Mr. Pat Doyle:

I have just a couple of comments. We have always said the homeless and housing crisis is complex and so every and any instrument should be investigated to alleviate the pressure on homeless people, particularly families in hotels. Rapid build was mentioned, as were the various associated prices. The trust has been a supporter of rapid build. Even with the prices being far higher than once expected, the whole idea of rapid building is to have housing constructed rapidly now to get people out of hotels now.

We were to the fore in bringing local authority voids into use, particularly in 2015 and early 2016. That initiative is now almost exhausted. The number of voids has decreased significantly so it is only right and proper that we now consider the vacant properties in the private sector. We took two particular voids in the Dublin City Council area in partnership with the council and were delighted to do that. One contained 11 units in St. Agatha's and the other contained 17 units in Townsend Street. Those units were in such a bad state of repair that planning permission had to be sought. There were all sorts of consultations and procurement issues. The voided units in St. Agatha's, which we took on in 2015, will come into use in February this year. The process took a year and a half. In that context, even given the higher prices of rapid build, rapid build is important because it will get people out of hotels this year if the units are built this year. We welcome the rapid build initiative.

With regard to private stock, we gave some examples of some properties we have taken in. Some were taken on in partnership with the Housing Agency, the OPW and Dublin City Council. At the private end, we have a monastery in Kildare that we will bring back into use this year. We will turn it around in approximately five months and it will yield four family units and three single units or units for couples. This amounts to seven units for €350,000. The capital assistance scheme will fund it. The building was one from which one of the religious orders pulled out. We are currently doing a search of buildings owned by religious orders to ascertain whether some of them can be brought back around.

The Deputy asked about pricing. We opened six units on Pim Street for about €124,000 in partnership with the Housing Agency and the local authority. Eight units were brought in for about €300,000. Vacant buildings can be brought around much more cheaply and quicker. There are still obstacles to which we need to pay attention, however. If the building has been unoccupied for over two years, there is a reconnection issue. We had seven units in another local authority area that we were trying to bring back into use. We had done the work on them and wanted them ready for Christmas. We only barely got them ready for Christmas based on the connection. The time for connections was very long. The work was greatly delayed, by about three months, based on the connection. We have had numerous cases of this. Although we can turn the units around in a couple of months, there are issues over fire safety and disability access. We need more support and co-ordination in this regard.

With regard to the monastery, the commencement order was delayed for six weeks. It was partly attributable to our not having learned how to fill it in. Rather than picking up the telephone to point out an error in the way an order is filled out online, some local authorities just state it is non-compliant and that a fresh application must be made. I acknowledge some do ring. Where a fresh application has to be made, it causes a delay of another two or three weeks. We could speed things up by having a little more co-ordination.

One of the deputy directors of Dublin City Council came out with us last night to look at two derelict basement units. We took them from a private landlord, asked for a long lease on them and stated the trust would refurbish them at no cost to the landlord. We welcome the scheme being introduced that will give landlords up to €40,000 per unit. We reckon we can bring the two units in question back into use for approximately €60,000. They will be ready in two weeks. We have a long-term lease on them. Their refurbishment regenerates the street. They looked to be in bad repair. The initiative offers more than just housing but the primary issue for us is the housing.

We welcome the schemes being introduced for vacant units. We would like to see the city of Dublin, for example, divided by a grid and the Irish Council for Social Housing having a part in asking the voluntary housing associations to take on a section of the grid and target the properties therein rather than competing with landlords and making multiple inquiries. The cities should be divided by grids, with each voluntary housing association taking on a particular area with the support of the local authority.

That is something that I would like to see in that report. Let them off and they could then work with the local authority and the Housing Agency to get those units brought back in. That is all I really wanted to say in this regard.

As one must register for property tax, we should be registering vacant or disused sites as well even though there is not a payment. People may be reluctant to do that because they think a payment may come but that is a form on which we could capture some of the derelict or vacant sites. While we are saying 12 months, Vancouver has said six months and one is hit with additional taxes after six months. We suggest the carrot-and-stick approach. If people are offered a scheme for a year, that allows the Housing Agency, participants in the voluntary sector and the local authorities to engage with the landlord for up to a year. Thereafter, if there is no engagement, maybe the tax can be brought in.