John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister rightly points out that, though technical, it is a very significant amendment to allow the cost rental sector to be accessed by local authorities. I have spoken to him before about an idea I put to him on the use of the repair and lease scheme and how it could be combined with the cost rental scheme. On the double, it would remove dereliction from our cities, towns and villages and provide them not only as social homes but provide an option whereby they would also be provided as cost rental. We do not want to have just one tenure of social housing. We are now able to provide cost rental homes and get the mix of all incomes into the city centres. The amendment is very welcome and I compliment the Minister on it.