Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There are many good lessons for us about modular housing, particular looking at the work of the Department of Education.

It is doing Herculean work on modular building and that is something on which our guests must build. There are a number of very good providers in that area. I am pleased the Housing Alliance is engaging on that issue.

A bone of contention for the many happy tenants across approved housing bodies is that they are unable to buy out their own homes, unlike their neighbours in what they would call a traditional local authority house. It may well be that our guests will tell me that the tripartite regulatory model in force prohibits the Housing Alliance from offering tenants a purchase scheme. At odds with that assertion was a comment that stood out in the opening statement of Ms Loftus, who said:

The phenomenon of NIMBYism is not unique to Ireland, but in our view is grounded in a misconception about social housing and the people who live in it. Housing Alliance members work hard to manage and maintain homes to a high standard, and to build inclusive, sustainable, and mixed communities.

I would say that an inherent part of a sustainable, successful and vibrant community is the opportunity to buy out one's home. If there is a potential fly in the ointment, it is that existing tenants cannot buy out their homes. Our guests are probably going to tell me that there is a statutory reason for that.