The Green Party's Minister for Planning Ciarán Cuffe has said he will examine options to deal with unfinished estates once a nationwide survey has been completed next month.

Minister Cuffe said:

"Inspectors from the Department of the Environment are currently undertaking a comprehensive national survey to quantify and categorise the scale and distribution of unfinished and vacant housing developments across the country. I feel that this soon-to-be-completed survey will provide the best evidence on which to make decisions. The survey includes site visits by Departmental housing inspectors to every estate built or granted permission in the last few years and a physical count and categorisation of the different stages of completion within the estates.

"I believe that this survey will once and for all clarify both the extent and range of problems that these unfinished houses are throwing up, and what actions can be taken.

"Since assuming my role I have devoted a lot of attention to this issue, and my work is beginning to come to fruition. My Department has been pro-active in identifying the extent and scale of the problem, as well as trying to differentiate between the various types of incomplete estates – which range from finished but unsold units through to abandoned, half-finished developments with no occupants – and assess how best to manage the problems that have arisen.

"It’s one thing having completed but unsold houses in your estate – however, it’s far more serious a problem where half of the estate remains a building site and where there are open sewers, unsecured half-built units and other difficulties.

"The preliminary results from a pilot study carried out in Laois present a good insight into the state of play in the rest of the country.

"My Department is preparing detailed guidance for local authorities and other agencies in relation to the range of statutory powers currently at their disposal covering issues like public safety, environmental protection, building control and the provision of bonds or securities to cover costs associated with finishing an estate. The guidance will also consider what further measures may be required.

"The new Planning Act gives planning authorities greater powers and flexibility to the deal with unfinished estates, including: taking in charge an unfinished estate at any time after the expiration of the planning permission, in situations where enforcement actions have failed or the planning authority knows that enforcement action will be futile (e.g. where the developer is bankrupt); and taking in charge part of an estate, or some but not all of the facilities in an estate to address urgent issues in inhabited portions of estate. This could include boarding off unfinished sections for health and safety reasons."