Dr. Donal McManus:

I want to challenge Deputy Durkan that model has failed on that side. Many local authorities approach housing associations to manage their properties. If that is evidence of failure, I do not know where we are. They have asked housing associations to manage properties. In terms of measuring failure, I do not think it is. There is huge demand for housing association properties in many areas because they like the standard of management that is provided to tenants. That is not a failure. Local authorities have approached us to regenerate their own properties. To be truthful, there were failures in local authorities over the past 30 years. There have been various regeneration schemes in different local authority areas and the State has had to pick up the tab. The sector believes it could have a role in redressing that. I would challenge that it has been a failure. Perhaps for some people it has been a failure, but I would say that the tenants living there would not claim it was a failure and they are the people who matter.