John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Before I invite Mr. Brett to respond, I want to reiterate the point made by Deputy Coppinger in regard to landlords against whom the banks are taking action.

From my perspective, in all cases the banks appear to want the houses vacant, with no tenants. We are examining a housing crisis, which many of us view as an emergency, and we are considering things that could be done as short-term solutions. We would hold local authorities to account for the voids they have and how quickly they can turn them around. Has the banking sector any idea how many properties and units of accommodation fall into this category, where the banks have taken actions against landlords who are in difficulty and the properties are now vacant when they could be tenanted? Does the banking sector have a view on the capacity that exists?