Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 897 from Deputy O’Callaghan seeks to delete lines 7 and 8 in page 404 and replace them with "the existing need and the likely future need, including houses, apartments and duplexes, for housing for purchase by intending owner-occupiers". However, I can confirm that the text as drafted includes all housing types, including apartments, so although not explicitly expressed, the policy intent already covers the requested amendment.

Amendment No. 898 seeks to insert "apartments" after "houses" in section 219. The original text in the Bill includes all housing types including apartments. Although not explicitly expressed, the policy intent covers the requested amendment. The definition of "house" in the Bill means a building or part of a building that is occupied as a dwelling. If the Deputy goes to pages 30 and 31, he will see at the end of the page that house "means a building or part of a building that", in subsection (c), "in the case of a building or part of a building containing more than one apartment, flat or other dwelling, each such apartment, flat or dwelling". It is defined in the Bill. I will go to amendment No. 909.