Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Gilmore will not get as many scalps as he thinks. Long-term leasing is part of the housing issue. There is a far greater variety of approaches being taken by local authorities now in respect of housing need than was the case when I was on the council many years ago. It is all for the better because different people have varying needs and requirements. Acquisition is ongoing, with some houses on the market being purchased by local authorities. As has been mentioned, there is also a rental accommodation scheme and long-term leasing.

There is a range of specialised housing now available that was never available in the past, with superior specifications in houses in general than was the case in the 1970s and 1980s when we built big estates all over the place without a social mix. We then introduced £5,000 grants for people who minded the houses to move off and there was a further loss of social mix, much to the detriment of the maintenance and cost of housing estates. I am a great believer in social mixing.

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