Mr. Gene Clayton:

On the issue of Ireland being singled out from other member states for reclassification, every member state to a greater or lesser extent has government finance as part of the provision of social housing. There needs to be some sort of support, whether it is bricks and mortar or rental support. In practically every system in every country, part of the income of housing bodies in the provision of social housing has government support, whether it is a rental support through a housing benefit type system or a housing assistance payment, HAP, system, or a state guarantee on the preferential loans from government. Part of the income of almost all housing bodies across Europe would have some sort of Government support and it is curious that Ireland finds itself in the position with regard to the EUROSTAT instruction to ask the CSO to look at the approved housing bodies, AHB, sector.