James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

As regards the tenant in situ scheme, that will not facilitate anybody to move from emergency accommodation into a property because the scheme is for properties in which a family is already living and may be at risk of homelessness. There are other opportunities for local authorities to be able to house those people.

In terms of vacant local authority properties, I fully agree with the Deputy. The length of time these houses are being left vacant is totally unacceptable. However, that is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. The Deputy gave an example of a property that was left vacant because the council could not put in a staircase for five years. That is nonsensical stuff from a local authority.

That is not for a Minister to be addressing.