Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 April 2015
184. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the degree to which the various local authorities continue to monitor unfinished housing estates, with a view to achieving completion at an early date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16101/15]
View answerThe management and administration of issues relating to unfinished housing developments is a matter for individual local authorities. Each local authority has appointed an Unfinished Housing Development co-ordinator; contact details can be found on the Housing Agency’s website at www.housing.ie.
With the assistance of local authorities, my Department has conducted an annual national housing survey of unfinished housing developments during the summer months to monitor progress since 2010. The number of unfinished housing developments has decreased by approximately two-thirds from nearly 3,000 in 2010 to 992 in 2014. It is expected that with the aid of the €10m Special Resolution Fund (SRF) for unfinished housing developments, a further 74 developments should be resolved in the months ahead. The SRF has already positively contributed to 12 developments inspected under the 2014 Annual Survey being removed from the list of Unfinished Housing Developments. Overall in 2014, 271 unfinished housing developments were resolved.
The detailed findings of the annual surveys, annual progress reports and other useful publications and information in relation to Unfinished Housing Developments are available on the Housing Agency’s website at:
http://www.housing.ie/Our-Services/Unfinished-Housing-Developments.aspx .
As Minister for Housing and Planning and Co-ordination of Construction 2020, I now chair the National Coordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments. The Committee comprises senior representatives of the key stakeholders, including the local authorities, banking and construction industries, NAMA, the Health and Safety Authority, residents and officials from my Department. The Committee was established to drive and oversee the implementation of the recommendations of Resolving Ireland’s Unfinished Housing Developments – Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, published in May 2011.
The Committee has adopted a collaborative approach amongst its constituent members to promote the work of resolving the housing situation faced by residents of unfinished housing developments. The development of Site Resolution Plans (SRPs), agreed between residents, developers, funders and local authority personnel for the finalisation of works on site to render estates as habitable as possible, have been pivotal in resolving a large number of estates. The 2014 National Housing Survey shows that, of the 1,263 estates inspected, there were 587 estates going through the SRP process. This collaborative approach serves the best interests of all concerned and is an effective tool in the resolution process. Further information on Site Resolution Plans is available in section 3.4 of the Guidance Manual on Managing and Resolving Unfinished Estates, August 2011 which is available at the following link:
http://www.housing.ie/Our-Services/Unfinished-Housing-Developments/Guidance-Manual-on-Resolving-Unfinished-Housing-De/Guidance-Materials/Guidance-Manual_Managing-and-Resolving-Unfinished.aspx .
