evidence: Sinn Féin recognises the urgent need for investment in our housing stock. Minister Hargey's revitalisation programme includes not only building new homes to address the numbers in housing stress but maintaining and retrofitting existing stock to ensure that it is up to standard. My party recently responded to the Housing Executive's draft cavity wall insulation action plan consultation, on issues with cavity wall insulation in its housing stock. [...] The task of revitalising the Housing Executive is vast. It includes not only building new homes to address the numbers in housing stress but maintaining and retrofitting existing stock to ensure that it is up to standard. The Housing Executive needs to give full consideration to the responses to the cavity wall insulation consultation, which was closed at the beginning of this year. Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has exacerbated the difficulties over the past 18 months, but it is now fundamental that the repair and replacement retrofitting project be undertaken without delay. The £217 million spend on planned maintenance for the 2021-22 year must be focused on that issue to ensure the comfort and safety of citizens who have already waited far too long and in poor conditions. [...] I was shocked to hear that the issue was discussed many times in the House before my time. The problem is out there, it is real, and you see it in houses that you visit. As of January this year, nearly 30,000 out of 42,000 people on the housing waiting list are in housing stress. We need not only to create more homes to house those people but to make sure that homes are fit for purpose to allow people to live in dignity.