Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I echo the concerns of Senator Mullen about the outrageous charges that are putatively being applied to private residence holders because individual builders are in default of development levies. In the past, rogue builders used to leave the landscaping and lighting of estates unfinished. Rather late in the day, the councils introduced a bonding system whereby developers have to pay a bond so that the work can be finished willy-nilly if they go away. County councils have been somewhat tardy in collecting these development levies, which should have been front-loaded. I do not believe individual householders should be given bills of more than ¤5,000 or ¤6,000, as has been speculated in the media. I ask the Leader to bring this to the attention of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government as a matter of urgency.

I would also like the Leader to ask the Minister, Deputy Hogan, to clarify the exact position regarding the constituencies that will be used in next year's European Parliament elections. A report published some time ago recommended that no changes should be made. Some changes have taken place away from home since then. Eastern European countries like Croatia will be entitled to additional seats. That could have an impact on the configuration of the constituencies in Ireland. I am calling on the Leader to ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to clarify the position. Perhaps a revised report can be published at the same time as the report on the local electoral areas, which we hope is due imminently.