Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and his team for coming in. I listened to his forthright presentation and was impressed with it because he is telling it as it is. In respect of active land management and how it would work, I presume that is what Deputy Durkan is talking about in respect of serviced sites.

The Minister said that 38% of the cost of a house goes on taxes.

My concern is if we reduce the VAT rate from 13.5% to zero, will we create a lever by which the developer will make the margin? How do we control that? What are the Minister's views on this?

The local authorities are under awful pressure, not so much in trying to provide housing but actually dealing with the housing situation from social workers right through to people declaring as homeless every day. This is not just confined to Dublin or to the cities but happens in every town. Has the Minister any thoughts on how the local authorities could be better equipped with resources to handle that?

Another area where local authorities’ ability is questionable is in how they manage estates once they are built. I have seen numerous cases where fine estates are built but, within weeks, houses are boarded up again. This is a criminal waste of money and public resources.

From his experience of the past 20 months in the Department at the coalface of this problem, does the Minister have any specific further recommendations for the committee or any changes or advice he would offer? I do not need ten recommendations; just two or three would be worthwhile. We do not need to comment on what has happened but on what we can do in the future.