Last Thursday, I raised with the Tánaiste the scourge of vacancy and dereliction throughout the country. He indicated this was really a matter for local authorities to tackle but it really is a matter for central government to take a lead. This is such a blight on our communities throughout the country. It seems that State agencies and public bodies are directly involved. Yesterday, an investigation by Ferghal Blaney of the Irish Mirror revealed the HSE owns more than 250 empty buildings throughout the country. There are several in my constituency of Dublin Bay South, including Baggot Street hospital and the old Meath Street hospital main building. Both of these could, and should, be repurposed for accommodation in a housing crisis. Tonight I will host a public meeting in Rathmines on vacancy and dereliction. We will look for much more urgent and concerted Government action to address the scourge of vacancy and dereliction. In particular, what will the Taoiseach do to ensure that public bodies such as the HSE are not hoarding land, vacant sites or vacant buildings that could be used for housing?

I thank the Deputy. Under Housing for All, each Department and agency, including the HSE, was requested to examine its existing portfolio of properties and to place them on the market if they were not suitable for their purposes and may be suitable for conversion to residential accommodation.

My Department chairs the State lands and property subgroup, which reports to the public service delivery group under Housing for All to monitor progress being made on this action by the HSE and other agencies. We have seen a reduction, albeit an insufficient one, in the number of disused properties held by the HSE. There are currently 26 sites of ongoing interest to local authorities, and they are ready to progress to the next stage of investigation and determination.