Mr. Richard Guiney:

A lot of space is not recorded anywhere because it is part of a premises where the top floors have not been used in years. I have visited places where there is a lot of space that has not been used. There are a couple of aspects to this, such as the creation of separate entrances, and support for that would be very beneficial. There is an international discussion about the conversion of commercial property into residential property, and it is about balancing issues such as the various commercial and residential needs, even to the point of, say, 10 o'clock at night. One area that needs to be looked at is the issue of back lanes. At the moment, they are generally not very attractive locations and they detract from Dublin city, but they were originally built as stable lanes and there is a lot of derelict space in them. Seán Harrington Architects in Capel Street came up with wonderful designs for places such as Jervis Lane, whereby some of that under-utilised space could be turned into four-storey apartment blocks. That would create life in what is now a very negative area. There is a confluence of many interests in having vibrant town centres, not just in Dublin but throughout the country, and in utilising space. The regulations, including those relating to disability and fire safety, do need to be looked at but there is definitely space that is just sitting empty.