Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 439: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of an estate that was built by a company (details supplied) that went into receivership and so does not have a management company or local authority to take charge of roads and maintenance. [4926/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As part of the process of preparing the National Housing Development Survey 2011, launched by my Department in October 2011, local authorities provided details of all unfinished housing developments in their areas. Unfinished housing developments were divided into four categories as follows:

Category one, where the development is still being actively completed by the developer, or where no serious public safety issues exist;

Category two, where a receiver has been appointed;

Category three, where a receiver has not been appointed and the developer is still in place but effectively inactive; and

Category four, where the development has been effectively abandoned and is posing serious problems for residents

The development of Heathfield, in Cappagh, Finglas, qualifies under Category three above, and is included on the list of estates eligible for the waiver on the Annual Household Charge for 2012.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 440: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the work he is undertaking to deal with the issues arising when families have paid deposits on homes in estates in which the management company is no longer in business and no local authority has taken up the responsibility of roads and maintenance and so the house purchase cannot be completed. [4927/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Property purchase transactions are subject to private contract and buyers should ensure that they have adequate legal advice and information when signing contracts. My Department has no statutory function in relation to the content of contracts.

The Property Services Regulation Act 2011 was signed into law on 20 December 2011, and is subject to commencement orders to be made by the Minister for Justice and Equality. The Act will establish the Property Services Regulatory Authority which will have a mandate to set and enforce standards in the provision of property services by auctioneers, letting agents and property management agents and to provide redress mechanisms for consumers of those services.