Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)

The real funding will come from developers, banks and financiers. The funds are not for completion of the houses because that is for the developers and the banks but public safety works are the first priority and we have to deal with these as best we can. Based on their concerns, the local authorities have categorised all estates and of 655 estates with works to be completed, a total of 242 were in category four and are of most concern. Approximately 28 of these are within NAMA. This might not be a true reflection. The co-ordinating committee is made up of representatives of the local authorities, the county and city managers, the sustainable communities agency of which Mr. John O'Connor is the chairperson, the Irish Bankers Federation, NAMA, and a representative of the rural dwellers to present the views from the rural perspective, which is of particular interest to me.

The committee has identified 28 estates. It is important that people have a contact and that there is a contact person in every local authority. Very often residents and communities do not know who to contact and they are sent from Billy to Jack. There is a contact person in NAMA and in the banks. This is the liaison protocol procedure. The communities are the most important component but it is often difficult for them to negotiate the bureaucratic system. I have cut this out by asking for a contact system to be established and the contacts have been identified and the system is working.

The communities are already up and running. I appeal to people not to use the term, "ghost estates". It is preferable to refer to "unfinished housing developments". The term "ghost estates" casts an aspersion upon people who have expended considerable moneys to buy a house. I prefer to refer to them as unfinished housing developments. In that context, I ask residents of such estates to take action by setting up a residents' or a community association.

On the question of how this issue is to be resolved, a site resolution plan is being set up for each of the 28 estates. It may well be - as some Members are masters of finance and economics and will know - that it may not be worthwhile finishing off some of these estates. At that stage I would be very reluctant to knock houses. However, where there is no other solution or where only foundations have been built, I would advocate giving them back to the community who may wish to build crèches or doctors' surgeries or community halls. NAMA has been set up under an Act of the Oireachtas and its remit is commercial in the main, followed by the social dividend which was added late at night during the passage of the legislation. We plan to purchase from Nama approximately 60 housing units in south Dublin. We cannot afford to purchase because this is part of the 3%, the general government deficit. Approved housing bodies will have a significant role to play in this. These bodies will be regulated and the Department will have a supervisory jurisdiction over them. They will be permitted to borrow money from the housing finance agency-----