Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

I agree completely with Senator Mansergh that we have not yet found the solution to this problem. For the Government to vote down this Bill is certainly not the answer. I compliment Senator Coghlan on introducing this legislation. It is a basis on which to work and represents the way forward. If the Government accepts Second Stage, the Minister can, in his own time, make any amendments he regards as necessary to make the Bill better. There is no point in kicking it to touch and we all know the problems that exist. There is absolutely no doubt that stage payments are anti-consumer. There is a raft of problems concerning housing estates and anybody who has served on a local authority and any public representative will know quite well the problems that have been created in housing estates in recent years in regard to the taking over of roads, footpaths, public lighting and green areas. These problems have concerned local authorities greatly and have generated rows between developers, builders, local authority members and local authority staff.

Ultimately, the person who has borrowed the money to buy a house is the one paying the piper all the time and ends up with all the problems. We all know of people who have borrowed heavily and of cases where there are two people working to provide for their family. Such people have huge mortgages and problems in that the councils have not taken over the housing estates and the developers have not completed the work. All these problems have persisted and will continue.

As Senator Coghlan stated, further problems will arise for those who have made stage payments who have not yet moved into the houses for which they are paying mortgages of 60% or 70%. The quicker we can put something together for those people, the better. As Senator Coghlan pointed out, this is not the case in Dublin. However, it is the case in many parts of the country where people are living in rented accommodation and making stage payments. There is a huge burden on them. In most cases, both parents or partners have to work.

The Bill Senator Coghlan has brought before the House represents a good basis on which to work. The Minister of State knows quite well that he can introduce amendments to improve it, if necessary, and that there is no need to kick it to touch or vote it down.