Written Answers Nos. 932-951
932. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will detail by name, location and cost the number of capital projects funded by his Department for each of the past five years to date in tabular form in an area (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37960/13]
View answerThe information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
933. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the provision of an extension to a sewerage scheme at a location (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37971/13]
View answer961. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a group sewerage scheme in County Kerry (details supplied) will be included in any future round of funding, in view of its strategic importance and the long time that it has been campaigned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38527/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 933 and 961 together.
Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes group sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997.
In December 2012, I announced an increase in the grant for group sewerage schemes to €6,500 per house or 75% of the cost of the scheme, whichever is the lesser. The previous rate of grant available was €2,031.58 per house or 75% of the cost, whichever was the lesser.
I propose, in the first instance, to carry out a number of pilot schemes based on the increased grant level. My Department asked local authorities to include in their requests for funding under the 2013 Rural Water Programme proposals for pilot group sewerage schemes which might be viable based on the increased grant.
Following an examination of the proposals received, with particular regard to the environmental justification provided and the estimated costs, I have approved grant assistance towards pilot schemes in nine different counties. The proposal received from Kerry County Council for High Road, Dingle, which had an estimated cost of € 130 ,000 for six houses , was not selected as a pilot scheme.
Progress on the selected pilot schemes will be reviewed in due course with a view to deciding how best to proceed with the grant scheme.
934. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on a matter relating to declarations regarding restoration projects of cars off the road (details supplied) on the motortax.ie website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37983/13]
View answerI thank the Deputy for bringing this matter to my attention and I have made arrangements to have the relevant information on the motortax.ie website, re-worded. It is clear from the Q&A document as a whole, and, in particular, from the month-by-month guide, that the existing arrangements for making a Garda witness declaration will remain in operation until 30 September 2013.
A declaration period of up to twelve months is reflective of the fact that, for the majority of vehicle owners, the period of non-use is relatively short-term, and it is the same as the longest period for which motor tax may be paid. An analysis of Garda witness declarations made in the twelve months ending July 2012 shows that just over 27,000 (5%) of the 539,000 declarations covered a period in excess of 12 months. A vehicle owner who has made a non-use declaration will receive a reminder in the last month of the period of the notice, and may renew the declaration, or pay motor tax, as his or her circumstances require.
935. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when revised regulations on the development of wind farms will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37992/13]
View answerThe existing Wind Energy Development Guidelines were published in June 2006. They provide advice to planning authorities on catering for wind energy through the development plan and development management processes. The guidelines are also intended to ensure a consistency of approach throughout the country in the identification of suitable locations for wind energy development and the treatment of planning applications for such developments.
My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and other stakeholders , is now undertaking a targeted review of the Wind Energy Guidelines 2006 focusing on noise, proximity and shadow flicker. My Department issued a press notice in January 2013 inviting submissions from the public on this targeted review.
My colleague, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources recently commissioned the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to invite proposals from suitably qualified organisations for the completion of a desk study of peer reviewed studies and other documents that examine the significance of noise related to onshore wind farms. The objective of the study is to obtain evidence upon which to evaluate the appropriateness of the existing guidelines in relation to noise impacts and, if considered necessary, suggest changes. It will take account of the following key contextual issues: the evolution of wind turbine technologies since the current Guidelines were published in 2006; experience to date in the application of the current Guidelines; research relating to wind turbine noise issues since the current Guidelines were adopted; Ireland's binding targets in relation to renewable energy update and penetration.
This study will form a key input into the review of the statutory guidelines. The study is expected to be completed shortly, and this will allow for the preparation and publication of revised statutory guidelines in draft form. All statutory planning guidelines issue first in draft form for public consultation over a period of a couple of months. The indicative timetable for the publication of the draft guidelines is Quarter 1 2014. The draft guidelines will – like all other new or revised guidelines – be available for extensive public consultation for a period of 6 weeks to 2 months, to allow for publication of the final guidelines by mid- 2014. Once the consultation period is closed, the submissions received on the draft guidelines will be considered and taken into account in the final form of the guidelines.
In the meantime all applications for wind energy development must be rigorously assessed in the light of the detailed advice in the 2006 guidelines.
936. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if it is permissible to sell smoke-emitting fuels in areas where it may not be burned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38019/13]
View answerThe Air Pollution Act (Marketing, Sale, Distribution and Burning of Specified Fuels) Regulations 2012 regulate the sale of solid fuel in the State and provide the basis for the smoky coal ban. The main legislative provisions that apply inside smoky coal ban areas include a ban on the marketing, sale, distribution and burning of smoky coal; a requirement to sell solid fuel in sealed bags with a printed notice; a requirement for commercial operators to maintain a register, if storing smoky coal for the purpose of placing on the market or on sale at a separate location outside the ban area; transportation of smoky coal in minimum quantities of 3 metric tonnes in Dublin or 1 tonne inside other ban areas; and retention of records by drivers of vehicles transporting smoky coal, detailing the type of fuel on board, who supplied it and to where it is being transported.
Maps of all smoky coal ban areas are available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.environ.ie/en/Environment/Atmosphere/AirQuality/SmokyCoalBan.
The Regulations also require that all smoky coal sold outside smoky coal ban areas for residential use outside those areas must have a sulphur content of no more than 0.7%. This consolidates the environmental and related human health benefits achieved by an earlier voluntary agreement with the Solid Fuel Trade Group (SFTG), representing the majority of major coal importers.
Coal bagging operators and certain solid fuel suppliers trading in smoky coal must be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Those who must register include all fuel wholesalers and distributors of smoky coal but only those retailers for whom 50% or more of their total annual sales proceeds are from smoky coal. However, all retailers who trade in smoky coal must ensure that their fuel wholesalers are registered with the EPA and must hold a record to this effect with their supplier's registration number.
937. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reconsider proposals to abolish urban councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38041/13]
View answerThe Government’s Action Programme for Effective Local Government sets out Government decisions for a range of measures in relation to local government structures, functions, funding, governance and operational matters. Chapter 6 of the Programme sets out policy decisions to replace town councils with a new comprehensive model of municipal governance based around principal towns to strengthen local government within counties and address weaknesses and anomalies in the current system. The recommended local electoral areas detailed in the Boundary Committee Report , published on 30 May 2013, will form the basis for configuration of the new municipal districts. I understand from the Report that the Committee was mindful of the need to integrate towns and boroughs into the new governance structures when determining the local electoral areas.
Cities and boroughs will retain mayoral status, which will also apply in the case of districts with county towns and towns over a certain population, within the new municipal district system.
I am confident that the new governance arrangements within counties will enable councillors to represent their constituents more effectively than under current arrangements. An important benefit of the new system is that different functions will be performed by members at county and district levels. This will result in greater effectiveness than the current parallel town and county system, which involves a significant element of duplication of functions, as well as other weaknesses and anomalies.
The division of functions between county and district levels will be determined on the basis of what is most relevant to each level. Local matters will be dealt with at municipal district level, while those of wider strategic application will be decided at county level, without duplication between county and district jurisdictions. The elected members will perform a range of important reserved functions at district level on a fully devolved basis, subject to certain requirements in relation to consistency with overall local authority policy.
938. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the assistance from his Department to the Irish Water Safety Organisation will be augmented in the coming year in recognition of the worrying increase in drownings from a record low in 2010 of 112 to 147 in 2012 and in consideration of the high number of fatalities during summer 2013. [38081/13]
View answerI share the concern regarding the number of drownings in 2012 and during the summer of 2013. Each such drowning is a tragedy and the effects are long lasting for the family, friends and colleagues of the victim.
Irish Water Safety continues to work hard in carrying out its statutory duties to raise awareness of water safety, set the standards for water safety measures and, ultimately, reduce the number of drownings in Ireland.
In 2012 alone, lifeguards who are assessed by Irish Water Safety rescued 398 persons from drowning, administered first aid to 2,809 people and reunited 319 lost children with their guardians. There were many thousands of other interventions by lifeguards that anticipated and thus prevented accidents occurring.
My Department keeps under review the funding of all functions and agencies covered by the Department’s Vote. Given the current difficult economic situation it is important to consider the range of innovative steps that may be taken to respond to the challenges that arise. I understand that the Council of Irish Water Safety has begun work on an emergency plan for future hot weather or heat wave events, such as occurred in July 2013. I welcome this and I will continue to work with Irish Water Safety to ensure that the resources available are used to their fullest potential and to support them in developing responses to water safety challenges.
939. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to re-establish centralised collection and analysis of data pertaining to the construction industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38082/13]
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
The CSO publish data relating to the construction industry including; activity of private building and construction firms , monthly employment index for private firms, the Production in Building and Construction Index, and detailed data relating to planning permissions. In light of this, there are currently no plans to re-establish a centralised collection and analysis of data pertaining to the construction industry.
940. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the progress to date in 2013 on eliminating the number of infringements incurred by Ireland in terms of EU environmental legislation. [38083/13]
View answerI am pleased to confirm that, since the beginning of 2013, the number of infringement cases instituted against Ireland by the European Commission in respect of environmental legislation has been reduced from 12 to 9 at present. This compares with a figure of 19 when I assumed office in March 2011.
I remain committed to ensuring Ireland’s ongoing compliance with European Union legislation in the environmental field.
941. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the progress since 2011 on the implementation of the EU's roadmap to a resource efficient Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38084/13]
View answerThe EU Roadmap to a Resource-Efficient Europe sets out medium and long-term objectives to achieve resource efficiency in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy and its flagship initiative on a resource-efficient Europe. The Roadmap, which covers a wide range of areas across energy, transport, climate change, industry, commodities, agriculture, fisheries, biodiversity and regional development, sets milestones for 2020 illustrating what will be needed gradually to improve resource efficiency and sustainable growth. Each milestone indicates actions to be taken at all levels of society, including by Member States and at EU level, to commence the process in six main areas for key resources (ecosystem services; biodiversity; minerals and metals; water; air; land and soil; and marine resources) and for three key areas of economic value (food and drink; buildings; and mobility).
The European Commission is developing, in consultation with Member States and other stakeholders, a suite of indicators that will monitor and measure progress on resource efficiency. This will include the development of a headline indicator – “Resource Productivity” – to measure the Roadmap’s principal objective of improving economic performance while reducing pressure on natural resources. The EU 7th Environment Action Programme, agreed during the Irish Presidency, contains a priority objective to turn the EU into a resource-efficient, green and competitive low-carbon economy.
At national level, the drive for resource efficiency covers a number of sectors and areas of Ministerial responsibility and a range of plans and programmes are in place which will contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Roadmap. Within my own area of responsibility, positive developments include the publication in 2012 of a number of important policy documents: Green Tenders – An Action Plan on Green Procurement; Our Sustainable Future – A Framework for Sustainable Development for Ireland; and A Resource Opportunity – Waste Management Policy in Ireland.
Resource efficiency is at the heart of Ireland’s well established and successful National Waste Prevention Programme (NWPP), which promotes resource efficiency and more sustainable production and consumption behaviours. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency has funded a large number of projects in the area of waste and resource management under its Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for the Environment (STRIVE) Programme. Further information on the many initiatives under the NWPP and STRIVE projects and research is available on the EPA’s website - www.epa.ie.
942. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline the cost differential between holding voting between the usual hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. as opposed to the reduced voting hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the Meath East Dáil by-election in March 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38246/13]
View answer943. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline the cost differential between holding voting between the usual hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. as opposed to the reduced voting hours of 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the Children's referendum in October 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38247/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 942 and 943 together.
The costs of running or holding an election or referendum are met from the Central Fund administered by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
In both cases, a reduced polling period of 2 hours applied – 9am to 10 pm in the case of the Children Referendum and 8am to 9pm in the case of the Meath East Bye - Election – when viewed against the more usual 7am to 10pm polling period in recent referendums and election s. I understand from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that in the case of the Children Referendum, the reduced polling period gave rise to savings of some €640,000; in the case of the Meath East Bye election it gave rise to savings of some €14,000.
944. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline in tabular form, the hours of polling for each general election, Dáil by-election, presidential election, European Parliament election, local government election and referendum held between 1994 to date in 2013, as provided for under their respective polling order; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38248/13]
View answerThe information requested is set out in the following table.
|
Year |
Election/Referendum |
Date |
Time |
|
1994 |
Dublin South-Central By-Election |
9 June |
9am - 9pm |
|
1994 |
Mayo West By-Election |
9 June |
9am - 9pm |
|
1994 |
Cork North-Central By-Election |
10 November |
9am - 9pm |
|
1994 |
Cork South-Central By-Election |
10 November |
9am - 9pm |
|
1994 |
European Parliament Election |
9 June |
9am - 9pm |
|
1994 |
Local Elections |
9 June |
9am - 9pm |
|
1995 |
Wicklow By-Election |
29 June |
9am - 9pm |
|
1995 |
Referendum - Dissolution of Marriage |
24 November |
9am -10pm |
|
1996 |
Dublin West By-Election |
2 April |
9am - 9pm |
|
1996 |
Donegal North-East By-Election |
2 April |
9am - 9pm |
|
1996 |
Referendum - Bail |
28 November |
9am - 9pm |
|
1997 |
General Election |
6 June |
8am - 10pm |
|
1997 |
Presidential Election |
30 October |
9am - 9pm |
|
1997 |
Referendum - Cabinet Confidentially |
30 October |
9am - 9pm |
|
1998 |
Limerick East By-Election |
11 March |
8am - 9pm |
|
1998 |
Dublin North By-Election |
11 March |
8am - 9pm |
|
1998 |
Cork South Central By-Election |
23 October |
8am - 9pm |
|
1998 |
Referendum - Amsterdam Treaty |
22 May |
8am -10pm |
|
1998 |
Referendum - British-Irish Agreement |
22 May |
8am -10pm |
|
1999 |
Dublin South-Central By-Election |
27 October |
8am - 9pm |
|
1999 |
European Parliament Election |
11 June |
8am - 9pm |
|
1999 |
Local Elections |
11 June |
8am - 9pm |
|
1999 |
Referendum Local Government |
11 June |
8am - 9pm |
|
2000 |
Tipperary South Riding By-Election |
22 June |
8am - 9pm |
|
2001 |
Tipperary South Riding By-Election |
30 June |
9am - 10pm |
|
2001 |
Referendum - Death Penalty |
7 June |
8am -9pm |
|
2001 |
Referendum - International Criminal Court |
7 June |
8am -9pm |
|
2001 |
Referendum - Nice Treaty |
7 June |
8am -9pm |
|
2002 |
Referendum - Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy |
6 March |
9am -9pm |
|
2002 |
General Election |
17 May |
7.30am - 10.30pm |
|
2002 |
Referendum - Treaty of Nice |
19 October |
9am - 9pm |
|
2004 |
European Parliament Election |
11 June |
7am - 9pm |
|
2004 |
Local Elections |
11 June |
7am - 9pm |
|
2004 |
Referendum - Citizenship |
11 June |
7am - 9pm |
|
2005 |
Kildare North By-Election |
11 March |
7am - 10pm |
|
2005 |
Meath By-Election |
11 March |
7am - 10pm |
|
2007 |
General Election |
24 May |
7.30am - 10.30pm |
|
2008 |
Referendum - Lisbon Treaty |
12 June |
7am - 10pm |
|
2009 |
Dublin Central By-Election |
5 June |
7am - 10pm |
|
2009 |
Dublin South By-Election |
5 June |
7am - 10pm |
|
2009 |
European Parliament Election |
5 June |
7am - 10pm |
|
2009 |
Local Elections |
5 June |
7am - 10pm |
|
2009 |
Referendum – Treaty of Lisbon |
2 October |
7am - 10pm |
|
2010 |
Donegal South-West By-Election |
25 November |
7am - 10pm |
|
2011 |
General Election |
25 February |
7am - 10pm |
|
2011 |
Dublin West By-Election |
27 October |
7am – 10pm |
|
2011 |
Presidential Election |
27 October |
7am - 10pm |
|
2011 |
Referendum - Judges’ Remuneration |
27 October |
7am - 10pm |
|
2011 |
Referendum - Houses of the Oireachtas Inquiries |
27 October |
7am - 10pm |
|
2012 |
Referendum - Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union |
31 May |
7am -10pm |
|
2012 |
Referendum - Children |
10 November |
9am – 10pm |
|
2013 |
Meath East By-Election |
27 March |
8am – 9pm |
946. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider the introduction of a scheme under local authorities where clerks of works assigned to local authorities would inspect building developments at regular intervals to ensure that construction projects comply with the relevant planning permission and make the information of those inspections available to agencies and institutions that he would deem necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38259/13]
View answerIt is the responsibility of developers implementing a planning permission and carrying out development to ensure that they are compliant with the terms and conditions of that permission.
In turn, the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, places clear statutory obligations on planning authorities in relation to unauthorised development. A planning authority must issue a warning letter in relation to written complaints regarding unauthorised development, or other unauthorised development it becomes aware of (except in the case of trivial or minor development). There is also a statutory obligation to carry out an investigation and expeditiously decide whether an enforcement notice should be issued or a court order should be sought, under section 160 of the 2000 Act. Where a planning authority establishes, following an investigation that unauthorised development (other than development that is of a trivial or minor nature) has been or is being carried out, and the person who has carried out the development has not proceeded to remedy the position, then the planning authority must issue an enforcement notice or seek a court order, unless there are compelling reasons for not doing so.
Planning authorities implement their enforcement functions by acting on complaints and/ or submissions from members of the public and by carrying out their own inspections from time to time and as appropriate.
I have no plans currently to amend the Planning Act in this regard.
947. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on progress being made in implementing the resource opportunity waste management policy, particularly in relation to keeping costs down for the consumer and waste enforcement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38276/13]
View answerCharges applied by waste management companies are a matter between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, particularly the conditions attached to each waste collection permit issued under the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007 as amended.
The Government’s national waste policy, A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland, sets out a range of measures which will significantly revise the current regulatory regime for household waste collection to ensure, inter alia , that waste collected is managed in accordance with the waste hierarchy, that mandated service levels are delivered and that Customer Charters are put in place by all waste collection providers.
The work of developing new regulatory structures to give effect to these proposals is continuing and my Department is engaging with a range of key stakeholders in relation to the detailed design of the new system.
Following the publication of the waste policy, I wrote to the waste management industry in relation to the development of Customer Charters and I understand that a number of waste collection providers have already put in place a Customer Charter ahead of the development of the new regulatory regime.
I also intend to initiate a public consultation process shortly on the environmental regulation of household waste collection to further inform the detailed development of the new regulatory regime . It is my intention that the new approach would deliver both enhanced environmental performance and a quality service for consumers.
The waste policy also identifies the need for a review of the effectiveness of current structures as regards waste enforcement. This review is currently underway and is being led by a working group chaired by my Department and also involving the EPA, the local authorities, and other agencies with a role in enforcement. It is expected that the review will be completed by the end of the year.
Among the measures contained in the policy, which will play an important role in the provision of effective and efficient delivery of waste management services is the reduction in the number of waste management planning regions from 10 to 3. The County and City Managers Association has confirmed the composition of the three new Waste Management Planning Regions - which correspond with the regional structures set out in the Government’s Action Programme for Effective Local Government - and ratified the Lead Authorities tasked with developing new plans for the three Waste Management Planning Regions.
An inter - departmental working group was established under the policy to report to Government with options to minimise the impact of waste charges on low income households. The Working Group, which comprises representatives of my Department and the Departments of Social Protection; Public Expenditure and Reform; Finance; and the Tánaiste's Office, submitted its second report to Government on 23 July, 2013. Government considered the report and, given the complexity of the issues involved, the deployment of further expert resources in the process is being considered with a view to the Working Group submitting a third report to Government by the end of 2013.
948. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his attempts to address the needs of those who entered into shared ownership schemes with councils but have seen their financial circumstances change, while being unable to claim rent supplement for the part of their home that they rent from the council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38284/13]
View answerThe 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 was published on 30 July 2013, with an invitation for public consultation by 27 September 2013. 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 this review and I expect to make announcements in this regard in the near future.
949. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has received an application for grant approval from Louth Leader Partnership in respect of an organisation (details supplied); the date on which the application was received; when a decision will be made on the application; and the average processing time for such applications. [38303/13]
View answerIn the context of the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme (RDP), projects that request funding of €150,000 or more require final approval from my Department after Local Development Company (LDC) Board approval. The assessment of these higher value projects usually involves detailed consultations between my Department and the relevant LDC. There has been a significant increase in the number of these types of projects over the last 12 to 18 months. I acknowledge that the processing of the se projects can take some time, including for reasons related to the submission of projects with insufficient documentation or with documentation that requires some level of clarification. Each project is dealt with separately and the time required for approval varies, depending on the range and types of issues that need to be addressed.
In the context of the project referred to in the question, the request for approval was received on 26 June 2013 and a number of queries were submitted to the Local Development Company, Louth LEADER Partnership, during August. The group replied in August also and I envisage that a decision on this project should be available shortly.
950. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to enable tenants of voluntary and social housing organistions to purchase and own their own homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38337/13]
View answerThe Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009, introduced a new approach to the sale of social housing whereby social housing tenants, including tenants of approved housing bodies, could acquire new local authority houses and existing apartments under the Incremental Purchase Scheme (IPS). The details of this scheme are avail able on my Department’s website, www.environ.ie. There is no provision at present for the purchase of individual houses by tenants of approved housing bodies. My Department has been in consultation with the approved housing body sector regarding the development of an enabling regulatory framework to support the expanded role for the sector as envisaged in the Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement . In July 2013 I published Building for the Future, a Voluntary Regulation Code for Approved Housing Bodies in Ireland which has been developed by my Department to provide a framework within which statutory regulation of the AHB sector will be pursued. This will provide support and assurance both to the sector itself and to its external partners as it takes on the expanded role envisaged in my Department’s housing policy statement. The Code will assist housing bodies to improve their governance, management and financial capabilities and will facilitate better oversight of the AHB sector. I expect that this framework will provide support and assurance both to the sector itself and to its external partners and will underline its status as a viable and attractive investment opportunity for financial institutions.
In conjunction with the development of this framework, my Department will examine a range of issues around the long-term financing of the sector. How best to use the equity accrued in approved housing body housing stock to, for instance, leverage additional new supply will be considered; the sale of existing stock to tenants is one of a range of options in this regard.
951. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the timeframe in which he plans to have tenancy agreements and disputes arising with voluntary and social housing organisations brought within the remit of the Private Residential Tenancies Board for resolution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38338/13]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment)(No.2) Bill 2012 provides for the extension of the provisions of the Act to the not-for-profit approved housing body sector, which will bring an estimated 20,000 additional tenancies within the remit of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB). The Board will be re-named, as the word ‘Private’ will be removed from its name. This Bill represents a significant further evolutionary step in the development of the rented sector and underpins the concept of tenure neutrality that was outlined in the Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement .
The Bill was published on 19 July 2012 and was passed by the Dáil in July 2013. Second Stage in the Seanad is due to commence on 24 September 2013. I hope that the Bill will be enacted by early 2014 and I intend that its various provisions will be commenced in the course of 2014.
