Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have three issues I wish to raise. I will refer to them as 4.6, 4.12 and 4.13 of the report. In 4.6 there is reference to the introduction of a new affordable rental scheme to enhance the capacity of the private rental sector to provide for quality and affordable accommodation for a household which is currently paying a disproportionate amount of disposable income in rent. There is reference in the report to local authorities identifying a number of sites in Q1 of 2017 with the potential for up to 1,000 units of accommodation. How is all of that progressing?

As to 4.12 it is said an assessment will be carried out on the scope and provisions of additional student accommodation on local authority and other publicly-owned lands. There is also reference to the development of a database for the publicly-owned lands. Could Mr. McCarthy confirm how that is developing and describe the scope of it? It was also said that the database would be developed with the relevant stakeholders. How is that progressing?

My final point relates to 4.13. It was stated that student accommodation projects of 100 units and more would be enabled to go straight to An Bord Pleanála. We know the process so we do not need to go through it here. Have there been applications for the projects? The measure was introduced at the end of December and I accept it is early days yet but we are in the last month of the first quarter. Could Mr. McCarthy indicate how things are progressing, in particular in relation to student accommodation, or for that matter, any application through this process?