Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Written Answers Nos. 188-195

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Questions (188)

Michael Lowry

Question:

188. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties being faced by those engaged in the now discontinued shared ownership scheme; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that countless families across County Tipperary and indeed the country who engaged in this scheme are facing significant financial difficulty due to the fact that the rent on the council owned portion of their home has increased exponentially; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that as a result they are making little progress in the purchase of their home; if he will amend the Housing Act 2009 to resolve this issue; if he will consider allowing these persons to convert to a loan on their full property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24757/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Jan O'Sullivan)

The Government’s 2011 housing policy statement announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes, including the shared ownership scheme, as part of the review of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

That review is now almost concluded and I have also asked the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency to provide me with a standalone analysis of the shared ownership scheme, including identification of the main difficulties and recommendations for mitigating measures.

Any future changes to legislation governing affordable housing schemes, including the shared ownership scheme, will be made in the context of both pieces of work and I expect to make announcements in this regard in the coming months.

Property Tax Exemptions

Questions (189)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

189. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of estates that have been listed for taking in charge following their removal from the property tax exemption list; his definition of substantially complete in relation to unfinished estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24768/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Jan O'Sullivan)

The number of estates taken in charge or listed for taking in charge is not available in my Department.

An 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, and established that there were 1,700 unfinished developments, with 1,100 of them deemed to be in a seriously problematic condition. This represents a 37% reduction in unfinished developments since 2010.

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 in the LPT regulations. 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 in February 2013 to confirm or update the then existing list of estates in a “seriously problematic condition” as appropriate. A small number of local authorities’ returns were queried by my Department at an aggregate level where it appeared that the list of developments being put forward for inclusion under the exemption was inconsistent with the results of the 2012 survey or where, for example, developments with no completed units or those completely unoccupied had been proposed for inclusion. Authorities were asked to examine their lists again with a view to achieving greater consistency with the results of the 2012 survey.

The survey methodology is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.

Crime Prevention

Questions (190)

Dominic Hannigan

Question:

190. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps the Gardaí are taking in an area (details supplied) in County Meath to reduce crime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24507/13]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the area referred to is in the Navan Garda District.

The area includes the District and Divisional Headquarters, which is open on a 24 hour basis. There are regular patrols by the local uniform and plain clothes crime prevention patrols which are augmented as necessary by the Detective Unit, the Community Policing Unit together with the Divisional Traffic Unit and the Regional Support Unit. All crime trends are closely monitored by local Garda management to ensure that resources are deployed across the District both for the prevention and detection of crime.

The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner has put Operation Fiacla in place in order to address incidents of burglary, aggravated burglaries and related offences throughout the country. Specific burglary operations have been implemented in each Garda region, in support of Operation Fiacla, to target suspected offenders, disrupt their activities and secure their attendance before the courts.

An Garda Síochána also places great emphasis on the importance of the partnership between An Garda Síochána and the community in preventing and detecting crime, and maintaining a safe environment for everyone. In this regard, community support and engagement is facilitated in the area in question through interaction by Gardaí with Community Alert and Neighbourhood Watch Schemes in particular.

Prison Accommodation Provision

Questions (191)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

191. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide details in tabular form by prison, detention centre or institution of the amount spent on decorating accommodation spaces for prisoners in each centre during 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24532/13]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am informed by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that he regrets it has not been possible in the time available to collate the figures requested by the Deputy, however, I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

Asylum Applications

Questions (192)

Tom Fleming

Question:

192. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding an application for subsidiary protection and an application for humanitarian leave to remain in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24544/13]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

The person concerned is a failed asylum applicant. Arising from the refusal of her asylum application, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was notified, by letter dated 19th April, 2012, that the Minister proposed to make a Deportation Order in respect of her. She was given the options, to be exercised within 15 working days, of leaving the State voluntarily, of consenting to the making of a Deportation Order or of making representations to the Minister setting out the reasons why a Deportation Order should not be made against her. In addition, she was notified of her entitlement to apply for subsidiary protection in accordance with the provisions of the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006.

The person concerned submitted an application for subsidiary protection. When consideration of this application has been completed, the person concerned will be notified in writing of the outcome.

In the event that the application for subsidiary protection is refused, the position in the State of the person concerned will then be decided by reference to the provisions of Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and Section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) on the prohibition of refoulement. All representations submitted will be considered before a final decision is made. Once a decision has been made, this decision, and the consequences of the decision, will be conveyed in writing to the person concerned.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Garda Station Closures

Questions (193)

Michael McCarthy

Question:

193. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the current status of a Garda Station (details supplied) in County Donegal; if there is a threat to its existence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24558/13]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

The Commissioner's Policing Plan for 2013 sets out details for the closure of 100 Garda stations throughout the country. Moville Garda Station was not listed for closure.

While the Policing plans for 2014 and 2015 have not yet been prepared, I understand, from discussions with the Garda Commissioner, that the current consolidation process will be largely completed by the end of this year and it seems unlikely at this point in time that there will be any further station closures in 2014 and 2015.

Road Traffic Offences

Questions (194)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

194. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Questions Nos 462, 463 and 464 of 14 May 2013, the reason more than 85,000 drivers avoided conviction and penalty points after having been summoned to court for failure to pay a fixed charge penalty notice within 56 days of receipt of the notice in the years 2011 and 2012; the reasons recorded in the files retained by the Courts Services following those appearances for the offences not resulting in a conviction of the drivers involved; and if he will provide, in tabular form on the basis of the various districts administered by the Courts Service, a breakdown of the numbers summoned to court for failure to pay a fixed charge penalty notice within 56 days of receipt of the notice; the numbers of drivers summoned to court for this reason; and the number of such drivers who were convicted. [24563/13]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I have asked for the information in the detailed format sought by the Deputy and I will write to him as soon as it is to hand.

Road Traffic Offences

Questions (195)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

195. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will instruct An Garda Síochána to give additional attention to an area (details supplied) in Dublin 13; the number of fixed penalty notices that were issued at this location in 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013. [24564/13]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I have requested a report from the Garda authorities on the matters raised by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy directly when the report is to hand.