Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the underspend by local authorities, I often say I only collect money. It was my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform who spent it. Again, it is something I have heard in the system, but we can check.

There is the idea that young couples should be assisted financially in putting together the deposit necessary to take out a loan. That is effectively the Chairman's point, but I would like to see his proposals. I would not rule it out as a matter of principle, but perhaps he might come up with some type of working model.

I apologise to Deputy Ruth Coppinger for responding to the Chairman first. Initially, she criticised me for ignoring housing and homelessness in my introductory remarks. She said I had not referred to them at all.