Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Just for the record for anyone who is listening, last week I was anxious to facilitate an off-the-record conversation within the Department so that people could understand what the policy document was all about.

I was there for much of the meeting - I was unable to be there for all it - and there were no time limits on it. All of our top people here were there to answer individual questions on a plan that was largely put together by them. I am the face of it but they put it together. When we are trying to be as open and transparent about the information we have to ensure everybody is informed, I do not think it is overly fair then to start equating that with a meeting that apparently I was not even at. That is not a fair reflection of what happened.

As I said, we will insist that Part V is implemented in full as opposed to the buy-out systems that were there in the past. Part V is a bare minimum. Many estates will go beyond 10% but it is up to local authorities and approved housing bodies to do the deals that are needed to make that happen. I am not familiar with the individual case in Dún Laoghaire and I am not going to talk about individual cases.