In relation to the comments in the ESRI report, would the Minister have any comment on two statements in that report? One says that there can be little doubt that the portion of mortgages going to those on lower incomes decreased in the last year and a half. Secondly, the report stated, in relation to completion of houses and referring to the previous year, that this represented an annual rate of completion well below that of any year since 1973. Would the Minister be good enough to comment on both of those points?

First of all, more mortgages were made available to the lower income groups last year, particularly from September. Is that the question the Deputy wishes me to answer?

That is not what is in the report.

I am calling Question No. 17.

The policy recommendations were extremely vague in this report. They made some strange suggestion that owner-occupation should be encouraged further. It is a very strange suggestion because we have the highest rate of owner-occupation in western Europe. That is the kind of vague recommendation we got.

Does the Minister accept those two points?

No. More mortgages were available, particularly in the latter half of last year and the first quarter of this year, to the lower income groups than previously.

Is the report wrong then?

It is very vague. I have said that.

Question No. 17.