Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

As for the quality of accommodation, again this is the responsibility of that Department and new regulations came in force on 1 February. They apply to new premises immediately and allow a four-year phasing-in time for other premises, which should help to improve the quality. As I mentioned, the availability of additional places, some of which are new, should ensure that people are able to get better quality. At present, the Department does not operate a deposit return scheme. However, it is something we can examine to ascertain whether it would be a viable option.

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