Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

We did take up the matter of amendment No. 42 with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which said it had already issued guidelines on the design of new apartments, including minimum standards for floor areas, storage spaces, balconies and room dimensions. In addition, communal facilities for drying clothes may be provided in well ventilated areas and, where this is not done, consideration should be given to the provision of drying facilities within each unit, such as screened balconies. There is a balance to be struck with regard to air-drying laundry while not causing an unsightly aspect to apartment blocks. There may be something of an outcry in this regard.

I would hazard a guess that amendment No. 12, if inserted as a clause in the Bill, would cause much dispute and create more problems than it solved. The amendment states: "An interest in a unit shall not be transferred subject to any conditions or covenants unless in the formulation of such condition or covenant, due regard has been had to environmental considerations". Who would determine whether due regard had been given to environmental considerations? It is a pretty nebulous provision and would lead to legal difficulties in that an interest in a unit could not be transferred without due regard to whatever are considered "environmental considerations".