Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I asked Mr. Jordan whether the Department had instructed him not to divulge that information because it is very strange. If a local authority is carrying out a scheme which requires expressions of interest, it does not have to seek the approval of the Department in order to say how many expressions were received. It would be considered the most basic of information that is in the public interest.

Last May, Mr. Jordan, I presume of his own volition, published an article in a national newspaper. A pertinent paragraph outlined why the Government had launched a new Croí Conaithe Cities scheme aimed at providing 5,000 apartments in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway by 2026 through financially supporting the construction of apartment developments that will have planning permission but are not financially viable. It stated that the Housing Agency would administer the scheme on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. To any objective observer, that was very much the stamp of approval by the Housing Agency on that scheme, which was aimed at providing 5,000 apartments in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway. The Housing Agency had an expressions of interest scheme. It is in the public interest to know whether the level of expressions of interest would allow for the delivery of those and Mr. Jordan is not providing that information. I do not think it is acceptable.