Will the Acting Leader amend the Order of Business as I would like to take No. 16 on the Order Paper? Apropos of the last speaker, No. 16 is the National Mortgage and Housing Corporation Bill 2015, a Bill entitled an Act to create the national mortgage and housing corporation for the purposes of ensuring fair access to home ownership, address accommodation shortage and ensure the smooth operation of the property sector in Ireland. I propose that we take Second Stage on 4 November. As Senator Aideen Hayden has pointed out many times to us, there is a need for new policies and responses on accommodation. Professor Ronan Lyons in TCD has estimated that 90% of the population will require a housing subsidy in order to live in a new two-bedroom apartment in Dublin. I sat with Senators Susan O'Keeffe, Marc MacSharry and Michael D'Arcy at the banking inquiry. I do not see ideas coming from that source, from either the financial community or the construction community. That is why the Independent group has brought forward the Bill which I hope will provoke interest and discussion on all sides of the House. We have tried to develop models from Canada and from economists in Princeton and Chicago, given that the banking inquiry was unable to illicit from either industry I have mentioned much of a response, except an admission that houses used to cost two and half times the average income in Ireland but that it rose to 12 times the amount. That rate is now down to six times, but it is still in excess of what it is in most OECD countries.

We discussed an allied construction item during a Commencement debate this week. I refer to the sale of the Baggot Street Hospital and its projected sales revenue of €14 million. The estimate for Tralee and Ballincollig, with both of which the Acting Leader would be acquainted, is that it would cost €40 million to replace almost 200 beds, which is a figure based on costings for these greenfield sites. A reserve price of €40 million should be put on Baggot Street Hospital because that is what it will cost us to put 200 new beds into the system. Patients are on trolleys and being sent out of the jurisdiction for treatment. Therefore, selling off hospitals to developers at bargain prices is not the way to proceed.

I support the many comments made about the housing crisis, in particular those made by Senators Aideen Hayden and Sean D. Barrett. As a further contribution to the debate, this morning we all received a document from the Irish League of Credit Unions. It has substantial resources available and would like to contribute to alleviating the housing crisis. The ILCU has proposed that the Government examine how it could use the league's significant resources in an off-balance sheet way through the establishment of a special purpose vehicle to fund the development of social housing. The proposal is worthy of a debate in this House. We are trying to address a significant housing crisis and I welcome the provision of 500 modular housing units announced yesterday by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly. As we have a very large hill to climb, every contribution and source of funding should be looked at. Will the Acting Leader organise such a debate when we return after the break?

I welcome the Garda building and refurbishment programme 2016 to 2021 announced by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, and the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Simon Harris. The programme contains a number of elements, including public private partnerships to deliver new Garda stations in key areas, including Galway city. There will be essential remedial works done to existing stations and there will be an upgrading of cells and provision of improved custody management facilities. This will have an impact on 30 facilities around the country. I am particularly pleased that Ballinasloe Garda station has been earmarked for station refurbishment and custody management facilities, a move which is long overdue. I recently visited the station and was appalled at its primitive conditions. As well as poor working conditions for gardaí, there is little privacy for the general public who wish to conduct routine business at the station. The custody management facilities were atrocious, with only one holding cell meeting health and safety requirements. Such facilities are totally inadequate for a busy urban station that covers a large divisional area. If people want gardaí to work effectively and efficiently, they must be provided with the appropriate facilities and resources. I am pleased that the Government will make significant investments. This forms part of a major plan that is being put in place, including the recruitment of additional gardaí and the provision of extra resources for patrol cars. I welcome the announcement made by the Government this week which will effectively deal with the very serious criminal elements that roam the countryside.