Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

On the follow-up question, the facts are that any conditions attaching to planning permissions requiring the establishment of a management company do not remove the primary responsibility of developers to finish developments satisfactorily. Planning authorities have extensive powers under the Planning and Development Act 2000 to make developers finish estates in a satisfactory manner in accordance with planning permission and they all should be using them. Local authorities are now required to take estates in charge under the Planning Act. Moreover, they can be made start the procedure to take in charge the public services for residential development when requested to do so.

Management companies normally have a very different remit. They deal with the ongoing maintenance and management of the private elements of housing developments, such as looking after green areas, landscaping and maintaining community amenities etc. It is unacceptable if developers are trying to transfer the costs of finishing the services in estates to the purchasers, on top of the purchase price.

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