Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank our two guests for attending. I have been listening for the most part – I am new to this committee and am on a steep learning curve – but I have to say that the opening statements and submission were devastating in terms of the comprehensive failure by the Government and local authorities. I should not be as shocked as I am, but I am horrified. On the point that was just made, that our Traveller colleagues have effectively been excluded from policy – they are not included in Housing for All or annual targets – is devastating.

I have full faith in this committee and great respect for its members, who have been working on this issue for years, for example, Deputies Stanton and Ó Cuív and my party colleague, Deputy Buckley.

Our guests have spelled out well what needs to be done, but if they had one overall priority for us to focus on over the coming months and that they believed would make the most difference – realistically, this committee probably has less than a year before an election comes – what would it be?

I thank our guests for the power of their submissions and for what they have said at this meeting.