Ms Ann Marie O'Connor:

I do not have a report on it, as such. Some 26 towns were identified. A national office is now in place to support those towns and 24 officers have been appointed. Each of those towns is now to prepare a town plan, as the Cathaoirleach will now. There is stakeholder involvement in that. There is some funding to support towns in carrying out those plans. That work is under way at the moment. We in the vacant homes unit are very much engaged with the national town centre office, which is based in the LGMA, because we obviously need to co-ordinate what we are doing on vacancy. Addressing vacancy and dereliction should be a key part of those town plans so we are working very closely with that office on that. We have started inviting town centre first officers to attend our vacant homes officers' network meetings so that we can all hear what is happening in the space. My understanding is that the plans are currently being drawn up across those towns. Their publication will be the next step.