Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 May 2013
184. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to his statement that up to 200 housing estates in the State may be bulldozed, if he will outline the prior consideration that will be given to offering the estates for sale subject to conditionality including that the estates be made habitable within a specified period of time. [24702/13]
View answerI am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments to oversee the implementation of the report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, together with the Government's response to the recommendations. The Committee includes representatives from the Irish Banking Federation, local authorities, the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency, NAMA and the construction sector. Real progress is being made in tackling and resolving the issues faced by residents of unfinished estates. The Committee is meeting on a regular basis to oversee this effort. It has produced a guidance manual on resolving and managing unfinished estates, a key stakeholders code of practice and a guide for residents living in unfinished developments, all of which are available at www.environ.ie. Site Resolution Plans have been identified by the National Co-ordination Committee as a key tool in resolving issues associated with unfinished housing developments. Such plans enable stakeholders, including developers, local authorities, financial institutions, NAMA and residents to collaborate in determining how best to pursue resolution of problematic sites. The process also entails working with stakeholders in identifying the best long-term solution for developments in terms of their configuration, use of vacant buildings and ownership. Such solutions also take account of the best interests of residents.
Under the public safety initiative for unfinished housing developments, my Department has allocated some €3.877 million to 21 local authorities from the funding made available to address immediate public safety issues. Some €2.49 million was approved in 2011 and some €1.38 million was approved in 2012. My Department will continue to examine and approve claims in 2013 as they are submitted by local authorities. The types of works that have been approved to date include fencing off unsecured and hazardous areas, capping pipes, installing street lighting and undertaking other works to secure sites. Some €2.515 million has been drawn down by local authorities to date. It is not considered necessary to allocate additional funding to this scheme at this time as the funds available are adequate to service this initiative. This funding is targeted at developments where a developer has abandoned the development and serious public safety concerns exist. If the developer is still active, it is the responsibility of the local authority planning department to pursue the developer for completion of the development in line with the terms of the original planning permission. Similarly, where a developer is inactive but still in place, the enforcement of the planning conditions is a matter for the relevant planning authority. As outlined in the National Housing Development Survey 2012, the results of which I published in November 2012, real progress has been made in tackling the issues faced by the residents of unfinished housing developments, with a 37% decrease in the number of unfinished developments since 2010 and nearly 300 developments effectively resolved in the last 12 months. It is likely that some estates will ultimately need to be demolished as suitable alternate uses may not be found in all cases. Demolition is unlikely to arise where viable alternative solutions, including possible deployment for social housing purposes, are identified.
