James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ministers of State for their most informed and interesting presentation. There is a departmental policy, with which I do not agree, that one cap fits all. There are areas of the country where one can purchase houses quite cheaply. In the midlands, in particular, one can buy a house for one fifth of what one would pay in the larger towns and cities. This option should be examined. After all, local authorities have invested a lot in estate management and the reinstatement of what used to be called unfinished or ghost estates. I do not like the term “ghost estates”. Since the local authorities have already invested, they should examine the possibility of buying five or six units in a small parish rather than renting them. It would be a lot cheaper in the long run.

There is considerable competition between the local authorities and voluntary agencies, such as Respond! and Clúid. People are allowed to move house willy-nilly and this needs to be addressed by the Department. A person can run down a property and then be moved to another area. They may be a public nuisance in one estate and be moved on to another. This needs to be addressed in the Department.

With regard to grants and housing adaption grants for older people, I understand most local authorities throughout the country operate a claw-back system whereby they can redeem some of the cost if expenditure exceeds a certain figure, if the person moves on or if the house is sold. Perhaps this should be examined. In Longford and Westmeath, if over €10,000 is spent, funding can be recouped if the house is sold or transferred to a third party. Perhaps the Minister of State will elaborate on those issues.