Denis Landy (Labour)
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I will ask a number of specific questions. According to last week's document, the Minister intends to regulate approved housing bodies, AHBs. Will that be by way of legislation? The document also referred to a tenant purchase scheme, which is something I would welcome. Will there be discounts like there were in previous schemes? Will the Minister confirm whether somewhere in the order of 900,000 people have registered with Irish Water? If so, it means people are talking through their e-mails and in their responses to Irish Water as opposed to anything else.

Will the Minister confirm who will attend next Thursday's forum on homelessness? I welcome its establishment by him. Will a Catholic Church representative of the voluntary sector attend? I welcome Archbishop Diarmuid Martin's offer of 30 units today. From where will they come? Has the church other units that could be made available to the homeless, for example, All Hallows College, which will soon become vacant and has a great deal of accommodation that would be appropriate for this use?

Will the Minister clarify an issue regarding next year's budget for homelessness services, which will be €55.5 million? If he cannot do so today, will he send us a breakdown of that figure? This week, many people have asked me about where the money goes every year. We need a breakdown, as the opinion seems to be that it is going towards administration as opposed to addressing the problem on the street. I want to be able to tell people whether that opinion is correct.

The Simon Communities have closed 37 units on Seán McDermott Street because the building is to be refurbished. Will the Minister ask on Thursday whether the Simon Communities, which receive some funding from the State in this regard, can re-open those units this side of Christmas so that homeless people can be provided with housing?