I propose to take Questions Nos. 531, 546, 578 and 585 together.
I understand the difficult and challenging situation faced by householders, who through no fault of their own, have to contend with the consequences of pyrite in their homes.
I have established an independent Panel with the remit of seeking to facilitate a resolution of pyrite contamination in private housing. The Panel is progressing its work and I have asked the Chairperson of the Panel to complete this task as quickly as possible and submit a report to me early in 2012.
I will give further consideration to the position of owners of certain pyrite affected houses upon receipt of the Panel's Report. In this regard, I will also need to consider issues surrounding the identification of relevant problematic properties. The Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012 contain the list of unfinished estates to which a waiver from payment of the household charge applies in 2012. The list is also available from www.householdcharge.ie.
The relevant circumstances to which I, as Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, must have regard in prescribing the list for the purposes of the unfinished estates waiver are set out in section 4 (5) of the Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011.