Mr. Francis Doherty:

Kerdiffstown House was purchased under the capital assistance scheme for supported temporary accommodation. It was a combined site for the Dublin region and Kildare. There were effectively two sides to this building, which was previously used by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for respite holidays for families. That was the reason it was bought. The stately home part of it could not be used for homeless services. It was not appropriate. It is a protected structure. It was then reused as offices, originally for the then CEO and deputy CEO, and later for other staff. The issue was that the appropriateness of that building and site should never have been supported. It was rural, had no proper transport links and was located on the edge of a very small village with no services or amenities. The contract that the Deputy referred to, by the individual who was employed and housed by the organisation, was to bus people to and from that location to locations in Kildare and Dublin to get the Luas, because it was so far removed.