Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in. Their insight is very useful and the real examples they use in their presentation are very helpful. In terms of their recommendations on housing and the housing needs of the groups they represent, the reason they are here today is because this group decided that this is an area we need to address. The witnesses have allies in here.

I agree with Deputy Ó Broin that we have limited scope in what we can do but in terms of their first recommendation, it would seem to me that any recommendation from us to say that the RIA should move to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government might land on deaf ears. It might be a difficult objective to achieve. I would like to see the situation pertaining to the housing needs of the group coming within that scope. Will the witnesses think again about that particular recommendation? Could they have a fresh look at it and structure it differently so that we could go off and recommend some element in terms of housing needs to the Minister which would address their concerns on the housing element of it?