Mr. Eugene Cummins:

In some cases. In others, that will not be the case. It is important for everybody to accept that there is a risk appetite that has to be borne by everyone. The entirety of risk cannot be transferred to the local authorities. We have discussed that issue with the Department.

It is important to highlight what we do not want. We do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past. We certainly do not want families being reared in one bedroom and two bedrooms in hotels. I can assure the committee that we are aware of what such people go through. As Deputy Coppinger knows, what they go through is most disheartening and upsetting. What we want is to see all the players involved again in the business of providing houses, including the banks.

Deputy Moran made the point that local authorities are not awash with money. In terms of buying land, the Department is working with us. In terms of identifying sites and land on which social housing can be built the Department is working hand-in-hand with us. In the next few days we will be bidding for land in Roscommon even though demand there is not huge.

There are certainly significant numbers of unoccupied private properties around the country, including the holiday homes with which we are all familiar. Each local authority would not have a separate audit of them but we do have an idea of the numbers because of some work done by the Housing Agency. In the next few months, as the census results return, we will have a complete picture of that and we may be able to have some action on it at some stage. Deputy Coppinger commented on the shrinking role of the local authorities. Our role relating to social housing provision did shrink some years ago but that is clearly not the case now. The provision of social housing is a primary function and purpose of all local authorities in the State.