of these homes are perfectly liveable. They may be holiday homes and people might be working from home. What does Mr. Doyle suggest we could do to assist the ICSH and others in this regard?