Update: Completion of Development Works, 31st July 2015

               Question No.    712  
 
 
Chun an Aire Comhshaoil, Pobail agus Rialtais Áitiúil:  
To the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government:                
 
 
 
To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which his Department continues to monitor progress in regard to the completion of development works in unfinished housing estates, on a county basis; the extent of the works completed so far and that remaining; and if he will make a statement on the matter.  

– Bernard J. Durkan.  
 

 
For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 16th July, 2015.  
 
Ref No: 29663/15  
 

REPLY  

 
Minister of State for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Paudie Coffey)  

 
 
Since 2010, an annual national housing survey of unfinished housing developments has been conducted during the summer months to monitor progress. In that period, the number of unfinished housing developments has decreased by approximately, two-thirds; from nearly 3,000  in 2010 to 992 in 2014. The 2015 annual housing survey will be carried out during August and September.  
 
The detailed findings of the annual surveys, annual progress reports and other useful publications and information in relation to Unfinished Housing Developments are available on the Housing Agency’s website at:  
http://www.housing.ie/Our-Services/Unfinished-Housing-Developments.aspx  

.  
 
As Minister for Housing and Planning and Coordination of Construction 2020, I chair the National Coordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments. The Committee comprises senior representatives of the key stakeholders, including the banking and construction industries, NAMA, local authorities, the Health and Safety Authority, residents and officials from my Department. The Committee was established to drive and oversee the implementation of the recommendations of ‘Resolving Ireland’s Unfinished Housing Developments €“ Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments’, published in May 2011.  
 
The Committee has met on 14 occasions and has adopted a collaborative approach amongst its constituent members to promote the work of resolving the housing situation faced by residents of unfinished housing developments.
 
The development of Site Resolution Plans (SRPs), agreed between residents, developers, funders and local authority personnel for the finalisation of works on site to render estates as habitable as possible, has been pivotal in resolving a large number of estates. The 2014 National Housing Survey shows that, of the 1,263 estates inspected, there were 587 estates going through the SRP process. This collaborative approach serves the best interests of all concerned and is an effective tool in the resolution process. For further information on Site Resolution Plans, can be found at section 3.4 of the Guidance Manual on Managing and Resolving Unfinished Estates, August 2011, which is available at the following weblink:  
http://www.housing.ie/Our-Services/Unfinished-Housing-Developments/Guidance-Manual-on-Resolving-Unfinished-Housing-De/Guidance-Materials/Guidance-Manual_Managing-and-Resolving-Unfinished.aspx  

.  
 
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.      On 2 May 2014, allocations from the Special Resolution Fund were announced and 86 developments were approved for funding. The following link contains a list of all developments approved for SRF funding:  
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,37940,en.htm  

.
Approximately, €7.5m has been drawn down from the Special Resolution Fund to date.  
 
The management and administration of issues relating to unfinished housing developments is a matter for individual local authorities.   Each local authority has appointed an Unfinished Housing Development co-ordinator; contact details can be found on the Housing Agency’s website at the following weblink: http://www.housing.ie/our-services/unfinished-housing-developments/local-authority-contacts.aspx