Mr. Brendan McGrath:

The approval periods are short with fewer than three weeks involved in terms of the turnaround by the Housing Agency. We approve up to 90% of the cost involved. Part of the issue in Galway is the lack of private house building that is taking place. People have loan approvals in their back pockets trying to buy a house but the lack of housing is a problem. There are no significant delays in the recommendation process. The decision comes back to our credit committee and we do not always agree with what the Housing Agency recommends. There is not any delay at that end.

The student accommodation in Galway is quite significant and 1,000 student beds have recently come through, or are in the planning process with An Bord Pleanála. We have a requirement for a further 1,000 beds and brownfield sites are being looked at for them, along with other proposals that are coming through. Three strategic housing developments which involve student beds are going to the board. Student beds will reduce pressure in the private sector which, in turn, will help social housing demand.

We have exceeded our HAP and RAS targets to date in 2018 and we will meet our targets under Rebuilding Ireland because of the work being done by the housing team, through the HAP homeless placefinder and the vacant homes officer.

I am delighted to report that we have had some success recently, with the HAP homeless placefinder service securing homes for members of the Traveller community. There are very significant proposals in the pipeline and under discussion with the Department on new, bespoke, culturally appropriate facilities for the Traveller community, in which its members have been involved. We are doing something relating to the Cúl Trá site in Salthill, the Carrowbrowne site on the Headford Road and on Circular Road. They are multimillion-euro investments and the more money in the kitty for such developments, the better. We do not underestimate the difficulties we have had in trying to convince our elected members to support this or in dealing with the concerns of the wider community. We understand, appreciate and value the needs of the Traveller community and that is why we have formulated the proposals about which we are currently talking to the Department.