Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Who said he is going home?

Rather than elaborating, I support the proposed amendment pending a better explanation from the Minister of State on what exactly is entailed. Is it that the Government proposes to levy local authorities for hoarding land, despite their best intentions to do otherwise? There must be a better and more succinct and clear way in which one can adjudicate on the local authorities' performance in their efforts to develop the lands that they have in their possession as time passes.

Specifically, I want to ask about the land aggregation scheme. Much of the land purchased by local authorities around the country was purchased at exorbitant prices but there has been an inability to both make repayments and develop those lands. Would it be possible for NAMA to give this social dividend in so far as it could make available funding to local authorities to address that issue of land that was purchased and that is now sitting in land aggregation schemes? Who is responsible, if there is to be a levy on vacant sites throughout the country? Who exactly would be responsible for those lands that are now in that scheme and that are not necessarily the responsibility of various local authorities throughout the country which purchased them with the intention of development but found themselves unable to do so without the State's backing and funding to do so? I acknowledge it may well have been, especially in the earlier years since the crash, that the funding was not readily available on the part of Government to address that but, obviously, the State has met the interest costs related to those lands.

When we hear now of the difficulties with regard to the State, more particularly, local authorities, not being able to benefit from the proceeds of NAMA, is this an opportunity whereby legislation could be brought to in to allow NAMA invest in developing these lands, among others? If there is to be a levy, will the Minister of State clarify whose responsibility it is in the case of those lands specifically within that scheme?

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