Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Some of the information Ms Orla Hegarty provided the committee was interesting. I represent the Cork North Central constituency. The figures she gave from the UCC report about Cork's North Main Street, a street I know well, are interesting. This points to reasons to support this Bill. We want to support this Bill but we have some issues and reservations which we have flagged before.

Ms Orla Hegarty touched on the issue of overcrowding and illegal conversions. We saw the RTÉ exposé at the end of last year about massive overcrowding in some premises on the south side of Dublin city. We have a concern about the inspection regime. We do not want to see it outsourced. We believe it should remain in the hands of the local authority. However, if there is to be genuine independent oversight, one needs to have inspectors who can do the job. Currently, more than 60 are employed in this area but fewer than 40 are physically involved in visiting premises. What are Ms Orla Hegarty's thoughts on the idea that this Bill should not progress until such time that it is linked to a significant increase in the oversight capabilities of local authorities?