Written Answers Nos. 126-132
126. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of any houses purchased by Wicklow Town Council in the past three years; if he will provide a detailed breakdown and cost for that period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4420/14]
View answerMy Department’s records show that an amount of €404,621.50 was recouped to Wicklow County Council in connection with the purchase of two properties at No. 5 and No. 6 Kilmantin Hill, Wicklow in 2012. There is no record of any house purchases by Wicklow Town Council and involving Departmental funding over the period 2011 to 2013.
127. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason Irish Water is insisting, as part of its Multi-Supplier Framework for the Provision of Water Services Repair and Maintenance Works, information be provided in full of evidence of a minimum of two employees with confined space entry training; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this condition essentially precludes many contractors who have supplied these services to local authorities for many years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4422/14]
View answerAs Irish Water is a commercial utility and a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann (BGE), formed and registered under the Companies Act, I have no role in relation to the procurement by Irish Water of external resources. This is an operational matter for the company.
However, Irish Water assures me that their tendering processes are fully compliant with public procurement rules.
I understand from the company that in this case the tenders were designed by engineering expertise seconded directly from local authorities, in consultation with Irish Water legal, insurance and Health, Safety, Quality and Environment (HSQE) sections. In line with the statutory requirements and the associated code of practice for working in confined spaces, it is Irish Water policy that a minimum of two persons with confined space entry training will always be needed to meet the statutory requirements and to achieve an acceptable safe system of work.
Services in connection with confined spaces entry and inspection is one of several sub-frameworks within the main Provision of Water Services Repair and Maintenance Framework. Contractors who did not have confined space capability were eligible to participate in other sub-frameworks where they had appropriate capability.
128. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the restrictions that apply to a person who purchased a property from a local authority under the affordable housing scheme and who may now wish to sell the property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4449/14]
View answerSince the introduction of affordable housing schemes in 1999 qualifying applicants were enabled to become home owners through purchase of designated affordable units, including through the shared ownership scheme. The primary objective of the affordable homes schemes was to assist households who would otherwise not have been in a position to purchase a home. As the properties were acquired by the purchaser at a significant discount from market value a clawback mechanism was introduced to prevent short-term profit taking on the resale of the house to the detriment of the objectives of the schemes.
The Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement subsequently announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes in the context of a full review of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2013, which provided the basis for affordable housing schemes. The new approach to the provision of social housing, adopted in the Housing Policy Statement, was mindful of both the changed context arising from the collapse of the housing market, and its impact on individual households.
Details regarding the review of Part V are available on my Department’s website www.environ.ie. The period for public submissions has closed and submissions from a variety of interested parties are now under consideration.
I expect to be in a position to formulate future policy approaches and actions, including in relation to affordable housing, taking account of the consultation process, in the near future.
129. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on introducing a rates reduction for struggling small businesses (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4454/14]
View answerLocal 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 for 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.
I am acutely aware of the pressures on small and medium - sized businesses at the present time. Local authorities have been asked by my Department to exercise restraint or, where possible, to reduce commercial rates and local charges for 2014. Local authorities have responded well to such requests in recent years and in 2013, 87 out of the 88 rating authorities have either reduced their ARV or kept it the same as in 2012.
The reorganisation of local governance structures, set out in the Action Plan for Effective Local Government – Putting People First is being given effect through the Local Government (Reform) Act 2014. A key objective of the reform programme is to reduce the burden on ratepayers and indeed taxpayers generally, by reducing cost and maximising efficiency.
The new structures of local government, including the establishment of municipal districts, provide an opportunity to achieve a more coherent approach to rates and charges on a county-wide basis having regard to funding requirements and the need to support employment and business competitiveness. The Act provides for rates harmonisation, to cater for differences between ARVs of towns and counties, to be achieved over a ten year period. While the determination of ARVs will continue to be a reserved function of the new authorities, I am determined that the savings and cost efficiencies that will accrue from the new structures should be passed on to ratepayers in the form of lower charges.
I have also provided in the Act for the removal of the liability that is placed on new occupiers of properties for up to two years of outstanding rates of the previous occupier. This is a strong indication of the Government’s commitment to removing any barrier to enterprise development and to support business start-ups and those existing businesses wishing to expand or relocate.
I will continue to keep the approach to rates by local authorities under active review, and am determined that every avenue will be pursued to optimise efficiency and contain costs in the local government sector.
130. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason for the decreased final allocation of Leader funding to Gaeltacht regions; if he will provide details of the original amount allocated versus the final amount allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4484/14]
View answerIn May 2013 it became necessary to revise all Local Action Groups’ (LAGs) Rural Development Programme 2007– 2013 allocations as the Programme value had reduced by over 13% due to an increased co-financing rate agreed with the European Commission. When awarding revised allocations I provided €6 million for the Gaeltacht areas. Again in December 2013 I provided an additional allocation of €1 million for Gaeltacht areas.
Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta (MFG), the LAG contracted to deliver the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007– 2013 in Gaeltacht areas, was awarded a funding allocation of €17.27m in 2009. This figure included a provision for a maximum of 20% for administration costs.
MFG went into liquidation in 2011 and at the time of liquidation my Department had paid €3,371,751 to MFG with €1,968,042 of this relating to project payments. In 2012, following legal advice and contact with the European Commission, I extended the contracts of the contiguous LAGs into the former MFG areas to ensure that these areas had access to LEADER funding.
In total the revised allocation available to the Gaeltacht areas is €10,371,751. The table below provides details of revised allocations to the contiguous LAGs including the element of the original allocation spent pre MFG's liquidation.
|
Local Action Group |
Total - €6 - Gaeltacht Allocation |
Additional - €1 - Gaeltacht Allocation - December 2013 |
Total |
|
MFG expenditure pre liquidation |
- |
December 2013 |
€3,371,751 |
|
Comhar na nOileán |
€2,122,427 |
€393,400 |
€2,515,827 |
|
Donegal Local Development Company |
€1,332,153 |
€289,700 |
€1,621,853 |
|
Mayo North East LEADER Partnership |
€925,548 |
€70,500 |
€996,048 |
|
Meath Partnership |
€245,952 |
€20,700 |
€266,652 |
|
North & East Kerry LEADER Partnership |
€483,183 |
€74,700 |
€557,883 |
|
South Kerry Development Partnership |
€196,009 |
€27,500 |
€223,509 |
|
South West Mayo Development Co |
€341,111 |
€56,900 |
€398,011 |
|
Waterford LEADER Partnership |
€107,920 |
€20,900 |
€128,820 |
|
West Cork Development Partnership |
€245,697 |
€45,700 |
€291,397 |
131. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of employees that are working in the regional section of Uisce Éireann in Mallow, County Cork; the number of those employees that are former local authority staff; and the remuneration they received upon leaving employment in the local authorities. [4497/14]
View answerThe Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bórd Gáis Éireann to be formed and registered under the Companies Act.
I have no role in relation to staff recruitment in Irish Water. However, I understand that Irish Water is currently recruiting to build up the internal capabilities required within the organisation. The number of staff employed is an operational matter for the company.
Data supplied by Irish Water indicate that at present twelve Irish Water staff are currently working in the Mallow office. Of these, nine were employed by a local authority prior to joining Irish Water. My Department does not have information on such staff members’ previous remuneration.
