Dr. Robert Sweeney:

Yes, a comparison has been done on the cost of those completions and acquisitions. I think, again, it was the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform which looked at the cost of schemes in different areas of the country, such as Dublin versus Mayo, etc. The Department then broke those figures down according to the type of accommodation involved and found that the best value for money, in the Dublin area anyway, which is where the need for social housing is most acute, is derived from local authority construction. Local authority acquisitions would generally be the next best way in respect of value for money. The third best way, then, would be local authority long-term leasing. Also, according to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the AHB lease scheme is a more expensive way of doing it. However, the Department did not do a breakdown regarding how much it costs when the AHBs build housing themselves.