Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I encourage the focus on that aspect. Planning is not an exact science. We all know that. It is our best guess of what we can try to put in place to deliver what is needed. It is very helpful when there is an organisation like the OPR which provides such good research on planning. It is a real shame to see the Office of the Planning Regulator being held up as the bogeyman of all things bad in planning and for it to be blamed all the time. All it does is uphold the legislation and guidelines we enact here in the Oireachtas and at local authority level. It does not have an agenda except to ensure we are doing what we set out to do. I see criticism of the EPA in the same way. It is very odd to see science being criticised when it does not suit people's narrative or agenda.

As for the tenant in situ scheme, a number of those really hardworking groups, which do so much work in the area of homelessness and the prevention of homelessness, said the tenant in situ scheme, if it was well resourced and well assisted, would be major; it was a major move by this Government. Can the Minister give us an update as to where the tenant in situ scheme is at the moment? There were two or three variations of it. Is it progressing well?