John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise two other items. Deputy Sean Fleming raised the issue of homelessness in the context of the work done in refurbishing houses. I am always taken aback by the number of local authority houses that continue to remain unoccupied. I know from my constituency which covers two counties, Carlow and Kilkenny, that there is an unacceptably high number of local authority houses that are not occupied. I also know that at any one time up to ten families can be placed in a hotel in Kilkenny and that more is being paid to accommodate people in a hotel than would have been paid if they had remained in rented accommodation paid for by the State. When their rent was increased, there was no negotiation with the landlord and they ended up homeless and being housed in a hotel. What funding is available to fast-track the refurbishment of houses in order that they will be available for tenants?

My second question relates to Moore Abbey in County Kildare in another constituency where there has been ongoing discussions for six years on a voluntary housing scheme. We need these houses urgently, but there seems to be a bureaucratic obstacle course in proceeding with projects. I do not expect Mr. McCarthy to know the details of the project at Moore Abbey, but I would like him to have it checked, as it is similar to a housing scheme in Kilkenny, the weir housing scheme which has been transferred to a housing agency, although the houses have not yet been allocated. The issue has been ongoing for months on end. Where are the road blocks that cause projects to stagger and not be completed within a specified timeframe?