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

I thank the witnesses for helping me do what I wanted to do today, which was to iron out some of the interaction issues. The responses I have received on cost rental, the CREL scheme and all of those other issues are really useful. Ms Cosgrove mentioned a submission to the Department. If it could be provided to us, if that is not a breach, I would very much welcome it.

I am sorry to bring up new issues so late in the day. Mr. O'Connor mentioned that Ó Cualann is the only AHB that does sales. That is a big issue for the affordable purchase area. Is it the case that AHBs will not be providing affordable sale and it will only be for the local authorities? That would be very disappointing. What do we have to do to make sure that is not the case? Everyone talks about Ó Cualann. I am a big fan of it. However, it cannot build every affordable house in the country that a council does not build.

The second issue I have is in regard to senior citizens' accommodation. Ms Loftus referred to word of mouth. As Ms Geraghty knows, one of the first schemes we did when I was on the council was Ballygall. Fold Housing took it over. There was a financial contribution scheme. I could have filled the place ten times over with the number of phone calls we got. Dublin City Council did the financial contribution scheme very well. People gave a percentage of the value of their house and basically bought their way on to the list but not a preference. Not only is that unlikely to be expanded but the prohibition on acquisition might actually prevent it. Why are we not doing more around senior citizens' accommodation? It is incredibly popular. They are smaller units with higher densities, all of things that we accept, yet I do not see a flood of them. I do not know why private developers are not doing it. They should be. There is a market for it. I do not know why the AHBs are not doing more in that space. Why is Ó Cualann the only AHB doing affordable purchase?

I am grateful for the comments on cost rental. While each of my two colleagues here were trying to get the witnesses to say that they were right, my view is that we need both turnkey and long-term development. That is absolutely the answer. I do not think Deputy Ó Broin was saying he was right.