Written Answers Nos. 429-448
429. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of publicly owned social housing units that were delivered in 2011 and 2012, respectively; and the targets for same in 2013. [12964/13]
View answerMy Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy and those data are available on my Department’s website, www.environ.ie.
Data on the number of local authority and voluntary and co-operative units delivered are included as part of that range. Data from 2012 are still being finalised and will be released in due course.
Given the current volatility of the market and different challenges to the channels of supply, it is difficult to estimate the likely output of new units for social housing this year. However, it is provisionally estimated that in excess of 5,000 units will be provided for social housing in 2013. This will include:
- 350 units for people with special housing needs;
- 150 units specifically for people leaving institutional care;
- an additional 400 permanent homes delivered through capital expenditure under the Social Housing Investment Programme;
- 300 transfers under the Mortgage to Rent Scheme;
- some 4,000 units will be delivered under social leasing, including property transfers from NAMA, the Rental Accommodation Scheme and mortgage to lease.
430. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the measures he is undertaking to ensure an improved system of social housing maintenance in local authorities with faster reaction times to serious maintenance issues and less stop gap measures to deal with recurring problems. [12965/13]
View answerUnder Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of the local authority housing stock, including the carrying out of routine and planned maintenance programmes to properties and estates, is the responsibility of the relevant housing authority. Housing and estate maintenance programmes are funded directly by local authorities from their own resources, including from rental income and receipts from the disposal of properties and sales of houses to tenants.
It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The adoption of the Local Authority annual budget is a reserved function and I, as Minister of State, have no direct function in relation to this area or in relation to spending of rental income from local authority lettings.
I appreciate the need for improved systems of social housing maintenance in local authorities with faster reaction times to repair and maintenance issues and the timely execution of pre-letting repairs. We need better, real-time information to inform my Department’s policy on improving the social housing stock and to give a sharper focus and better targeting of scarce resources at those areas which will give the best return on the investment made. In order to better understand the quality and distribution of the stock and to facilitate the setting of sound and robust improvement targets, my Department, in conjunction with the local authorities, is undertaking an audit of the 130,000 social housing units. Over time, this will build up a comprehensive profile of the stock and enable the compilation of targeted strategies to address deficiencies in terms of overall quality, thermal efficiency etc.
431. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown based on local authority area of the current average turnaround time for local authority housing that has become vacant; the current number of vacant public housing units; and the number that have been vacant for six months and more and one year and more, respectively. [12966/13]
View answerThe Seventh Annual Report on Service Indicators, published by the Local Government Management Services Board in August 2012, which details service indicators in local authorities in 2010, provides a range of information in relation to the social housing stock in each local authority. Specific information is provided with regard to vacant housing units and on the average number of weeks taken by each local authority, from the date of vacation of a unit to the date when all necessary repairs are carried out, to re-let a unit. Copies of the report are available from the Local Government Management Agency and may be downloaded from their website (www.lgmsb.ie).
433. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will establish the new north fringe urban district as a strategic development zone to provide a statutory underpinning for the work of Dublin City Council and Fingal planning staff, to ensure the urgent completion of all works and services for the vast new urban district and to avoid the developer led chaos of the past; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13038/13]
View answerSpecific responsibility for the planning and delivery of the North and South Fringe development rests, respectively, with Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council. Dublin City Council adopted its Dublin City Development Plan 2011-2017 and Fingal County Council adopted its Fingal Development Plan 2011-2017 both of which set out statutory objectives for the development of the North and South Fringe, respectively.
A North Fringe Cross-Authority Forum established in 2004 continues to monitor progress in the implementation of the North Fringe Framework Development. Meetings continue to be held on a cross-authority basis at which a wide range of issues relating to the planning and delivery of the North Fringe development are discussed and actions taken.
Furthermore, Dublin City Council recently adopted a Local Area Plan (LAP) for Clongriffin-Belmayne (North Fringe) in December 2012.
On the basis of the on-going cooperation within the statutory framework of the existing development plans, and local area plan, I do not believe that a strategic development zone is a necessary vehicle to deliver on the North Fringe.
434. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will offer assistance towards urban renewal to towns or villages in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13044/13]
View answer437. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which he has had dialogue with the local authorities in the context of town centre urban renewal-regeneration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13047/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 434 and 437 together.
A wide range of property-based tax relief schemes was introduced up to the mid 2000’s including town renewal and living over the shop schemes. While many important developments were encouraged by these schemes, independent reviews concluded that the tax costs of the initiatives were high relative to the outputs achieved. The Department of Finance wound down previous schemes to take account of the current adverse economic climate and the legacy costs of such schemes to the Exchequer, as investors sought to use their reliefs and capital allowances. Similarly, the Urban and Village Renewal Programme 2000-2006, through which grant assistance was provided by my Department to local authorities for a range of interventions to upgrade the fabric of the built environment in cities, towns and villages, ended in early 2008. That scheme involved total EU and Exchequer co-financed expenditure of over €158m. The 2007-2013 Urban and Village Regeneration Programme, administered by my Department, was deferred due to budgetary constraints.
Nonetheless, my Department remains committed to working with local government and other community development and enterprise stakeholders to ensure that a recovering economy will result in an even distribution of opportunity. In this regard there is a need to target in an integrated way urban areas which face particular problems resulting from both the economic downturn and investments in the past which did not facilitate the development of sustainable communities capable of benefiting from the period of high prosperity or coping with the subsequent downturn. Major regeneration programmes in Ballymun and Limerick together with a range of other remedial works schemes across the country are being prioritised to assist in addressing this deficit.
In addition, I am also seeking to ensure that the forward planning process plays a part in supporting urban development. My Department recently published statutory guidelines for planning authorities on Development Contributions. These contain a strong focus on supporting vibrant town centres by directing planning authorities to put in place reduced rates of development contributions or waivers to support town centre development and to incentivise activity through lower development contributions in the areas prioritised for development in the relevant core strategy.
435. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total realised for the saledisposal of the electronic voting equipment which he inherited from his predecessor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13045/13]
View answer436. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total all in costs including manufacture, storage and security of the electronic voting equipment; the extent of any ongoing costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13046/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 435 and 436 together.
A total sum of €69,403.25 was received by the State, in 2012, in respect of the completion of the contract for the recovery as waste of the electronic voting equipment.
Expenditure on the electronic voting project, including equipment purchase, storage and other costs, totalled €54.986 million. There are no ongoing costs. Costs may arise in 2013 from the cessation of one storage lease.
438. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which he expects to be in a position to fund ground water pollution alleviation measures in the current year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13048/13]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 440 of 26 February 2013 which sets out the position in relation to the grant scheme for septic tanks.
The priorities in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme include the provision of works required to comply with Water Framework Directive requirements, to improve sewage treatment and collection infrastructure in accordance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, to respond to judgments of the European Court of Justice and to achieve environmental and public health objectives arising from various regulations and EPA reports dealing with water quality. A total of €328.7 million in Exchequer funding is being provided for water services capital investment this year including investment under the Rural Water Programme. My Department also provides funding from the Local Government Fund towards the operational costs of group water schemes.
439. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which his Department has yet to import any outstanding EU directives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13049/13]
View answerMy Department is up to date on the transposition of all relevant EU Directives, apart from transposition of the complex and multi-faceted Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU, which was partially transposed into Irish law by the transposition deadline of 7 January 2013. Three Chapters of the Directive remain to be transposed, but work is nearing finalisation, in consultation with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government, to complete the transposition process in the very near future.
Ireland topped the latest EU Internal Market Scoreboard (covering the latter half of 2012), which measures Member States’ success in transposing EU law into domestic legislation. During this period, Ireland transposed all required EU legislation within the set deadlines: indeed Ireland was the only Member State to achieve a position of full transposition.
441. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his proposals to address the housing need as expressed by the number of families currently on waiting lists of local authorities or in private rent supported accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13052/13]
View answerMy Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authorities’ waiting lists. This figure continually fluctuates as households are allocated housing and new households apply for housing support. Detailed information on the latest statutory assessment of housing need, carried out in March 2011 and including a breakdown by housing authority, is available on my Department’s website – www.environ.ie, or on the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency's website at www.housing.ie.
The Government’s housing policy statement, published in June 2011, clearly identifies that the priority for Government will be to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support.
I am determined to ensure that the social housing programme optimises the delivery of social housing and the return for the resources invested. To achieve this, it is essential that we tailor the use of available Exchequer supports to prevailing conditions and explore the full range of solutions to address housing needs. The social housing capital budget has been reduced from €1.535 billion in 2008 to €332.7m in 2012, with an anticipated outturn of some €299m for 2013, and the financial parameters within which we will be operating for the coming years rule out a return to large capital funded construction programmes. The Government is committed to responding more quickly and on a larger scale to social housing support needs through a variety of mechanisms, including through increased provision of social housing. In spite of the challenging circumstances within which local authorities are forced to operate, the outcome for 2012 is expected to be in the region of 4,000 to 4,500 housing units. Given the current volatility of the market and different challenges to the channels of supply, it is difficult to estimate the likely output of new units for social housing this year. However, it is provisionally estimated that in the region of 5,000 units will be provided for social housing in 2013.
Delivery of social housing will be significantly facilitated through more flexible funding models such as the Rental Accommodation Scheme and leasing, but the Government is also committed to developing other funding mechanisms that will increase the supply of permanent new social housing. Such mechanisms will include options to purchase, build to lease and the sourcing of loan finance by approved housing bodies for construction and acquisition. There is also obvious potential, across a range of housing programmes, for the Government’s objective of sourcing and providing suitable residential units for use as social housing to be aligned with the commercial objectives of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). My Department and the Housing Agency are engaged with NAMA to ensure delivery of housing units for social purposes.
442. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his priorities to meet in full the requests as set out by the various local authorities in the context of group water schemes; if he has sought or received submissions in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13053/13]
View answer443. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total funding available through his Department to meet the requests in respect of both group water and sewage schemes including small schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13054/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 442 and 443 together.
Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes group water schemes, group sewerage schemes and small public water and sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997.
The selection and approval of individual scheme proposals for advancement and funding under the programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and subject to the block grant allocations provided, is therefore a matter for the water services authorities.
The block grant allocations provided by my Department to the water services authorities are based, in the first instance, on the requests for funding received from the water services authorities at the beginning of each year. There may also be some additional allocations, or variations to existing allocations, during the course of the year based on responses from the authorities to any reviews of expenditure which may be carried out.
Decisions on the block grant allocations for each authority under the programme in 2013 will be made as soon as possible following examination of the requests for funding that have been received by my Department.
A provision of €35 million is available under the programme this year towards group water schemes, group sewerage schemes and small public water and sewerage schemes.
444. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total number of reported instances of water or air pollution in each of the past four years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13055/13]
View answerWith regard to detection of air pollution, ambient air quality monitoring and assessment in Ireland is carried out in accordance with the requirements of Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, also known as the CAFE Directive. The CAFE Directive which consolidated and replaced the earlier Air Quality Framework Directive and the first three so-called “daughter” Directives, sets limit values/target values for the following pollutants: Sulphur Dioxide; Nitrogen Dioxide and Oxides of Nitrogen; Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5); Lead; Benzene; Carbon Monoxide; and Ozone. In addition, the Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, Nickel and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ambient Air Regulations 2009 transpose the fourth “daughter” Directive 2004/107/EC and specify target values and monitoring requirements for arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
The EPA publishes a comprehensive annual report on air quality, based primarily on the monitoring requirements of the CAFE Directive. The most recent report, Air Quality in Ireland 2011 – Key Indicators of Ambient Air Quality, was published in September 2012 and provides an assessment of air quality in Ireland for 2011, compared to the CAFE Directive standards, based on data obtained from the 29 monitoring stations that form the national ambient air quality network. The Report confirmed that air quality in Ireland is of a high standard, with no individual exceedances of EU limit values recorded for 2011.
However, the EPA's latest figures on air pollutants responsible for long-range transboundary air pollution such as acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone pollution, published in February 2013, suggests that emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) were above the specified emission ceiling in 2011, caused primarily by emissions from the transport sector.
In respect of monitoring of water quality, the EPA, local authorities, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Marine Institute all monitor rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal waters plus ground-water quality under the Water Framework Directive on a three-year cycle. This extensive monitoring programme provides a good overview of current water quality and trends as they develop.
Water quality trends emerging in recent years include a notable decline in the incidence of serious pollution events from 39 sites in the 2004-2006 period, to 20 sites in the 2007-2009 period and currently down to 11 sites. There has also been a stabilisation in the length of river channel regarded as unpolluted, at approximately 71% of the length surveyed. However, the period has also been marked by a steady decline in the number of river sites at high ecological status.
Comprehensive reports on water quality are published every three years by the EPA and are available for download at www.epa.ie.
446. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there are any plans in place to reduce the level of development contribution charges which Wicklow County Council currently has in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13069/13]
View answerAs Minister of State my role is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each local authority. The adoption of these schemes is a reserved function of the locally elected members of each planning authority. It is a matter for the members to determine the level of contribution and the types of development to which they will apply. Copies of individual schemes are available for consultation on the local authorities' websites. My Department has recently issued updated guidance for local authorities on the issue of development contributions which recommends, inter alia , that development contribution schemes facilitate job creation through targeted support for specific development types. As part of the new guidance, planning authorities are asked to consider whether there are any measures open to them to support new or existing enterprises in their areas by, for example, reduced development contribution rates, deferral of payments, etc.
The guidelines have been issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act s 2000 - 2012. This means that planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála are required to have regard to them in performance of their functions under the Planning Acts.
447. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount allocated to each local authority for housing adaptation grants respectively from 2008 to 2013 inclusive. [13075/13]
View answerMy Department's involvement with the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability relates primarily to the recoupment of a proportion of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. These schemes, introduced in November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupments available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority.
Details of the combined Exchequer plus local authority own resources allocations in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability over the period 2008 - 2012, are set in the following table:
|
Local Authority |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
Carlow |
€1,404,663 |
€1,868,125 |
€1,868,125 |
€1,349,014 |
€1,349,014 |
€747,079 |
|
Cavan |
€1,429,983 |
€1,412,500 |
€1,883,664 |
€1,879,903 |
€1,625,000 |
€1,038,155 |
|
Clare |
€1,824,055 |
€2,064,584 |
€3,125,000 |
€3,000,000 |
€1,445,000 |
€1,445,000 |
|
Cork |
€2,173,581 |
€2,412,500 |
€8,116,492 |
€6,250,364 |
€6,250,364 |
€4,561,160 |
|
Donegal |
€3,894,604 |
€4,599,166 |
€4,614,625 |
€3,100,769 |
€2,448,146 |
€827,280 |
|
D’Laoghaire/Rathdown |
€2,175,664 |
€2,260,000 |
€2,141,638 |
€1,165,228 |
€1,110,602 |
€731,197 |
|
Fingal |
€1,695,371 |
€2,458,750 |
€2,625,000 |
€2,072,365 |
€2,072,365 |
€1,588,467 |
|
Galway |
€2,043,451 |
€1,901,166 |
€2,529,370 |
€2,387,900 |
€2,375,000 |
€1,644,387 |
|
Kerry |
€2,749,871 |
€3,447,084 |
€4,061,250 |
€3,459,023 |
€3,257,865 |
€1,445,971 |
|
Kildare |
€1,818,289 |
€2,502,084 |
€3,750,000 |
€3,563,545 |
€2,025,000 |
€2,025,000 |
|
Kilkenny |
€935,748 |
€1,035,834 |
€1,867,500 |
€1,867,500 |
€1,867,500 |
€1,406,162 |
|
Laois |
€1,788,166 |
€1,987,313 |
€1,830,000 |
€1,146,093 |
€1,084,827 |
€260,923 |
|
Leitrim |
€1,440,724 |
€1,640,834 |
€1,668,334 |
€990,189 |
€576,305 |
€65,953 |
|
Limerick |
€1,672,134 |
€1,522,334 |
€1,936,567 |
€1,719,225 |
€1,473,454 |
€1,473,455 |
|
Longford |
€710,585 |
€1,211,834 |
€1,262,000 |
€1,260,000 |
€1,243,575 |
€687,674 |
|
Louth |
€2,101,304 |
€2,598,750 |
€2,695,500 |
€1,345,716 |
€1,186,266 |
€1,103,145 |
|
Mayo |
€2,714,774 |
€3,402,916 |
€3,720,000 |
€2,724,401 |
€2,575,216 |
€2,575,216 |
|
Meath |
€2,466,856 |
€1,000,000 |
€1,464,096 |
€1,464,096 |
€997,208 |
€487,123 |
|
Monaghan |
€2,064,606 |
€2,080,000 |
€2,090,834 |
€1,319,083 |
€1,152,172 |
€837,211 |
|
North Tipperary |
€1,815,724 |
€1,851,666 |
€1,651,250 |
€1,607,181 |
€1,200,000 |
€425,757 |
|
Offaly |
€1,185,168 |
€1,940,146 |
€2,250,000 |
€2,059,313 |
€1,125,000 |
€625,000 |
|
Roscommon |
€1,975,821 |
€2,237,291 |
€2,757,208 |
€2,562,790 |
€1,009,251 |
€709,957 |
|
Sligo |
€825,808 |
€1,218,750 |
€1,218,750 |
€997,800 |
€997,684 |
€276,982 |
|
South Dublin |
€3,720,081 |
€4,563,334 |
€4,766,000 |
€3,084,098 |
€2,728,308 |
€1,213,986 |
|
South Tipperary |
€1,606,588 |
€2,145,416 |
€3,126,666 |
€3,125,000 |
€3,111,713 |
€1,087,989 |
|
Waterford |
€1,625,000 |
€1,702,500 |
€1,702,500 |
€1,238,324 |
€994,766 |
€414,024 |
|
Westmeath |
€1,838,480 |
€1,645,000 |
€1,854,963 |
€1,143,266 |
€988,155 |
€435,722 |
|
Wexford |
€2,247,941 |
€2,950,416 |
€3,276,875 |
€2,603,404 |
€2,566,772 |
€1,210,765 |
|
Wicklow |
€1,302,418 |
€1,791,250 |
€2,609,992 |
€1,151,969 |
€954,794 |
€567,118 |
|
Cork City |
€2,075,984 |
€2,707,916 |
€2,707,916 |
€2,707,916 |
€1,749,741 |
€1,749,741 |
|
Dublin City |
€11,586,213 |
€13,497,084 |
€14,208,334 |
€11,361,211 |
€10,629,459 |
€4,932,320 |
|
Galway City |
€1,337,033 |
€1,226,666 |
€1,226,666 |
€1,024,632 |
€928,352 |
€301,280 |
|
Limerick City |
€1,030,298 |
€1,387,500 |
€1,525,000 |
€1,525,000 |
€1,525,000 |
€1,010,885 |
|
Waterford City |
€538,628 |
€725,000 |
€872,500 |
€790,310 |
€740,282 |
€348,842 |
|
Sligo Borough Council |
€381,095 |
€772,750 |
€625,000 |
€418,084 |
€385,844 |
* |
* (with Sligo Co Co figure for 2013)
448. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total funding on an annual basis allocated to Cavan County Council for the housing adaptation grants scheme for older people and people with a disability schemes from 2008 to 2013 inclusive; the actual draw-down of such funding by the Cavan County Council on a yearly basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13105/13]
View answerMy Department’s involvement with the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability relates primarily to the recoupment of a proportion of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. These schemes, introduced in November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupments available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority.
Details of the initial Exchequer allocations to Cavan County Council for the years 2008 – 2013 , together with the amounts recouped to the Council over that period are set out in the following table :
|
Cavan Co. Co. |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
Initial Exchequer Allocation |
€1,143,986 |
€1,130,000 |
€1,500,000 |
€1, 500,000 |
€1,050,000 |
€830,524 |
|
Amount recouped |
€1, 007,408 |
€1,144,682 |
€1,309,505 |
€ 1,176,998 |
€1,081,291 |
€0 |
