Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I repeat that the strategic investment bank, which was raised by somebody, will be lending to builders to build houses. We have applied for €100 million from the European Investment Bank, about which Deputy Joan Collins asked. We expect to get an answer in the late summer.

The funding will mainly go towards refurbishing local authority flats in the cities. Should we be successful in securing that funding, as we hope to be, it will involve a significant number of units.

Regarding the purchase of accommodation, I recently gave funding for the purchase of houses for people with special needs, physical disability and so on. With regard to homelessness, we have an implementation plan in place. Deputy Joan Collins raised the situation of those persons whom one might call the more traditional homeless. Their needs are central to our implementation planning. We are pursuing a housing-led approach to move them out of temporary hostel-type accommodation as soon as possible and into supported housing.

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