Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have four straightforward questions. The last time we met I raised the need for independent inspections of emergency accommodation. Since then the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive, DRHE, has completed its work on the national quality standard framework and have presented that work to the Department along with a proposal for the establishment of a national equality standards office which would have an inspectorate related to it. Can the Minister give us an update on that? Can he tell us when that office is going to be established and what its staff and budget are going to be? Can he also tell us if it will be independent of the Department, the local authorities and the regional homeless executive, and if it will cover all emergency accommodation, including private emergency accommodation?

On the land initiatives I have a very straightforward question. There are four land initiative projects currently in negotiations with the local authorities, with three in Dublin city and one in south Dublin. I understand that there is going to be a call from councillors in Dublin city for the Department to directly fund the land initiative regeneration project in St. Michael's estate rather than have it as a private sector-led development. I have raised this issue with the Minister before and I would ask that he consider such a proposition, particularly in the light of the budget announcements in a couple of weeks.

Can the Minister update us on the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF? Can he tell us when the Department will be making decisions on whether to afford funding to the preferred list of projects? Can he give us any update on the concerns many of us have around affordability?

Can the Minister tell us when the building reports from both the housing agency and the Department will be published, and can he give us a guarantee that there will be no watering down of those reports and that the Oireachtas members will be given those reports in full, as they are presented to him?