Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Professor Drudy for his presentation and thoughts. I have two brief questions.

We have had quite a lot of different groups and organisations coming into us and many of them are making different proposals and suggestions and we are trying to take them all on board and to see what would work and what would not. Three of the groups from the construction side that came before the committee have suggested a reduction in VAT from 13.5% to perhaps 9% and they are likening this to the boost the tourism industry got when something similar happened, although I know it is a completely different situation. What are Professor Drudy's thoughts on that - does he think it would be good or bad? I think I know his answer already.

I would also like to hear his opinion on bedsits. I visited a hostel in Waterford, my constituency, last Friday week. It is the St. Vincent de Paul hostel, where 43 men live. It is a fabulous hostel and has won an award for architecture. It was completed not long ago and is a fantastic building. I spoke in depth with a member of staff about how they could move people on from the hostel when they are stable enough to leave. His opinion is that bedsits need to be brought back into the mix and that they have a vital role to play because many of the people who live in the hostel would not have the facilities or the wherewithal to rent a two-bed or a three-bed home. He is of the view that if bedsits were provided in certain areas again, maybe some of these men might be able to move back out and live independently once more.