The minutes of the meeting of 27 April 2010 have been circulated. Are they agreed? Agreed. The first item to consider is No. 804 of 2010, documentation from six local authorities regarding derelict sites. I propose to hold that matter over because Deputy Johnny Brady is interested in it. The next item, No. 832, is a list of decisions taken at the meeting of the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny. We will note the correspondence. The next item, No. 833, is the Europe's World newsletter, which we will note. No. 834 is the ministerial press release on the launch of an anti-litter campaign. We will note the correspondence. No. 835 is a ministerial press release on the launch of the 2010 local agenda 21 environmental partnership fund. We will note the correspondence. No. 836 is a ministerial press release on the curtailment of the farm plan scheme run by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. We will note the correspondence. No. 837 concerns the parliamentary activities of the committee weeks in Brussels on 26 April to 3 May. We will note the correspondence. The next item is the GLOBE international newsletter and we will note the item. No. 839 concerns a request for a meeting by the National Council for the Blind of Ireland to discuss the council's work with the Department on issues for the blind, such as funding for the library service, accessible voting and the use of shared space in urban design and so on. We have also received supporting documentation from Deputy O'Donoghue and the National Council for the Blind of Ireland. We will provisionally arrange to invite the group along with one other group.
Business of Joint Committee.
They present a problem that can be solved and it would be interesting to hear what the National Council for the Blind of Ireland has to say.
I also want to invite the architects' group. We can meet the two groups in separate sessions.
Has the Architects Alliance been invited?
We will come to that in a moment. It is agreed to invite the National Council for the Blind of Ireland to the next meeting? Agreed.
The next item concerns a press release from DHR Communications on fuel poverty. We will note the correspondence. The next item is sent by RISE!, a reply to our invitation to today's meeting. We will note the item. The next item, No. 842, is a letter from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to a letter issued following the committee meeting with Canine Ireland. The Bord na gCon people will pay particular attention to this item of correspondence. This arises from correspondence from this committee to the Minister about Bord na gCon. The Minister says the aim of this Bill is to promote, improve and protect the breeding conditions in breeding establishments and the welfare of breeding dogs, including greyhounds. These particular concerns are not pertinent to the Greyhound Industry Act 1958 which, in the main, provides for the promotion and improvement of the greyhound racing industry. For example, there is no express power under the Act for an authorised officer to inspect an establishment where greyhounds are bred. This is a significant issue which will come up at today's meeting.
The Minister has made arrangements for a meeting between the Irish Greyhound Board and senior officials of his Department to discuss the board's issues and concerns over the Bill.
Is the meeting to be held before the Bill is published?
We will ask the witnesses today. I know what is in the letter but wanted to bring the foregoing to members' attention in advance.
That was an appropriate question.
The next item is a request for assistance in tabling amendments to the Planning and Development Bill from Art Generations Limited. We will note the correspondence and deal with any amendments on Committee Stage.
The next item is a second follow-up letter from Laois County Council regarding the level of litter fines. We will deal with the growing problem of littering across the country at a future meeting.
The next item is a letter from Longford County Council which is a reply to queries from the committee regarding the use of surveillance cameras in litter policy, which we will also take into account in our meeting on litter. The next item is a request for assistance in tabling amendments to the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill from the Association of County and City Councils. We will consider the request when we deal with the legislation.
The next item concerns flooding and is a letter from Deputy Timmy Dooley with a request to meet a group from Clare whose homes were flooded. We will note it at this stage. We have commenced a procurement procedure to get a consultant to help draft a report. There are House rules on this procedure and the submissions have to be received next week.
Can we discuss this matter at the end of the meeting?
Yes. The next item is on the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2010. The Wild Deer Association of Ireland has requested a meeting to discuss the proposed provisions in the Bill. I am told that deerstalking is not dealt with under the legislation but it may come up in the conversation today. We will note the request for future reference.
The next item is an invitation to visit the company offices of Bord na Móna to see operations such as the resource recovery operations in Tullamore and in Drehid, County Kildare; the green composting facility at Kilberry, County Kildare; and the heritage and biodiversity work at Boora Parklands in County Offaly. We will not make a decision on that yet but will hold it over for another occasion.
The next item is a letter from an anonymous concerned park user about the dung catchers in Killarney National Park. As it is anonymous, I will not agree to discuss it. The next item is a report of the National Economic and Social Forum entitled The Challenge of Community Participation on the Delivery of Public Services, which we will note.
The next items are circulars under the following headings: staffing returns; staffing movements; community facilities; service indicators; loan application process; social housing investment programme allocations; a summary of circulars that issued in March 2010; superannuation expenditure; and income. If any member has a particular interest, he or she should stop me and ask for a full copy of the circular. The other headings are: capital allocations for disabled persons; public sector employment survey; funding for social worker and caretaker salaries; waste management (certification of historic unlicensed waste disposal and recovery activity) Regulations 2008; local authority enforcement measures for the grant scheme; and civil defence circulars. No. 16 is on the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-12. Does Deputy Hogan wish to comment?
The Minister announced a three-year programme setting out the capital cost requirements of bringing water and sewerage schemes in local authority areas up to a proper standard to ensure we do not have to pay fines in 2015. The problem is the fact that the local contribution, which was readily available until the past couple of years, is no longer available. I propose that we examine the water services investment programme in light of the funds available in each local authority. We should write to all local authorities asking what funds they have available to draw down for the projects identified in this programme. Development charges are not coming in any more and the contributions of between 25% and 30%, which are required to implement the programme, may not be possible. All we are seeing is a paper-based exercise on the part of county and city managers to cover themselves in the event of future litigation arising from their inability to implement Government policy. We should write to each county and city council asking them to set out for the committee the exact measures they can implement in accordance with the allocation they receive.
Perhaps we should ask for the level of local funding available.
They will know the figures. They may be in a position to borrow the money but we want to know to what extent they can implement the programme, taking account of the development charges they have left or their capacity to borrow. It will give us a truer picture of their ability to implement the programme.
Will they not say it will depend on the funding available from the Department?
We should start with what they propose for 2010.
We will write directly to each county manager for the information. The next item is circular No. 17, on a water services training grant allocation. The others come under the headings: social inclusion active citizenship week; health and safety officer qualifications; funding of land for social housing and land aggregation; improvement works programme under social housing; and housing authority consent to the HSE charging tenant purchase dwellings under the nursing homes support scheme. I will hold that one over until I have had an opportunity to read it.
The remaining circulars come under the headings: anti-litter and anti-graffiti awareness grant scheme; and tourist season anti-litter grant scheme. We note all the circulars. We will write to county managers in respect of the water service programme and we will hold over the circular on charging tenant purchase dwellings under the nursing homes support scheme for consideration at our next meeting.
The last item is statutory instruments, which are S.I. 142 of 2010, Waste Management (End of Life Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2010, and S.I. 143 of 2010, Waste Management (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) (Amendment) Regulations 2010.
The next item is a travel proposal. An estimate of costs for two members to attend the green week conference in Brussels from 1 to 4 June has been circulated. Is the estimate approved and is it agreed that Deputies Bannon and Ciarán Lynch attend the conference, subject to clearance by higher authorities in charge of the budget? The cost is €1,100 per member. The flight is €200 and the hotel €450, with subsistence €343 and miscellaneous costs €100. Is that agreed? Agreed.