Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The key to that is in changing the process of how the Department interacts with the local authorities in bringing forward projects. We have reduced the timing a lot in that regard. Our people are available to have meetings in the offices of the local authorities as often as they want to drive projects on. In all cases they have cut those timelines. Some of the projects that were hanging around for years have now been moved on, and rightly so. We have a view of them now.

Even the publication last week of that list means everybody can track them, including every local authority and every local authority member, who we stress need to take a more active role in tracking this. They can ask the questions, push it through and, it is hoped, get these sites delivered more quickly, which is what we are trying to do. There is a large site in south Dublin which has been progressing quite well under the new initiative and the results have been positive.

I am aware of the statistics from the local authorities that have put out expressions of interest. We try to give them advice on how to advertise for that. I am disappointed with the number coming back in from the private sector as I would have thought there was a lot more potential. However, anywhere we see potential we will try to work with the local authorities, and the departmental staff are there to try to move these things along as quickly as possible. That is our commitment under the action plan for housing, namely, to make it happen a lot more quickly and to cut through those timelines. It can happen because the resources and finances are available and it is now a question of activating the sites.

Local authorities have to drive this. We have asked them to do it and we have met them individually to make it happen. While I believe it will, it is at an early stage in the process and some of them have advertised only recently. I know the Minister, Deputy Coveney, wants to add his own view.

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