Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 6 Jul 2023

Vol. 1041 No. 5

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Mental Health Services

Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne

I raise the crisis facing child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, in County Clare, particularly the poor accommodation in which those services find themselves operating. The issue has historical value in the sense that only in 2019 they were operating out of hotel rooms, which is completely inappropriate. I make the point as it shows a pattern of years of poor decisions and an unwillingness to prioritise mental health services for our youth and our future.

CAMHS in Clare are split between two teams, one for east Clare and one for west Clare. One might assume east Clare appointments would be taken somewhere like Scarriff and west Clare appointments would be taken somewhere like Kilrush. As the Minister of State well knows, that is not the case. The service has not even been planned sufficiently to ensure the safety of staff members or service users. Our youth in those areas face the added challenges of isolation, deprivation and the associated difficulties. The Government said that after Covid we would build back better but these individuals, our most vulnerable, are being left behind.

All CAMHS appointments in County Clare take place in the same unit in the Quin Road business park in Ennis, which is obviously neither east nor west Clare. They have clinic room space equating to 4.5 rooms and one is block-booked for emergencies from 2 p.m. every day. The situation on the ground is that 22 staff simply cannot work out of 4.5 rooms. As for office space, I was told you would be better off working in the car. Some staff are working on the end of tables and some have been without a computer device for several weeks. They have issues with Internet connection and storage for files. It has been said to me the staff are distressed, the building is distressed and, therefore, the service user is distressed.

A recent survey document explained that Limerick CAMHS have more than twice as many rooms available for referrals as Clare, even when the greater demands posed by Limerick’s larger population are taken into consideration. I have spoken to staff members who described the practicalities and impact of this: searching for empty rooms, moving the client mid-session to find a space, and calling primary care centres only to be told that the space needs to be booked two weeks in advance, as is the case in Ennis. They described the uphill battle they face on a daily basis when they are just trying to do their jobs.

Why is there such a constraint on space? Incredibly, they must share their building with environmental health, which is in no way connected. If they had the entire building, there would not be an issue with space. Why has that not been explored and delivered? Surely if management was actively listening since the issues were raised as far back as 2017, which is six years ago, resolution would be in sight. However, that is not the case. Instead, it seems there is a level of arrogance and ignorance within the community healthcare management team. That has to be said. They have created and maintained this unsatisfactory situation. Now intervention at senior Government level, such as from the Minister of State, is needed at an existential level for the continuation of CAMHS in Clare and nothing less.

The Government has a surplus of €11 billion projected for next year. I have constituents who are locked in their bedrooms, unable to eat, unable to sleep and refusing to go to school. In some cases, they are a danger to themselves or others. As a parent, that is the worst nightmare. To know your child is suffering with their mental health leaves a massive element of fear. For the sake of my young constituents and their families, will the Minister of State commit to ensuring the use of the entire building as a starting point or source another building that is large enough and appropriate? Can we use the proposed site in Parteen for the east Clare team and work together to relocate west Clare CAMHS in west Clare and provide a more comprehensive wraparound support for children and young people in the county? In the general election of 2020, I called for 24-7 mental health support in the community. That was a vision whereby all staff and service users would be supported.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Mary Butler)

I thank the Deputy for the question. The development of a high-quality mid-west CAMHS has been a key priority and focus for mid-west community healthcare in recent years. I cannot agree when the Deputy says CAMHS are in crisis. There might be issues with location, premises and space but there are 21,000 children in the support of CAMHS as I speak. There were 225,000 appointments last year for young people and adolescents in the care of CAMHS. Language is important here. I will address the location, premises and space, but I will not call into question the service offered by multidisciplinary teams the length and breadth of the country.

This has led to improvements for CAMHS, including increased capacity in the mid-west. The additional investment in CAMHS mid-west over the last three years is around €2.5 million. These developments have had a positive impact on all CAMHS teams, including the two in County Clare, both of which have seen an increase in staffing levels. However, those increased staffing levels, as the Deputy rightly said, have placed additional pressure on already limited accommodation space.

The east Clare and west Clare CAMHS teams work out of a premises on the Quin Road in Ennis. HSE mid-west community healthcare has experienced significant challenges in securing additional office and clinical space in the town. With the introduction of the new primary care centre in Ennis and the relocation of services into this facility, mental health services are exploring the additional opportunities for suitable clinical and office space this might create. Mid-west community healthcare is advancing a capital plan for east Clare CAMHS in Inis Gile, Parteen, to facilitate clinics there which would be suitable for service users from that side of the county. This will help to alleviate pressure on space in Quin Road. It is anticipated that this facility will be available for use in the near future.

HSE estates continues to explore all opportunities to acquire additional office and clinical space in the Ennis area. CAMHS in Clare also access bookable rooms in the Kilrush health centre. Options are being explored for outreach in west Clare. There is regular engagement with the Clare CAMHS accommodation committee to explore reconfiguration of existing space to better support the work of the team.

Since 2020, HSE mid-west has undertaken significant actions to support the Clare CAMHS team. These include an upgrade of social worker posts, an upgrade of a psychology post to a senior post and extra administration support for the team. An assistant director of nursing, a principal psychologist and a business manager, along with health and safety representatives and a service manager, have mapped current and future accommodation needs. Additional medical governance has been provided as a response to a consultant vacancy and efforts are ongoing to recruit a full-time CAMHS consultant. There has been massive investment into the region in relation to the clinical supports necessary.

HSE mid-west community healthcare is committed to listening to and engaging with all staff and to further enhancement of all CAMHS services, including improvement for both staff and service users. Mental health services actively engage with line managers in respect of retention of staff, while acknowledging that various factors lead to vacancies, including retirement, promotional opportunities or family commitments. Mid-west CAMHS are currently engaging with an external facilitator to develop a CAMHS service improvement plan. This process is well advanced. All CAMHS staff are represented in this process and successful workshops are taking place.

Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne

I appreciate the information the Minister of State has supplied. I suggest she should visit them. She mentioned upgrades but when I speak to the staff, they are of a different opinion. I encourage her to visit the building in Quin Road and maybe then she will get a clearer picture of what is on the ground.

Last week, it was reported in both The Clare Champion and on Clare FM that an internal staff survey - another red flag on management and communications - found that 94% of respondents felt the Clare CAMHS clinical environment was not suitable for the support of young people. Incredibly, 100% agreed or strongly agreed that a shortage of clinical space was putting children supported by the service at risk; 100% also agreed that poor staff retention was putting not just the children and young people who access the service, but also those languishing on waiting lists, at risk; 94% of staff felt their mental health suffered due to poor working conditions; and the same 94% reported staff morale as poor or very poor. Does it make any sense that those who have chosen to work in mental health are now at risk of mental health issues themselves, due to the lack of solution-focused management? Only 6% were happy with staff morale and not one said they would recommend working in CAMHS to a friend or family member. Their experiences, which I have heard, are deplorable. The picture it paints is incredibly stark, which I am sure the Minister appreciates. It pre-empts an imminent mass exodus of staff, which, unfortunately, has already begun from a service dying on its feet due to the recruitment and retention crisis. The issue with staff will have a direct knock-on effect for the service, as not keeping staff affects how the service can manage its emergency rota, which needs experienced staff members to run it.

I want to speak about CAMHS mid-west as a whole. The Minister of State said "crisis" was the wrong terminology; I beg to differ. I raised the independent review, which found that 140 children and young people fell through the cracks, with the Minister of State in the House a few months ago. I was assured then that they were being followed up on. I cannot help but point out the obvious - the lack of clinic space forced nine children to receive no appointment in Clare CAMHS in March, while it also had to postpone 18 and shorten seven. This is precious time and the clock is firmly ticking. I request that Dr. Finnerty’s final report on the independent review be laid before the House upon completion. We cannot put a price on the lives of our children.

Deputy Mary Butler

I thank the Deputy for her passion. Development of a high-quality CAMHS service nationally, in line with Sharing the Vision, the HSE service plan and other related initiatives, is a priority for me and the Government. This year, €137 million will be spent on CAMHS and €80 million will be spent on organisations such as Jigsaw, MyMind, SpunOut, Pieta and others, to support people with mental health challenges in the community. The money being spent applies equally to County Clare. The actions I outlined are based on consistent investment in services and the intention to improve them. We must be fair to the teams working in mid-west community healthcare. It was the consultant psychiatrist who brought those 140 children lost to follow-up to the attention of the Mental Health Commission when it did its review. It had lost several staff - consultant psychiatrists - at that time and it was they who brought it to the attention of the Mental Health Commission. In fairness to them, they were very aware and have dealt with that issue since. I am trying to build confidence in the 75 teams that work in the country. There is no doubt that there are issues in relation to what the Deputy referred to - location, premises and space - but we are dealing with those. Mid-west community healthcare is advancing a capital plan for east Clare in Inisgile in Parteen to facilitate clients where it would be more suitable for service users from that side of the country. I have just finished holding a series of round-table meetings on CAMHS and how we can support the 21,000 children the best we can. As I said, 225,000 appointments were issued last year to children. I compliment all the staff, who work so hard in this area.

Water Services

Deputy James O'Connor

I wish to acknowledge the passing of former Cork East Deputy, Gerard Cott, who served as a Member of the House from 1969 until 1973. Our sympathies are with his family and the community in Midleton C.B.S. Secondary School, where he served as a member of staff for a number of years. We have been thinking of them in the past few days.

I wish to raise a critically important issue in the constituency I represent. It is a huge problem around the Cork Harbour area, where there are ongoing problems in relation to water supply. It is particularly acute in the Whitegate community. At the moment, approximately 9,000 consumers of water in that area have been continuously affected over several years. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be going away. In east Cork, from a topography and geology perspective, there is an ongoing issue with rainfall, which has a knock-on consequence on drainage and water quality. Due to the make-up of the geology in the area, substantial rainfall is not good from a water quality perspective, as has occurred in the last few years. The particular issue that occurred this time around seems to be persisting for much longer than others, which is a huge concern. Undoubtedly, water quality testing has improved in recent years, but what has not is Irish Water's desire to solve this problem for those affected. Fair is fair for families affected by continuous water outages and boil water notices in these areas. The State is not doing enough to support them with the supply of fresh water. I spoke to one constituent who told me she reckons it costs her and her family to the tune of €70 or €80 a week to supply clean drinking water and in ongoing needs to support her household with clean water into the home. More needs to be done, such as fresh bottled water being supplied to the affected households until such time that Irish Water can deal with these outstanding issues.

There is a plan in motion but, like everything else when it comes to how rapidly we can build infrastructure in Ireland, the pace of delivery is not sufficient. We are over the worst of it with Covid; it is out of the way now. It is no longer a relevant excuse when it comes to the delivery of infrastructure. There is a substantial need for this to be addressed. I am not the only Deputy from the constituency to raise this topic - others in Government and in Opposition have been doing so too. There is huge urgency. The families in affected areas such as Whitegate, Aghada, Churchtown, Ballycotton, Saleen, Shanagarry, Ballinacurra and some areas of Cloyne, are livid - they are right to be - because they feel ignored. I want the Department to work with Irish Water to put on pressure. Irish Water as an entity was set up to try to deal with these issues, but I feel, as has been raised previously, that the shutters are pulled down on Deputies who would like these matters to be resolved. I acknowledge that a lot of housing construction is going on and there must be some degree of prioritisation to provide serviced land, such as wastewater treatment, fresh and drinking water capacity for new developments. For many rural communities, including many in my constituency, it is hard to get Irish Water to act on time and in proper order. I beg the Government to try to address the issue. I would like to be able to go back to the doors when the general election occurs to say that we have made movement in a positive direction, brought the plans that are in place forward as rapidly and efficiently as possible, so that people and families in the areas affected get the service from the Government and Irish Water that they deserve.

Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (Deputy Ossian Smyth)

On behalf of the Government, I extend my sympathies to the family and friends of former Deputy Cott on this occasion.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of providing safe drinking water in east Cork, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Safe and secure drinking water is an issue of both national and local importance. I appreciate the Deputy’s concerns for the communities in Whitegate, County Cork and the surrounding areas affected by the boil water notice. The Deputy will appreciate that the operation of Whitegate regional public water supply is a matter for Uisce Éireann, which, since 1 January 2014, has had statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. In turn, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, as environmental regulator, is responsible for setting quality standards and enforcing compliance with EU directives and national regulations for the provision of drinking water. The Minister has made inquiries with Uisce Éireann; I understand that the boil water notice currently in place for the Whitegate public water supply was issued following consultation between Uisce Éireann, Cork County Council and the Health Service Executive. Uisce Éireann is pursuing a permanent solution to address the frequent boil water notices the people of East Cork have experienced over the last number of years. This involves a major upgrade of the water treatment plant. A contractor has been appointed to undertake the design and construction, land has been acquired and a planning application was submitted by Uisce Éireann in January 2023.

Planning permission was approved by Cork County Council in May 2023. However, appeals of that decision have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála.

The proposed works will include a new coagulation, flocculation and clarification system, a new filtration system and a new disinfection system. Significant upgrades will also be made to other aspects of the Kilva water treatment plant site.

The EPA will ensure that the new plant meets all applicable standards before this supply is removed from the EPA's remedial action list.

The Department's priority is to ensure that people's health is protected and that adequate water is available for all consumers. We all want to see this notice lifted without undue delay, but only when the HSE and the EPA have confirmed that the water supply is safe.

Additional information and advice relating to boil water notices are available on Uisce Éireann's website, water.ie, or by calling Uisce Éireann's 24-hour customer care line on 1850 278 278.

As part of budget 2023, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, secured funding of over €1.65 billion to support water services. That included €1.56 billion in respect of domestic water services provision by Uisce Éireann. This overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including in rural Ireland, and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area. This will make a significant contribution to addressing Ireland's needs.

Deputy James O'Connor

I appreciate the Minister of State's response. I ask him to bring the points that have been raised back to the Minister. That would be appreciated.

It comes down to this: it is about the scale of time it will take to get to a point at which this will no longer be an issue unless there is drastic rainfall. As I said, these outages are becoming more frequent. They are lasting much longer than in the past. I want to find an equitable and fair solution to support the communities this has affected. Irish Water needs to provide fresh bottled water services in those areas and work directly with the communities on the ground. I accept that Irish Water is independent of the Government, but Uisce Éireann, Irish Water, needs to do more. This is not an unreasonable request. I hope the Minister will refer it back to Uisce Éireann. If this were in any constituency, I could see the difficulty it would cause other Deputies. As a Government TD in the area, I am quite uncomfortable with the length of time it is taking for this to be dealt with. We need to see these things being done prudently. This impacts and has a huge consequence for households who do not have the provision of a safe water supply into the home, particularly families who may be caring for vulnerable people, elderly people, young children and people trying to raise families and who do not have that supply of fresh drinking water that is safe to consume while going through all the difficulty of the boil water notice over such a long period. It must be understood that for the 9,000 households this is affecting, that is an enormous area. The geographical scale of this is very significant because it covers a huge number of villages in the southern part of my constituency. I just want to see from the Government the same level of urgency that would be shown if such an issue were to occur in somewhere like Dublin.

Deputy Ossian Smyth

I can hear in the Deputy's voice his sincerity and his wish to have this problem resolved. It is a very basic thing to have a clean supply of drinking water. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, acknowledges the patience and co-operation of the residents and businesses in the Whitegate area who have been affected up to now. As I said in my opening remarks, the Minister's concern is to ensure that people's health is protected. The Minister wants to see this notice lifted without any undue delay but, of course, only when the water supply is again safe to drink. Uisce Éireann is working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure that happens as quickly as possible. Uisce Éireann's primary function is to provide clean, safe drinking water to customers and to treat wastewater and return water safely to the environment. In providing these critical services Uisce Éireann plays a role in enabling social and economic growth, protecting the environment as well as the health and safety of the public.

Uisce Éireann, as a single national utility, is taking a strategic and nationwide approach to asset planning and investment and meeting customer requirements. Our entire water system needs substantial and sustained investment over a number of investment cycles to improve performance and resilience fully. Investment will also need to deliver on new water capacity for our growing population and to deal with the increasing impacts of climate change. Prioritising the order of this work and the associated investment will need ongoing engagement between Uisce Éireann and the regulators - the EPA and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities - to ensure an effective and efficient delivery of necessary water quality outcomes and to improve overall water system resilience.

Finally, I should note that Uisce Éireann has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted by email or telephone.

I absolutely agree with the Deputy that no Deputy in this House in his position would not passionately represent their constituents, the people living in their area who are unable to access water or who are forced into paying every week to access something which is an absolute necessity for life. I therefore concur absolutely with him. I will bring his comments to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Local Authorities

Deputy Paul McAuliffe

As a Government TD who has supported housing, I welcome the 69 new units which will be developed in Cappaghfinn and launched by Fingal County Council very soon. The real regret is that in order for anyone to access that estate, for the cathaoirleach of Fingal County Council to cut the ribbon or for me to attend the opening ceremony or indeed for many of the families to enter the estate and to live there they would have to travel through the Heathfield estate. We all know the issue of estates that have not been taken in charge by local authorities, but for more than a decade this estate has suffered from all the classic characteristics we see in estates that have not been taken in charge: the roads are unfinished in many places and need to be resurfaced; there are green spaces and undeveloped spaces which are unsafe for children and which pose an eyesore in the community; there are footpaths that are unfinished; and there is a playground that is in a perilous state, a really dangerous state, but for which the equipment is there.

It is very simple: Fingal County Council has not moved quickly on this estate over the decades. I think we accept that. I have no doubt but that the new development has given the council an impetus. As recently as Christmas, an area was cleared and separated with hoarding. A planning enforcement notice has been issued against the developer in respect of the site. There is an unfinished element of it where three retail units were due to be developed.

In some ways I am scratching my head as to how on the floor of the Dáil I am raising all these issues with a Government Minister, but I implore him to do everything he can in order to ensure that Fingal County Council takes those necessary steps in order to take the estate in charge and to help resolve some of those issues.

In no way do I expect the developer to get off the hook on its financial obligations, nor do I expect the local authority to take on those responsibilities. We have to be realistic, however, that after more than a decade there will be things which will be done and things which will not be done. In order for us to maintain this community in a manner in which it should be maintained and allow the new residents who will drive over these roads that are not completed, Fingal County Council must do what it needs to do in order to secure the estate. The residents there are incredibly frustrated. I met with them there just two weeks ago, on a Saturday morning. I expected there to be two or three residents when, in fact, more than 25 came out to meet me. People are really frustrated, they are angry and they are giving up. They cannot concentrate on nice things like family fun days, clean-ups and really good work in terms of environmental projects because the very basics are not there. Also, they do not have the trust and confidence to work with the local authority, and we know that many community groups need that trust and confidence to do really good stuff in their areas. We therefore need to allow them move on, do the work and welcome their new neighbours into the estate, but to do all that Fingal County Council has a lot of work to do. I hope the Minister and the Government will assist them in doing that.

Deputy Ossian Smyth

Again, on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, I will answer this. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue on the taking in charge of private housing estates by local authorities.

With regard to the specific development in the Deputy's constituency, I have to emphasise that under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in respect of any particular case in which a planning authority or the board is or may be concerned. Therefore, my comments today on the Minister's behalf must at all times be general and will refer to the process relating to the taking in charge of housing estates. I will not refer to the specific estate mentioned in the Deputy's question.

First, all planning authorities are required to have a policy on taking in charge within their respective functional areas. That is in accordance with planning Circular PD 1/08, which was issued on 26 February 2008. Second, the legislative process for the taking in charge of housing estates by local authorities is set out in section 180 of the Act. The prescribed process in this regard applies to residential developments consisting of two or more dwellings that have been granted planning permission under section 34. Under section 180(1), the planning authority is obliged to initiate the taking-in-charge process where requested by either the developer of, or by the majority of owners of the dwellings in, the estate in question. However, this is subject to the development being completed to the satisfaction of the authority and in accordance with the permission and any conditions attached thereto.

Where developments have not been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority, and where enforcement proceedings in this connection have not been commenced by the planning authority within four years of the expiry of the planning permission relating to a development, section 180(2)(a) provides that the planning authority shall, where requested by the majority of owners of the houses involved, initiate the taking-in-charge procedures under section 11 of the Roads Act 1993, as amended. Where this particular approach is being progressed, the authority may apply the security or development bond that was provided as part of the planning application for the purposes of ensuring the satisfactory completion of the development.

With regard to estates that have not been competed in a satisfactory way, local authorities have been advised to draw up a priority list of requests from residents for the taking in charge of estates within their functional areas, taking into account factors such as the date of the request, the condition of the estate, the length of time that it has been left in an unfinished state and the funding resources available to complete such estates. Furthermore, where the calling-in of the development bond is not possible, section 180(2)(a) provides that the initiation of the taking-in-charge procedures under section 11 of the Roads Act 1993 shall not preclude the planning authority concerned from pursuing a developer for any costs incurred by the authority in respect of necessary works undertaken on a development to enable it to be taken in charge by that authority.

To conclude the taking-in-charge process where the development has been deemed to have been satisfactorily completed, a local authority is required to make a declaration under section 11 of the Roads Act 1993 following a proposal by the executive. The making of such a declaration, which effectively confirms that the authority is prepared to take over responsibility for the ongoing maintenance of the public works elements of the estate, is a reserved function of the elected members of a local authority and, therefore, the decision to take any particular estate or estates in charge is ultimately one for the elected members of the local authority who, by way of declaration made under the Roads Act 1993, will make such a decision.

In addition, it should be noted that financial decision-making and the accountability of local authorities is a matter for the elected members of a local authority, who have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes the adoption of the annual budget of the local authority. In this regard, section 103 of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended, provides for the local authority budgetary process. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process, having regard to both locally identified needs and the funding resources available to the local authority. This includes the taking in charge of housing estates.

An Ceann Comhairle

Before Deputy McAuliffe comes in, I am a little curious about this. I understand section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 precludes the Minister from involvement in any planning application or decision, whether by the local authority or the board, but this is not a planning matter. This is something that arises in the aftermath of the planning permission being granted and it is an essential detail around the completion of the development, separate from the planning process.

Deputy Paul McAuliffe

The Ceann Comhairle got in ahead of me. I was going to make the same point but it comes with more force-----

An Ceann Comhairle

Great minds think alike.

Deputy Paul McAuliffe

When the point is made from the Chair, it is more helpful. I ask the Minister of State to reflect on that.

I take his comments in the tone they are made because what they are essentially saying is that often in Ireland we do not devolve enough responsibility to local authorities and that we do not give them the powers to pursue it. What he said is that this is a matter for both the executive and the elected members of the local authority. I would expect it to first follow through on the procedures that are available to it. Second, I would expect it to apply additional funding and priority to them.

The Minister of State said that the local residents should identify issues that are required, and they have done that. Those matters are simple. They want to know what the plans are for the old builder's yard, which is adjacent to the entrance. There are three retail units planned on this site and they want to know if they will go ahead and who will develop them. If they do not, they want to know if it will be reseeded and grassed. There are relevant internal roads that are due to be resurfaced and they have asked when that will happen. The kid's playground, which I have mentioned, needs to be renovated and brought up to purpose, and the green areas in front of Heathfield View are surrounded by fencing, which is attracting illegal dumping.

These are all matters that are perhaps best dealt with at a local authority meeting, and it is with frustration that we bring them to the House. I ask the Minister of State to see whatever role he can play, given the Ceann Comhairle's direction, and perhaps in response to the comments I have made. Perhaps he can just communicate the frustration that I conveyed to him directly to Fingal County Council. He could say to the council that the matter has been brought in front of the Minister and he could outline the procedure that he has outlined this evening. I will inform the council that I expect every step to be followed. As I say, there is a good news story here on the addition of 69 houses but it is a bad story when the residents have to enter through an estate that is unfinished.

Deputy Ossian Smyth

I note the views of the Ceann Comhairle and the Deputy on the meaning of the Act. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has asked me not to refer to the specific development but to speak in generalities. We can manage this case-----

An Ceann Comhairle

That is fair enough.

Deputy Ossian Smyth

-----by sticking to the generalities of the case. As the Deputy said, there is devolved power in this case. It is a devolved power to take in charge, following a majority vote from the residents of the estate. Second, there is the power to set budgets. Fingal County Council sets its own rates and it has a large rates base, including the airport. It also sets its own property taxes. In doing so, it can decide then how it will spend its money. It is not good to leave an estate unfinished or to leave it in a way which is leaving people to have a poor quality of life and so on, and the Deputy has described in detail what the issue is there.

The taking in charge of housing estates is a reserved function of elected members of local authorities and it is also a reserved function of local authorities to set their budgets. These are important functions that the elected members of a local authority are responsible for and oversee. Therefore, ultimately, the progression of individual developments through the taking-in-charge process is a matter for the relevant housing developer, the owners of the properties in such developments and the relevant local authority to consider on a case-by-case basis, following the procedures set out in section 180 of the Planning and Development Act.

I will take the Deputy's frustration to the Minister and I would say to any local authority, including Fingal County Council, that it is responsible for taking in charge of estates, particularly in a case where the residents wish it to be taken in charge, where it has not been taken in charge for a long period, where there is any sense that it is unsafe or where it is leading to poor quality of life. Local authorities should set their policies around taking in charge appropriately and they should use their budgets appropriately and direct them towards resolving that situation.

An Ceann Comhairle

I thank the Ministers of State, Deputies Ossian Smyth and Butler, for being here, and I thank Deputy McAuliffe and his colleagues for raising these matters.