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

I thank the witnesses for coming before us. I apologise as I had initially requested as part of our work programme that they would be asked before the committee but, unfortunately, I had two oral parliamentary questions selected to be put to the Taoiseach today. One does not fail to show up for the Taoiseach. I thank the witnesses for their contributions so far and I apologise for not being here.

I have put this question to other providers of public housing when they appeared before the committee. There has been much thrown at the sector in the past two years in terms of legislative solutions. Is the required in-depth knowledge of each of the policy tools available for AHBs and local authorities to start implementing those? Is the practical interaction with the Department working to allow the bodies do that work? Whether we like it, the solution to the housing crisis is probably sitting in front of us. That means we have to support the actors involved and iron out the problems.

I can take the affordable purchase scheme as an example. It is a new area for many local authorities and I accept they have not been in that space for the best part of a decade. How is that working? There are nearly 19 sites in the Ballymun area that are all ideal for affordable purchase. We want to see them started and moving. The policy tool and the funding is there. The land is all in public ownership so can we get delivery? Why would there be a delay, if that is the right word? What will be the speed in delivery for those?

Cost rental and affordable rental is another policy tool that has the required funding and mechanism from a legislative basis. Is that an area in which the AHBs can have ambition? If they do not have that ambition, it may be the case that we are looking for ethical investors providing the housing. After that we would be looking at non-ethical investors. These are two policy tools but there is a range of such tools now available. Is the Department embedding that knowledge in the sector? Do officials in the bodies represented before us know what is happening or are they experiencing difficulties with the likes of housing regulations, for example? We know housing regulations should be available soon and some local authorities have moved ahead, meaning there could be a difference from the published housing regulations. These questions are looking to tease out problems of delivery.