Mr. Justin O'Brien:

A key aspect of our submission is the availability of land to the sector. It is currently a very difficult market in which to acquire property, particularly in the Dublin area. It may not be as true outside Dublin. Public land must be made available to us in order for us to design and build houses. That is critical. The funding mechanisms are evolving and we are getting more attuned with them. There are more people in the sector borrowing from the Housing Finance Agency to undertake acquisitions and design and build. There is projected growth in that area.

One of the things we would suggest - this occurred when the former Deputy Bobby Molloy was the Minister of State with responsibility for housing many years ago - is a centralised unit within the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to deal specifically with the housing sector. We have said this to the Department. At the moment we deal with seven principal officers. If our activity was co-ordinated under one principal officer that would enable the processing of applications, delivery and funding and make housing delivery more possible.