Written Answers Nos. 128-135
128. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total number of directly built local authority houses, by county, throughout the country in each of the past ten years to date; the extent to which it is expected to address the serious housing deficit by way of a direct building programme in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12387/14]
View answer129. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if consideration will be given to the acquisition of existing housing units with a view to meeting the emergency housing requirements of families throughout Dublin and the adjoining counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12388/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 129 together.
My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy, and those data are available on my Department’s website www.environ.ie. The data show that a total of 35,547 units of local authority social housing were provided over the past ten years. Some 27,407 units, including those delivered in accordance with the provisions of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 – 2008, were delivered through a construction programme with a further 8,149 units acquired through the purchase of built properties.
The Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement clearly outlines that the priority for Government is to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support. Government is responding to these needs through a variety of mechanisms and more flexible funding models. To maximise the social housing gain from constrained resources, the social housing leasing initiative and the Rental Accommodation Scheme each play their part and I am fully committed to capturing social housing gain from private developments. Alongside expanding the role of the Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in terms of acquisitions and construction, other mechanisms will include options to purchase within the leasing model and build to lease.
In July 2012, I announced details of a three-year funding programme of €100 million to deliver some 800 new units of voluntary and local authority owned social housing. In 2014, funding for housing, at over €587m, is effectively maintained at 2013 levels. This includes a €50 million capital stimulus to support construction and related programmes, primarily in the housing area, including €30 million to recommence a State house building programme; €10 million for an unfinished housing estate resolution project; and €10 million for housing adaptation grants. I expect the final output across all social housing programmes for 2014 to be in the region of 5,000 new housing units.
With the benefit of the additional capital for new housing construction, I expect the new social housing construction programme for 2014 - 2015 to deliver close to 700 new social and voluntary homes. A special investment of €15 million for the retrofitting of boarded-up local authority houses is intended to bring 400 homes back into productive use. I remain committed to continuing to develop innovative and sustainable approaches to the provision of social housing.
130. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which it is expected that Irish Water will be in a position to make the necessary investment in the provision of storage, treatment and transmission of an adequate and appropriate water supply of the required quality in the short and medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12390/14]
View answer134. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which proposals are in hand to augment, upgrade and modernise various municipal sewerage treatment plants throughout the country with particular reference to investment in line with the specification and requirements set out by the local authorities; the extent to which funding has been made available or is being made available for such works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12395/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 134 together.
Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water is responsible for the delivery of water services including the provision of water services infrastructure. It is currently preparing a Capital Investment Plan for 2014 – 2016 that will provide for the transition of projects included in the 2010 – 2013 Water Services Investment Programme. The further progression of all water services capital projects is a matter for Irish Water. My Department has asked Irish Water to put in place specific arrangements to address the queries which public representatives may have in relation to matters pertaining to the operation of water services under the new utility. I understand that Irish Water has made contact with Oireachtas members to outline the arrangements for addressing such queries in a timely manner.
131. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which reduction targets in respect of carbon emissions are being met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12391/14]
View answerAs I outlined in my reply to Question No. 276 of 3 December 2013, Ireland is on course to comply with its greenhouse gas emission reduction target for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol in the commitment period 2008 to 2012. For the period 2013 to 2020, Ireland has a challenging greenhouse gas emission reduction target under a 2009 EU Effort-Sharing Decision (Decision No 406/2009/EC). However, I am satisfied that Ireland is on course to comply with the mitigation trajectory in the first half of this compliance period. I will review progress in terms of meeting the compliance challenge in the years 2017 to 2020, having regard to the outcome of the on-going Programme for the development of national climate policy and legislation.
132. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which it has been found possible to address the serious anomalies in respect of shared ownership housing loans which he inherited with particular reference to an annual increase in the cost of rental equity which made the cost of a loan for persons in that income category to be seriously disadvantaged when compared with higher income groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12392/14]
View answer133. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if in the context of the review of the shared ownership loan system, a means can be found to ensure that holders of shared ownership mortgages are not disadvantaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12393/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together.
The Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes, including the shared ownership scheme, in the context of a full review of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2013. Details regarding the review are available on my Department’s website www.environ.ie
In 2013, I asked the Housing Agency to conduct a stand alone review of the shared ownership scheme, including identification of the main difficulties and recommendations for mitigating measures. While I have received an initial draft of the review from the Agency, a number of issues have been identified that need further detailed financial analysis in order to fully assess the impact on local authority finances of possible mitigating measures. This data collection exercise has been initiated and will inform future actions. Pending full conclusion of this review, my Department issued a circular letter to local authorities setting out some of the options and interim actions that might be explored to alleviate the difficulties of those in shared ownership distress such as allowing use of the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process and room rental for Shared Ownership mortgage holders. It is accepted that these proposals are not a complete solution to the issues that arise for such mortgage holders but are intended as an interim measure pending the outcome of the review. I fully recognise that shared ownership home owners, amongst others, have been affected by issues such as unemployment and possible negative equity. In such cases borrowers should actively engage with their lenders, whether a commercial financial institution or a local authority, to seek to avail of one of the options available to provide sustainable solutions to distressed mortgages. The mortgage arrears resolution process, already in place in respect of commercial mortgages, is now being implemented across all local authorities. In cases of acute mortgage distress, homeowners also have the option of seeking to avail of the legal process now also in place to deal with personal insolvency.
On foot of the recommendations of the Keane Report on mortgage arrears, the Government launched a Mortgage to Rent scheme on a pilot basis in February 2012. This scheme was extended nationally in June 2012, targeting those low income families whose mortgage situation is unsustainable and where there is little or no prospect of a significant change in circumstances in the foreseeable future. To date, 34 households have availed of the scheme. In addition, my Department has issued full funding approval under the scheme for a further 51 housing units. The scheme ensures that the family remains in their home, while ownership is transferred to an approved housing body and the family becomes a tenant of the approved housing body. Eligibility requirements are in line with other forms of social housing support.
The scheme for local authority borrowers in arrears, which was piloted in two local authority areas, Westmeath County Council and Dublin City Council, was implemented nationally in recent weeks. With the support of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Housing Finance Agency, I will be allocating an additional €20m to the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP) fund in 2014 to significantly expand the capacity of that resource to assist local authority borrowers in mortgage distress.
135. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will introduce legislation to allow homeowners to free themselves from a management company where that estate has been taken in charge by the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12399/14]
View answerMy Department has no function in relation to the operation of property management companies. The Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011, which falls under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality, regulates the management and operation of such companies.
