Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Vallone, Mr. Reynolds, Mr. Reid and Ms Murray O'Connor for their presentations. I have no questions regarding them because I broadly agree with the substance of their written presentations and what they have said to us today. Their contributions will certainly help us in our committee report.

I have a number of specific questions for Ms Graham, especially on the Croí Cónaithe programme. I am picking up from where Senator Fitzpatrick left off. It is still completely unclear what Croí Cónaithe is. I have read the Government's housing plan. I have read the initial note for expressions of interest to interested parties. I am looking for specific answers to specific questions. It is not clear if Croí Cónaithe provides a subsidy to a developer, as is the case with the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF, a grant aid to a buyer, or an equity stake similar to the affordable housing fund, for example. We know it is intended to reduce the purchase price by 20%, which is in the region of €60,000 to €80,000 per property. Has it been decided whether it is one of those three options? If it is an equity stake, how will it be recouped? If it is not an equity stake, will there be any mechanism for recouping the money such as in the affordable housing fund?

Ms Graham mentioned the targets, which was my other question. I thank her for that. Is there an indicative spending allocation over the period up to 2025? We have that for other areas like the Land Development Agency, LDA. Given that a large portion of this will be for new developments, is there a concern that the housing agency managing the scheme will be in direct competition with local authorities, approved housing bodies and the LDA for turnkeys or forward purchases because they will be chasing a similar number of units?

Likewise, if it is for vacant and obsolete units in cities and town centres, is there a concern that it would be in competition and the approved housing bodies, for example, for the buy and renew and repair and lease schemes?

My question relates to the overall target for vacant properties of 2,500 mentioned in the Government's housing plan. Am I correct that this goes to 2025? What was the basis for 2,500 units? We know from GeoDirectory that there are up to 90,000 vacant properties. Even if it is only half of that number, why is the target 2,500? It seems to lack the ambition that many of our opening commentators suggested.