Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I can understand from where the Minister is coming. I understand that if there was a 5% levy or charge for finishing estates that developers would load it onto the purchase price. However, we need to learn from the mistakes of the very recent past. We have all seen - and I am sure they are also in the Minister's constituency - the impact of unfinished estates and developments on those who live in them. They feel isolated, let down and deserted because while they can approach the local authority it has probably imposed bonds on the developer which are nowhere near sufficient to finish the estate and put in place the infrastructure needed to complete it to a satisfactory level. They also feel let down by the developer who has either gone out of business or does not have the funds to complete the development.

Legislation in this area is inadequate and has not protected consumers, citizens and the purchasers of these houses. The Minister has outlined that he will make an attempt to procure a mechanism to address the anomalies that exist and I appreciate that. He needs to consult with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, whether on this Bill or on the planning and development legislation. Our citizens are being let down by developers and local authorities and they feel abandoned. They feel alone with no assistance or help. The amendments tabled are an attempt to address this. I will not state they are perfect and the Minister outlined his reasons for thinking they are not perfect but they are an attempt to address the matter in the interests of consumer protection and the citizens purchasing these houses in good faith in the belief that they will be finished to a high standard. There is evidence throughout the country of where this is not the case. It must be addressed in this Bill or in the planning and development legislation. I appeal to the Minister and his officials to put the resources and time into finding a mechanism that will prevent the mistakes of the past from happening again. It is essential for the residents and the citizens of the country.