The Dáil Government has announced that financial assistance is to be provided to local authorities to tackle a rnage of problems related to unfinished housing developments.

The announcement comes in the wake of an interim analysis by the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments.

According to the Department of the Environment, the two most critical matters the Group considered were public safety and the living conditions of residents in unfinished developments.

There are approximately 400 housing developments, which are particularly problematic and will be the focus for initial action.

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The Housing Minister Michael Finneran has announced that €5 million is to be provided to local authorities to deal with such "immediate safety issues and works to improve living conditions for existing residents".

"Local authorities may, as a last resort, have to take steps on a small number of sites to address critical issues to secure the safety of local residents.

"I am therefore making a capital provision in 2011 of an initial €5m which will be available to those authorities to support such work.

"Any public monies used should ultimately be recouped from the owners of these sites either now or in the future.

"Details of this ring-fenced fund will be communicated to all local authorities in the coming days, including the circumstances in which applications for such support will be considered," he explained this week.

(BMcC/GK)