Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I thank Members on all sides of the House for supporting this Labour Party Private Members' Bill, the purpose of which is to deal effectively with the scourge of unfinished housing estates. I welcome the decision by the Minister, Deputy Roche, to agree to the Second Stage reading of the Bill and the commitment he made to facilitate early consideration of the Bill on Committee Stage. I noted that he looked forward to the debate. In doing so he has done a service not only to residents living in unfinished estates who are looking to this House for some relief and to the Legislature to change the law so they can get that relief, he has also done a service to Parliament itself because it is good that where there is a problem in the community which requires a change in the law, any Member of this House can propose a legislative measure to deal with it and that a Minister is big enough to accept it and have it referred to a committee. I acknowledge the Bill can be improved and I look forward to the debate on Committee Stage.

As the debate progressed this evening, I became increasingly nervous about the Government's commitment to have the Bill considered on Committee Stage. I caught some of the caveats entered yesterday by the Minister. I was a bit concerned by the reference of the Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, to the need to get additional legal advice on the provisions of the Bill. It is not the best of days for Ministers to talk about referring matters to the Attorney General, particularly when we wonder how long it will take and when the advice might eventually be given. What really concerned me was the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, who appears to be so anxious to claim personal credit for the entire 79,000 houses built last year.

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