Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. The Minister of State is correct in saying that the survey will not immediately change reality for those living in unfinished housing developments. It presents strong evidence for the delivery of action. The remarks of the Minister of State are at odds with the comments of the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran. He said he would not leave houses empty while thousands of people are on the housing list. I fully agree that we cannot match up one aspect with the other.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Cuffe, to the House and commend him on his bona fides in this regard. The amendment before the House was unnecessary. We had a good debate on the issue contained in the motion during statements in recent weeks. There was no need for an amendment, which in itself is aspirational and lacks conviction. The Minister of State correctly said that we have identified unfinished estates of various types in each local authority area. I accept there was misreporting. We should put that on the record. People invested money in houses. I do not refer to those who bought five or six properties but people who bought them as homes. I fully agree with the Minister of State. I liked his description of small apartments. He is correct. Planning was wrong. I opposed planners in my own area of the city because I believed certain developments were wrong for the locality. I speak on behalf of families and single people who bought a primary residence to be their home and who are now living in unfinished estates and apartment complexes with no one else or only a few other people living there.

It is unfortunate that we now have thousands of people on housing waiting lists in every local authority. If one engages with the local Simon community one hears that increasing numbers of people are becoming homeless. Unfinished estates are the most visible sign of the collapse of the Celtic tiger. We have the banking bailout, unemployment and emigration but that is the visible infrastructural legacy, the lack of finished estates and other housing developments.

The Labour Party motion underlines the need for clarity on who will pay to complete unfinished estates. There is a need to deliver on that requirement. On the previous occasion when the Minister of State was in the House I made the comment that developers, bankers and others should not be let off the hook. Developers who come in by the back door with a change of name or register their companies in a different way should not be given planning permission. I am not anti-developer. I am pro-people who want to build and create sustainable communities. It is a given that a sustainable community needs families, homes, people, proper roads, infrastructure, paths and lighting. The press release issued by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government refers to next steps. For those who live in unfinished estates, the next steps are critical. They must see action. We can have hyperbole and fancy press statements but we must have action.

We have a picture of the situation as we have carried out a survey. Independent commentators and academics from Maynooth, UCD and other places can squabble about the number but we must see tangible evidence of how we can tackle this blight on society. There is much in the Minister of State's speech with which I could not disagree. The Minister of State, Deputy Cuffe, impresses me, which is a rarity in the Government of which he is a member.