John Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I made the point on the floor of the Seanad a moment ago that nobody can honestly put their hand on their heart and say it is not better for an individual or family to be in a secure, long-term, 25-year property, in a lease, than it is to have them in a hotel, bed and breakfast accommodation or an unsecured HAP property. Value-for-money considerations must be taken into account, but given the position we are in at the moment, we must activate every planning permission that is out there. That is one of the ways it can be done. I thank the witnesses for answering in the positive about that.

On right sizing, perhaps the Vice Chair can allow a little latitude because I know Limerick City and County Council did a scheme on right sizing and Cork City Council brought forward something similar. Deputy Gould was supportive of those schemes in terms of the right sizing approach. They said they did it on the basis that one third of the units would be for private downsizers within the scheme. Waterford City and County Council has a scheme of 71 units being delivered, which is geared at older persons. Has Waterford City and County Council developed its right sizing scheme? What percentage of that scheme does it intend to utilise for the private downsizer? Cork City Council emphasised the importance of that mix, with not just its own local authority tenants moving into the scheme but also the private side and the positive benefit of that.