Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)

I thank the Members who have contributed to the debate and will try to reply to the questions raised. I join them in paying tribute to my predecessor, Deputy Willie Penrose, who did tremendous work in the period he held office. I hope I can continue the various initiatives he started. One of them which was mentioned by Senator Diarmuid Wilson was to deal with NAMA. In addition, Senator Jillian van Turnhout asked about the properties we were in the process of acquiring from NAMA. Not all of the properties are suitable. The local authorities concerned are engaging with NAMA and where properties are deemed unsuitable, we return to NAMA and ask for alternatives. When one looks at all of the empty houses and considers the number of people on waiting lists, living in inappropriate housing or who are homeless, it has to be seen as an opportunity. It is something we must advance. I am anxious to drive this and ensure we get the best possible social dividend from NAMA. Getting a social dividend is provided for in the Act.

A number of Senators raised the issue of unfinished estates. To answer the question about how we categorise them and whether they can be recategorised, in many ways it is a work in progress. Unfortunately, the categories stand as they are with regard to the household charge this year. However, there is ongoing engagement and a committee has been established, as I mentioned. The exemption applies to categories 3 and 4. They were categorised by local authorities in accordance with the criteria drawn up by the Department. I am aware that there were some inconsistencies in the categorisation and we are engaging with local authorities to look at them again. Obviously, there will also be changes, whereby estates will be improved as a result of the money made available for improving estates and the category of these estates might well be reduced. Certainly, we hope that will be the case because a significant amount of public money has been made available for that purpose.

A call was made for local authorities to identify what they required to make estates safe, to which the Department responded. That is why the full €5 million was not sought. Whatever was sought and whatever fitted into the appropriate categories was given. However, there is more money available. There might have been other areas with unfinished estates, but I was asked about specific estates in Cavan. I will have to refer back to the Senator concerned on individual estates, but the local authorities were asked to identify estates and look for money from the Department for them.

There were a number of questions about mortgage arrears with regard to local authority and other mortgages. I share Senators' views that we must implement the recommendations made in the Keane report as quickly as possible. People are in distress because they cannot pay their mortgages. We must take every action we can in that regard. The Department is engaging with the local authorities and preparing updated guidelines which will include the shared ownership scheme in which many people are caught. We are working on those matters and there are a couple of elements to those guidelines. I cannot give the House an exact date but they are being worked on at the moment. If I can get a more indicative date, I will come back to the Senator about it.