Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

151. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a situation involving an estate not taken in charge (details supplied) in County Kildare where public lighting was recently abruptly terminated and then restored on a temporary basis; the permanent solutions available to him to try to tackle this problem and prevent recurrences; if he has discussed the matter with Kildare County Council and other local authorities; if the assessment criteria for awarding funding to complete unfinished estates will be changed to make provision for guaranteeing public lighting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22018/14]

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

The maintenance of public lighting systems and specifically the payment of electricity bills arising in housing developments, either finished or unfinished, remain the legal responsibility of developers/receivers until taken in charge by the relevant local authority. This is an on-going concern for residents, local authorities and my Department. Until taken in charge, housing developments are the responsibility of the relevant developer and in some cases receivers acting on the instructions of funders acting in possession.

My Department does not hold specific information in relation to the list of developments where there may be difficulties with public lighting, this being a matter for the local authorities concerned and subject to constant change as the planning enforcement, taking in charge and unfinished housing development, (UHD) processes are implemented by local authorities. However, my Department is preparing a circular letter to issue to local authorities outlining a uniform approach to be taken by authorities with regard to public lighting in unfinished housing developments.

I am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee on UHDs to oversee implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on UHDs, together with the Government’s response to the recommendations. My Department launched the Public Safety Initiative (PSI) in March 2011, which provided funding to address immediate public safety issues. The types of works that have been approved to date under the PSI include the fencing off of unsecured and hazardous areas, capping of pipes, installation of street lighting and other works to secure sites. Under the PSI, my Department has made allocations totalling €4.5m to local authorities from the funding made available. To date, €3.3m has been drawn down. My Department issued a circular to Local Authorities on 14 May advising that the deadline for drawing down PSI funding is 30 November 2014. The Public Safety Initiative provides funding only in instances where a developer has abandoned the development. However, in circumstances where the developer is merely inactive the responsibility for the maintenance and resolution of issues surrounding the development are matters which need to be addressed between the developer and the relevant stakeholders, and my Department has no remit in this regard.

Budget 2014 contained a special provision, in the form of a targeted €10m Special Resolution Fund (SRF), to assist further in addressing the legacy of unfinished housing developments. The SRF is designed to encourage the resolution of the remaining tranche of unfinished developments identified in the National Housing Development Survey 2013 and, particularly, those developments not likely to be resolved in the normal way through solely developer/owner/funder action because of the presence of specific financial barriers. It is envisaged that the SRF should be particularly targeted to address the remaining unfinished developments with residents living in them and, in particular, any developments that local authorities identified, for the purposes of the Local Property Tax waiver, as in a seriously problematic condition.

In December 2013, my Department wrote to local authorities seeking proposals for funding support under the SRF and the deadline for receipt of applications was 28 February 2014. All submissions have now been evaluated by my Department in accordance with the criteria that have been circulated to the local authorities. On 2 May 2014, I announced the allocations from the €10m Special Resolution Fund to 86 housing developments across the country. This public investment will leverage an additional €12m from third parties (developers/lenders/bonds) which will be invested in these estates. It is hoped that the SRF will enable very substantial progress to be made in resolving as many of the remaining unfinished developments as possible.

Regular meetings are held between my Department and local authorities under the auspices of the National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments. However, the management of issues relating to unfinished housing developments remains a matter for the individual local authority involved. Each local authority has appointed an Unfinished Housing Development Co-ordinator; contact details can be found on the Housing Agency's website: