Councillors furious with lack of action with developers

Donegal County Councillors have expressed there growing frustration at the local authorities lack of action in clamping down on contractors who do not fully complete private housing estates.
At this weeks council meeting representatives took it in turn to highlight estates in their areas that were still incomplete despite numerous representations
Raising the issue Councillor Jimmy Harte called on the council to take on the problem as a matter of urgency.
The meeting was told that of the 780 private housing estates in the county many remain unfinished but the council is facing difficulties in forcing contractors to complete work which ranges from finishing footpaths and installing lights to problems with water and sewerage which have yet to be addressed.
There is an option for the council to take over estates, but there is a reluctance by the authority to do so where major work is still to be completed.
Contractors can be forced to complete work, but once a project has started, they have five years to do so and enforcement notices often won’t achieve their goal as the process is convoluted.
In effect the council said it is difficult at this time to deal with the issue – the planning department has said an audit is underway and when the picture is clearer a recommendation on a policy for the way and potential priorities for action with be brought before council members.