Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

The proliferation of new houses is a good news story. Nobody could have imagined 20 or 25 years ago that we would be discussing these problems. Everybody's desire is to have a home of their own but as prices rise people take out larger mortgages and have less money to spend on what they would like. If they invest such large amounts of money and commit to a 35-year mortgage they deserve a finished product — something with which they are happy and which gives them contentment.

In most cases local authorities have done a good job against all the odds. Given the extent to which houses are being built at the moment, in every village, town and city in Ireland, it must be very difficult for councils to meet their obligations and monitor proceedings. It is difficult to put in place the staff to provide adequate follow-up operations. However, it will not happen just by wishing it to happen.

I have listened to the Minister on radio programmes on several occasions and he has appeared quite focused in his response to the difficulties that have arisen, and has made it clear where responsibility lies. Nobody should abdicate responsibility because it is unacceptable that a young couple incur huge financial outlay and a 35-year commitment but years later still live on an unfinished estate. There are safety issues and local authorities should ask themselves who will be liable in the event of major claims. Obviously the responsibility of the local authority will come into focus.

We need an ongoing audit because there is a need for transparency and accountability. It will not be sufficient to depend solely on local authorities. There will either have to be legislation or a specific timescale for the completion of a project. That timescale could form part of the planning process. Planning permission is usually granted with several conditions attached but there should also be penalty clauses. If a builder leaves a development for another site but returns at a later date to complete work in conjunction with a management company, this work will be done in a piecemeal fashion.

The issue of development contributions is a hardy annual. People have always resented paying these contributions primarily because they regard them as a penal tax or a way for local authorities to raise revenue without specifying the purpose. Members of the public need to understand the reason such charges are imposed. It is not necessary that they be used to develop roads, car parks or facilities of that nature.

One of the main drawbacks of the housing boom is the lack of corresponding infrastructure for new communities. This leaves people feeling isolated and reminds me of the situation when Shannon was built and people used to say the town lacked heart because it did not have a community base or history. Although this is no longer the case in Shannon, this isolation occurs when one tries to create something from nothing. If development charges must be imposed, clear guidelines should apply and they should be used to fund the development of playgrounds and other infrastructure. There is nothing to prevent consultations taking place in this regard.

The large number of new housing developments has in many respects created new villages and towns. The town of Cashel, for example, used to have a population of 3,000. At one point, I knew the precise number of houses in the town — 600 — because this information was required when doing a canvass. The number of houses in Cashel has increased at least threefold since then, which is equivalent to creating two new towns. Although services such as water, sewerage, roads and landscaping are, in the main, reasonably good, consideration has not been given to other aspects of development which are essential to community life. There is nothing to prevent development charges being expended on these back-up services. Those who provide the money know best what is needed. If everyone in a development of 300 to 400 houses pays a development fee, it adds up to a significant sum. It should be possible to interact with those who pay charges to determine what facilities are required. My principal argument, therefore, is that expansive and innovative guidelines must apply to the manner in which development charges are spent.