Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I was talking about Bodenstown and Ballymun. Across the whole Ballymun area, for instance, we have at least 30 units below ground level with large windows boarded up, and not just there but right across the country. It is the same in Bodenstown. Every time I go there I see these units boarded up, and we have no figures on the number of such units. There is a huge amount of work to be done, whether planning or design, on how they might be brought back into use. As we would have problems over development plans and master plans where these units were all put in, supposedly to supplement the incoming residential population, we really need to consider this hugely significant area.

Regarding the architects and the panel of experts, most of the local authorities have the experts. They have the architects, the planners and so on.

We should keep as much as possible within the remit of the local authorities. The inspectors and this panel of experts will obviously come from the local authorities to be supplemented perhaps from some other external sources. I believe they are best placed and have the experience for this role.

Did Deputy Cowen consult the senior management of the local authorities, and discuss the issue with them? I would be interested to learn how they viewed it.

After the Celtic tiger period, we saw the emergence of ideas about locating shops throughout the country. The predictions of areas of population growth were a total failure and we have ended up with vacant units everywhere. There are issues with the older units in towns. Fire safety is now a consideration in terms of design and the frontage. The experts need to look at this to ensure it is in harmony with its surroundings.

Another area which we need to consider is the conversion of warehouses, mills and older buildings. The old mill in Phibsborough was converted into accommodation many years ago. There are similar buildings that need to re-imagined. There are many old schools and other buildings that have been left lying idle in Dublin city centre and we could look at converting them for use.

We are in the middle of a housing crisis. How long does Deputy Cowen envisage it would take for such a Bill to be enacted by the Oireachtas? Will the process take six months or longer?