Mr. Hubert Fitzpatrick:

The industry is working with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to see how the apprenticeship scheme can be reviewed because there is a major problem at the moment with the apprenticeship intake. It is recognised as a major difficulty. We need to see a much-increased intake in apprenticeships to ensure the industry can grow to a sustainable level that an economy of this nature warrants.

I wish to make some general comments. We believe there is an urgent requirement that the Part V process be modified. It is clearly not affordable at present, having regard to where house prices are today and the total input costs. We want the industry to be able to respond with an increased level of housing output that can meet the sustainable demand for future housing.

We have addressed the issue about the mistakes made in the past. We in the industry want to address the mistakes that were made in the past which is why we have supported the introduction of the new Construction Industry Register Ireland and the registration process for builders - a credible registration scheme which will ensure that only experienced compliant builders are building for the future. We need to address the issue of taking estates into charge. We need to address the issue of bonds so that it works for the industry and for the local authorities. There needs to be a process with a reasonable timeframe in place for taking schemes into charge.

We have difficulties with the vacant site levy. If it is not sustainable to build on a vacant site and if clearly there is no market for the completed product or one cannot fund it, it seems unreasonable that the site should be subject to an owner's levy.

I have covered some points. Perhaps my colleagues have other points they wish to raise.