Written Answers Nos. 64 - 70
65. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government where the €2 million announced as part of budget 2014 or employment opportunities for long-term unemployed appears in his Department's budget; and the way in which this money will be administered. [44817/13]
View answer€2m will be allocated from the Dormant Accounts Fund in 2014 for payments to local authorities to assist them meet once-off costs such as health and safety training, personal protective clothing, equipment and a contribution to materials for the works to be undertaken by participants in the Gateway initiative, the local authority contribution to labour market activation. Gateway will provide short-term quality and suitable work opportunities for unemployed people who are economically, educationally or socially disadvantaged while at the same time assist in their personal, educational and social development by carrying out beneficial work within communities. This initiative will be funded from the €74.259m provided in respect of Community and Rural Development Programme Expenditure in the Abridged Estimates for my Department.
66. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to front-load the 2012 and 2013 Leader rural development programme underspend into 2014; if he will extend the Leader funding for the EDI centre for the unemployed in Longford; his views on the future of the Leader programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44816/13]
View answerLEADER is a multi-annual programme which has regularly underspent its annual allocations since it began in 2009. My Department has therefore relied on carrying over significant amounts of unspent funding into the following year to meet upcoming commitments. This will also be the case this year. I anticipate that in the order of €50 million will become available to carry forward into 2014 to fund LEADER projects. Final decisions will be made in the wider context of the Department's overall capital allocation and will be published in the Revised Estimates later in the year.
In line with the 'bottom-up' approach to rural development the Local Development Companies (LDCs), contracted on my Department's behalf, are the principal decision makers in relation to which projects are funded under the Programme. I understand that the LDC for Longford has not received an application from the organisation referred to in the Question.
67. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the delivery of the National Asset Management Agency social leasing initiatives, including, in tabular form, a breakdown under the headings of occupied, in the process of being occupied, vacant and in need of works, detailing the local authority area in which they are situated and the expected cost on a monthly basis of these leases as well as any money which has been spent to date in making them suitable for occupation. [44842/13]
View answerTo the end of September this year 4,319 units have been identified by NAMA as being potentially suitable for social housing.
Of these some 1,900 have been confirmed as being suitable and 443 have been completed or contracted. Of these, 288 are being delivered through the Social Housing Leasing Initiative (SHLI) and are currently occupied or in the process of being occupied. Under SHLI there is no cost for works in completing the units as agreements are not signed until the units are available for tenanting. My Department has also issued approval for some €4m in repayable capital advances to Approved Housing Bodies to facilitate the financing of the units being provided by them.
The expected average monthly cost for these units is just under €597.
A full breakdown by county of the units identified, deemed suitable and completed or contracted, is shown in the table. Further information, including quarterly updates, in relation to the delivery of NAMA sourced units is available at the Housing Agency's website, www.housing.ie/NAMA.
|
County |
Identified |
Suitable |
Complete/Contracted |
|
Carlow |
137 |
82 |
55 |
|
Cavan |
47 |
||
|
Clare |
169 |
19 |
7 |
|
Cork |
471 |
271 |
36 |
|
Cork City |
419 |
202 |
53 |
|
Donegal |
95 |
59 |
|
|
Dublin City |
628 |
252 |
55 |
|
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown |
328 |
122 |
58 |
|
Fingal |
203 |
45 |
20 |
|
Galway |
84 |
44 |
|
|
Galway City |
117 |
117 |
45 |
|
Kerry |
90 |
52 |
15 |
|
Kildare |
243 |
97 |
57 |
|
Kilkenny |
167 |
96 |
|
|
Laois |
98 |
10 |
|
|
Leitrim |
35 |
||
|
Limerick |
112 |
9 |
9 |
|
Longford |
31 |
11 |
|
|
Louth |
27 |
27 |
27 |
|
Mayo |
66 |
58 |
|
|
Meath |
203 |
38 |
|
|
Monaghan |
35 |
30 |
|
|
North Tipperary |
13 |
||
|
Offaly |
79 |
64 |
|
|
Roscommon |
91 |
1 |
|
|
Sligo |
46 |
15 |
|
|
South Dublin |
60 |
42 |
|
|
South Tipperary |
24 |
||
|
Waterford |
65 |
27 |
|
|
Westmeath |
42 |
29 |
4 |
|
Wexford |
90 |
74 |
2 |
|
Wicklow |
36 |
7 |
|
|
Total |
4,351 |
1,900 |
443 |
68. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the funding provided this year for the provision of security and warning equipment to the elderly; the proposed allocation for next year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44878/13]
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, of limited 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 maximum grants for equipment are as follows:
- Monitored personal alarms (with pendant) - €250
- Additional pendant/Re-installation - €50
The funding allocated to the Seniors Alert Scheme in 2013 is €2.35m and this provision has been maintained in the Budget for 2014.
