Mr. Edmund Honohan:

Public housing is the way forward. In 1932 a proposal was made for the establishment of a housing agency - not the local authorities - and it is recorded that Deputies had to prod the agency from time to time to get on with the job. Nevertheless, it was a housing agency rather like the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. If we are talking about cutting through the procurement mechanisms and getting shovel ready projects up and running, that seems to be the way to go. The history of local authorities is that they are, if one likes, unable to shift themselves from a mindset.

I referred to modular housing as a joke solution. It is not a joke solution, but it is when it costs €243,000 per unit. Let us build modular houses at €90,000 per unit. Before my time, we had stocks of coal in the Phoenix Park. These are emergency measures. When one builds modular housing, people understand these homes will be temporary. One does not build a proper house, describe it as modular and then tell the residents they will have to move on in six months.

The Kenny report was mentioned. What is the point about the Kenny report on building land? The proposal was not implemented. That is another judge who said let us go for this, let us be inventive and radical. I mentioned Miss Justice Laffoy and I mention Kenny. The judges are quite prepared to hear proposals and to go with them. In recent years they have been cutting back significantly on the degree to which they accept or wield any sort of authority on limiting the project in its nuts and bolts. That is what I have to say.