Ennis, like other market towns in Clare and market towns all over the country, has streets full of fine old buildings where there is a retail unit at ground level. In many but not all cases, they are vacant over ground level whereas, a century ago, there were families living in those. I do not underestimate the difficulty of converting those back into residential use, given there are regulations and issues around financing, but it would offer many benefits, not just in housing but also for the environment, for society and so on. For the Venice Biennale in 2018, we sent out a project looking at market towns and how to reinvigorate them. Will the Taoiseach consider a pilot project to bring properties like that back into residential use in Ennis and right across the country?

I might follow up on this with the Deputy later. I have already seen around the country a number of buildings brought back into use in residential form, a number of pubs that have been turned into residential accommodation and office blocks in this city that have been turned into residential accommodation.

But not where there are retail units on the ground level, which is more complicated.

That I am not sure of, but I will follow up with the Deputy. It certainly sounds like a good idea to me. I thought there were already schemes to allow for that, but maybe not.

It is very limited. There is the living city initiative. In any case, the Taoiseach is happy to talk about it so I thank him for that.