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

I will start with the Deputy's final point. After I met the Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance at site on the day on which the keys were handed over, its representatives came back to the Department and we went through the mechanics of how it had been able to develop that site and the different things that it had done. As I said in Limerick at a two-day conference on social housing with the housing bodies, one thing we want to do is scale these models. Hence, we are looking at the affordability criteria that they put in place to see if we could adopt the model and make it a general scheme for all local authorities and not just that particular housing body. We are trying to work with Ó Cualann - it is up for that as well - but we are trying to ensure that we are engaging in best practice now and to extend that throughout the country.

On the matter of empty shops, both downstairs and upstairs, I have not had an opportunity to look at the detail of Deputy Cowen's Bill. We want to make it easy for people to redevelop above the shop and the shop as well. If a commercial premises is vacant and can serve a housing function, we should do that quickly and easily with a minimum of hassle.