John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

As the Deputy knows, a guidance manual is being developed and I expect it to set out the roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders in addressing unfinished housing development, identify the type of developments and issues that need to be prioritised for action in the short term, summarise the wide range of statutory powers currently at the disposal of local authorities to resolve those urgent matters, and establish organisational context leadership on this issue at local authority and national levels, building on existing best practice approaches that have been developed in Ireland and elsewhere in dealing with the issue.

We are identifying the provisions and powers which can be used to remedy those problems. For example, under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 local authorities are empowered to direct the owner or occupier of land which is or may become derelict to take measures necessary to prevent it from becoming or continuing to be a derelict site. The carrying out of any work specified in the notice is exempted development. The legal definition of "derelict sites" is broad and could be adapted to abandoned residential housing estates. Local authorities could use the Derelict Sites Act in a targeted fashion to address sites which have become derelict under the stewardship of aberrant owners or occupiers.

We are doing a lot and we can use other legislation. The Deputy should be assured that my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Cuffe, is dealing with this issue. He launched the document on ghost or unfinished estates. As we have published that report, we are ensuring that the problem will be dealt with as quickly as possible.

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