Written answers

Wednesday, 21 September 2011

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Unfinished Housing Developments

9:00 pm

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason County Donegal, the county with the most ghost estates, has received no funding to date. [25304/11]

Photo of Willie PenroseWillie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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I have established and am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments to oversee implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, together with the Government's response to the recommendations.

The Committee is meeting on a regular basis with the aim of publishing a report on progress achieved within the next 12 months. In the meantime, work is ongoing on implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group and real progress is already being made with regard to the public safety works required to improve the living conditions of existing residents on some unfinished estates.

To date, my Department has made allocations totalling some €2.16 million to fifteen local authorities from the €5 million funding allocation made available to address immediate safety issues. The types of works that have been approved to date include the fencing off of unsecured and hazardous areas, capping of pipes, installation of street lighting, and other works to secure sites. My Department will be making further allocations as applications are received from local authorities and assessed.

Planning authorities are also making progress in securing the co-operation of developers, financial institutions and/or bond holders, thereby obviating the need to use Exchequer resources to fund such work.

Developers and owners of unfinished housing developments (or their receivers, where appointed) have the primary legal obligation in addressing outstanding problems associated with these developments. Any public funds expended under this provision should ultimately be recouped from the developer/receiver.

Estates which fall under the direct control of NAMA, or receivers appointed by NAMA, are being managed by them and as a consequence do not fall within this scheme.

The recent national survey of Unfinished Housing Developments identified 103 unfinished housing developments in County Donegal. However, to date Donegal County Council has not identified any of these estates as falling into Category 4 – the only category being considered for funding under the public safety initiative – and have therefore not received any funding.

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