Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are always open to good ideas. If the Deputy could flesh out his suggestion a little more and come forward with the actual proposal, the Department will consider it. We very much take that on board.

Deputy Gould has left the Chamber. It is open to local authorities to build extensions, although they may take different decisions. It is something local authority members should take up with their management and executive. There is no reason local authorities cannot do extensions. Some choose differently but that decision is taken at local authority level.

I am aware of the situation in County Louth, as raised by Deputy O'Dowd. There are two elements to it. One is that Louth County Council is not accepting applications at present. The Deputy asked whether the council had made contact with the Department; I think it already has. It is something we will look at in the context of this current year but, more particularly, we are now very much considering, and forensically engaging, with the view provided by officials regarding the housing adaptation grant.

Deputy O'Callaghan supported Deputy Boyd Barrett's proposal. It is something we will bring forward in a more detailed way and that the Department will consider.

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