Mr. Eddie Taaffe:

On the affordability regulations, there has been extensive engagement. My understanding is that the regulations will be finalised and available some time in April, perhaps early in the month. Turning to cost rental, from our discussions with local authorities, whether we are concerned with cost-rental or affordable purchase, the key issue is the cost of land. As the Deputy said, it can be done in cases where the local authority has an old piece of land with no debt attached and does not require any income from that land, but this scenario will only get us so far. We are engaged in a significant exercise with all local authorities to assess their land banks and to examine their pipelines of land. We are undertaking that consideration not only out to 2026, but beyond that as well, because we must start buying land as early as possible.

This process is yielding some interesting information. As with the AHB sector, though, access to land, and how that is funded, is critical. The reality of this situation, however, is that when we take any village, town or city and explore how much suitable land is available on the market for affordable or social housing, we find it is very limited. This is going to become an even more critical issue as time goes on. The good news, though, is that we now have early sight of the requirements in this regard through the housing delivery action plans, not only for 2025 and 2026, but beyond those years and we can put that mechanism in place.