Having regard to his replies to the previous question and his surprise expressed in relation to the large number of vacant dwellings in the Dublin Corporation area, would the Minister not consider diverting some of the £3 million to that authority to put back into occupational condition some of those dwellings so that he could make a much bigger dent in the problem of homelessness than currently is the case?

I am concerned about the number of houses available to local authorities, particularly in the city, some of which are not habitable but could be made fit to accommodate the homeless. I cannot understand why the authorities have not done something about this but there must be some good reason.

I can take the Minister to 20 empty flats within walking distance of this House.

Deputy Gregory.

But the homeless will not live in them.

They will, but Dublin Corporation maintenance department do not have the money to repair them.

I have called Deputy Gregory.

We have special money available to provide cash to voluntary organisations to allow them to house the homeless. As the Deputy knows, this is a very complex area. We cannot force people to live in areas they do not want to live in.

That is——

I must insist that Deputy Gregory be heard.

Before the Minister makes a final decision on the housing programme for Dublin and elsewhere, may I ask him to examine what exactly is involved in those 700 vacancies? He referred to 160 houses in the Dublin inner city. There are many vacant substandard uninhabitable flats in Dublin's inner city but there is a great need for houses in this area. I would ask the Minister to examine precisely what is involved in those statistics because when he examines them, he will see there is a great need for habitable houses in the centre of Dublin.

I will. I sometimes read reports from meetings held by the authority responsible for housing in this city and they support my point of view.

We will take the Minister on a tour.