Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It was specified when I announced the affordable purchase scheme in January that I would have to sign a commencement order and move with regulations. Each local authority will decide for itself about the management of lists. On the current affordable purchase scheme and its delivery, this is through carve-outs on LIHAF sites, through the serviced sites fund and in the larger sites, such as Poolbeg, there will be an affordable purchase scheme. Through that we have identified a potential 4,000 units but a potential 10,000 units using local authority land only. Our ambition for affordability is much greater than that which is why we looked at things such as a new national regeneration and development agency which was well signalled in September last year. We put out the draft of the national planning framework. It did not just fall into my contribution today on foot of yesterday evening.

Deputy Casey referred to rent pressure zones and the next step. The next steps are happening now with the legislation that is in priority drafting in my Department. We hope to publish it in June. I hope that, working with the joint committee, we can avoid pre-legislative scrutiny or at least do it informally because I would really like to see this legislation enacted before the summer recess. It will strengthen the existing measures and protect tenants, so it is important that we bring it in as quickly as we can.

The quarterly review of the Housing Agency and the work it does on rent pressure zones is ongoing.

On the repair and lease scheme, the number of applications to date are 820, of which 347 have been deemed suitable, and 31 leases have been signed. We brought about the changes to the repair and lease scheme only recently. The five years will show a renewed interest in it. The people who own the property effectively being the responsible landlords will make a big difference in the attractiveness of the scheme.