Mr. John O'Mahony:

I sit on the housing committee in the RIAI, the members of which work in both the public and private sectors. Undoubtedly, there is a problem in the efficient approval of social housing delivery funds. I constantly hear about projects that have been delayed interminably because they have got stuck in the Customs House awaiting approval for the expenditure of moneys. There has to be a way to run that system more efficiently. Perhaps there could be a Land Development Agency clearing house. Perhaps the LDA might look at social housing delivery and try to come up with a more efficient way to clear spending on social housing. I must declare an interest here in the context of the procurement process for the O'Devaney Gardens project. There must be a better way to do it than the way being employed for the project. Again, it comes down to the LDA being a body that can procure more efficiently and effectively in order that the professionals and builders can be attracted back to the public sector. They do not want to do public work because they do not want to lose money. That is a role the agency should take on.

On the 60:40 private/public ratio, there must be some flexibility I know that there are issues in the fiscal space and so on, but I am not sure they will directly affect the way the LDA will operate. Will the agency be forced to adopt the 60:40 ratio?