Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá brón orm. There is a logic to some aspects of it but I refer to the house prices being charged in some areas. This LIHAF money is supposed to be delivering some affordable houses. In terms of some of the grants, however, we are looking at minimal decreases versus market rate. I know some social housing is being provided but I wonder if we are paying for them on top of that. We need to look under the bonnet, so to speak, on this in some more detail.

I have many questions but I will stick to what the Minister said earlier. He mentioned that he will commence legislation for an affordable housing purchase scheme in the coming days. He did not mention that last night in the Dáil when he was responding to motion on affordable housing I tabled. That is fair enough. The Minister is before the committee and he has done it. How does he intend to introduce that? He mentioned regulations and stated that he would sign a commencement order. Will that come through by way of legislation or is he reactivating a scheme as a statutory instrument? How soon does he expect to do that? Will he set a target on delivering affordable purchase units this year? Will we see any this year? I am interested in seeing that. I welcome the Minister's commitment to that because what myself, Deputy Ó Broin, Deputy Barry and others said about the homelessness figures is very important. We need to look at that. When the Minister has his reports in early June we will come back to that but I am interested in the affordable housing piece.

The Minister also mentioned that he intended to establish a national regeneration and development agency which on the face of it appears to be a good idea. I suggested something similar and I was accused by the Minister last night of creating another quango. By the looks of it, he could have voted for our motion earlier today. The Minister has had a road-to-Damascus conversion-----