Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

——regarding the procedures that were being operated in each of the councils. From what Members said during that debate, a number of those initiatives have been successful in terms of getting coherence in what local authorities do and how they treat housing developments, whether apartments or estates. I have previously made the point that these management companies were intended in the first instance for controlled small apartment blocks. They were not meant for residential housing estates. The Minister has made significant progress with a number of local authorities with regard to implementing the procedures as they were originally envisaged.

The Director of Consumer Affairs recently produced a detailed report in this regard which highlighted issues the Government will have to examine. That examination will be done in the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Whether a legislative proposal or other solution will have to be brought forward will be decided shortly, but a lot of the procedures and operational issues which were arising in local authorities do not require legislation. They can be dealt with by the management and I understand from the Minister and his officials that is being done. I will revert to the House when the report of the Director of Consumer Affairs has been examined and a question to the Tánaiste or the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government will receive a more detailed response on the position with regard to the examination of the report.

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