Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I appreciate that the Minister will not tell me her intentions in this regard for the budget. Unfortunately, the response to the first question I asked let it slip that employers' sick pay is a kite that will not be taken down by backbenchers, or has not been taken down yet anyhow.

We spoke on this issue previously and I asked six weeks ago whether some consideration or initiation of co-operation might be instigated by the Minister with her counterpart in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in order that the stock of housing in NAMA may have a social dividend for the State. There are 100,000 people on this scheme, which, as the Minister rightly says, was never intended to be a long-term solution but has ended up being one. It is an issue that has to be addressed in the short term.

I appreciate and agree with the Minister's intention to move the whole area of rent supplement back to the local authorities, where it belongs, those authorities being the best guardians of housing. Will the Minister confirm some progress has been made in regard to NAMA stock with her counterpart in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government since we last put that proposal to her?

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