Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Coppinger is not here. One would not compare it to a Magdalen laundry. It is grossly unfair. I hope the Deputy can get down there while some of the workmen are still on site because it is an incredibly positive story. Fifty families will go in there, not forever but for a short period. The assistance that is there will get them out of the hub into more permanent accommodation. It is far superior to where they find themselves now. The Deputy will be pleasantly surprised when she looks at things like the homework room or media room. There is a really great play space with a tree house and everything else. There will be a playground outside and there will be allotments, which are for gardening, although I am not quite sure if they will be growing vegetables in them. There is a lot there for the families for the time they will be there, which will be temporary before they move on to more permanent solutions.

Deputy Eoghan Murphy: Deputy Coppinger is not here. It is grossly unfair to compare it to a Magdalen laundry. I hope the Deputy can get down there while some of the workmen are still on site because it is an incredibly positive story. Fifty families will go in there, not forever but for a short period. The assistance that is there will get them out of the hub into more permanent accommodation. It is far superior to where they find themselves now. The Deputy will be pleasantly surprised when she looks at things like the homework room or media room. There is a really great play space with a tree house and everything else. There will be a playground outside and there will be allotments, which are for gardening, although I am not quite sure if they will be growing vegetables in them. There is a lot there for the families for the time they will be there, which will be temporary before they move on to more permanent solutions.

Deputy Coppinger also raised the issue of vacant housing and what we are doing on that. I will publish the strategy when I am happy with some of the new measures I want to bring into it but 1,900 homes were acquired last year. It is very important that stuff is being done. When it comes to political will, there will not be any ideology coming from me on this.