James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I just need to make the point that if somebody enters the public service or public life, it is a career where we have enormous influence, where we get to work on issues that matter to people and where we can effect change. I do have a problem, however, when people working in the system are on salaries of such scale, particularly in light of the housing crisis. This is the reason I want to ask, and it is important those questions are asked.

I will now move on to the delivery of housing and the underspends that are occurring in many Departments. I want to get a sense from Mr. Doyle of what is going on with funding the construction of social and affordable housing. Are there any particular areas of the Department, from the years 2021 and 2022, in which there was an underspend. If so, why did that happen. I ask, in particular, in the context of social and affordable housing.