Written Answers Nos. 185-93
185. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of money his Department has spent to date on the wind energy project in the Midlands following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the British and Irish Governments; the amount his Department intends to spend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23301/13]
View answerNo current or capital programme expenditure has been incurred by my Department arising from the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Cooperation between the Governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Administrative costs relating to this work are covered from the administrative budget of my Department.
186. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there will be a need for the State to carry out seismic surveys if unitisation was applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23302/13]
View answerIn the event that a future producing oil or gas field were to extend over more than one exploration authorisation, or more than a single jurisdiction, then the principle of unitisation would be of relevance. Existing geological and geophysical data, including seismic surveys, would in the first instance inform the unitisation process.
187. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide in tabular form a breakdown on a yearly basis of the legal and travel costs his Department has incurred as a result of litigation in the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, the General Court in Luxembourg and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from the years 2005 to 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23309/13]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department incurred a sum of €480 in travel costs in 2008 in connection with attendance at a European Court of Justice case in Luxembourg. My Department is not aware of any other expenditure on legal or travel costs as a result of litigation in the courts mentioned during the years in question.
188. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the percentage of local property tax collected in County Kerry that will remain there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23276/13]
View answerUnder section 157 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012, commencing in 2014, the Minister for Finance will pay into the Local Government Fund an amount equivalent to the Local Property Tax paid into the Central Fund during that year. Questions concerning the use of Local Property Tax revenue raised in 2013 should be directed to my colleague, the Minister for Finance.
The Government has indicated an intention to move, from 2014, to 80% retention of all Local Property Tax receipts within the local authority area where the Tax is raised. The remaining 20% of the Tax collected nationally will be re-distributed on an equalised basis to local authorities within the context of the annual allocations of General Purpose Grants.
I expect the Local Property Tax to have multiple benefits, including a more sustainable and resilient system of funding for local authorities and therefore a sounder financial footing for the provision of essential local services; greater local scope for financial decision making concerning service provision - in particular, the inclusion of the local variation mechanism from 2015 will further increase the autonomy of local authorities; and, a strengthening of democracy at local level with a more active relationship between local authorities and local electorates. A stronger democratic relationship and clearer lines of accountability can only have a beneficial impact on service provision from the perspective of the service user.
I am pleased to include for your information details of the most recent household statistics for Kerry County Council.
|
County/City Council |
Total Properties Registered |
Estimated No. of Liable properties
|
Properties Registered as a % of Liable Properties |
|
Kerry |
47,148 |
58,792 |
80.19% |
189. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the Government will reduce eligibility for the rental accommodation scheme from 18 months in receipt of rent supplement to six months as per the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23333/13]
View answerThe 18 month threshold, as referred to, is employed as a 'rule of thumb' to try to distinguish between persons who are seeking a short term income support and those who have a long term housing need. While in general a household must be in receipt of rent supplement for 18 months or more in order to qualify for RAS, housing authorities do, on occasion, accept households on to RAS where they have been less than 18 months on rent supplement. This occurs under exceptional circumstances and where a long term housing need can be demonstrated. Accepting persons into RAS before the 18 month period has elapsed has been applied in respect of homeless persons and for households with special needs. It has also been applied administratively where a landlord is bringing a number of properties across with tenants on rent supplement for different periods and where it has been relevant in facilitating persons moving back to employment.
It is considered, particularly in the current economic climate where unemployment is resulting in an increase in the numbers on rent supplement, that the 18 month threshold remains an appropriate juncture at which to review a household's on-going need for support.
190. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when funds will be made available to Longford County Council to assist in the necessary and urgent inspection and upgrade of septic a tank (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23096/13]
View answerIn December 2012 I announced my intention to introduce a grant scheme to provide financial assistance to households whose septic tanks and other domestic wastewater treatment systems are deemed to require remediation following an inspection under the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012. The grant scheme will only apply to owners of treatment systems which are the subject of an Advisory Notice issued by a water services authority following an inspection carried out under the 2012 Act. Full details of the scheme will be set out in regulations which I will make in advance of inspections commencing.
The 2012 Act assigns responsibility to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make a National Inspection Plan for domestic wastewater treatment systems.The National Inspection Plan 2013: Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems was published by the EPA in February 2013. Details of the minimum number of inspections for each county are included in the Plan. It is the responsibility of the water services authorities (the 34 county and city councils) to implement the Inspection Plan in their functional areas and to select particular treatment systems for inspection having regard to the risk based approach in the Inspection Plan.
191. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason his Department changed the criteria for local authorities determining what represented an unfinished estate for the purposes of the local property tax; and the course of action open to have estates included on this list. [23150/13]
View answerAn exemption from the local property tax applies to developments listed in the schedule to the Finance (Local Property Tax) Regulations 2013. The list of unfinished housing developments eligible for the exemption was compiled by local authorities utilising the categorisation employed for the purposes of the National Housing Survey 2012. The Survey was carried out over the course of summer 2012 by my Department in conjunction with local authorities and the Housing Agency.
The categorisation methodology for the survey was different to that which was used in 2011 and which provided the basis for the waiver from the household charge. That earlier categorisation related largely to the level of on-site activity at the time the 2011 survey was carried out and had less to do with the physical character of a development. The 2012 survey was based purely and objectively on the actual state of completion of a development. Only developments that were deemed by local authorities to be in a "seriously problematic condition", regardless of whether a developer was on or off site, were included.
For purposes of preparing the final list of developments to which the exemption from the local property tax would apply local authorities were asked by my Department to confirm or update the then existing list as appropriate.
192. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to the publication of the 2011 annual report and accounts for the Private Residential Tenancies Board, the reason agency staff costs of €869,429 were incurred in 2011 in a relatively small organisation which employs 30 full time staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23157/13]
View answer193. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to the publication of the 2011 annual report and accounts for the Private Residential Tenancies Board, if he will provide an analysis by recipient and amount of the €1,410,445 incurred in 2011 on legal and professional fees. [23166/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 193 together.
I have no function in the operational matters of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), an independent statutory body established on 1 September 2004 under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and, consequently, my Department does not collate the information requested.
The Act regulates the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector and the PRTB is charged with the administration of the Act including, inter alia, the resolution of landlord-tenant disputes. As a quasi-judicial body the PRTB can incur legal costs in a number of areas including the enforcement of registrations and of determination orders made by the Board.
The PRTB is required under the Employment Control Framework to reduce its staffing complement to 33 by end-2013. In previous years the PRTB employed agency staff from time to time to meet its workflow requirements.
