Thursday, 13 Mar 2014

Written Answers Nos 155-166

Motor Tax Collection

Questions (155)

Martin Heydon

Question:

155. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if any provisions are in place for those who fall into arrears on their motor tax, who wish to have their cars taken off the road to avoid further arrears building up but who cannot afford to clear the full arrears at the time; if part payment will be accepted or a schedule of payments put in place for those arrears to allow the car be taken off the road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12579/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 came into effect on 1 July 2013. The primary purpose of the Act is to replace the system whereby a vehicle was declared off the road retrospectively with a system under which the vehicle must be declared off the road in advance. The Act provided for a three month transition period from 1 July 2013 to 30 September 2013 to allow vehicle owners to bring their motor tax status up to date by making either or both a retrospective and prospective off-road declaration, as appropriate.

The new arrangements, which have been fully in force since 1 October 2013, provide that a declaration of non-use of a vehicle can be made at any time in the month before tax falls due, either via the local motor tax office or online. On change of ownership or on registration, an owner has ten days from the date of transfer of ownership or from the date of registration to make the declaration, which is free of charge. Where a declaration is not made within the required timeframe, a tax disc must be taken out, along with any arrears incurred by the vehicle owner.

There are no provisions whereby motorists can come to individual arrangements with a licensing authority for the payment of arrears and motor tax . Any change to the basis of payment for motor tax would be required to be underpinned by primary legislation and be made equally available to all motorists. It would also be administratively cumbersome and potentially have a negative impact on the flow of income to the Local Government Fund and consequently on allocations to local authorities from the Fund. I have no plans currently to introduce such a change.

Rural Development Programme Funding

Questions (156)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

156. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if funding will be available for a project (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12591/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

In line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development, there are 35 Local Action Groups (LAGs) contracted, on my Department’s behalf, to deliver the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP) throughout the country. The LAGs are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the local development strategy of the individual groups and in line with Programme’s Operating Rules and EU regulations. The relevant LAG in respect of the project referred to is South Kerry Development Partnership (SKDP). I understand that SKDP has approved funding for promotional material and a website for the promoter in question.

Housing Data

Questions (157)

Joanna Tuffy

Question:

157. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the information available to his Department regarding the acreage of land zoned for future residential development; the total number of houses that can be built on that undeveloped zoned land; the amount of it that is in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12628/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

The Housing Land Availability Survey (HLAS) is an annual survey undertaken by my Department seeking information from local authorities to inform the publication of the amount of zoned residential land in their areas that is currently serviced. In 2013, my Department reviewed the HLAS approach taking account of the advent of www.myplan.ie and the need to reduce and rationalise the data gathering requirements placed on local authorities. A new internet based approach called the Residential Land Availability Survey (RLAS) is currently being finalised in conjunction with local authorities which will produce robust datasets mapped to individual land parcels across all local authorities. I expect that the final RLAS will be available by the end of April 2014 and the RLAS survey will be undertaken annually thereafter.

However, it is provisionally estimated that there is currently in excess of 25,000 hectares of undeveloped residentially zoned land nationally which equates to a capacity for over 500,000 new homes (based on a national average of 20 units per hectare). This capacity is considered to be sufficient to meet the housing requirements nationally for in excess of the next ten years.

With regard to the availability of land for housing development in the Dublin area, a recent separate data gathering exercise conducted by my Department indicated that there is currently appropriate zoning of land for upwards of 30,000 new homes in the Dublin region, across the four Dublin local authorities.

Shared Ownership Scheme

Questions (158)

Martin Heydon

Question:

158. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the shared ownership scheme; if provisions have been made for many of those in shared ownership properties who are experiencing financial difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12643/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

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 standalone 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 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 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 Mortgage to Rent scheme facilitating low income families whose mortgage situation is unsustainable. 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.

Community Development Initiatives

Questions (159)

Brendan Smith

Question:

159. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details and favourable consideration to the requests made to him by the Irish Local Development Network on its engagement with the alignment working group; if he proposes to meet the ILDN at an early date to resolve these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12651/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I met with representatives of the Irish Local Development Network on 6 March, 2014, one of a number of meetings I have had with the organisation. This is also part of a range of contacts with ILDN, both in the context of the Alignment Working Group and other engagements with my Department. At my meeting with ILDN representatives and at the Alignment Working Group meeting of the same date, we had useful discussions on the future approach to local development programming. These will be followed up actively by the Working Group ahead of their next meeting scheduled for 2 April 2014.

Local Authority Housing Data

Questions (160)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

160. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown per county of the number of local authority houses that have not been let in more than three months; the number that are currently boarded up awaiting works; the number of persons on each local authority waiting list; the total amount allocated by his Department per local authority over the past five years specifically for the upgrading of existing local authority housing stock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12685/14]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

Data relating to the local authority housing stock, including information on vacancy rates and the time taken to re-let properties, are collected annually as part of the Local Government Management Agency’s review of local authority service indicators. Electronic copies of the reports, including the most recent report for 2011, are available on the Local Government Management Agency’s website www.lgma.ie.

The report on the 2011 Housing Needs Assessment, available on my Department’s website at www.environ.ie, contains details on waiting list numbers for each local authority which were recorded under the tri-annual social housing needs assessments carried out from 1993 to 2011 under Section 9 of the Housing Act, 1988. The latest social housing needs assessment was carried out as at 7 May 2013 in accordance with section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009 and the results are also available on my Department’s website.

The 2013 figures are the most up-to-date figures available on waiting list numbers, which are subject to on-going fluctuation due to households being allocated housing and new households applying for housing support.  However, the 2013 results cannot be directly compared to previous results given that this latest summary employed different methodologies and was the first to be carried out under the 2011 Social Housing Assessment Regulations.

My Department provides capital funding to support a range of measures aimed at improving the quality of the social housing stock. These measures include estate-wide remedial works schemes, the regeneration of run-down social housing estates and flat complexes, the energy retrofitting of older houses and apartments, and adaptations and extensions to meet the needs of tenants with a disability. The compilation of the detailed information sought in relation to the capital allocations to each local authority in respect of each of these measures over the past five years will involve a substantial amount of staff time and resources. The information will be compiled and forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Local Development Companies Expenditure

Questions (161)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

161. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reasons payment has not been processed in respect of a project (details supplied); if he will provide a clear commitment that all of the outstanding moneys will be paid as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12686/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

In 2011 the relevant Local Development Company (LDC) approved grant aid of €372,392.17 for this project under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP). The project was subsequently deemed ineligible by my Department due to deficiencies in the tendering process. Following extensive discussions with the LDC, the local authority and within my Department, it was agreed that due to the severe financial difficulties being experienced by the Community Group, my Department would issue ex-gratia payments to the value of 75% of the grant aid, with the local authority paying a further 12.5%. The Group was advised to contact the relevant LDC with regard to the remaining 12.5%.

My Department wrote to the Group in question advising that the ex-gratia payments would only be made on the basis of the Group submitting paid invoices to my Department and that the money would be used to pay the contractor who was in the process of taking legal action against the Group. 75% of the value of the original grant of €372,392.17 is €279,294.18. An amount of €59,386.05 was paid to the group on foot of their first claim in December 2011 leaving an outstanding amount of €219,908.13 to be paid by the Department. As a verifiable claim to the value of €111,685 had already been submitted by the Group, my Department issued payment of this amount on the 17 February for the express purpose of settling outstanding contractual obligations with the contractor. The Group was again reminded that the remaining outstanding monies could be claimed once paid invoices were submitted to the Department.

To date I understand that the contractor has only been paid €11,417 of the €111,685. My officials are currently trying to ascertain, from the members of the Group, what has been done with the remaining €100,268. My Department is also seeking legal advice regarding the possible options available to it to resolve the matter and intends to take all steps necessary to protect public funds.

Septic Tank Inspections

Questions (162)

Heather Humphreys

Question:

162. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline on a county basis the number of septic tank inspections that have been carried out to date; the number of septic tanks that have failed inspections in each county; the number of septic tanks that have passed inspections in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12718/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 assigns responsibility to the EPA to make a National Inspection Plan for domestic wastewater treatment systems. The National Inspection Plan 2013: Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems was adopted and published by the EPA in February 2013. The Plan provides for a minimum of 1,000 inspections to be carried out by the water services authorities (which are the 34 county and city councils) in the 12 month period up to July 2014.  Details of the minimum number of inspections to be carried out in each county are included in the Plan. 

An IT system, developed by the EPA for use by the water services authorities, underpins implementation of the National Inspection Plan.  The system facilitates the selection of treatment systems for inspection based on the risk to human health or the environment and captures all information relating to inspections.  This ensures a consistent approach to inspections nationally.  Implementation of the Plan is a matter for the individual water services authorities, under the supervision of the EPA. The IT system in use enables individual water services authorities to track the progress in completing inspections against the Plan’s requirements and enables the EPA to monitor the progress by all authorities. The EPA has committed to review the implementation of the National Inspection Plan in 2014.

To date, no applications for recoupment of grants made by the local authorities towards the remediation of failing domestic wastewater treatment systems have been submitted to my Department by those authorities . As neither I nor my Department have any direct role in monitoring the implementation of the Plan, I have no information on the number of inspections carried out to date or on the results of those inspections.

Priory Hall Development

Questions (163)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

163. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost of rebuilding Priory Hall, Donaghmede as against demolishing and building houses in their place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12732/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I refer to the reply to Question No. 174 of 6 March 2014 which deals with the estimated cost of acquiring certain units and refurbishing the entire complex at Priory Hall. The position is unchanged and it should be noted that the actual costs will ultimately be determined through the application of competitive public procurement procedures in line with standard arrangements.

In accordance with the Priory Hall Resolution Framework, as agreed by the key stakeholders, the course of action now being pursued by Dublin City Council is the refurbishment of the Priory Hall complex, with support from the Government, in a manner that will make the complex a desirable, high quality, safety assured residential location that will accommodate, as with the original development, a combination of private, social and other forms of housing.

Any solution involving demolition and rebuild would necessarily involve significantly greater capital investment than refurbishment along the lines now being pursued. My Department, having participated with officials from the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Finance in the recent consultations with key stakeholders, is of the view that the Framework Plan represents the best outcome possible to the complex and the unique circumstances that have arisen in relation to Priory Hall.

The Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland (SCSI) publishes annual guidelines on rebuilding costs for the purposes of informing decisions in relation to the provision of insurance cover for dwellings. This may be a helpful reference document for costing alternative solutions such as those outlined in the question in relation to the 187 accommodation units involved at Priory Hall. It should also be borne in mind that a significant number of the accommodation units at Priory Hall are and will continue to be vested in multiple, private owners whose property rights must be respected and cannot be ignored.

Court Accommodation Provision

Questions (164)

Robert Troy

Question:

164. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a decision regarding the temporary relocation of Mullingar courthouse will be published; if he will consider Columb Barracks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12478/14]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 415 of 11 February 2014. The position is unchanged since then. The reply read:

As the Deputy is aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions.

However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that they are at an advanced stage in planning the refurbishment and extension of the courthouse in Mullingar as part of the Government's infrastructure stimulus package. It is intended that this will be delivered by way of Public Private Partnership along with six other courthouse projects. The procurement process is scheduled to commence in 2014. The construction period is expected to take between 18 and 24 months and the courthouse should become operational during 2017. I am informed that temporary courtroom and office accommodation will be required for the construction period as the courthouse will have to be vacated. The Courts Service is currently looking at options for temporary accommodation and one of the possible locations being considered is Columb Barracks in Mullingar. However, the Courts Service has indicated that, at this stage, it is not possible to say what arrangements will be in place for district court sittings until all options have been fully examined.

Immigration Data

Questions (165)

Jonathan O'Brien

Question:

165. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who currently have pending applications with his Department for residency based on the Zambrano judgment; the number of these persons waiting longer than six months; the number of these people waiting longer than 12 months; and the number of persons waiting longer than 18 months to have a final decision made on their application. [12526/14]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that, as of 10th March, 2014, there were 781 'pending' applications for a right of residency in the State, accompanied by a right to work, based on parentage of an Irish born minor citizen child, and based also on the principles of the Zambrano judgment. Of these 781 applications, 165 were lodged between six and 12 months ago, 80 were lodged between 12 and 18 months ago and 243 were lodged over 18 months ago.

The Deputy should note, however, that in practically all instances where a case of this nature has been in the system for six months or more, it is because the information, documentation or clarification sought from the individual applicants has not yet been provided. As a result, all of the information and documentation required to make a decision has not been supplied by the individual applicants themselves in the cases which are awaiting a decision for more than six months.

Crime Data

Questions (166)

Seán Crowe

Question:

166. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of crimes committed in the south Kildare area on a monthly basis in 2013. [12562/14]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide statistics directly to the Deputy.