Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill which has great potential. We were all trying to work with local authorities recently on the repair and leasing scheme, which has not taken off at all. The uptake has been very poor. The scheme only covers housing or apartments, but this Bill covers commercial and residential property. I compliment Deputy Cowen on working with all of the agencies involved because that is crucial. Currently, there are more than 240,000 vacant houses nationally, including flats. The Bill concerns all the different bodies covering fire safety, disability access, building control and local authorities which means things can move quickly and be done to a proper standard. I have no doubt that these agencies will deliver when they are brought together. The biggest issue with the schemes that have been brought through and the reason they are not working relates to the requirements imposed.

I know from dealing with the repair-and-leasing and buy-and-renew schemes that many people seeking to avail of them are not qualifying for them, so the requirements of these schemes will be crucial. This is a very good Bill and I hope it will get through to Final Stage. Will Deputy Cowen clarify the matter of the approved inspectors? Who will they be or from what Department will they come? I refer also to urban regeneration. It is crucial that as Senators and Deputies, we bring back regeneration into our towns. Doing so will help to create activity in our town centres. As Deputy Cowen said, he has worked with the different agencies - the Peter McVerry Trust, the architects and all the local authorities, in particular Dublin City Council - and they have given him advice. That is a sure sign of a good Bill that needs to be passed as quickly as we are allowed to pass it. To Deputy Cowen I say, "Well done."