Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy should be afraid to utter the word "pipeline", with all that is going on at the committee because there might be ruptures in that pipeline. I am delighted that Tipperary is that far ahead. I want more progress. There is an adage that were Tipperary leads Ireland follows. It is nice to hear we are ahead, but we are not far enough ahead and we need to do more. The happiest job I have been involved in in my political career and my voluntary career was being the chairperson of the Casilean Nua voluntary housing association. I want to salute the team of volunteer board members and the work they have done and continue to do, particularly Mrs. O'Keeffe and Mrs. O'Donnell, in running and maintaining the buildings. One of the Ministers might visit it some time. We need more of that. They can provide solutions and get around corners much more easily than Departments because people do not have to hand out money for sites and everything else. There is huge potential there. I again want to pay tribute to all the voluntary housing organisations up and down the country. They have done the work, they are able to do the work and they will do the work. All they want is more support and co-operation from the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government and the Departments it is associated with because for a while the unit dealing with voluntary associations was stood down and they had to go around the country to five or six different offices to get any project on the road.

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