Written Answers Nos. 344-361
345. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide the full-year effect of all expenditure reductions for his Department as set out in the Expenditure Report 2014, as provided for in the Expenditure Report 2013. [44742/13]
View answerThe 2014 Expenditure Report estimate for voted expenditure for my Department is €401 million, consisting of €321 million in current expenditure and €80 million in capital expenditure.
The full year reduction over the 2013 estimate amounts to €14.5 million with €9.5 million current savings and €5 million capital savings identified. Current expenditure sees a reduction in the following areas: Payroll savings; Grant in Aid to RTE; the Broadcasting Fund; and Communications, Energy and Inland Fisheries programme areas.
In relation to capital, there are reductions in Energy and Natural Resources allocations along with an increase of €12.5 million in the allocation for Communications programmes.
In addition to the amounts shown in the estimates for my Department, under the Government's Stimulus Package, I secured an additional €30m in funding to increase investment in the Better Energy and Warmer Home energy efficiency schemes to a total of €57 million in 2014. These schemes fund energy efficiency improvements by householders as well as energy efficiency measures free of charge to low-income households. In 2014, over 30,000 homes are expected to benefit from energy efficiency upgrades under these schemes, bringing the total number of homes supported to more than 290,000.
This detail will be shown in full in the Revised Estimates which will be published in the coming weeks.
346. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will commit to ending long-term homelessness by restoring the homeless budget to 2012 allocation levels, with no further cuts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44121/13]
View answer365. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of cuts made to front-line homeless services as a result of budget 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44591/13]
View answer369. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will clarify the budget 2014 allocation to address long-term homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44667/13]
View answer381. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the progress made by his Department to date in eliminating homelessness in line with the Government's pledge to end long-term homelessness by 2016. [44775/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 346, 365, 369 and 381 together.
My Department provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. I am pleased to confirm that my Department's 2014 homeless budget will be maintained at the same level as 2013 - €45 million. While this amount represents a decrease of 3.32% on the 2012 outturn, homelessness funding from my Department has been substantially protected over the past number of years despite the wide-scale pressure for reductions in Government spending across all Departments.
Earlier in 2013, I published the Government's Homelessness Policy Statement in which I outlined the Government's aim to end long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. The statement emphasises a housing-led approach which is about accessing permanent housing as the primary response to all forms of homelessness. The availability and supply of secure, affordable and adequate housing is essential in ensuring sustainable tenancies and ending long-term homelessness. When I published the statement, I announced a set of indicators which will be used to demonstrate the dynamics of homelessness as it is addressed. These indicators will give a clearer picture of homelessness in Ireland, and, in quantifying its on-going extent, will support the bringing forward of realistic and practical solutions. I also established a high-level three-person oversight group for the purpose of reviewing the progress of the approach being advocated in the statement, identifying obstacles and proposing solutions. The group expects to provide me with its first report shortly.
Arrangements have been put in place to provide for the delegation of homelessness funding to the lead housing authority in each of the 9 regions. The regional approach is considered more appropriate as it helps to bring a more strategic perspective to bear on action to address homelessness, including avoidance of over-concentration of homelessness services in certain centres and promoting appropriate regional availability of services, consistent with need. These arrangements place an emphasis on increased decision making at local level, in lieu of the existing individual project based arrangements, to improve overall efficiency and value for money, and allow greater local decision making in homeless services. They also seek to ensure that the measures being pursued by housing authorities reflect the housing-led approach advocated in the policy statement, that actions are in place towards achieving the target of ending long-term homelessness by the end of 2016, and that evidence to support progress will be presented through the reports on the indicators.
My Department is currently engaging with a number of lead housing authorities and is considering the appropriate allocation of the 2014 homeless budget so as to ensure that Section 10 homeless funding contributes to meeting the needs in the various regions.
347. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm the details of the new local election boundaries affecting a town (details supplied) in County Meath; the practical implications of this in terms of engineering and administration services to these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44143/13]
View answerIn the Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee Report 2013 it is recommended that County Meath be divided into the six local electoral areas of Kells, Navan, Trim, Ratoath, Ashbourne and Laytown-Bettystown for the election of 40 members to the county council. Each local electoral area is comprised of a number of electoral divisions. These are listed in the report. I understand that the town of Duleek is partly in the Duleek electoral division, which will be in the Laytown-Bettystown local electoral area, and partly in the Ardcath electoral division which will be in the Ashbourne local electoral area.
In publishing the report of the committee on 30 May 2013, I announced that I accepted in full the recommendations therein and would make, in due course, the necessary local electoral area orders to give them effect. The local electoral areas specified in these orders, and the number of members to be elected for each area, will apply at the 2014 local elections. It will be a matter for Meath County Council and the members elected for the two relevant local electoral areas to ensure that the services provided for Duleek and the surrounding area are inclusive.
348. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has provided funding for a development in an estate (details supplied) in County Dublin; the level of funding involved and the conditions this funding is based upon; if an alternative site was considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44201/13]
View answer349. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has met with local residents with regard to their concerns about a development in an estate (details supplied) in County Dublin. [44202/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 348 and 349 together.
My Department received a proposal from South Dublin County Council for the construction of 11 infill housing units, comprised of ten 3-bed and one 4-bed two-storey semi-detached and terraced units at St Marks Estate, Clondalkin at an estimated cost of €2 million. Having regard to the existing high level of commitments under my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme I am not in a position to approve the proposal at this time.
My Department understands that a public consultation process was held in accordance with the procedures relating to Part 8 of the Planning & Development Regulations 2001 – 2012 and that this process afforded members of the community an opportunity to make submissions and observations in relation to the proposed infill scheme. I also understand that the proposal was brought before, and approved by, the Council on 9 September, 2013.
350. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount of money from the recently announced jobs stimulus capital programme that will be spent on social housing building; the deadline for applications by local authorities for this funding; the dates on whch decisions may be expected on the local authority applications; the date(s) on which the funding will be realeased for successful applicants; the deadline by which all such funds must be spent; and the number of applications from local authorities recieved to date broken down by local authority and location of proposed build. [44265/13]
View answerI expect the recently announced €30 million additional investment in social housing to deliver up to 500 local authority homes for families on the housing waiting list. Approximately half of this investment will facilitate the construction of new infill housing developments in areas with a high demand for social housing. It is intended that €15 million will be invested in bringing vacant and boarded-up local authority houses back into productive use.
The detailed arrangements for the implementation of the two measures are being developed by my Department at present. I intend to announce these arrangements as soon as possible with a view to having the investment programme up and running as early as possible in 2014.
351. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider introducing legislation restricting high tree growth to address ongoing difficulties with lack of light and loss of light for affected householders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44287/13]
View answerThere is no legislation in Ireland regulating the height of trees and hedges and I have no current plans to introduce legislation on this matter. My Department understands that there is no right in Irish law to receive light in a garden and that, while there is a civil remedy of nuisance available in respect of the branches or roots of a neighbour's trees encroaching on one's property, there is no civil law remedy in respect of the loss of light in a garden due to a neighbour's high trees or hedges. I have recently been in correspondence with the Joint sub-Committee on Public Petitions on this matter and will give consideration to their recommendations on this issue.
352. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is any progress in his Department in endorsing the social, economic and environmental plan produced by the rapid area implementation teams in the northside of Cork city under the city north-west regeneration scheme and in funding the recommendations outlined in the SEEP; his views on whether regeneration has to be more than bricks and mortar and whether the issues raised in the SEEP are vital for a community undergoing significant transformation in the years ahead. [44367/13]
View answerMy Department currently supports an ambitious programme of physical, social and economic regeneration of disadvantaged estates and flat complexes in Dublin, Cork and Limerick and at a number of regional locations around the country. In the case of the Cork City regeneration project, my Department is currently awaiting formal submission of the revised Socio Economic and Environmental Plan (SEEP) from the City Council.
In addition to supporting the refurbishment and delivery of new housing within the Cork North-West Regeneration area my Department is also committed to supporting sustainable social and economic initiatives as set out in the masterplan. A response will issue to the City Council as soon as possible after the formal SEEP submission is received.
353. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will fund the replacement of lead piping by local authorities to prevent the danger of water becoming contaminated. [44369/13]
View answer361. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide grant aid to households for the replacement of lead pipes to improve the quality and safety of water supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44549/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 353 and 361 together.
My Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, provides funding for works by water services authorities for water conservation. Works carried out under the water conservation programme can involve the replacement of lead water distribution mains. In addition, in 2011, my Department clarified certain matters for local authorities in relation to the National Water Conservation Programme. In particular, the category of works for which Departmental funding is available was extended to cover the removal of common backyard services, which can often involve lead piping.
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 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.
354. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the action he will take regarding a company (details supplied) and the inadequate and poor recycling facilities it operates. [44371/13]
View answerEnvironmental standards in relation to the collection of waste, and their enforcement, are the responsibility of local authorities and are governed by the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007. The treatment and management of waste material is subject to a registration and permitting system by local authorities or licensing by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as appropriate, and governed by the Waste Management (Facility Permit & Registration) Regulations 2007 or the Waste Management (Licensing) Regulations 2004, as appropriate.
The primary purpose of the registration, permitting, and licensing system is to facilitate appropriate controls on waste facilities and activities so as to ensure good and consistent waste management practice and the implementation of high standards of environmental protection. Enforcement of conditions attaching to waste collection permits, certificates of registration, waste facility permits or waste licences are matters for the relevant local authority or the EPA as appropriate. Under section 60(3) of the 1996 Act, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance, in specific cases, by a local authority or the EPA of their statutory functions under the Act.
355. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of the budget being made available for Irish Water; the amount that has been spent to date in setting-up Irish Water; the budgeted expenditure for the coming years; the cost savings, economies of scales and increased efficiencies Irish Water will achieve, and the timescale for achieving these targets; the way the achievement of these targets will be measured and reported and the arrangements he is putting in place to make these reports easily available to the public; if Irish Water is subject to freedom of information legislation in view of the fact that it is a publicly funded body and, if not, whether he will make arrangements to have it made so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44429/13]
View answerThe Water Sector Reform Implementation Strategy, which is published on my Department's website, is focused on ensuring that appropriate policy and legal frameworks are put in place for Irish Water and the water sector. As a first step in this process, the Water Services Act 2013 provides for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann, conforming to the conditions set out in the Act and registered under the Companies Acts.
The Act provides that Irish Water will be required to submit an annual report on the performance of its functions each year to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Irish Water will also be required to submit its annual accounts to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government each year. The 2013 Act also provides that the annual report and accounts will be laid before each House of the Oireachtas. The extension of the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act to include Irish Water is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
Bord Gáis has put in place appropriate programme management arrangements to establish Irish Water, provide for customer service and billing and the domestic water metering programme in line the overall implementation strategy. Expenditure on this programme is a matter for Bord Gáis/Irish Water and these costs are not being funded from the Exchequer. The National Pensions Reserve Fund has provided a bridging loan facility to Irish Water to meet the costs arising to the end of 2013. This includes the initial stages of the domestic water metering programme, the full cost of which is €539m excluding VAT.
A key objective of the reform programme is to rationalise the cost of the current service delivery and ensure more efficient operation of water services by moving from 34 water services authorities to a single body; following enactment of comprehensive legislation later this year, these functions will transfer to Irish Water. The comprehensive legislation will provide powers to the Commission for Energy Regulation to examine and approve the costs of the services provided by Irish Water. The Commission is also to be provided with a statutory role to set standards of performance to be met by Irish Water and to, inter alia, promote the continuity, security, quality and sustainability of the services provided by Irish Water. The Commission will be required to operate in an open and transparent manner and to carry out appropriate consultations with customers and stakeholders where appropriate as part of this process.
Following transfer of the water services functions to Irish Water from 1 January 2014, a new funding model will be place to meet both capital and operational costs. Irish Water's costs in the coming years will be funded through a mix of revenue from the domestic and non-domestic sector, third party finance (such as the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, EIB, bank lending and capital markets facilities) and State support which may be in the form of both equity and subvention.
As it has been decided, following the previous review of the Memorandum of Understanding by the European Commission, the IMF and the ECB, that domestic water charges will commence with effect from Quarter 4 2014, it is expected that Irish Water will issue the first bills to customers in Quarter 1 2015. The Commission will engage in the necessary public consultations commencing in early 2014 on the design and level of domestic tariffs, based on the expected costs of Irish Water from 2015 onwards.
The Exchequer proposes a direct equity investment of €240m towards the capital funding of Irish Water in 2014. This will support projects to be included in Irish Water's Capital Investment Plan and will ensure that the entity is in a position to take on the water services investment programmes of the 34 water services authorities, including some 80 projects currently in progress. Irish Water will also finance some of its costs and the liabilities transferred from local authorities through borrowings in 2014.
The establishment of Irish Water and its financial relationship with the local government sector will have a considerable impact on local authority financing from 2014. Work is also underway on the funding model for Irish Water's operational costs, to ensure that Irish Water can fund the Service Level Agreements being put in place with local authorities for the delivery of water services in 2014.
356. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the pyrite remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44432/13]
View answerFollowing Government approval earlier in 2013 to the imposition of levies on the quarrying and insurance sectors as a means of funding a pyrite remediation scheme preparation of the required legislation commenced. However, legal difficulties arose during the drafting process and it was not possible to proceed on the basis intended. My Department and I have worked over the past few months to resolve these difficulties and put in place an alternative means of funding a pyrite remediation scheme. In this context, I am very pleased, despite the necessary constraints on public expenditure at this time, to have secured Exchequer funding to support the implementation of a pyrite remediation scheme under the auspices of the Pyrite Resolution Board. In addition, a revised general scheme of a Bill to establish the Pyrite Resolution Board on a statutory basis has also been approved by Government. Drafting of this legislation is a priority I have to have it published and enacted in this Dáil term.
The revised funding arrangements which have now been approved by Government will mean that the necessity for the more complex structures for the delivery of the pyrite remediation scheme as envisaged in the previous funding arrangements, which involved the establishment of a not-for-profit company, are no longer required. The Pyrite Resolution Board, with support from the Housing Agency, will now implement the programme in line with the scheme which has already been outlined on the Board's website www.pyriteboard.ie. The Board have already made significant progress on developing appropriate systems and procedures. They will now quickly advance work on the proposed online application and processing system and also finalise work on developing other complementary systems, with appropriate checks and balances, to ensure that effective and efficient programmes of remediation are delivered to affected homeowners.
The initial phase of the remediation programme will deal with approximately 1,000 dwellings which, it is estimated, are in need of immediate repair. Initially, €10 million is being made available to my Department and additional funding will be provided over the next two years, in the context of the capital stimulus programme to be announced in early 2014, to deal with all dwellings deemed by the Pyrite Resolution Board to be in need of remediation.
I continue to attach a high priority to putting in place the necessary structures to deliver a resolution to the pyrite issue for affected homeowners who have been waiting a considerable period of time for solutions. I would like to assure affected homeowners that there will be no undue delay on my part or on that of my Department and the Pyrite Resolution Board to ensure that the pyrite remediation scheme is delivered in the shortest possible timeframe.
357. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown by housing body of local authority mortgages issued, the number in arrears, the number in arrears of more than 90 days, more than 180 days, and over a year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44454/13]
View answerLocal authorities have long provided housing loans to less affluent members of society. Section 34 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 provides local authorities with powers to deal flexibly with distressed borrowers, and they have demonstrated sensitivity over the years in this regard. My Department has issued guidelines to local authorities, based upon the Central Bank's Code of Conduct, which continue the tradition of handling arrears in a manner sympathetic to the needs of the particular household, while also protecting the position of the local authority concerned.
In particular, the introduction of a Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), which closely mirrors the suite of options available in the commercial sector, presents borrowers in difficulty with a range of alternative payment options, which can be accessed to ease the particular circumstances of each case. These include, in cases of certain unsustainable mortgages, the facility of mortgage-to-rent. Local authorities have been restructuring loans for some time using their own internal practices. The introduction of these revised guidelines standardises the approach across the whole sector, introduces a systematic structure to this area and provides borrowers with a transparent and accessible model for arrears resolution.
The most up-to-date data held by my Department covers the second quarter of 2013, and indicates that there were 20,277 live housing loans on the books of the local authorities. Of these, 6,275 were in arrears over 90 days or more, 1, 307 were over 90 days in arrears but not yet over 180 days in arrears, with the balance of 4,968 being over 180 days in arrears. My Department does not hold data for loans in arrears in excess of a year.
The following table provides the breakdown on a local authority basis of the data requested.
|
County Councils |
Loans over 90 days |
Loans between 91 - 180 days |
Loans over 180 days |
|
Carlow |
64 |
21 |
43 |
|
Cavan |
88 |
21 |
67 |
|
Clare |
167 |
32 |
135 |
|
Cork |
362 |
70 |
292 |
|
Donegal |
182 |
27 |
155 |
|
DL/Rathdown |
99 |
15 |
84 |
|
Fingal |
259 |
79 |
180 |
|
Galway |
190 |
56 |
134 |
|
Kerry |
98 |
37 |
61 |
|
Kildare |
386 |
56 |
330 |
|
Kilkenny |
199 |
61 |
138 |
|
Laois |
300 |
62 |
238 |
|
Leitrim |
32 |
6 |
26 |
|
Limerick |
183 |
52 |
131 |
|
Longford |
132 |
28 |
104 |
|
Louth |
92 |
15 |
77 |
|
Mayo |
339 |
60 |
279 |
|
Meath |
81 |
26 |
55 |
|
Monaghan |
98 |
23 |
75 |
|
North Tipperary |
76 |
16 |
60 |
|
Offaly |
105 |
10 |
95 |
|
Roscommon |
60 |
8 |
52 |
|
Sligo |
164 |
25 |
139 |
|
South Dublin |
172 |
74 |
98 |
|
South Tipperary |
160 |
51 |
109 |
|
Waterford |
122 |
25 |
97 |
|
Westmeath |
313 |
30 |
283 |
|
Wexford |
192 |
48 |
144 |
|
Wicklow |
124 |
21 |
103 |
|
City Councils |
Loans over 90 days |
Loans between 91 - 180 days |
Loans over 180 days |
|
Cork |
179 |
35 |
144 |
|
Dublin |
917 |
152 |
765 |
|
Galway |
65 |
12 |
53 |
|
Limerick |
89 |
21 |
68 |
|
Waterford |
186 |
32 |
154 |
|
Total |
6,275 |
1,307 |
4,968 |
358. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown by local authority housing body of the total number of mortgages currently outstanding under the affordable housing scheme, and of those mortgages, the total number that are in arrears in each local authority, the number in arrears of over 90 days, over 180 days, and over a year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44455/13]
View answerMy Department does not collect data on shared ownership loans arrears specifically on a regular basis, but gathers housing loans arrears data generically on a quarterly basis. Quarterly housing loans arrears data are published on my Department's website www.environ.ie.
359. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown by local authority housing body of the outstanding number of persons in the shared ownership scheme in each local authority; the number in that scheme that are in arrears and the total number of loans in arrears; the number in arrears of more than 90 days, more than 180 days, and over a year, respectively; if he will also provide a breakdown of those in rental arrears; the number in arrears on the loan portion total; the number in arrears of more than 90 days, 180 day and over a yea, respectivelyr; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44456/13]
View answerMy Department does not specifically collect data on shared ownership loans arrears on a regular basis, but gather s housing loans arrears data generically on a quarterly basis. In order to conduct the review of the shared ownership scheme, which is still ongoing, my Department requested data from local authorities earlier in 2013, some of which related to arrears on shared ownership loans. These data were used by the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency in initiating and conducting that review.
The following table indicates the number of shared ownership loans in each local authority area and the number of such loans in arrears. My Department does not collect data on rental arrears in shared ownership cases.
Shared Ownership loans – Quarter 1 2013
|
Local Authority |
No. of loans |
In arrears |
|
Carlow County Council |
30 |
16 |
|
Cavan County Council |
28 |
16 |
|
Clare County Council |
118 |
64 |
|
Cork City Council |
76 |
26 |
|
Cork County Council |
449 |
254 |
|
Donegal County Council |
153 |
88 |
|
Dublin City Council |
1460 |
655 |
|
Dun Laoghaire - Rathdown County Council |
87 |
40 |
|
Fingal County Council |
170 |
67 |
|
Galway City Council |
17 |
7 |
|
Galway County Council |
48 |
33 |
|
Kerry County Council |
66 |
36 |
|
Kildare County Council |
360 |
204 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
124 |
71 |
|
Laois County Council |
219 |
150 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
4 |
1 |
|
Limerick City Council |
45 |
27 |
|
Limerick County Council |
87 |
46 |
|
Longford County Council |
42 |
15 |
|
Louth County Council |
14 |
12 |
|
Mayo County Council |
24 |
19 |
|
Meath County Council |
62 |
23 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
23 |
8 |
|
North Tipperary Co Council |
47 |
15 |
|
Offaly County Council |
21 |
9 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
12 |
8 |
|
Sligo County Council |
106 |
67 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
136 |
63 |
|
South Tipperary Co Council |
67 |
26 |
|
Waterford City Council |
215 |
135 |
|
Waterford County Council |
10 |
4 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
74 |
45 |
|
Wexford County Council |
31 |
22 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
32 |
17 |
|
Totals |
4457 |
2289 |
360. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown by local authority and housing body of the number of homes they have repossessed in each year since 2010, under any lending or finance scheme they offer, indicating the numbers repossessed in each scheme mortgage, shared ownership, affordable ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44457/13]
View answerLocal authorities have long provided housing loans to less affluent members of society. In the present economic circumstances it is to be anticipated that the ability of some borrowers to service housing loans may become restricted and that a number of loans may fall into arrears.
Section 34 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 provides local authorities with powers to deal flexibly with distressed borrowers, and they have demonstrated sensitivity over the years in dealing with such cases. In 2010 and 2012 my Department issued guidelines to local authorities, reflecting the Central Bank's Codes of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears, in consultation with the County and City Managers Association. These have facilitated local authorities in providing a range of flexible repayment options for households in difficulty, by means of the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP), which includes a suite of short term and long terms options depending on the circumstances of the borrower. It is anticipated that this initiative will allow a proportion of distressed mortgagees to restructure their repayment schedules and thereby alleviate the current pressures being felt.
Notwithstanding the flexibility shown by local authorities in dealing with borrowers in difficulty, it is inevitable that a proportion of individuals will find themselves with loans which are unsustainable in the long term, and, in these circumstances, a borrower may opt for a voluntary surrender of the property. In other cases, and increasingly where occupiers have abandoned the property, it may be necessary to regain ownership by means of legal action. In all circumstances, local authorities explore every option to avoid repossessions, and it is very much the last resort.
Data on local authority mortgage repossessions broken down by local authority is provided in the following table for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. My Department does not collect data by loan type.
Repossessions during the period 2010-2012
|
- |
2010 |
2010 |
2011 |
2011 |
2012 |
2012 |
|
Council Name |
Forced |
Voluntary |
Forced |
Voluntary |
Forced |
Voluntary |
|
Carlow County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cavan County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Clare County Council |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Cork County Council |
0 |
25 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
6 |
|
Donegal County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
Fingal County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
1 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
|
Dun Laoghaire /Rathdown CC |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Galway County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
Kerry County Council |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
|
Kildare County Council |
0 |
3 |
20 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Laois County Council |
0 |
9 |
2 |
8 |
3 |
8 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Limerick County Council |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Longford County Council |
0 |
0 |
1 |
14 |
0 |
7 |
|
Louth County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mayo County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Meath County Council |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Offaly County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
19 |
|
Sligo County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
North Tipperary County Council |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
South Tipperary County Council |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Waterford County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
0 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
|
Wexford County Council |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
1 |
8 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
Dublin City Council |
11 |
13 |
16 |
2 |
31 |
3 |
|
Cork City Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Galway City Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
2 |
|
Limerick City Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Waterford City Council |
0 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
|
Totals |
16 |
73 |
54 |
49 |
73 |
64 |
