Mr. Brian O'Gorman:

If the distinction between cost rental and social rental was whittled away, it would be a much better outcome for society generally in not stigmatising housing in any way. To facilitate that, there would have to be a comprehensive support or system behind it - if people need help to pay their rent, they receive that help. There have been discussions at this meeting about standards and reducing what we need to have but we have to be careful when developing apartments that we make them attractive. Just because they are social and affordable housing, they still have to be attractive in the long term. The schemes we develop are indistinguishable between cost rental, social rental, private rental and owner occupied. That is the way it should be. We should make housing available that does not distinguish across tenures.

On apartments, I will outline something that would be extremely helpful. We are looking at developing apartments but the multi-unit development legislation needs serious reform. Steps have begun to be taken to do that. The Multi-Unit Developments Act controls how owner management companies operate. That needs serious reform. There is no point in developing huge amounts of apartments if we do not have the legislation to make sure they are managed and operated in an efficient and professional way.