Mr. Paul Benson:

We are in regular contact with Mayo and Donegal councils, and less regularly with Clare council. We have been in more regular contact with Clare County Council recently. It has not been part of the current scheme but it is coming in when the scheme commences, which we hope is before the end of the year, assuming the legislation gets passed.

I will make one point about Mayo and Donegal councils. They will have less work to do under the enhanced scheme. The real heavy lifting in this scheme is the middle piece where somebody has to determine the remediation option and the grant amount, where the testing is arranged. That work will be gone from the local authorities but they do have other work to do with their own social housing stock and the approved housing bodies. A scheme is to be brought in for those. That will mean resources. The Department does not intend being found wanting when it comes to resources, either for the local authority or the Housing Agency. Whatever is required will be provided. It is a huge scheme with a huge cost. It will not fall for want of human resources.