Dr. Donal McManus:

In terms of the shift, the sector has grown from a very small base in the past 15 years and even before that time the sector provided between 25% and 30% of social housing. The work was done under the radar because it was special needs housing. The view adopted was our sector can take care of the dirty jobs but only local authorities can build family housing. The work evolved over the years where housing associations provided mixed housing for people with special needs, which the sector excelled in. There was also family housing provided in mixed communities. That has been another option and is not an either-or situation.

As I have said to Deputy Cowen, the sector has played its part. I have never said that the sector can solve the housing crisis. We have never said that we would solve the housing crisis but we will play our part and we will use different measures to do so. We will also focus a lot on housing management.

In terms of tenants' rights, the 29,000 tenants in this sector come under the remit of the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB. They have direct interaction in terms of their rights with the board. The system has worked okay to date. The local authorities are the only tenants in the rental sector in Ireland that do not have access to an independent body to give effect to their rights.

Deputy Coppinger mentioned the representation available to tenants in housing associations. We have our own independent regulator that will be established. For the past year tenants have been able to approach the RTB and raise issues and there have not been too many cases. The tenants can avail of that pathway. We support their right to do so because the RTB is independent. The local authorities are the only part of the rental sector in this country that do not have access to an independent adjudicator. I have outlined a few issues.