Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, it is 2,300 units. This also highlights the criticism I just made of the HAP system. On all of those 2,300 homes, we are no longer making monthly payments and we are no longer susceptible to increasing rents in the market. We are not having an impact on the rental market by taking those 2,300 units and all those housing applicants are now housed. Those units are already being used for social housing through HAP and RAS. Yet, we are not proactively approaching any of the landlords that remain in HAP and RAS and asking them if they would like to sell the State their property. Taking 2,300 people out of HAP and RAS, getting better value for money for the State and providing a great solution for the people in question seems to be a huge win. Why is the Department not proactively presenting proposals that would allow a voluntary sale rather than only allowing such sales in circumstances where there is a crisis and an eviction?