Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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655. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will exempt the residents of an estate (details supplied) in County Westmeath from paying the household charge under the unfinished estates category. [45766/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides the legislative basis for the household charge. Under the Act, an owner of a residential property on the liability date of 1 January 2012 is liable to pay the household charge, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver. Section 4(4)(b) and section 4(6) of the Act provide that a waiver from the charge applies in 2012 and 2013 to properties in certain unfinished housing estates specified in a list prescribed by the Minister.

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.

Earlier this year my Department became aware of an anomaly under which a small number of estates, which should have been included, were excluded from the waiver. In order to maintain equity, my Department carried out a comprehensive review of the qualifying estates and a revised list of estates was issued in August 2013. Coill Rua, Ballymahon Road, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath is included in the revised list and thereby qualifies for an exemption from the Household Charge.