Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)

However, I am prepared to take the Minister at his word. He will be judged by his actions and not his promises. The Bill, therefore, must not be buried in the list of legislative promises. The Labour Party will demand that Committee and Report Stages be taken in the Dáil's autumn session.

The Bill provides a mechanism to enable planning authorities to tackle rogue builders and developers who previously failed to properly complete works in new housing estates, or failed to complete them in a reasonable time. This includes the standard of work on the houses, taking charge of the estate, the dedication of open spaces and health and safety standards for construction workers.

The Irish people's tradition of aspiring to home ownership is unique among EU member states. Over 80% of dwellings in the State are privately owned. To achieve this, couples and single persons are willing to mortgage themselves to the hilt. The average price of a new house in Dublin, for which loans were approved, rose from €92,342 in 1996 to €334,820 in 2004.

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