Written Answers Nos. 122-129
122. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will provide approval for a contract to be signed (details supplied) in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48661/13]
View answerA proposal for the construction of a house at 9 Ard Edmond, Castletown was submitted to my Department by Laois County Council in response to a call for proposals in June 2012 for the purchase or construction of new social housing units over the period 2012 to 2014, based on priority and need.
My Department recently notified Laois County Council of funding approval of €207,970 to advance the construction of a dwelling in Castletown to meet the specific accommodation needs of a family in this area.
123. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the policies and protocols which govern the management of local authority houses; the factors which influence a decision to keep individual properties boarded up for an extended period of time; his views on the current situation in an estate (details provided) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48673/13]
View answerUnder section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of the local authority housing stock, including the compilation and funding of on-going maintenance programmes, is a matter for individual authorities, in this case Meath County Council.
As part of my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme, local authorities are allocated funding each year in respect of a range of measures to improve the standard and overall quality of their social housing stock, including the regeneration of large social housing estates and flat complexes, estate-wide remedial works schemes, funding for extensions and adaptations to meet the needs of tenants with a disability etc. Funding is also provided by my Department for a programme of retrofitting works aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the housing stock. Earlier this year I allocated a total of €598,807 to Meath County Council for spending on remedial and retrofitting works on a county-at-large basis. It is a matter for the Council to plan and implement the retrofitting works to be funded from this allocation.
124. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will elaborate on the statement made by the head of the Revenue Commissioners at the recent finance committee meeting where she was discussing the property tax where she clearly stated that the persons who are involved in the installation of water meters in Water Ireland will be used for the purpose of spying on householders and reporting with regard to the valuation which they put on their properties; if he will clarify what exactly is meant by this statement as the public deserve to know what exactly is going on between his Department and the Revenue Commissioners with regard to property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48688/13]
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 domestic metering programme. It is central to the e-Government strategy on improved data sharing and linking across the public service that data should be shared between Government Departments and Agencies, where such sharing is mutually beneficial, and I support that strategy. The 2013 Act provides Irish Water with the power to obtain information from the Revenue Commissioners which is necessary for the performance of its functions. In my capacity as Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, I have no function in relation to the performance by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners of its statutory functions.
127. Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the non principal private residence charge; if this charge has ceased for householders; and from what date. [48794/13]
View answerThe Local Government (Charges) Act 2009 broadened the revenue base of local authorities by introducing a charge on non-principal private residences. The self-assessed charge is set at €200 per annum and liability for it falls, in the main, on owners of rental, holiday and vacant properties. Under the Act, it is a function of a local authority to collect Non-Principal Private Residence Charges, and late payment fees due to it and all Charges and late payment fees imposed and payable to a local authority are under the care and management of the local authority concerned.
Since its introduction in 2009, the Charge has been an important source of revenue for local authorities and has funded the provision of vital local services. Approximately 357,000 properties have been registered for the Non-Principal Private Residence Charge, which has raised in excess of €390m to date over its five years of operation.
This year will be the final year of the operation of the Non-Principal Private Residence Charge.
128. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in determination of an application for asylum in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48584/13]
View answerApplications for refugee status in the State are determined by an independent process comprising the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal which make recommendations to the Minister on whether such status should be granted.
If an application for asylum has been made by the person concerned, the Deputy will be aware that it is not the practice to comment on applications which have not completed this process. All applications for refugee status are considered on their individual merits on a case by case basis having regard to the subjective and objective elements of the claim.
129. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will deal with the major justice issues in Anne Cadwallader's new book Lethal Allies, which deals with British collusion in Ireland. [48599/13]
View answerIn answering the Deputy's Question I would say at the outset that I do not think any of us can forget the many horrific acts of violence related to the conflict in Northern Ireland or, indeed, the pain that is still being felt as a result. The survivors and the relatives of those killed and injured have borne the grief of these tragic events and the memory of their loved ones lives on with them.
The atrocities perpetrated in Dublin, Monaghan, Dundalk and elsewhere in the 1970s and incidents such as the massacre of the Miami Showband stand out in the memory as particularly bloody episodes in this island’s history. These incidents are among those reflected on in the book to which the Deputy refers. The Garda authorities are, of course, aware of the claims in the book. The Deputy will be aware that the author relies to some extent on material arising from the PSNI's Historical Enquiries Team. The Garda Authorities maintain a close working relationship with the PSNI and the HET.
As the Deputy is aware, the late Judge Henry Barron and Patrick McEntee SC carried out detailed and painstaking inquiries into those awful events in Dublin and Monaghan in May 1974 and, indeed, other tragic atrocities that took place between 1972 and 1976 in which so many innocent people lost their lives. The Garda authorities co-operated fully with the Barron and McEntee inquiries.
The Deputy will recall that this House and Seanad Éireann have previously and unanimously urged the British Government to allow access to documents relevant to these events. I know that many Deputies in this House have raised this issue directly with our counterparts at Westminster and that they will continue to do so.
For its part, since this Government took office, the Taoiseach has raised the issue with the British Prime Minister and the Tánaiste has also raised the matter with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The Deputy will wish to note also that the Taoiseach met with Justice for the Forgotten and a group of victims and relatives in July of this year and assured them of the Government’s continued support for their cause.
