Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

As the Deputy knows, local authorities are allowed to use discretion and flexibility in this area. The Minister, Deputy Roche, would like them to do so and has urged them to do so. Such flexibility exists.

The Deputy suggests nothing is happening in this area but I remind him that more than €2 billion will be invested in social and affordable housing. The needs of some 14,000 householders will be met. The Deputy asked what I meant by referring to last year's output of 81,000 being built under the scheme and referred to dividing by two and multiplying by 20. I did so because the figure he quoted at the beginning was from a report that did exactly that. It divided the figure of 81,000 units by two and multiplied by 20 and stated that this was what should be provided under Part V.

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