Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. There has been progress on the unfinished estates on which people live. If the money allocated is used in the same way as the €5 million already used, it will go a long way to sorting out some of the bad cases.

The no hope ghost estates are part of the legacy of the economic illiteracy in the State for many years. They blight the landscape and some are dangerous. There are apartments built in places where they will never be required. Imagine, there are apartments in Borris-on-Ossory where there would not be a huge demand for unfinished apartments, but there is a demand for two, three and four bedroom houses. I do not want to see anything being demolished that does not have to be. The criteria need to be clearer for anything that can be put to use. The Balcon site on the Dublin Road in Portlaoise is appalling. I want to talk to the Minister about it.

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