Mr. Frank Curran:

It is about 50 between the four regions. There are a significant number of staff in place already, as the Deputy knows, but this is to complement that in the areas where we need them, which, as I said, is project managers, quantity surveyors and so on. That is ongoing. There is a similar exercise for affordable purchase, so staff are being identified in each local authority who will be needed over and above the existing staff numbers to implement the affordable purchase scheme.

As these schemes - the affordable purchase scheme and the cost-rental scheme - are being developed, there is significant consultation between the Department and our group, which is the housing, building and land use committee, so people are aware at a very early stage what is coming down the track. There would be various seminars for chief executives, directors of services and practitioners so people know what is coming down the track in terms of, say, affordable purchase. There is a lot coming through there now in terms of advance purchase, there are mixed tenure units coming through and there is direct build in terms of affordable units and working with the AHBs, the CREL system, the LDA and so on. People are prepared. They know what is coming down the track and they do not wait until the approved purchase scheme is in place. There is a lot of work already done.