Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all our guests for being here with us. I was particularly struck by something Mr. Benson said about traineeships and how some potential apprenticeships could be looked at in that way. Last week was Construction Work and Skills Week, and I attended the Intreo trade fair in Tallaght Stadium, which was a recruitment event aimed at young people. There was a massive queue of young people outside the stadium when I got there. I was struck by it. All those young people could apply to get their safe passes there and then. It showed the significant interest in that area from a careers perspective. I would be interested to hear a little more about what apprenticeships the Construction Industry Federation thinks would be suitable for traineeships. If it is a safe and quicker way of getting people out on sites, we should consider it.

Another thing Mr. Benson touched on, and on which I would value Mr. Taaffe's perspective too, is the six-year county development plan cycle and how sometimes it can be problematic when it comes to future-proofing and planning. Does Mr. Taaffe think a move to a ten-year cycle would be effective? Would there be new hurdles arising from that or does he think the amendments and material alterations that could still be brought forward by the chief executive might suffice?

Mr. Taaffe spoke about construction companies that just do not want or are not willing to tender because of the shifting sands we are in. I am aware of that because in my constituency a construction company pulled out of developing a community centre in Saggart. That was presumably due to the fact that the environment is changing. That set that project back substantially. There are also two sites for social housing in South Dublin County Council where contractors pulled out mid-construction. Obviously, we want to avoid that wherever possible. I am worried about the impact that will have on the Housing for All social housing targets. I am looking for the witnesses' perspective as to what interventions the Minister could make to try to reduce that risk.

I support what Mr. James said about early engagement with the ESB and, in particular, Irish Water. That is practical and makes a lot of sense. Is there resistance to that? I am interested to learn about the idea Mr. James has put forward, which I think Mr. Taaffe spoke about as well, of alterations to planning permissions and whether they could be approved by local authorities if the standards and the overall plan are the same and it is just a matter of lower cost materials. Can the witnesses give me some examples of what that would mean in real life?

I wish to flag that I was a little concerned to hear Mr. James talk about fire regulation standards. Fine Gael has had discussions with the Construction Defects Alliance, and I am in favour of maintaining as strong as possible fire regulations.

To summarise, my questions relate to traineeships, county development plans, the tendering process and, in particular, the alterations to planning applications.