Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the progress made in the development of a plan to resolve the issues surrounding ghost estates; and if he will carry out an audit of properties in the control of the National Asset Management Agency and a needs analysis of those on local authority housing lists. [37558/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department is 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 includes representatives from the Irish Banking Federation, local authorities, the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency, NAMA and the construction sector.

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 €2.39 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, both domestic and foreign owned, and/or bond holders, thereby obviating the need to use Exchequer resources to fund such work.

In terms of making effective use of existing stock there is clear potential, across a range of housing programmes, for the Government's policy objective of sourcing and providing suitable residential units for use as social housing to be aligned with the commercial objectives of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).

My Department and I have been engaging very directly with NAMA to discuss options for bringing unsold suitable residential stock controlled by that Agency into productive use for social housing purposes. The first scheme of this nature, with property held by NAMA being purchased by an approved housing body through loan finance from the Housing Finance Agency, was launched in July 2011. Other proposals are currently being examined including leasing options as well as the sale of units.