Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. I am also a member of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, so I have an appreciation of the full range and depth of the Department. The short title, Department of housing, does not do service to any of the other sectors and the significant funding in those areas. As my questions are on various topics, Mr. Graham can feel free to divert me to the appropriate official.

In the past two years, the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage and, to some degree, the Minister have assaulted the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with a huge range of legislation. Leaving aside marine planning and the electoral reform Bills, which are lengthy pieces of legislation, housing has significantly changed in terms of the policy toolbox that is available to local authorities, the Land Development Agency and so on. It is very easy to look at Housing for All and rattle through all of the different schemes, but they all then need to be administered and delivered. That is the key point I want to focus on. Project Tosaigh, the first home scheme, the cost rental scheme, the affordable purchase scheme, which is being reintroduced, Croí Cónaithe towns, Croí Cónaithe cities, the vulture fund tax, the owner-occupier guarantee and the land value sharing require additional resources in terms of administration. Will Mr. Graham comment on the staffing in the Department and the resources to support those new measures.