Mr. Conn Murray:

I do not want to blame the planning process, but challenges often face our elected members at local level in terms of what is being produced. I am fortunate in Limerick, in that we have supported the delivery of a number of critical Part 8 projects in recent times, which gives me a 2019 programme. That does not happen everywhere, though, and depends on the challenges facing authorities. The statutory timeframe does not take away from our obligation to ensure that the community is heard and the elected body has its say. If we bring more surety to that and the staged process then delivers, local level will be given more accountability and responsibility for what it does. That is the argument I would put forward.

Emergency homeless accommodation remains a serious challenge in various parts of the country. We discuss it at an individual authority level as opposed to a sectoral level, as the challenges differ depending on where the authority is. In my area, 31 families are in bed and breakfasts. By the end of 2017, we had reduced the overall number of 79 families by 93% to five, but that number increased again during this year. We have introduced two hubs with ten families and other sheltered accommodation. Finding housing first is critical. We are embarking on that successfully and ensuring that there is support for the families. It is also important that the communities they are moving into be supported in looking after them. Doing this has worked well for us. In terms of the 31 families, I hope to have a new hub early in the new year. There will be accommodation for everyone as we face into the winter, as Mr. McGrath indicated.

I should have referred to the delivery programme at the start. People quickly forgot that we had an extraordinary winter that lasted five months at the beginning of the year. It had an impact on direct delivery, not just for the public sector, but also for the private sector. If we get a fair wind, we will see a continuous increase in delivery.

We have used the emergency planning powers to deliver hubs in the community.

It is not something we want to do in going against the wishes of the community or the council but it is there and we have used it practically to ensure it can be delivered. The other aspect that perhaps will require a little more debate is the single stage, which is something we are looking at directly. We have not used it to date, although we have one going through at this time. Because of the complexity of the areas we were dealing with in the context of the city and metropolitan area, the single stage did not give the assurance in terms of the challenges that are sometimes faced on brownfield sites. It is worth looking at. It should be greater than €2 million and should be far greater than eight units. Perhaps-----