Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

On the multi-unit developments, an interdepartmental and inter-ministerial group has been working on this. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is in discussion with the Law Society with regard to some aspects and contractual issues in preparation for proposed provisions for that aspect of the problem. That meeting is imminent, which I know having spoken to the Minister about it.

What we are trying to do is prepare provisions from various Departments affected by this issue. The Attorney General will then make a decision as to whether we will have an omnibus Bill which would take all those provisions together or if they will be part of enactments of statutes from within Departments which are already on the way or being prepared. The idea is to find the quickest and surest way of doing that, whether by omnibus Bill or to proceed in other various ways.

Legislation is required to empower the Circuit Court to resolve disputes arising with regard to the operation and control of multi-unit developments, including existing developments. There is the property services regulation Bill, which will be published during the autumn to establish that regulatory authority. It will, among other things, regulate property managing agents and set standards for the provision of property management services.

Legislation is also required to specify the obligations of developers to protect the interests of purchasers of units in multi-unit developments and ensure compliance with such obligations. There is also the making of a ministerial order to extend compulsory registration of title to multi-unit developments and the question of legislation to amend the planning and development Acts to require planning authorities to "adhere to" or "substantially comply with" relevant ministerial guidelines, rather than simply having regard to them, for example guidelines concerning the size and quality of design of new multi-unit developments.

There are also statutory requirements to ensure that where property, including units in multi-unit developments, are being sold from plans, scalable drawings and measurements must be given, and the development of appropriate standard covenants for inclusion in the title deeds and conveyances of units in multi-unit developments. I presume that will be one of the issues to be addressed in the meeting to be held between the relevant Minister and the Law Society.

It is a question of pulling all those together. Various Departments are involved, including those dealing with the environment, planning and development, as well as justice and other issues. If the quickest way to do this is to pull this together into an omnibus Bill, it is the way we will proceed.

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