Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for a comprehensive review. I am glad to hear that the guidelines are being examined again. The Minister of State understands the issues. It often annoys me to see buildings that used to be shops, shoe shops, clothes shops, etc. just closed up. Truly they could be turned into homes.The amount of vacant commercial property in small towns and villages around the country is terrible when people could be living in these properties. The problem is that turning it back into use is unviable and unattractive because the guidelines and fire safety requirements are over the top. We need to get people into homes. It is a waste of commercial property such as shops and closed pubs. Thousands of people could live in these units if we went it about it properly and eased up on the red tape.