Mr. Michael Walsh:

On the community engagement piece, there needs to be an honesty around this. I can only speak from the the local authority experience. We have this, in terms of a bit of conflict with our own councillors, on an ongoing basis. It is immensely difficult, if not impossible, to conduct a commercial negotiation on one side of the fence and be engaging with the community on the other side. It is the ultimate dilemma in many respects. We have it in other ways with local authority developments. It is the kernel of the problem here. We are looking to source accommodation, which is an absolute priority at every level at the moment. We have to do a commercial negotiation to do that. We cannot really do the community engagement - and this is part of the frustration - until that commercial negotiation is concluded. People need to be realistic and recognise that reality.

On the accommodation generally and especially with the refurbishment, we prioritise locationally-appropriate accommodation where there are services. However, we need to be realistic there as well about the challenge for us as a State. In fairness it is one that is being met but once we source the accommodation we must ensure the services can follow through afterwards. In the round, I think that has been achieved. I am not aware of children being without school places. We meet the HSE regularly, as does the Department. The reality is the HSE cannot always give absolute access to a GP, for example, but it is providing clinics and anybody who needs medical attention is getting it. We need to think about it a little differently. The accommodation is, in many respects, the priority. We must then challenge the other Departments. I am not saying we need to challenge them, because in general they are stepping up to provide the services after the fact. We have to be realistic with communities and the public at large that that is the situation and the way it has to be. Again I am not speaking for Departments, but from the local authority experience, a commercial negotiation cannot be conducted in public. That is the simple reality of it.