Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 238: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of houses in housing estates, on a county basis, that are under construction and not yet taken in charge by local authorities; if they have been deemed to be ghost estates for the purpose of availing of the €5 million fund; the new measures that he will take to get completion of those estates, particularly where all houses are completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21646/11]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 239: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has agreed with local authorities the ghost estates that will avail of the €5 million fund; the location of those estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21647/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 239 together.

The National Housing Development Survey database, published in October 2010, established an authoritative baseline analysis of unfinished housing developments to assist in fully understanding the scale and extent of the issues involved. A total of 2,846 developments were inspected where construction had commenced but had not been completed, and these included over 180,000 housing units with planning permission. Of these, some 120,000 have begun or progressed through construction, while work has yet to commence on 60,000. Of the 120,000 dwellings, some 77,000 are complete and occupied, 23,000 are complete and vacant, 10,000 are near complete and a further 10,000 dwellings are at various early stages of construction activity. The content of the baseline National Housing Development Survey database is available in tabular form on a county by county basis, together with the methodology employed in conducting the survey, on my Department's website, www.environ.ie.

My Department introduced the Unfinished Housing Developments Safety Initiative to deal with the health and safety issues in unfinished estates where the means to make them safe are otherwise unavailable. Some €5 million has been allocated for this purpose. Local authorities have identified 238 estates nationally where funding for this purpose is required. Applications have been received in respect of 146 estates with the balance of applications expected shortly. My Department has sanctioned works to the value of €1.4 million so far and the initiative is receiving the highest priority. A list of the developments in respect of which applications for funding have been received is provided in the following table: