Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

In the matter of management companies and the promised legislation attached to them, I know it is very complex and difficult for the Government to deal with, but it has taken three years to get to the stage where the Attorney General has been asked to handle the preparation of the legislation. Three Ministers are still involved in this area, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I raised this matter at the Whips' meeting because as a Whip I am very aware of the huge volume of legislation that of necessity has to come out of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. It was indicated in the House that the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, or the Minister might sponsor the Bill. If that were to be so, my fear is we would never see the Bill in the House because of the volume of work in that Department. I understand it was being referred to Government to see if one of the less legislatively busy Departments or Ministers might take the Bill rather than the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. A new urgency has arisen with regard to this legislation as well as the difficulties that were there all along.

If the Fine Gael Whip could stay quiet, the House would be able to hear me. Management companies are now going broke and people have nobody to whom to pay the charge. They cannot sell their houses when they need to — if anybody would buy them — because there is a lien on their title which they cannot clear because there is nobody to clear it. This is a new situation arising as well as all the other difficulties.

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