Mr. Michael Layde:

With regard to the voids issue, the 952 figure refers to completion in the current year. At the moment, there are in excess of 3,500 voids nationally. I should point out that the additional 1,000 will be completed between this year and next, so, in other words, we are looking at upwards of 2,000 between now and the end of next year. Obviously, as additional funds become available we would seek to deal with the balance. As part of the implementation plan in regard to homelessness we will be taking specific measures to minimise the number of voids. As I said in my opening statement, it is unacceptable that there should be this problem at a time when we are facing supply issues.

HAP is a significant policy change in the sense that it is moving from a system where people in that category receive an income support - rent supplement - from the Department of Social Protection to one in which they will receive a fully-fledged housing support, in the same way that people moving from rent supplement to the rental accommodation scheme over recent years have done. Once they become HAP customers as social housing tenants, it will be open to them, as it is with others who are in social tenancies, to move to a different type of property or, indeed, ultimately to purchase a property.