Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all of the witnesses for coming in and for the work they do in the most challenging of circumstances. My focus since I came into the Dáil has mainly been on health, and HSE representatives tend to get a fair beating in the media when things are not going well. I am very conscious of the fact that many of the witnesses here today also get the raw end of the stick sometimes, even though they are doing their very best.

I will start with Brexit. I believe the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government has commissioned a report on the impact of Brexit on the housing and homelessness situation in this country. This is coming down the tracks, possibly very quickly. It has been suggested that up to 500,000 people in the UK exist in a sort of no man's land and that after Brexit, there is a risk that they may end up here. This could cause problems and exert serious pressure on our system. If the witnesses know anything about that or have done any preliminary work on it, I ask them to speak on it and outline how we might deal with it.

Last week or the week before, representatives of the OPW were before this committee. They told us that they use the British standards of the Royal College of Chartered Surveyors when calculating the size of a building. In terms of buildings, if we photocopy what is done in the UK and use it here, what impact will any changes in regulatory alignment have on our system? Will there be any issues with regard to materials or products that we import from the UK and the related building standards associated with those products?

The second issue I want to raise is Traveller accommodation. It is my understanding that local authorities have a ring-fenced budget for accommodation for members of the Traveller community but it is often not spent in its entirety. At the same time, as is evidenced by recent media reports, there are still many people from that community seeking accommodation.

Perhaps Mr. McCarthy could give me some indications of the barriers in the development of Traveller accommodation despite the resources being there? What are the additional complexities that may be associated with the housing of members of the Traveller community? Perhaps it is not as simple as giving a house or a bed and there are far more complex issues to consider. I am thinking of lifestyle issues such as connections with the equine industry. I am also speaking about complex medical needs that require additional equipment at home. Will Mr. McCarthy outline that it is maybe not as simple as putting somebody in a bed. Will Mr. McCarthy answer those questions first and we will go back then?