A large number of landlords with private rental accommodation are willing to engage with local authorities on the purchase of these properties with a view to allowing the existing tenants to remain in situ. Moneys that were allocated for the purchase of such properties within the Dublin region this year have been spent on last year's backlog with no new properties being acquired by the local authorities, putting tenants at risk of homelessness. Are there plans to provide additional funding to purchase properties under this scheme, allowing tenants to remain in situ?

The scheme has been very effective. The targets were refined this year by the Ministers for housing and public expenditure with a view to making sure resources are targeted at those who are in immediate danger of homelessness. We do not want local authorities only doing acquisitions as part of their social housing programmes. We want local authorities building new social houses and to do more of that. That, said the Minister is looking at particular cases. He is constantly engaging with local authorities on what could be done. Some €329 million has been allocated to the tenant in situ scheme nationally but we are getting reports that, in some areas, some cases are falling through the net so the Minister is reviewing that.