Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Many of those units would be ideal for the one- or two-bedroom housing that is in such demand. At one of our sessions, Mr. Odran Reid from Technological University Dublin said that it was not just about the quantum of units being brought back into the sector, but also the economic benefits that doing so would bring to towns and villages, restoring life and vibrancy to those that had been hollowed out. Why is it not being done, though? We have been discussing this for years. We know the vacancy figures and that they do not take into account spaces on second and third floors. Is the issue down to the multiple ownership of these units? Is it down to traffic management? Is it down to the bespoke nature of the work involved, with greenfield construction being easier? How do we stop these being the reasons?