Written Answers Nos. 454 - 474
455. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of service level agreements between Irish Water and local authorities; if local authorities will be paid a block grant to operate water services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49163/13]
View answerThe Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann, to be formed and registered under the Companies Act. Further proposed comprehensive legislation will transfer statutory responsibility for water services to Irish Water and will provide for local authorities to act as agents for Irish Water, with this relationship being expressed through Service Level Agreements. These agreements are at present being developed between Irish Water and the local authorities with a view to them being in place for 1 January 2014. Local authorities will be paid by Irish Water for the services provided under these agreements and I do not anticipate such payment to be way of block grant for the operation of water services.
457. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the consultants that have been hired by Irish Water to date; the length of their engagement; the total costs to date, the final estimated costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49165/13]
View answerThe Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann, to be formed and registered under the Companies Act. Bord Gáis has put in place appropriate programme management arrangements to establish Irish Water, to prepare for the transfer of assets, liabilities and functions from local authorities from 1 January 2014, provide for customer service and billing and implement the domestic water metering programme. Expenditure on this programme, including details of consultancy costs, is an operational matter for Bord Gáis-Irish Water as these costs are not being funded from the Exchequer. I am asking Irish Water to liaise directly with the Deputy.
458. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when works will be carried out in a housing estate (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49266/13]
View answerThe properties in question are owned by Cork County Council and are managed and maintained by Tuath Housing Association under a leasing arrangement. I understand that Cork County Council is in contact with the developer, Brompton Homes, with a view to progressing remedial works to the affected properties. While the fitting of stoves was identified as a possible solution to the smoke issue, so far it has not been possible to progress a resolution of the problem under the terms of the Council’s contract with the developer.
459. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if, in respect of the recent incident at the Ballymore Eustace water treatment plant, the notice he received regarding the shortages; the engagement he made with the authorities at the plant; the additional funding that has been allocated to alleviate the problem; the long term solutions he is advocating to address this type of issue from repeating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49295/13]
View answerOn 30 October 2013 my Department was notified by Dublin City Council that problems were being experienced with the treatment process at the Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Plant. Contact between my Department and the City Council continued over subsequent days and I visited the plant on 4 November to see, at first hand, the issues involved and how the matter could be resolved.
The problems experienced at Ballymore Eustace were plant operational and management issues. While no specific capital funding was required to resolve these problems, my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010 - 2013 provides for planning of a large number of schemes and contracts in the Greater Dublin Area, including a scheme to provide a new long-term water source to service the future needs of the area. In addition to this scheme, a series of watermain rehabilitation contracts to reduce leakage have been undertaken in the Dublin area and more are to follow.
The completed contracts have delivered over 120 kilometres of rehabilitated mains, resulting in savings of over 7.8 million litres of water per day. Contracts to increase the supply capacity in the region through the expansion of existing water treatment plants in Ballymore Eustace and Leixlip are nearing completion and a new treatment plant at Srowland, Athy, County Kildare, that abstracts water from the River Barrow, has recently come on stream. I understand that the Ballymore Eustace plant is now back to full treatment output and that the water restrictions in the Greater Dublin Area have been lifted.
461. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will list the total number of tier three housing associations here; the number of which that are allowed to raise finance themselves; the number which must get approval to bid for external sources of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49297/13]
View answer462. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will reform the rules governing access to external funding by tier three housing associations to allow greater funds be leveraged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49298/13]
View answer463. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a new regulatory framework is being prepared for the operation of tier three housing associations; if he has looked to the Welsh model as a model of best practice; if any other countries are being investigated for regulatory examples; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49299/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 461 to 463, inclusive, together.
Approved housing bodies are organisations approved under section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 to provide social housing support in conjunction with local authorities. There are just over 500 organisations currently listed as approved housing bodies. My Department is currently developing a regulatory framework for the sector. A landmark first step in this regard was the publication on 15 July 2013 of Building for the Future , a voluntary regulation code for the sector that is available on my Department’s website at www.environ.ie. The code proposes three tiers or organisational classifications, of which tier 3 includes the largest organisations, i.e. those bodies with more than 300 housing units or with development plans in place to provide significantly more units. To date, just under 70 approved housing bodies have signed up to the voluntary regulation code, of which five would be classified as tier 3. My Department does not impose restrictions on approved housing bodies seeking to raise finance from external sources. However, the development of a regulatory framework is expected to facilitate enhanced access to external funding sources. The voluntary regulation code sets out key governance, management and financial principles that apply to approved housing bodies. Organisations signing up to the code must sign a Charter of Commitments relevant to their scale and development plans. My Department is also working in partnership with the sector to develop a specific additional financial chapter to be appended to the VRC that will, inter alia , set out key financial management rules and principles. The Department, together with the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency, is working with the Irish Council for Social Housing and NABCO, the National Association of Building Co-operatives, to maximise engagement with the voluntary process. In the final analysis, the voluntary regulation code constitutes a foundation for the development of a statutory regulatory system, and my Department is working with partners in the sector in that regard. As part of this work, models of best practice for regulation of the sector are being examined, including those in place in the UK.
466. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to instances where individuals may not be permitted entry onto a local authority housing waiting list due to the failure by their existing landlord to register with the Private Residential Tenancies Board; his views that this represents an unfair burden upon the applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49305/13]
View answerMy Department is not aware of any particular instances whereby applicants are being denied access to local authority waiting lists due to unregistered landlords. Such a criterion is not relevant in terms of eligibility, as set down in the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 and associated guidance issued to housing authorities.
467. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total amounts to be retained from property tax receipts in 2013 and 2014 for the express purpose of funding the establishment and operation of Irish Water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49307/13]
View answerThe local government funding model will change considerably in 2014. Under the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012, commencing in 2014, the Minister for Finance will pay into the Local Government Fund an amount equivalent to the Local Property Tax paid into the Central Fund during that year; this revenue will be allocated to local authorities from the fund. The funding to be provided to local authorities for the provision of water services in 2014 will be governed by Service Level Agreements between Irish Water and individual authorities. In 2013, revenue from the Local Property Tax has accrued to the Exchequer. Questions concerning usage of this revenue should be directed to my colleague, the Minister for Finance.
468. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 281 of 12 November 2013, if he will provide the data requested between 2003 and 2008 as specified in the original question and as other Departments have provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49319/13]
View answer469. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 282 of 12 November 2013, if he will provide the data requested between 2003 and 2008 as specified in the original question and as other Departments have provided; if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 282 of 12 of November 2013, he will include the costs associated with the planning tribunal as it relates to moneys paid to companies (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49320/13]
View answer470. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 283 of 12 November 2013, if he will now provide the cumulative amount paid by his Department to senior counsel from 2003 to 2008 as requested and as other Departments have provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49321/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 468 to 470, inclusive, together.
The information requested is being compiled in my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
471. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider the potential to apply reductions or waivers from planning application fees or rates to protected structures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49339/13]
View answerMy Department’s Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Development Contributions state that waivers from development contributions should be given in respect of works on protected structures where such works substantially contribute to the restoration or protection of the protected structure. I would not therefore propose to reduce the planning application fee in respect of works to a protected structure. As regards commercial rates, local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is applied to the valuation of each property, determined by the Valuation Office, to obtain the amount payable in rates, is decided by the elected members of each local authority in the annual budget and its determination is a reserved function.
472. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the membership and work of the water affordability working group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49343/13]
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. Following discussions of water affordability issues which may arise with the introduction of domestic water charges, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Infrastructure agreed that an inter-departmental working group should be established to advise the Government on the appropriate method for addressing water poverty issues.
The Water Affordability Working Group comprises officials of my Department and the Departments of the Taoiseach, Social Protection, Public Expenditure and Reform and Finance. The Group is to prepare a report for consideration by the Government to enable decisions on the proposed approach to be taken in advance of proposed public consultation by the Commission for Energy Regulation on the approach to the design of domestic water tariffs in early 2014.
473. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of funding provided to each organisation in the community and voluntary pillar under the fund to facilitate engagement in the social partnership process in the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49344/13]
View answerMy Department provides funding to member organisations of the Community and Voluntary Pillar to cover costs directly related to their contribution to policy-making in the social partnership process that was not funded by any other source. The funding provided each year from 2007 to 2012 to each organisation under the fund to facilitate engagement in the social partnership process is outlined in the following table.
|
SrowlandOrganisation |
- |
- |
Funding Provided €000 |
- |
- |
- |
|
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
|
|
Social Justice Ireland (CORI) |
110 |
110 |
105.6 |
97.1 |
80 |
78 |
|
The Wheel |
110 |
110 |
105.6 |
97.1 |
80 |
78 |
|
INOU |
55 |
55 |
52.8 |
48.6 |
47 |
44 |
|
St Vincent de Paul |
55 |
55 |
52.8 |
48.6 |
47 |
44 |
|
Disability Federation of Ireland |
55 |
55 |
52.8 |
48.6 |
34 |
32 |
|
The Carers Association |
55 |
55 |
27.5 |
24.3 |
34 |
32 |
|
Irish Council for Social Housing |
55 |
55 |
52.8 |
48.6 |
34 |
32 |
|
Age Action Ireland |
55 |
55 |
52.8 |
48.6 |
34 |
32 |
|
Irish Rural Link |
55 |
55 |
52.8 |
48.6 |
20 |
78 |
|
National Association of Building Co-Operatives (NABCO) |
30 |
30 |
28.8 |
26.5 |
20 |
20 |
|
National Women's Council of Ireland |
55 |
55 |
52.8 |
48.6 |
20 |
20 |
|
Children’s Rights Alliance |
55 |
55 |
52.8 |
48.6 |
20 |
20 |
|
National Youth Council of Ireland |
55 |
27.5 |
52.8 |
48.6 |
20 |
20 |
|
Community Platform |
0 |
55 |
52.8 |
48.6 |
20 |
20 |
|
Irish Senior Citizens Parliament |
82.5 |
55 |
27.8 |
48.6 |
15 |
15 |
|
Protestant Aid |
30 |
30 |
28.8 |
26.6 |
15 |
15 |
|
Congress Centres Network |
55 |
55 |
52.8 |
48 . 6 |
0 |
20 |
|
Total |
967.5 |
967.5 |
904.6 |
854.5 |
540 |
600 |
474. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the regulatory procedures in place to control private waste operators; if there is any mechanism in place to require private waste operators to seek approval in advance on whether they may increase the price and collection practices for their waste collection services. [49412/13]
View answerA waste collector must comply with the conditions attached to their waste collection permit, issued under the Waste Management (Collection Permit ) Regulations 2007, as amended, which set out the environmental standards in relation to the collection of waste. Waste collection in individual local authority areas may also be subject to local bye-laws. The charges 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.
