3,000 living in ‘unsafe’ ghost estates

More than 3,000 people are living in ghost estates classified as dangerous, Housing Minister Jan O’Sullivan has confirmed.

She also revealed local authorities have had to initiate legal action against the owners of 636 developments due to the lack of progress on completing such estates.

Many of the lands have been placed in receivership and are under the direction of State-controlled banks including AIB and IBRC (formerly Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide).

They are now likely to be the subject of enforcement orders or legal actions compelling them to activate bonds for the completion of housing, roads, lighting, and other facilities.

Roscommon accounts for 103 ghost estates followed by Sligo (77), Limerick county (60), Wexford (47), and Laois (44).

It also emerged that about 140 out of 2,066 estates identified in a survey last year as “unfinished housing developments” still have serious health and safety issues as local authorities have been unable to establish contact with the owners/ developers who have effectively abandoned the sites.

The Department of Environment estimates there are 3,000 people living in estates classified as category 4, which have been abandoned by their owners and left in a dangerous condition.

About €3.17m out of a €5m emergency fund established by the Government to tackle urgent remedial work has been drawn down to date in relation to 128 other estates.

Over a third of these developments were based in just two counties — Cavan and Longford.

Another 29 estates are having similar work carried out through funding by Nama, while the Health and Safety Authority has taken action over 20 sites.

Ms O’Sullivan said significant progress had been made to address the serious problem of unfinished estates.

She expressed satisfaction that the key concern of resolving difficulties with unsafe sites had been accomplished.

Ms O’Sullivan said the progress was having “a real impact on the ground and bringing significant improvements to residents”.

However, Ms O’Sullivan said she did not want to underestimate the ongoing challenge presented by ghost estates.

“There are still too many families living on or nearby unfinished developments whose quality of life is seriously affected.”