Written Answers Nos. 179-187
179. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is a scheme to reimburse the purchase and running costs of a panic alarm system for a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30870/13]
View answerThe Seniors Alert Scheme aims to encourage community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, without sufficient means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The Scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department. The contact information for registered groups is available on my Department’s website.
Funding is provided for personal monitored alarms where prior Departmental approval is in place and is not available for reimbursement where such equipment is already installed. The cost of annual monitoring fees associated with personal monitored alarm systems must be borne by the user.
180. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding property tax in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3. [31088/13]
View answerThe Local Government (Charges) Act 2009 broadened the revenue base of local authorities by introducing a charge on non-principal private residences. The self-assessed charge is set at €200 and liability for it falls, in the main, on owners of rental, holiday and vacant properties.
Under the Act, it is a function of a local authority to collect the Non-Principal Private Residence Charge and late payment fees due to it, and all charges and late payment fees imposed and payable to a local authority are under the care and management of the local authority concerned. In this regard, application of the legislation in particular circumstances is a matter for the relevant local authority. Guidelines have issued to local authorities in relation to the operation of the “care and management” provisions of the Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, and to assist in dealing with hardship cases; local authorities are expected to implement these guidelines appropriately. 2013 is the last year of operation of the Charge.
181. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if in the re-organisation of local development services he intends retaining Comhar na nOileán as the lead agency for all the offshore islands for the delivery of the Leader, LCDP programmes and other programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30865/13]
View answerI established an Alignment Working Group earlier this year, comprising local government and local development representatives, to advise and assist my Department on the implementation of new governance arrangements as envisaged in Putting People First – Action Programme for Effective Local Government. A key term of reference of the Working Group is a consideration of the future management and delivery arrangements for a range of local development programmes, including LEADER and LCDP. These matters are still being considered by the Working Group and I believe it would be inappropriate for me to comment further until the Group’s deliberations are completed.
It is my intention that the Socio-Economic Committees proposed by the Alignment Steering Group will have responsibility for the co-ordination, governance, planning and oversight of a broad range of local and community development programming at local level, including LEADER and LCDP. As key partners on the Socio-Economic Committees, local development companies will continue to have an important role in the delivery of programmes for which they are contracted by my Department and others.
As always, however, the continued implementation of local development programmes is influenced by the level of funding available, which remains to be decided as part of the Government’s estimates process.
182. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a person is permitted under current electoral law to run for a position on a county or city council in two or more local electoral areas of the same local authority during the 2014 local elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30871/13]
View answerA person can be nominated to stand for election in more than one local electoral area. Article 14(3) of the Local Elections Regulations 1995 provides that a separate nomination paper is required for each local electoral area for which a candidate is nominated at a local election.
Article 124 of the 1995 Regulations, as amended, provides that where a person is elected as a member of the same local authority for two or more local electoral areas, the person shall, within the three day period after the return is made of persons elected to be members of the local authority, declare in writing which one of those areas the person chooses to represent. If the declaration is not delivered within this period, the person shall be deemed to have chosen to represent the local electoral area in respect of which they received the greatest number of first preference votes.
183. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for the future development of the gateway and hubs structure. [30965/13]
View answer184. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the funding provided for the future development of the gateway and hubs structure since 2011. [30966/13]
View answer185. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to provide future funding for the development of the gateway and hubs structure. [30967/13]
View answer186. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to provide funding for the Dundalk gateway project. [30968/13]
View answer187. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the conclusion of the Dundalk gateway Report of May 2013 carried out by the BMW Regional Assembly that there has been a decline in development and infrastructure funding for the Dundalk gateway and that this is impacting on economic activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30969/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 183 to 187, inclusive, together.
The 2002 National Spatial Strategy (NSS) is Ireland’s first national strategic spatial planning framework. It provides the spatial vision and principles to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development and population growth between regions through the co-ordinated development of nine gateway cities and towns and nine hub towns together with complementary policies to activate the potential for sustainable economic development in their hinterlands and wider regions. The NSS serves as a strategic context for spatial planning in Ireland by regional authorities in their regional planning guidelines role and for planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála in their statutory planning functions. It also seeks to influence investment priorities particularly in transport, housing, water services, communications, energy, health and education infrastructure.
The 2002 NSS remains in place. However, proposals will be brought to Government later this year for a roadmap to develop a successor strategy that will take account, inter alia, of our significantly changed economic circumstances and to contribute to sustainable national recovery.
The NSS has supported alignment and prioritisation of sectoral infrastructural investment, notwithstanding the absence of any discrete funding stream for the NSS Gateways and Hubs. The possibility of establishing such a funding stream under the NSS remains a significant challenge in light of current budgetary constraints although it remains a matter for consideration in the context of the development of a successor NSS.
The Gateways and Hubs Development Index (GHDI) 2012 published by the Border, Midlands & Western Regional Assembly, and the Southern & Eastern Regional Assembly, in May 2013, represents an examination of Ireland’s key urban centres, including the Dundalk Gateway, across a range of performance indicators. The Index provides a unique opportunity to observe and understand how Gateways and Hubs are developing including in times of economic challenge. The findings of the Index will provide a valuable resource for policy-making for Government Departments, Local and Regional Authorities and other major State agencies particularly in the context of the preparation of a successor to the NSS.
