Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. I wish to get to the nub of this. What is being constructed this year relates in the main to approvals of two years ago. In my constituency, for example, two sets of 30 units were approved two years ago in two locations but no ground has been cut yet. The public needs to see improvements. We are told the number of stages from approval to completion has been cut from eight to four. I accept that and hope we will see improvements because of it. They have yet to become crystal clear. I have asked departmental officials about this at the committee meeting this week. I hope the Minister will insist on making the information available as soon as possible in order for us to see examples of improvements. Can the Minister tell us in the coming weeks what new approvals were granted by the Department in 2016 alone? This knowledge would allow us to monitor the progress made from initial approval to construction and completion. There are many short-term measures that will not have the desired effect that have to be taken up, but those in question are medium-term to long-term measures that will help to address the supply issue. I accept that but the public has to see that there is progress and that improvements are being made. Fantastic plans and proposals were made by the previous Minister also but they did not come to fruition because of the logjams in the Department and local authorities. I ask the Minister to make the information available regularly.

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