Vol. 495 No. 3
64 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has asked the Law Reform Commission to analyse the current problems of gazumping within the Irish housing market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19827/98]
The consultants on the house price study, Peter Bacon & Associates, recommended a written voluntary code of practice as the most effective means of limiting undesirable practices such as gazumping by some house builders and suggested that the professional representative body of home builders could play a positive role through the introduction of such a code.
Following the publication of the Bacon report and the launch of the Government's Action on House Prices, I raised the question of formulating a code of practice to deal with undesirable market practices with the Irish Home Builders' Association and the response of the association has been very positive. In addition, my Department is in consultation with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform with a view to referring the issue of a possible legislative response to the problem of gazumping to the Law Reform Commission for consideration.
