Mr. Eddie Taaffe:

It is important to understand the differences between the two schemes. There would be no issue with the Department choosing to set targets on the buy and renew scheme. Buy and renew is different because the local authority can actively go out and buy or compulsorily purchase, CPO, and renew. It is the master of its own destiny, if you like. With repair and lease, the local authority can only deliver what is offered to it by the owner. It cannot force somebody. A local authority can promote and incentivise the scheme, but it cannot proactively force somebody to repair and lease to it.