Mr. Paul Lemass:

Yes.

On the questions of the transfer of dwellings, that there be a larger number of small ones, and the increasing numbers coming through the regulator, the first point is that if a small AHB wants to continue in existence, that is no problem whatsoever. I would not want any suggestion to the contrary. If a smaller AHB feels that it can continue in operation and in compliance with the requirements of the regulation, that would be no problem.

I spoke at the ICSH conference last week and met one or two people afterwards who were in that position. They insisted that they wanted to keep going as they were and said it was absolutely not a problem.

As regards those who may decide that they would rather identify their assets available and surrender the tenancies to a larger AHB or a local authority, that is absolutely provided for within the regulation. The funding is not something we would like to get into in the regulation. It is not quite comparable to the credit union situation. There is a whole range of different funding schemes between the capital advance leasing facility, CALF, the CAS and the CLSS. They have maintenance funds and streams with them, payment on availability and such like. There is a funding stream there to ensure that a property is maintained as well as the differential rent that would be paid for the property also.