Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tomorrow's meeting of the Oireachtas joint committee will be important as well. The Deputy will be able to look in further detail and ask further questions. I appreciate that he asked questions on Second Stage as well. This is the evolution of cost rental, a model that did not exist here less than three years ago. As we build up that scale, we will consider what might be a scheme of priorities or allocation plans. For argument's sake, there has been discussion around key workers. We could take developments that might be happening on hospital grounds. I have met certain hospitals that are interested in looking at forms of cost rental for their own staff. It would make sense in that instance.

Where, say, a hospital trust with an AHB supported by us wishes to develop a facility on a cost-rental basis, it will be allowed to propose a scheme of priorities or an allocation plan that would be within the bounds of what we set out or what is permissible by the Minister of the day and would require that approval.

On the area of transfers, I agree. More than 1,800 cost-rental tenancies are in place, about 3,000 others have been approved and there will be a significant number of approvals over the coming weeks as well. As the capacity and scale of cost rental builds up, in certain areas people may look to transfer within that, and that is something we will absolutely look at. I give a commitment that I will be more than happy to consider any input the joint committee and its members who are interested can give towards the preparation of the draft regulations. All of us have experience, not just in our own areas but throughout the country, of cost-rental schemes that are in place. As we build that capacity, we will see how it works on the ground. The measures we have brought in are informed by experience we have had on the ground and will help the cost-rental sector evolve and mature, which is what we want, but I am certainly open to input in that regard.

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