Written Answers Nos. 132-140
132. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will intervene and address concerns expressed regarding the delays in the motor tax office (details supplied) in County Kerry; if he will lift the embargo on an emergency and or temporary basis to allow Kerry County Council to address the delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39877/13]
View answerA moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service was introduced in March 2009 in response to the financial crisis. My Department operates a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for implementation of the moratorium in relation to local authorities, and any exceptions to the moratorium in local authorities require sanction from my Department.
Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each City and County Manager is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, it is a matter for City and County Managers, in the first instance, to ensure that the moratorium is implemented while the appropriate service levels are maintained.
My Department examines all staffing sanction requests on a case by case basis having due regard to the continued delivery of key services in the context of staffing and budgetary constraints. In considering sanction requests public safety, maintaining key front line services, and economic issues are given precedence.
My Department has not received any sanction requests from Kerry County Council associated with the current workload in the Council's Motor Tax Office .
In respect of the workload, not only in Kerry but in all motor tax offices, the transition period under the Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 to allow motorists to put their motor tax affairs in order is coming to an end on 30 September and it would be expected that the volume of declarations being made will reduce thereafter.
I understand that changes in relation to the issuing of driving licences and in relation to Certificates of Vehicle Roadworthiness for commercial vehicles being introduced by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport will also reduce workloads in motor tax offices over the coming months.
Furthermore, there is an online facility to renew motor tax, www.motortax.ie , which is now used by over half of all motorists to renew tax and the use of which would avoid the necessity to attend at a motor tax office for renewal of motor tax. The functionality to make declarations of non-use online via the site will also be coming on stream very shortly.
133. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the new distribution scheme designed to replace the dormant accounts fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39880/13]
View answerUnder the Dormant Accounts legislation, balances on dormant accounts with banks, building societies and An Post and the net encashment value of certain life assurance policies are paid into the Dormant Accounts Fund, which is managed by the National Treasury Management Agency. The primary purpose of the legislation is to re-unite the original account holders with their moneys, including all interest due. In addition, the legislation also provides that disbursements from the fund may be made for charitable purposes or for purposes of community benefit.
The Disbursement Plan of 2009, put in place by the Dormant Accounts Board, will be replaced later in 2013 by a new disbursement scheme in accordance with the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2012. My Department is consulting with relevant Government Departments and other stakeholders as appropriate in relation to drafting the disbursement scheme. The new scheme will be submitted to Government for approval and, in accordance with the 2012 Act, laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The 2012 Amendment also provides for the preparation of an action plan. The plan, which will also be subject to consultation, must indicate the programmes or types of projects that may apply for disbursement and the maximum funds available. Different amounts may be specified in the plan in relation to a particular class or classes of programme or project. Once the plan is adopted, a copy must also be laid before each House of the Oireachtas.
134. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if local authorities are subject to specific guidelines from his Department regarding the annual servicing of boilers in local authority properties; if any guidelines follow advice from Bord Gáis for property owners to have boilers serviced every year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39919/13]
View answerLocal authorities are responsible for the management and maintenance of their social housing stock and for the preparation and implementation of planned maintenance programmes. Responsive repairs to tenanted properties and the proper maintenance and servicing of central heating systems or other appliances are a matter for individual authorities.
135. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there has been an audit of the water network across local authority areas to determine the amount of lead piping contained in the water network; if such an audit is planned in the context of the future movement of water services from local authorities to Irish Water; if he will indicate if householders who have lead in their water pipes will be afforded an exemption from additional water charges due to the lead piping when Irish Water is operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39950/13]
View answerThe Water Services Act 2013 provides for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group and assigns the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the water metering programme. As part of the metering programme, Irish Water will be identifying the location of any lead service connections during the installation programme.
The Government has also decided to assign responsibility for the economic regulation of the water sector, including the setting of charges, to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). The primary role of the CER will be to protect the interests of customers and to ensure a consistent and appropriate level of service is provided to them. The Water Services Act 2013 assigns to the CER the power to advise the nister for the Environment, Community and Local Government on the development of policy regarding the regulation of the provision of water services and it is intended that full regulatory powers will be assigned to the CER in further legislation which is currently in preparation.
136. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will follow up on the Taoiseach's commitment given during the Order of Business on 19 September that a formal reporting process be put in place to keep all local public representatives and the residents' committee of Priory Hall, Dublin 13, updated on all developments with the various interested parties such as the banks, Dublin City Council and his Department, in relation to the situation at Priory Hall; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39978/13]
View answerI am determined to do all that I reasonably can to work towards a fair, equitable and timely solution to the situation faced by the former residents of Priory Hall. Last week I announced the Government’s planned course of action in this regard. I have asked my Department to make contact with the stakeholders best placed to deliver the necessary solutions and to ask the parties concerned to come together in good faith on this complex matter. The Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Finance and my own Department have also met with representatives of the residents in order to ensure that a clear understanding of the residents' position is central to the process now underway.
I have set a strict deadline of 21 days for these discussions. I have directed my Department to report back to me and I will be glad to update members of this House on the outcome of the process at that stage.
The following information was provided under Standing Order 40A
As you are aware the Government in recent weeks has taken steps designed to bring about a resolution to the situation at Priory Hall which involves contacts between senior officials at the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Finance and my own Department with the stakeholders best placed to deliver the necessary solutions. A strict deadline of 21 days has been placed on these discussions at which point I will be glad to update Members on the outcome.
The matter has been raised and dealt with comprehensively in the Dáil in recent weeks having been the subject of a Topical Issues Debate on 19 September 2013 in addition to responses to several written Dáil questions by myself and oral responses by the Taoiseach during Leaders Questions.
The problems at Priory Hall are many and complex and attempts to resolve them are currently at a delicate and critical point and I would remind all concerned who are not directly involved of the need for sensitivity in this regard.
We are now nearing the end of the 21 day discussion process and I look forward to updating all Members on the outcome of this process at the earliest possible opportunity. I am alert to the commitment given by the Taoiseach at Leaders Question on 19 September 2013 and will arrange for a formal briefing of local representatives on the outcome of the process now underway and arrange for regular briefing on key developments thereafter during the implementation phase of any agreement which may arise.
137. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that it is planned to commence charging for water in the last quarter of 2014, with the first bills arriving the following January, at a time when some residents will have had meters installed and some will not; the way it is proposed to provide a fair and balanced charging system in such a scenario where one family will be charged on actual use and another will be charged on the basis of a general estimate; if he has held discussions with Irish Water regarding same and how he intends to address it. [40069/13]
View answerThe Programme for Government sets out a commitment to the introduction of water charges based on usage above a free allowance. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has, therefore, decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies .
The Water Services Act 2013 provides for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group and assigns the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake this metering programme.
The installation programme commenced in August 2013 and will be rolled out nationally as quickly as possible. When fully geared up at least 27,000 boundary boxes will be installed every month by Irish Water sub-contractors. As the metering programme will still be underway when charges are introduced, an appropriate approach to charging customers who are not metered at that stage will be put in place. This will be structured in such a way as to ensure that it represents a reasonable proxy for usage and is fair. The approach to charges for both metered and unmetered properties will be included in a public consultation which will be undertaken by the Commission for Energy Regulation as part of the regulatory process.
138. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider granting a registration of taxation exemption for tractors over 30 years old in view of the great distress many elderly and retired farmers are facing at present due to the fact that they are unable to locate log books for their tractors which in many cases are no longer in use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40113/13]
View answer139. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider extending the deadline for registering tractors which will be off the road from 1 October 2013 until the end of December 2013 in view of the difficulties many farmers are facing in locating log books for their tractors and also the huge delays occurring in local tax offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40115/13]
View answer140. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the procedure to be followed in instances where farmers cannot locate the log book for their tractors when attempting to register their vehicle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40116/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 138 to 140, inclusive, together.
I am assuming that, in referring to the requirement to register a tractor, the Questions refer to the provisions of the Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013, which provides for a three month transition period from the commencement of the Act to allow motorists to bring their motor tax status up to date and to make a declaration of future non-use of a motor vehicle if the vehicle is not going to be in use in a public place.
The relevant provisions of the Act commenced on 1 July 2013 and, accordingly, will be fully in force from 1 October 2013; extensive public notice of the Act's coming into force has been given over the period since 1 July. I do not consider it possible to introduce amending primary legislation to provide for an extension to the deadline or to provide for an exemption for particular categories of vehicles at this late stage, and indeed, it would be difficult to make the necessary technical adjustments to the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) within the short timescale involved. Further, exempting or extending the deadline for one particular category would inevitably lead to similar calls from other groups of road user.
In relation to the issue of lost registration books , motor tax offices have been advised that, in order to facilitate the processing of declarations of non-use, applications should not be rejected on the basis that there is no registration document number on the application form, providing the application is otherwise in order and the vehicle and owner details correspond with the record of the vehicle on the NVDF.
For owners of vehicles recorded on the NVDF who are unable to locate the registration document for the vehicle, an application for a replacement document may be made at any time using Form RF134, which is available from motor tax offices or for download from www.environ.ie. It will not be necessary to do so before 30 September.
However, a registration book will be required, along with a Notification of Transfer of Vehicle Ownership, prior to the making of a declaration of non-use of a vehicle, in instances where the owner wishing to make the declaration of non-use is not the registered owner of the vehicle.
A registration book may also be requested by the Motor Tax Office in instances where there is no record of the vehicle on the National and Vehicle Driver File (NVDF). The absence of a registration book will not necessarily preclude the updating of the record on the National Vehicle File as a manual pre-NVDF record may be in existence and the vehicle record can be updated on the basis of that information. In such instances, liability for motor tax or the requirement to make a declaration of non-use of a vehicle will only arise from the date of updating of the vehicle record.
Vehicle owners should contact their local motor tax office for guidance in relation to their own particular circumstance s .
Finally, in relation to vehicles that are no longer in use, it should be noted that the facility to make a declaration of non-use, where a vehicle is temporarily not in use in a public place, is to avoid arrears of motor tax when the vehicle is being put back on the road. If the owner of the vehicle will not be put ting it on the road in the future , he or she need take no action in respect of the new procedures being put in place as no tax liability arises.
