Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 368: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in County Meath has been removed from the list of unfinished housing estates. [15331/12]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 374: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will include an unfinished estate (details supplied) in County Longford under category 4, unfinished housing estates, that qualify for a waiver of the household charge. [15382/12]

Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 388: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in County Mayo has not been included in the list of unfinished estates that are exempt from the household charge despite it clearly being unfinished; and the way the estate can be included on that list. [15583/12]

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 392: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will explain in detail the reason an estate (details supplied) was not included in the waiver for household change for certain unfinished housing developments. [15664/12]

Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 394: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an estate (details supplied) in County Mayo has not been included in the list of unfinished estates that are exempt form the household charge despite it clearly being unfinished and eligible to be category three; and the way an estate can be included on this list. [15693/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 368, 374, 388, 392 and 394 together.

As part of the process of preparing the National Housing Development Survey 2011, published 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.

Other relevant factors for the purposes of the categorisation process include, inter alia :

· the state of completion of roads, footpaths, public lighting, piped water and sewerage facilities and open spaces or similar amenities within the development;

· the extent to which the development complies with the terms of applicable planning permission;

· the extent to which it complies with the provisions of the Building Control Acts 1990 and 2007;

· the provisions of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1964 as they pertain to dangerous places and dangerous structures within the meaning of the Act;

· the extent to which facilities within the development have been taken in charge by the local authority concerned; and

· where there is an agreement regarding the maintenance of such facilities, the extent to which this agreement has been complied with.

This categorisation formed the basis for the list of those unfinished developments eligible for a waiver on the annual household charge. Only households in developments in categories three and four are eligible for the waiver from payment of the household charge. The list of developments in which households are eligible for the waiver in 2012 is set out under the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012. The prescribed list of estates to which the waiver applies is the final and complete list for 2012.

A revised list of estates will be prescribed for 2013 after which time the waiver for unfinished housing developments will end. Throughout this period it is anticipated that the numbers of categories 3 and 4 developments will decrease significantly as my Department continues to work with local authorities and other stakeholders to resolve outstanding issues, including through the Public Safety Initiative.