Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012

Written Answers Nos. 150-157

Local Authority Housing Mortgages

Questions (150)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

150. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a practice that couples who are divorced and separated and entering a new relationship are being barred from obtaining a local authority house purchase loan or mortgage in the grounds that such loans are exclusive to first time buyers; if he recognises that such persons in a new relationship under equality law should be regarded as first time buyers notwithstanding the fact that they may have had a mortgage previously from a local authority in a previous relationship; if he will address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39374/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

One of the conditions applying to the availability of local authority mortgages is that the applicant be a first time buyer. Provisions regarding the application of stamp duty and the definition of a first time buyer for the purposes of stamp duty are set out in the Stamp Duties Acts, which fall within the remit of the Minister for Finance.

Tenant Purchase Scheme Applications

Questions (151)

Dominic Hannigan

Question:

151. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his plans to replace the local authority tenant purchase scheme with a new scheme from 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39382/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

Arrangements for the winding down of the 1995 Tenant Purchase Scheme were communicated to local authorities on 6 June 2012 in Housing Circular 23/2012 - Termination of the 1995 Tenant Purchase scheme. Under the arrangements local authorities may accept applications to purchase under this scheme up until 31 December 2012.

Separate provisions are in place under Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009 providing for Incremental Purchase in respect of newly-built houses reserved by housing authorities for the purpose. Regulations to implement the Incremental Purchase Scheme for new houses were made in June 2010. This incremental purchase scheme is available to all housing authorities.

It is intended to introduce legislation to underpin a new scheme for the sale of existing local authority houses to tenants on incremental purchase principles. The new scheme will be a discount scheme based on household income that enables the State to share in the profits from resale during the 20 to 30 year period for which the house is subject to an incremental purchase charge. The proposed scheme will mean that tenants will have the option of buying the house they currently occupy under the incremental purchase model. It is envisaged that this scheme will be in place from 1 July 2013, subject to the necessary legislation being enacted .

Mortgage Arrears Report Implementation

Questions (152)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

152. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his plans in place to implement the findings of the Keane report on mortgage to rent, where private mortgage holders who are at risk of losing their home can give up ownership of their homes to local authorities and become tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39400/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

On foot of the recommendations of the Keane Report on mortgage arrears, the Government launched a mortgage to rent scheme on a pilot basis in February 2012. This scheme was extended nationally in June 2012, targeting low income families whose mortgage situation is unsustainable and where there is little or no prospect of a significant change in circumstances in the foreseeable future. The scheme ensures that the family remains in their home, while ownership is transferred to an approved housing body who in turn rent it to the original owners.

Householders seeking to avail of the mortgage to rent scheme must: have had their mortgage deemed unsustainable under a Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process as provided for under the Central Bank’s Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears; agree to a voluntary repossession of their home; be eligible for social housing support; and not have significant positive equity in the property.

Limits on household income, property value and applicant assets also apply. Borrowers wishing to avail of this scheme may access further information on the Housing Agency website, www.housing.ie. More than sixty cases are currently being processed under this scheme.

Local Drugs Task Forces Funding

Questions (153)

Niall Collins

Question:

153. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his plans to ensure the retention into the future of the vital estate management projects in Fettercairn and Killinarden, Dublin 24; if he will appreciate the importance of these projects to the local communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39542/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

The projects concerned operated as mainstreamed drugs projects under my Department’s Housing programme. Following significant reductions in the funding available to support these projects in 2012 my Department, exceptionally, provided pro rata funding to support the projects until end June 2012 only.

Following a consultation process, South Dublin County Council identified interim funding to maintain the projects during the second half of 2012 . The funding was identified on a partnership basis between the Council and the Tallaght Local Drugs Task Force. The Council has advised that this funding represents a once-off contribution and will allow the projects to continue while the report of my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, on the review of the structures that underpin the strategy at local, regional and national level is finalised. It is understood that this report , which is expected shortly, will consider how current funding structures can be improved or streamlined, particularly with regard to local and regional drugs task forces.

The provision of funding by South Dublin County Council to end 2012 has also allowed the projects additional time to explore alternative funding mechanisms and to identify resources to deliver on the overall objectives of the projects beyond 2012, including through alternative service delivery models.

Septic Tank Registration Scheme

Questions (154)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

154. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the number of pesons who have registered their waste water systems under the Water Services Act 2012 broken down by county; the estimated total number of such systems in each county; the percentage registered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39556/12]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I refer to the reply to Question Nos. 47, 50 and 76 of 18 September 2012. As of yesterday, applications in respect of the on-site waste water treatment systems of some 46,860 owners, who have registered on-line, by post or in person at their local authority offices, have been processed. I understand that  a further 29,500 owners have submitted registration applications which are yet to be processed by the bureau operated by the Local Government Management Agency. The additional information sought in the Question is set out in the following table.

Water Services Authority	Estimated total number of on-site waste water treatment systems	Number of on-site waste water treatment systems registered	Number of on-site waste water treatment systems registered as a percentage of the estimated total number
Carlow County Council	7190	590	8%
Cavan County Council	14477	1547	11%
Clare County Council	19769	2393	12%
Cork City Council	586	64	11%
Cork County Council	57993	5145	9%
Donegal County Council	32955	1959	6%
Dublin City Council	2718	20	1%
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council	1928	207	11%
Fingal County Council	5213	395	8%
Galway City Council	1145	88	8%
Galway County Council	42161	3407	8%
Kerry County Council	28277	4022	14%
Kildare County Council	16795	1480	9%
Kilkenny County Council	15368	1567	10%
Laois County Council	11309	942	8%
Leitrim County Council	7005	658	9%
Limerick City Council	420	39	9%
Limerick County Council	24207	2079	9%
Longford County Council	7556	581	8%
Louth County Council	11633	885	8%
Mayo County Council	26659	2495	9%
Meath County Council	21687	2482	11%
Monaghan County Council	12065	936	8%
North Tipperary County Council	12342	1275	10%
Offaly County Council	11170	912	8%
Roscommon County Council	14297	1354	9%
Sligo County Council	11192	1097	10%
South Dublin County Council	2266	140	6%
South Tipperary County Council	14442	977	7%
Waterford City Council	488	80	16%
Waterford County Council	11466	940	8%
Westmeath County Council	12165	1004	8%
Wexford County Council	26267	3209	12%
Wicklow County Council	12070	1889	16%

Electoral Divisions Report

Questions (155)

Brendan Smith

Question:

155. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if any previous Dáil constituency configurations involved a constituency comprising the entirety or parts of four counties as proposed in the recent Boundary Report for a new constituency South Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim and West/South Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39558/12]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Thirteen pieces of legislation have been enacted since 1923 which define Dáil constituency boundaries. None of the Dáil constituencies specified in the relevant Electoral Acts comprise all or parts of four counties.

Compulsory Purchase Orders

Questions (156)

Joanna Tuffy

Question:

156. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the information kept by his Department in respect of compulsory purchase by local authorities; if there are any reporting requirements for local authorities regarding the terms of price paid, and the way price was reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39602/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

The legislation governing compulsory land acquisition by local authorities provides for the payment of compensation for lands acquired by them on the authorisation of a duly confirmed CPO. The amount of compensation payable by local authorities for land acquired by them is solely a matter for negotiation between the landowner and the local authority concerned. In the event of dispute, either party may refer the case for arbitration.

The functions in relation to the determination of compulsory purchase orders transferred to An Bord Pleanála with effect from January 2001 under the Planning and Development Act 2000. I have no function in relation to the making or confirmation of compulsory purchase orders and my Department does not collect information regarding the exercise of such powers by relevant authorities.

Pyrite Remediation Programme Issues

Questions (157)

Clare Daly

Question:

157. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the steps he will take to deal with the fact that banks have been shown to be refusing mortgages to persons because of pyrite being present in particular estates and not the specific property, and insurance companies who are refusing cover even when remedial works have been carried out. [39617/12]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The Pyrite Panel considered the matter of how banks, mortgage providers and insurance companies were dealing with pyrite problems. Its report contains a number of carefully considered and well founded recommendations on how those bodies should now address pyrite issues. While my Department has no regulatory oversight for those areas it will, however, be working with the appropriate regulatory bodies and industry to advance the recommendations in the report.

I expect all parties, including the banks, mortgage providers and insurance companies, who have a role to play in advancing solutions for homeowners to face up to their responsibilities and work with me in implementing the recommendations in the pyrite report.