Complex problem may require more than just moral persuasion

NOBODY doubts the problems presented by so-called “ghost estates” which dot the country’s landscape are complex — least of all the residents who live in them.

The most visible example of Ireland’s property crash has left no corner of Ireland untouched, with more than 1,700 estates identified where little or no work has taken place in recent times to complete a development. Estimates for the number of housing units needing further work to finish an estate ranges from 20,000 to 30,000.

The new Housing Minister, Willie Penrose, yesterday sought to offer some hope by unveiling his plans to address a problem that is almost uniquely Irish.