Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I refer to a case in which Bord Gáis has issued notices to residents of new homes to disconnect their fireplaces because the board deems them to be dangerous. As a public representative acting on behalf of these residents I have yet to receive a satisfactory answer on where the residents purchasing under affordable housing arrangements can find recourse. Does the recourse lie to the developer or does the local authority have a duty of care because it was involved in arranging the affordable housing for residents?

It is time in areas such as Dublin West and Dublin 15, where there is mass housing development, that developers came under some control. They have had a bonanza in the past ten years making money hand over fist yet many are not prepared to give buyers a fair deal.

Apartments and management companies pose another significant problem in Dublin 15. The Minister must be aware of the numerous complaints about poor and shoddy workmanship in apartments, particularly in regard to noise insulation. It is a delicate issue because there are multiple owners on the same site. Private developers and county councils use the device of a management company widely. These companies charge high fees, in some cases up to €1,500 a year. Very often the management company is the builder's brother or other relative of the builder or foreman who developed the housing. In practice, there is very little recourse if something goes wrong as often happens in apartments. There is neither law nor regulation for this area. I wrote several times to the Minister's predecessor about this. People who buy privately are afraid to complain publicly in case it depresses the market value of their homes. That is an additional problem. The Labour Party Bill would restore some balance.

I received another typical letter just before coming here. It refers to Rusheeney Grove in Dublin West. According to the letter, the dumping on waste ground on this unfinished estate, "seems to have gotten 10 times worse. ... Since Halloween the waste ground has become an illegal dumping ground". Children spray graffiti on the walls. "The walls were supposed to be re-painted and the waste ground was supposed to be landscaped" as per the planning permission.

This person has bought a house at great expense and wants to invite parents and other relatives to tea but they must drive through this waste ground to get there. Many residents are delighted to have their own homes and keep them beautifully but the standard of upkeep on estates is appalling. I saw the Minister and some of his colleagues in Dunboyne on Sunday. I do not know if he knew what happened to residents of many estates in Dunboyne who had been trying to pursue builders for years. I hope the by-election brings a sense of reality to what is happening in Dublin West and the areas surrounding Dublin where young people, in particular, are getting a very raw deal from the Government. I commend the Bill to the House.

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