Mr. Pat Doyle:

I am aware of only one project in the current scheme where the builder has got into trouble and will not complete the project in view of the current costs. By and large, we hear that most people who won the tenders are delivering on them. They are concerned and giving out, but they are delivering. We do not have a big list of defaults. What we have been working on with the Department for new and upcoming tenders is that there will be a cushion whereby people can go back and seek unforeseen costs. Most people are delivering. The bigger issue, as I said earlier - I am not sure whether the Senator was here - is with regard to planning for the 2023 and 2024 pipeline and whether people will commit to a fixed tender price when there is so much uncertainty. This is the challenge. We are delivering and our members are not reporting any lack of delivery.

Irish Water costs are a challenge. There was one particular project where changes needed to be made and a second application had to be made. The costs changed between the first application and the second application. Everybody is aware of the cost. We are not having as many problems as one of the Deputies mentioned earlier with regard to Irish Water connections now because there is a representative from Irish Water on the high-level working group the Minister has put together and it is working. We probably need the same level of representation from the ESB for connections as we do from Irish Water. Irish Water will make its own case, but I would say, and this is anecdotal, that the costs for Irish Water and ESB connections are very high and add significantly to the overall costs of a project.

We need to eliminate this thing where you are penalised if changes are recommended by engineers or if there have been unforeseen changes to the site. I do not think some of the costs were justified. You were always making a fresh application, and it was a different rate from what you had previously. We need to watch that.

When it comes to finance, many developers and people can only get the finance they need if it is a CAS or CAS-funded project with an approved housing body. That goes back to what the Deputy from Limerick said to the effect that social housing schemes people may be able to get the money because they have the backing of a Government scheme, but small builders who would, in years gone by, on a site on which they would have built three units, made a profit on one and put that into the next site, are not getting the finance. Our other speaker has said that as well. We need to give greater access to finance for those smaller developers and builders to build one, two or three houses on the edges of towns and villages.