Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)

Apologies for coming in and out. We had different committees. I thank everyone for being here. It has been mentioned that vacancy and dereliction are at the heart of the planning policy. I was working with a chap from East Wall who got in touch with me. He applied for the vacancy grant in respect of a derelict home. It took well over a year to get the grant, and it was give or take whether he would get it. He had to prove everything absolutely beyond reasonable doubt and give his blood type to get the grant. He told me he had to deal with seven different people in the Department, who kept changing, to get the grant over the line. When the grant got over the line, it was the best thing ever. The house is an amazing residence now and he is absolutely over the moon and has forgotten about all the pain. It seems that there are not enough resources in the Department to deal with this. It is a wonderful grant. If it works, it is at the heart of planning policy and will make a difference. What measurable national targets are there for reducing vacant or derelict residences by 2026? Is there an actual target? If there is, is there a task force that has accountability for overseeing those targets?