Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the estate known (details supplied) in County Meath is exempt from paying the household charge, due to the fact that the estate is unfinished and the developers are in receivership; if he will outline the estates in Laytown, County Meath which are not eligible to pay the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46553/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 and the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012 provide the legislation underpinning the household charge. Under section 4(4) of the 2011 Act, a person is currently entitled to a waiver if the residential property is situated in an unfinished housing estate. The 2012 Regulations prescribes a list of all such developments, which are based on a number of factors, including whether the development is in receivership, whether the developer is active, and:

- The state of completion of roads, footpaths, public lighting facilities, 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.

My Department has been working closely with the Local Authorities to ensure a revised list of unfinished estates for 2013. Again, this will refer to relevant factors such as completion of roads, footpaths, public lighting facilities, piped water and sewerage facilities and open spaces or similar amenities within the development.  The development in question is not among those listed in the 2012 Regulations, which lists the prescribed developments in all local authorities, including Meath.