Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the witnesses and thank them for coming. I am not sure if they are aware, but there was a protest outside Leinster House this week by the Raise the Roof campaign. They were protesting because people in this country cannot get houses as a result of the cost of housing.

At the protest, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions stated housing is "the greatest political failure of our time". I feel sorry for the witnesses for having to come before the committee and go through all the questions to find out what is going wrong. I really cannot understand it myself. Is it through the Department or the Minister? Will Mr. Doyle enlighten me as to what the issue is? Who does the buck stop with? Who takes responsibility? Is it the Secretary General or the Minister?