Mr. Patrick Davitt:

On housing in the city, my family had a council house, which is what we call them down the country. That is where I was born and bred. It was a two-up, two-down council house. There were ten of us in the family and we had one of these houses when I was growing up. In the country it is the same as it is in the city, presumably, from that point of view. County councils should continue building and should not alone build social housing but should also be able to give moneys to young people who want to buy houses in their areas. That should happen again. We do not see why it was stopped. County councils, like banks and everyone else, state many people have not repaid those loans. I do not know if that is the case.

On housing and landlords, as referred to by Deputies Barry Cowen and Kathleen Funchion, I carried out training with a county council on the scheme. Its concerns was how it was going to get auctioneers to talk to it, get it clients and ensure its schemes would be known to landlords. I was to undergo the training one particular morning and ten people were supposed to show up. Only seven showed up. I underwent the training and thought they would find it very relevant. I agreed to send an e-mail to all of our members in a particular area, in which I told our agents that the people concerned would be in contact with them at a particular time. I asked them to look at renting to these categories of people, as that would be perfect. I even told the attendees to come into our office on 1 January, when our diaries came out, and that I would give them ten diaries in order that they could speak to all of our members. I have not heard from them since. This is a two-way process. It is not all to do with auctioneers and to whom they want and do not want to rent.

We do not represent landlords. Therefore, I do not believe Deputy Barry Cowen expects us to assure him that landlords would do X, Y or Z. However, from the point of view of auctioneers renting properties, we are bound to get the best price possible for landlords. That is our job. We cannot tell a landlord what to do. If a landlord can get €1,000 by renting the property to someone with and without social benefits, at the end of the day, that is his or her choice. All we can do is take the references and pass them to the landlord who must make the decision. If he or she does not make the call and the auctioneer makes it and something happens, God be with him or her.