LESS THAN one-third of the funding available from the Department of the Environment to fix urgent health and safety problems in some 180 “ghost estates” has been allocated to local authorities.
Six local authorities, one of which has 16 estates classed as “developer-abandoned” and in need of urgent safety work, have made no submissions to the department for the fund established by former minister for housing Michael Finneran last February.
The €5 million fund was set up to allow local authorities to address safety issues such as open manholes and excavations, unsecured construction sites and incomplete sewerage systems.
The money, available to be drawn down since April, is intended for use in 180 estates where local authorities have been unable to get any developer, site owner or other party to take responsibility for their condition.
Latest figures from the department show €1,493,556 has been allocated to 10 local authorities. Longford County Council is getting the most money, with an allocation of just under €400,000, followed by Sligo County Council, which has been allocated just over €250,000. Large sums have been granted to Monaghan County Council (€220,820), Kilkenny County Council (€202,909) and Cork County Council (€143,956).
Funding has also been allocated to Galway City Council and Galway, Laois, Waterford and Westmeath County Councils.
While applications from a substantial number of other local authorities were being processed and receiving “top priority”, the department said six authorities have made no applications. These are Limerick City Council and Carlow, Roscommon, Clare, Mayo and Kildare County Councils.
A spokeswoman for Carlow County Council, which has 16 developer-abandoned estates, said it hoped to have submitted an application by early next week.
A spokesman for Roscommon council, which has 15 estates which are eligible for funding, said it hoped to make applications in relation to eight estates soon.
Initial department guidelines had stipulated the council must have guarantees from lenders they would not fund the work, which had been “next to impossible to get” he said. This rule had subsequently been relaxed.
Clare County Council, which has eight developer-abandoned estates, said it had originally made submissions last March, but completing the application process had involved considerable work, which it hoped would be completed by the end of this week.
Limerick City Council, which has four eligible estates, said it was in talks with receivers in relation to the estates, but may make an application if these were unsuccessful. Kildare County Council, which has five relevant estates, and Mayo County Council, which has four, did not respond to requests for information.
