Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am asking specifically about the situation where a person has a housing need and is on the list and then he or she goes into recovery. It could be argued that because people are in recovery, their housing need has changed. Our argument, however, is that within three or six months, they will be out of recovery and will still need housing. The witnesses are suggesting this is dealt with on a case-by-case basis. I am looking for a commitment from all local authorities that people in that situation will be kept on the housing list. The witnesses are nodding. That is great.

My other question relates to voids and boarded-up houses. Having spoken about this issue with people in Cork City Council, I have long advocated that local authorities should be able to turn voids around as quickly as possible without having to send a list up to the Department. The requirement to do so is only red tape and bureaucracy. Do the witnesses think they would be able to turn voids around faster and reduce their number more quickly if they had the authority to do so and then to claim the money back from the Department afterwards without having to go through hoops?