Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)

The payments for such loans are astronomical, with little or no alternative for both partners to work outside the home. What should home buyers expect in return for this, the largest investment in their lives? They should expect their houses to be constructed to an acceptable standard, roads to be left in a safe and usable condition, public lighting to be operational and grass verges and open spaces to be planted and maintained so their children can play in safety. Is it any wonder residents are angry when any or all these items, which are normal conditions of a planning permission, have been delayed or, in many cases, deliberately ignored by a small group of unscrupulous builders and developers? Since I became a public representative in 1983, the two main planning issues which have consistently been brought to my attention are indiscriminate rezoning and unfinished estates. At the early stage of my political career, I committed myself to doing something about these issues and I am pleased some of the comments we have made over the years have been taken on board by Government.

The scandal of unfinished estates is being caused by a minority of builders. Apart from causing grief to the purchasers, they are also giving the building industry in general a bad name. I firmly believe the Construction Industry Federation, which was well aware of these problems, should have been more forthright in endeavouring to deal with these people who I would classify as cowboys, some of whom were members of its organisation.

The former Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, in voting down my Bill in 1999 indicated that he would address the principal objectives of it in the major planning and development Bill he was preparing. The Planning and Development Act acknowledges and contains some of these objectives but it fell very much short of what was required to deal with the scandal of unfinished estates.

Last night the Minister, Deputy Roche, referred to the fact that under the Planning and Development Act 2000, the planning authority can refuse to grant planning permissions subject to the consent of the High Court to any developer who has seriously failed to comply with a previous planning permission. The process does not work. The previous Minister in drafting this section of the Act knew very well of its shortcomings in that respect but he proceeded with it, and I wonder why. How many planning authorities have taken the steps provided in the 2000 Act? I cannot recall any local authority going down that road.

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