Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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525. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when housing estates will be reassessed for the local property tax unfinished estates exemption scheme, that is, any estates that are unfinished to be added to the list (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1760/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have no plans at present to reassess the waivers in place for certain unfinished housing developments in the context of the operation of the Local Property Tax, which is a matter for the Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners. It should be also noted that the number of unfinished housing developments recorded in the National Housing Development Survey has been steadily and significantly decreasing since the Government’s Action Plan on Unfinished Estates began in 2010, with the results of the latest 2016 survey expected to be published by my Department in February.

With regard to the specific estate mentioned by the Deputy, which was never included within the LPT Unfinished Housing Development exemption list, the 2015 Housing Survey identified this development as being ‘substantially complete’ and at the time of the survey ‘active’ with six units under construction (08/09/2015). The estate was therefore removed from the UFHD database and therefore the development is not currently categorised as ‘unfinished’.

However, I consider that the focus should now be on resolving whatever completion issues remain with this development, which is a matter for both the relevant local authority, in this case Wexford County Council, and the developer to work on in addressing the concerns of residents.