asked the Minister for the Environment whether he has yet established the committee recently announced to advise on the implementation of measures to reduce the costs and delays associated with house purchase; the terms of reference of this committee; and when it is to report.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Committee on House Purchasing.
17.
I will have the first meeting of the committee arranged as soon as I have received all the nominations of members from the participating institutions. The terms of reference will be settled before this meeting.
I hope that the committee will submit its report at the earliest practicable date but at this stage I cannot say when that might be.
Could the Minister say who he is intending to send as representatives to the committee and why he cannot state the terms of reference now?
It has already been announced that it is proposed to establish a joint committee of the Irish Building Societies Association and the law society under the chairmanship of my Department to examine the issues raised in the Foras Forbartha report. The law society and the IBSA have indicated their willingness to participate. Nominations for the committee have been received in the law society and the Department of Finance have indicated that they would wish to have one member available. The nominations of the two IBSA members have not yet been received, but I believe they will be received shortly.
And the terms of reference? The Minister did not answer my other question.
As I said, the terms of reference will be drawn up as soon as I am aware that we have settled the membership of the committee. I shall then be in a position to indicate to the Deputy what the terms of reference are, before the first meeting.
The Foras Forbartha Report of 1983 set out in detail some recommendations on this topic. Would the Minister now indicate to the House if there will be a time limit given to this committee in which they will have to report back? This is a festering sore in our society and needs urgent attention.
I said in my reply that I will communicate to the committee the urgency of the problem. I am not inclined to indicate to them a final date by which their consideration should be sent to me, but I shall be indicating very strongly that there is urgency in the matter.