Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Daly is also correct in terms of the development of the grid and off-site and modern methods of construction. We are driving that because that will also be key in accelerating the construction of housing.

On the rezoning issue, there are legislative options available to the Minister to mandate - he has already instructed, but to go ahead and get it done - but, ideally, the councillors, with the officials, should do it. There will be engagement between the Minister and me and CEOs of county councils to drive that agenda.

Deputy Bacik raised the issue of homelessness and the new housing plan. The new housing plan will be published within the next number of weeks. It made sense that we would get the national development plan done first in terms of having the capital framework over the next five years for the public sector investment underpinning housing announced.

We have not waited for the plan. We have taken measures that, ordinarily, would have ended up in the plan, such as the rent pressure zone review, the change in the apartment criteria and the national planning framework. There is also the initiative the Minister has taken in respect of homelessness, including the €50 million he announced last week for acquisitions to take families off the homeless list through a more direct approach. I will come back to the Deputy on the student accommodation strategy.

The LDA has a significant pipeline. Although I do not have the exact figures with me, thousands of houses will come onstream in the next number of years. Some significant advance work has been done on particular sites that the LDA has acquired and completed plans and designs for them. As the Deputy knows, it has completed significant projects and there are more to come. There are aspects of that finance report that I do not entirely agree with. The LDA will still have a significant contribution to make, along with local authorities and affordable housing bodies.

In response to Deputy Geoghegan, work is under way on the structure for the implementation of the Dublin city task force, and that is continuing. When we have the details, we will come back to the House in respect of that.

Living over shops in our cities is key and that also applies to the living city initiative. The existing scheme is quite limited and has had limited impact, so it is under review. We have had some discussions on that and apart from any task force, it would apply to a number of cities. There are also towns that could do with commercial conversions of over-the-shop accommodation to residential. The future in many urban centres will have to be more residential. The city living experience is changing.

Deputy Ó Murchú referred to the housing adaptation grants. I have spoken to the Minister and I am well aware that we have had very substantial grants. I would make the point to everybody that there has never been more capital allocated to housing and to this area. It is enormous funding. We are at the limits of growth in public expenditure and it is significant in terms of the overall fiscal framework. The adaptation grants are very important for senior citizens and people with disabilities.

The rural one-off housing guidelines are necessary. The Minister is working to update them because we need to give greater options to people living in rural Ireland, particularly those living on their own land, given the cost of housing. We need to ensure they are in a position to develop housing for themselves. Given the advances that have been made in wastewater treatment facilities, this is something that should be accommodated.

I have dealt with the question from Deputy Ward. We are not normalising anything. We are very clear that we need consistent and sustainable investment in all aspects of housing in the time ahead.

In response to Deputy Murphy, if we maintained the eviction ban, we would suffocate supply and we would have fewer houses. We are not going with the Deputy's agenda in many respects because we think his agenda would be even more damaging and would not ensure an increase in housebuilding, particularly in the private sector.

The tenant in situ scheme has been very significant in the past two years. It needed refinement so that it is not used by councils as an excuse to just acquire instead of build. It has to be focused and targeted at those most in need.

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