Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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While Mr. Walsh is here, I want to say something relevant to this point about LIHAF in the broader sense, rather than specifically on Cherrywood which is the one that I know best and on which I want answers. All moneys going to LIHAF are public moneys. Mr. Walsh makes a very valid point about the arrangements regarding the planning authorities and the agreements but ultimately, there has to be some sort of conditionality. Each local authority made an application for LIHAF which was validated and assessed. I know how the process worked. The reality is that at some point there has to be conditionality about affordability, which means different things to different people and places. Surely the Department and Minister must overarch this. We have to have conditions. The public would be rightly outraged if they thought that the Minister and the Customs House did not take an overarching view over the conditions. It is not good enough to point to, say, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown or Limerick County Council, and their processes, ultimately one would think that serious conditions would be attached to allowing public funds assist private developers on the basis of putting in infrastructure. It was always intended that it would deliver units which would be affordable, social and, indeed, private. The conditionality and the MInister's oversight on the spending of substantial public funds needs to be examined. Mr. Walsh might clarify that for us. Where does his Department have overall oversight in terms of conditionality or what is the release of public funds to private developers?