Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Housing Agency has been conducting a review of RPZs since last year. It will finish its review at the end of quarter 1. The Housing Commission asked that we would do a detailed, evidence-based examination of this German reference pricing system. That should happen because that is what the commission recommended. We do not have to go with it but at the very least we should examine it and understand what the pros and cons of such a scheme are. I simply said we were going to examine it and, apparently, we cannot even do that. This is a bit like the Deputy's approach to everything.

Banks do need to lend more to builders, including smaller builders. The financing of housing has been an issue for the past number of years. There is no point in saying it has not been. It is the number one priority in society and, therefore, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Government officials and people working with the banking system to see how we can develop products that can enable people to start building more houses in a financially viable way that will enable people to be able to afford to buy houses at affordable rates and get more supply because it is all about more supply, at the end of the day.

Deputy O'Callaghan raised Gaelcholáiste Reachrann. I will talk to the Minister for Education in respect of that to see where we are. If it has been 20 years, there must have been issues in the early years relating to site acquisition. I do not know but I will get on to the Minister and see where it is at.

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