Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am chairing the national co-ordination committee on unfinished housing developments to oversee implementation of the report of the advisory group on unfinished housing developments, together with the Government's response to the recommendations. The committee includes representatives from the Irish Banking Federation, local authorities, Housing and Sustainable Communities Limited, NAMA and the construction sector. Real progress is being made with regard to the public safety works required to improve the living conditions of existing residents on some unfinished estates, and the committee meets regularly to oversee this effort.

The 2012 national housing development survey, published by the Department in November 2012, revealed steady quantifiable progress in tackling the issue of unfinished housing developments. A renewed focus by all stakeholders, including local authorities, developers, lenders and local residents, is working and communities are benefitting. Since the survey was first commenced in 2010, there has been a 37% decrease in the number of unfinished developments and a 27% decrease in the number of vacant units. In 2012, almost 300 housing developments were resolved. Further details of this survey, including details of the stage of completion of unfinished developments throughout the country, can be found on the Department's website, www.environ.ie. The survey identified a further 1,770 developments remaining unfinished. While this is a substantial reduction on the 2,874 developments identified in the 2010 survey, it also indicates the scale of the challenge remaining. The focus of the Government's actions is directed at resolving these developments, of which approximately 1,100 are in a seriously problematic condition.

The Department launched a public safety initiative in March 2011, which provided funding to address immediate public safety issues. The types of works approved to date under the public safety initiative include fencing off unsecured and hazardous areas, capping pipes, installing street lighting and other works to secure sites. Under the public safety initiative, the Department has made allocations totalling approximately €3.877 million to 21 local authorities from the funding made available, and to date a total of €2.515 million has been drawn down by local authorities.

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