Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

Group 8 addresses the issue of unfinished estates in more detail. This group deals with the extension of a permission, which can impose further conditions on the issue of the bond. A new provision has been added to the effect that a person who, on the day the section commences, is on an extension of permission can apply for a further extension and the planning authority may grant that where it considers the development has not been completed owing to circumstances beyond the control of the developer. The possibility of securing a second extension was available to all applicants under the 2000 Act but it was decided as a matter of policy to remove it. However, it has been decided to provide that persons currently on an extension who may have had an expectation that they could avail of a second extension may apply for such an extension. Each application will be considered on its merits. While I recognise the fairness of allowing an extension in some cases, people are also living on unfinished estates who want closure and they do not the developer to be given another five years to do very little. The county manager is probably the best person to decide on getting the balance right. One could err on either side on this issue.

We conducted a survey of unfinished estates in the midlands and we hope to extend it throughout the country. We will take the knowledge we get from that and apply it to regulations or a circular.