Deputy Joan Burton yesterday submitted yet another question to the housing Minister Michael Finneran asking for an update on progress on the creation of the House Price Database, a commitment made yet again in the FF/Green Programme for Government in October 2009. And yet again she has received a non-answer identical to non-answers given in April 2010, February 2010, January 2010 and December 2009. Her question and answer are shown at the bottom of this entry.
We learned through the media in March 2010 that the DoEHLG was consulting with interested parties and indeed there has been talk of a working group. The IAVI was the only named private sector organisation that is party to the talks and a member of the group, and if I were a member of the IAVI, I would be more than a little upset at my organisation being apparently used to provide a fig leaf of credibility to government claims that it is in any way progressing the creation of the HPD. Of course it may be the case that some members of the IAVI already have effective access to a House Price Database – as part of their work on NAMA valuations, it may be the case that actual transaction prices are retrieved to assist with producing a valuation that has the best market information underpinning it and thereby protecting the NAMA investment on the taxpayers’ behalf. However many members of the IAVI are not engaged by NAMA and they might be worried at their loss of competitiveness if it is indeed the case that rival firms do have access to transaction information.
It is unclear why there has been no apparent progress with introducing an HPD, though of course there has been speculation that it is for sinister reasons and that revealing the owners of certain property and the price paid may give rise to uncomfortable questions for the government which has been in power for 13 years and which was the Decisionmaker-in-Chief during the property boom when colossal sums of money were made.
The government might say that it is consulting but it would appear that there is no timeline for “consulting”, no terms of reference, no departmental support (financial or legal for example). So can the government say that it is progressing the creation of the HPD in any meaningful way?
What next for the HPD? It is to be hoped that our Opposition parties will not abandon the creation of the HPD and will continue to harry the government for action, either individually or co-operating. Whilst the position of quangoes may be compromised when it comes to independent action like criticising your paymaster, it is to be hoped that private sector organisations like the IAVI and CIF will vociferously call for progress. And if individuals are aware of suspicious land transactions, they might do worse than bring them to the attention of Opposition deputies and senators.
Question 364
Chun an Aire Comhshaoil, Oidhreachta agus Rialtais Áitiúil:
To the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government:
To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 30 of 22 April 2010, the timeline for the creation of a comprehensive house price database, as foreseen in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– Joan Burton.
For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 25th May, 2010.
Ref No: 21822/10
REPLY
Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. M. Finneran):
The renewed Programme for Government sets out a clear commitment to create and maintain a comprehensive House Price Database based on sales prices.
My Department has met with a broad range of interested parties in regard to the shape that such a register might take, and recommendations arising from this process will be made to Government shortly. The timing of the establishment of the register will be determined by a range of factors including the possible need for amendment of the Data Protection Acts to allow for publication of achieved sales prices.
