Written Answers Nos. 144 - 152
144. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the work being done to develop climate change mitigation policy applicable to his Department and what public participation opportunities are incorporated in that work. [3338/14]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 150 of 22 January 2014 which sets out the position in this matter.
145. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason for in the delay in the transfer of the National Asset Management Agency properties to Dublin City Council to be used for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3188/14]
View answerIn the Dublin City Council area NAMA has identified 628 units as being potentially suitable for social housing. Of these, 247 units were available for consideration and confirmed as suitable by Dublin City Council. At 31 December 2013, the number of these units completed or contracted was 115.
My Department, the Housing Agency and NAMA continue to work together with housing authorities and approved housing bodies towards bringing suitable NAMA units into social use. It continues to be my Department's objective to maximise the delivery of social housing using all of the resources available.
Further information in relation to the delivery of NAMA sourced units, including a full breakdown by county of units delivered by quarter, is available at the Housing Agency’s website: www.housing.ie/NAMA.
146. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of all consultancy firms engaged by his Department during 2013; if he will further provide details of all the relevant fees paid to these firms during this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3209/14]
View answerThe expenditure by my Department on consultancies during 2013 is set out in the following table:
|
Consultant |
Purpose of Consultancy |
2013 Expenditure |
|
AECOM |
Cost optimal study for non-domestic buildings. |
€38,834 |
|
AP Env Econ Ltd. |
Report on Greening the Economy. |
€35,178 |
|
Deloitte & Touche |
Expert Assistance in the Local Government Shared Services Programme. |
€39,299 |
|
Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) |
Affordability aspects of the provision of water services in Ireland. |
€55,727 |
|
Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and University College Cork (UCC) |
Technical support on developing low carbon sector roadmaps for Ireland. |
€107,552 |
|
Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and University College Cork (UCC) |
Technical support for the purposes of advising Government on the proposed 2030 EU Framework for Climate and Energy Policies. |
€30,496 |
|
Housing & Sustainable Communities Ltd. |
Toolkit for Local Authorities on regeneration. |
€12,300 |
|
KW Research & Associates |
NTACC Research into why Travellers leave Traveller-specific accommodation. |
€9,921 |
|
Mr Hendrik W van der Kamp |
Independent Evaluation of the Planning Review Report 2012. |
€12,096 |
|
Mr. David Lovegrove |
Adviser to the Dormant Accounts Board. |
€1,120 |
|
Mr. Seamus Woulfe SC |
Review of the compulsory acquisition of land by Wicklow County Council at Charlesland, Co. Wicklow - Phase 2. |
€49,200 |
|
Munster Archaeology |
Archaeology services associated with development of the Met Éireann facility, Valentia Island, County Kerry. |
€23,031 |
|
National Standards Authority Ireland (NSAI) |
Retrofitting code of practice. |
€14,145 |
|
Padraic Thornton Planning & Environmental Consultancy |
Preparation of EIA Guidelines. |
€7,200 |
|
RPS Consulting Engineers |
Public consultation process on the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and producing a report. |
€40,575 |
|
RPS Group |
All Island Used Tyre Survey. |
€17,673 |
|
Sean O' Riordain & Associates |
Assist in the delivery of a workshop on capacity building for local authority staff in establishing Local Community Development Committees. |
€3,257 |
|
SLR Environmental Consulting (Ireland) Ltd |
Report on Energy Transformation Project. |
€50,451 |
|
Tobin Consulting Engineers |
Operation of the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System (NLPMS). |
€55,142 |
|
TRL Limited |
Technical expertise to assist the Department in managing the European Commission's proposals for 2020 CO2 emission targets for cars and vans during the Irish Presidency. |
€42,435 |
|
Total |
|
€645,632 |
The Market Development Programme for Waste Resources involved expenditure of €293,314 in 2013 in respect of work by a number of firms to assist in the development of sustainable markets and outlets for recyclable materials.
147. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will investigate the tendering system regarding approved service suppliers to Irish Water for unblocking sewers and carrying out CCTV surveys on sewers and water mains; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3256/14]
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. Procurement by Irish Water of suppliers is a matter for the company and I have no role in approving individual contracts. However, Irish Water has indicated that its tendering processes are fully compliant with public procurement rules.
I understand from the company that in this case, the tender documentation for CCTV & Jetting (Pre-qualification and Invitation to tender documentation) was specifically developed for Sewer Jetting and CCTV works/services, and the documentation that was issued to applicants/tenderers is unique and specific to those works/services.
In respect of day-to-day jetting work, all tenderers that met the minimum criteria were admitted to the framework. Irish Water confirmed that every effort was made throughout the tendering process to deliver a suite of documents which would result in the provision of suitably experienced Contractors, regardless of applicant size, whilst ensuring all Health & Safety requirements were met.
148. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the recourse available to reopen the environmental impact analysis-statement regarding the upgrading of a wastewater treatment facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3308/14]
View answerWhere an application for a development by a local authority was accompanied by an environmental impact statement and the development has been approved by An Bord Pleanála under section 175 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, it is not possible to reopen the environmental impact assessment in relation to that development.
The question of the upgrading of adjoining roads is a matter for Kildare County Council in its capacity as the local road authority.
149. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will list all the individual grant amounts and the corresponding recipients that he has approved to issue through LDCs in Kerry since 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3311/14]
View answerThe LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP), which is delivered by Local Development Companies (LDCs) on my Department’s behalf, must comply with Council Regulation 1290/2005 which requires certain details on beneficiaries of schemes co-funded by the Programme to be published on the Managing Authority’s website. The Managing Authority for the RDP is the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine (DAFM). The publication of the overall list of beneficiaries’ was subject to legal challenge in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and, following an ECJ judgment on the matter in 2010, only the overall amount provided to the LDCs is published on the DAFM website. This is outlined in Table 1 below.
Table 1:
|
Local Development Company |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
South Kerry Development Partnership |
€1,167,358 |
€1,226,912 |
€2,352,913 |
€0.00 |
|
North and East Kerry Development |
€1,028,322 |
€1,210,065 |
€2,073,775 |
€18,631 |
The LDCs are the decision making body under the LEADER elements of the RDP, except in respect of projects with grant aid in excess of €150,000, which are subject to prior approval by my Department. Details of the recipients are included in Table 2 below.
Table 2:
|
Recipient |
Year |
Amount |
|
- |
2011 |
0 |
|
Kilcummin Looking Good |
2012 |
€161,250 |
|
Barradubh Community Field Organisation |
2012 |
€500,000 |
|
Fossa Community Centre Ltd |
2012 |
€295,396 |
|
Nagle Rice Community Centre Ltd |
2013 |
€500,000 |
|
Cromane Community Field Development Group |
2013 |
€194538 |
|
FM Marine Services |
2013 |
€168,392 |
|
- |
2014 |
0 |
My Department has an Agreement in place with South Kerry Development Partnership for the delivery of the Walks Scheme. The funding is set out in table 3 below.
Table 3:
|
Local Development Company |
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
|
South Kerry Development Partnership |
€398,735 |
€385,199 |
€358,735 |
150. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the operation of quarries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3318/14]
View answerAdvice has been sought by my Department from the Attorney General’s Office in regard to potential amendments to section 261A of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (further regulation of quarries). I expect that this advice will be provided shortly, and I will give further consideration to the position in light of the advice received.
151. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if Sligo County Council applied for or received any funding under the €600 million scheme formerly available to allow local authorities to pay off loans on land bought for social and affordable housing but which were not proceeded with. [3322/14]
View answerThe Land Aggregation Scheme (LAGS) was introduced in 2010 as part of revised arrangements for the funding of land for social housing purposes.
An estimated total loan value of €162m was approved for inclusion in the Scheme in respect of 73 sites in nineteen local authority areas. The figure of €162m includes €111m in respect of loans which were fully redeemed by local authorities with funding recouped from my Department, under the original terms of the Scheme. The remaining €51m is in the form of annuity loans with the Housing Finance Agency (HFA), for which local authorities are making repayments to the HFA and recouping these payments from my Department.
In 2013 as a consequence of continuing pressure on Exchequer resources, and following a review of the scheme carried out in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, it became evident that further expenditure on LAGS, in terms of accepting new applications into the scheme, was no longer a sustainable option. The review concluded with the issuance of Circular 35/2013 on 11 December, 2013, notifying Local Authorities of the discontinuance of the Scheme in respect of new applications.
Prior to the discontinuation of the Scheme, three loans were submitted by Sligo County Council for sites at Ballintogher, Lisnalurg and Tubbercurry for inclusion in the Scheme; all of these were fully assessed and accepted into the scheme and have since been fully redeemed. No other Sligo County Council applications were under consideration at the point of the Scheme’s discontinuance.
Two applications for inclusion in the Scheme from Sligo Borough Council, in respect of sites at Finisklin and Robbers Lane, Magherboy, were still under consideration when Circular 35/2013 was issued and these and other applications, which were under consideration and not yet finalised, no longer qualify for acceptance.
An application was also received from Sligo Borough Council to have loans for a site at Ballinode included in the Scheme. These loans were approved under Circular 24/2012 for inclusion in the revised Scheme. A condition of the recoupment process provides that only when the land has been transferred to Housing Sustainable Communities Ltd. (HSC Ltd.) can the housing authority apply to have the annuity payment recouped. To date the lands at Ballinode have not been transferred and Sligo Borough Council has been advised of the relevant requirements in respect of land transfer and the recoupment process.
The Department continues to engage with the Housing Finance Agency and the local government sector in relation to the management of the local authority loan book generally. Local authorities are advised to consult with the Housing Finance Agency directly on the management of loans relating to lands not accepted into the Land Aggregation Scheme.
152. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when Ireland will make its Sixth National Communication and First Biennial Report to the UNFCCC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3324/14]
View answerWork by my Department on the Sixth National Communication and the First Biennial Report is at an advanced stage . Both reports will be submitted to the UNFCCS Secretariat shortly, following final consultation with Government Departments and Agencies concerned.
