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Thursday, 29 Nov 2012

Written Answers Nos. 174 - 185

Drug Treatment Programmes Funding

Questions (174)

Micheál Martin

Question:

174. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm that funding will be provided to allow the retention of the important estate management projects in areas (details supplied) in Dublin 24; the concerns of the local community in respect of these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53555/12]

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Written answers

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

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 represented a once-off contribution and has allowed the project additional time to explore alternative funding mechanisms and to identify resources to deliver on the overall objectives of the project beyond 2012, including through alternative service delivery models.

The interim funding has also allowed the project 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 will be made available once deliberations are completed.

Community Development Initiatives

Questions (175)

Micheál Martin

Question:

175. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for the future of the Dodder Valley Partnership and CPLN Area Partnership; if he will also note that any new plans must ensure provision for strong community representation at board level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53556/12]

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Written answers

Following Government approval I published the local government reform programme, Putting People First, which includes the alignment of local and community development with local government. This involves, inter alia, an enhanced role for local government in local and community development and seeks to create greater efficiencies in structural arrangements and service delivery to the citizen, at local level.

In June 2012 my Department requested that CPLN Local Development Company, Dodder Valley Local Development Company and South Dublin County Council (SDCC) develop a plan to establish a single structure for Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) delivery in the two areas in question. The new structure will operate within the SDCC boundary and will facilitate the generation of efficiencies; in the longer term it will allow a more effective sharing of resources, reducing overall administration and operating costs, while at the same time preserving the core, front-line element of the LCDP.

Following consultations between my Department, the Chairpersons, CEOs and Boards of Management of both companies and SDCC, an agreement was reached. This involves the establishment of a single Company to promote and deliver Local and Community Development Programmes in the South County Dublin Area. In advancing this work and the broader alignment initiative, I am concerned that the integrity of the local development model is protected as outlined in the Alignment Report, while bearing in mind our fiscal constraints.

Guidelines for the governance of all Local Development Companies were drawn up in 2007 and these include a structure for the Board of each Company. The Board structure of the new company will allow for a strong community presence commensurate with the catchment area for the merged entities.

Local Authority Funding

Questions (176)

Joanna Tuffy

Question:

176. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider granting South Dublin County Council the same level of allocation per resident from the Local Government Fund in 2013 as Fingal County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53558/12]

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Written answers

I presume the question relates to General Purpose Grants from the Local Government Fund. General Purpose Grants contribute to meeting the difference between the cost to local authorities of providing a reasonable level of services and the income available to them from local sources and from specific grants.  

Local authorities cost and income bases vary significantly from one another and calculating an appropriate distribution of these grants is complex. General purpose grants from the Local Government Fund are structured to bring about equalisation over time; that is a position of balance where the financial needs of local authorities are met by their resources and they are able to provide an appropriate level of service to their customers.

In determining these grants a number of factors are taken into account including the overall funding available for this purpose, the estimated cost to each authority of providing a reasonable level of services to their customers, the income each authority should generate from local sources and the necessity to provide each authority with a baseline allocation that will support its financial stability .

In line with previous years, it is my intention to inform local authorities of their 2013 general purpose grant allocations following the announcement of Budget 2013. I will seek to contribute to the general purpose funding of local authorities to the maximum extent possible in 2013, having regard to the current pressures on the public finances and motor tax income.

Regeneration Projects Status

Questions (177)

Michael Moynihan

Question:

177. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the position regarding the new dedicated Office for Regeneration which was announced on 3 February 2012 and according to that announcement, was to be a separate entity with the unified local authorities of Limerick city and council and to have responsibility for the management and administration of the regeneration programme of specific areas of Limerick city and if he will provide and outline the legal status of the Office of Regeneration, what the goals of regeneration now are, the areas covered by the Regeneration Project, what the staffing of the Office of Regeneration is and respective responsibilities of the staff and the chain of accountability within the office and of his office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53575/12]

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Written answers

Following the publication of the Fitzgerald Report on addressing issues of social exclusion in Moyross and other disadvantaged areas of Limerick City the Government agreed to support a regeneration programme for key areas of Limerick City, including Moyross, Southill, Ballinacurra Weston and Kings Island/St. Mary’s Park. The Limerick Regeneration Agencies (Northside and Southside) were established in June 2007 for a five-year term to 14 June 2012 for the purposes of building confidence and trust within the communities in Limerick and to facilitate a coordinated public sector response to the regeneration process. On the completion of their five-year term, the functions, assets, undertakings and liabilities of the Agencies were formally transferred to Limerick City Council, pending the establishment of the new Limerick Unitary Authority, with a new dedicated Office of Regeneration taking responsibility for managing and implementing the regeneration programme.

The Office of Regeneration, with a dedicated staff of 23 administrative, technical and professional personnel, is headed by a Director of Regeneration, reporting directly to the Unitary Authority Manager. The Office currently has four staff at Senior Executive Officer/Project Manager level to administer the social and economic regeneration programmes and the delivery of the physical implementation plans for the relevant areas. Two senior staff members are located at Moyross and Southill respectively. A complement of staff, including technical and professional staff with appropriate skills in the areas of planning, design and engineering services, are deployed at the Office of Regeneration to support the delivery of regeneration in the city.

The Director is charged with overseeing the transfer of functions from the Agencies to Limerick City Council and progressing the compilation and implementation of strategies and programmes for the physical, social and economic regeneration of the four areas concerned. This new Office, with key decision makers working in a single, unified team, will accelerate the delivery of projects as the regeneration process transitions from the planning to the implementation phase. Regeneration is retained as a separate entity with its own dedicated staff and annual capital budgets which gives a new impetus to regeneration and builds on the foundations laid so far by the Agencies.

Over the past five years, a robust framework has been put in place to facilitate consultation with stakeholder groups on wide-ranging issues relating to the development and implementation of social and physical regeneration strategies. The Office of Regeneration is engaging with this framework to deliver, as a priority, robust Implementation Plans which will act as a roadmap for regeneration in the coming years. An Implementation Plan for the physical, social and economic regeneration of the four areas will be published shortly by the Office of Regeneration .

My Department retains overall responsibility for the policy and funding of the National Regeneration Programme. The programme is managed by an experienced team of administrative and technical personnel with a range of financial management, project management, planning, design, engineering and quantity surveying skills.

Regeneration Projects Funding

Questions (178)

Michael Moynihan

Question:

178. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will [provide an update of the operation of the specific fund of €1 million (details supplied), for community initiatives that would contribute to regeneration in specific areas of Limerick city and to be managed by the new Office for Regeneration; if he will provide details of the way in which the fund will operate, the criteria that will govern the fund; the way the fund relates to the existing funds available for social initiatives within the Regeneration Project; the initiatives that have received monies from this fund to date; and the period the fund will operate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53576/12]

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Written answers

The €1 million fund has been used by the Office of Regeneration to support a broad range of social interventions within the regeneration areas, which heretofore had not been included for funding by the former Regeneration Agencies.

The Office of Regeneration established an Assessment Committee, comprising of suitably skilled personnel, to assess applications against a pre-determined set of eligibility criteria. These criteria are clearly set out in the application process and are based on those already in place for the Social Interventions Fund operated by the Agencies and, more recently, by the Office of Regeneration. The criteria used in assessing applications include the specific need being addressed by the proposed project, consistency with the regeneration strategies and programmes, project sustainability, expected outcomes, value for money and capacity within the promoting body in terms of management skills and governance arrangements.

My Department has asked the Office of Regeneration to submit an end of year report on all the projects approved under the measure, together with details of the funding provided and the expected outcomes.

Regeneration Projects Funding

Questions (179)

Michael Moynihan

Question:

179. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details regarding the amount of funding available in 2012 and 2013 to support the community and voluntary sectors delivering the regeneration social interventions under the Limerick Regeneration Project in Moyross, Southhill, St Mary's Park and Ballincurra Weston; and if he will outline the criteria, structures and decision making mechanism by which funding applications for such interventions are to be considered in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53577/12]

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Written answers

This year my Department is providing €27.5 million to support ongoing regeneration in Limerick. Projected levels of activity in 2013 will be subject to the financial provisions for housing, which will be determined in the context of the 2013 Estimates process.

Some €4 million of the overall 2012 capital allocation is being set aside for the purposes of supporting social intervention initiatives across the four regeneration areas. It will be a matter for the Office of Regeneration to submit to my Department a detailed programme of regeneration projects for funding in 2013, including a programme of social interventions to be delivered by the community and voluntary sectors.

In January 2010, the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) superseded the Community Development and the Local Development Social Inclusion Programmes.

The objective of the Programme is to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government, its agencies, and people in disadvantaged communities.

As part of its four high level goals, the Programme supports individuals into employment and self-employment through education, training, work experience, job placement, enterprise, and the social economy in both urban and rural areas.

The Programme is managed by Pobal on behalf of my Department and is delivered at a local level by the nationwide network of 51 Local Development Companies. This year some €55m has been allocated to the Programme.  Paul Partnership is based in Limerick city and is one such Local Development Company, with a budget for delivery of the LCDP of some €1.6m in 2012.  Two further local development companies, West Limerick Resources Limited and Ballyhoura Development Limited deliver the LCDP in the Limerick county area and have a combined budget of almost €1.2m in 2012.

Leader Programmes Funding

Questions (180)

Michelle Mulherin

Question:

180. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which he expects Mayo North East Leader Partnership to resume the processing of applications for LEADER funding in the area and the payment out of approved applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53613/12]

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Written answers

Mayo North East Leader Partnership (MNELP) is the Local Action Group contracted by my Department to deliver both the Rural Development Programme (RDP) and the Local Community Development Programme (LCDP) to the North Mayo area.

On foot of correspondence I received in 2011 regarding a possible governance issue at Mayo North East LEADER Partnership Company, I directed my Department to investigate the matter. This investigation is complex but advanced, and approval of projects under the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme is currently suspended pending its completion. Payment of eligible approved applications is progressing as normal.

My Department will act on the recommendations of the investigation as soon as is possible following its completion and is committed to providing the resources of the Rural Development Programme (LEADER) to the area going forward.

Pyrite Panel Report Implementation

Questions (181, 182, 184, 185)

Clare Daly

Question:

181. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the review of insurance issues, recommendations 21 and 22 of the Pyrite Panel, will commence, in view of comments (details supplied). [53616/12]

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Clare Daly

Question:

182. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will extend the scope of the review of structural guarantee policies beyond exclusions and limits of cover to ensure that warranty providers are independent of the entities who built the insured dwellings. [53617/12]

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Clare Daly

Question:

184. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the expected timeframe to develop a stand-alone specification for hardcore as per Recommendation 15 of the Pyrite Report. [53619/12]

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Clare Daly

Question:

185. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the expected timeframe to provide a single, publically accessible information point with up-to-date information on standards readily available to all involved in the construction industry as per Recommendation 24 of the Pyrite Panel Report. [53620/12]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 181, 182, 184 and 185 together.

The implementation of many of the recommendations in the pyrite report requires the involvement and co-operation of a number of parties, and implementation will be on a progressive basis. Given their particular impact on affected homeowners, priority is being given to the recommendations dealing with the establishment of a Resolution Board as well as the development of protocols for the testing and categorisation of dwellings and a remediation method statement.

My Department will shortly be contacting the regulatory bodies mentioned in the report to discuss how the recommendations in relation to insurance can be progressed. However, the issue raised in relation to the independence of warranty providers is more appropriate to the remit of the regulatory body for insurance.

I understand that the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) has commenced work on the development of a standalone specification for hardcore. While a specific timeframe is not set for the completion of this work the NSAI is aware of the urgency I attach to it.

In relation to provision of a publicly accessible information point with up-to-date information on standards, this is a matter for consideration by the NSAI and my Department will be discussing the implementation of this recommendation with them.

Pyrite Remediation Programme Issues

Questions (183)

Clare Daly

Question:

183. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the composition of the various pyrite related technical committees that have or are to be established. [53618/12]

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Written answers

The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is a statutory body under the aegis of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and my Department has no function in relation to its operation. As the official national standards body , I asked the authority to undertake work in relation to the development of protocols for testing and categorisation and to establish a methodology for pyrite remediation work on foot of the recommendation of the independent Pyrite Panel. The processes and procedures it follows in the discharge of its functions, including the establishment and composition of technical committees , is a matter for the Authority itself.

My Department has not established and does not plan to establish any pyrite related technical committees. However, I recently announced that I am proceeding with the establishment of a Resolution Board as recommended by the independent Pyrite Panel. The composition of this board is not yet finalised. Discussions with stakeholders in relation to possible funding mechanisms for a remediation scheme are at an advanced stage and I expect them to conclude very shortly . I will then be in a position to finalise arrangements for the establishment of the Resolution Board including its membership.

Questions Nos. 184 and 185 answered with Question No. 181.
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