Written Answers Nos. 464-473
464. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm whether a person who has received notification from a building society that the mortgage is unsustainable and the home must be sold is entitled to apply for inclusion on the council social housing list. [18939/14]
View answerFor a household to qualify for social housing support a housing authority must carry out an assessment to establish whether the household is in need of housing and meets certain eligibility criteria, including income limits. As part of a concerted effort to deal with the issue of mortgage arrears, the Social Housing Assessment Regulations were amended in 2011 to provide that a household may be determined to be in need of housing if it has a mortgage that is deemed to be unsustainable under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process.
466. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the action the Department can take in order to prevent an illegal Traveller encampment, details supplied, in County Offaly; if the Department have the legal framework in place to prevent such encampments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18997/14]
View answerMy Department understands from Offaly County Council that this issue relates to the placement of temporary dwellings on private land at the location referred to and represents an unauthorised development.
The Council, as the Planning Authority, are currently addressing this matter in accordance with their powers under the Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended.
467. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount of money available for projects under the Leader programme 2007-2013; the total spend to date on projects; the total spend this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19028/14]
View answerThe current value of the Axes 3 and 4 LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 is €370 million. In addition, €5 million has been provided for an Axis 1 Agri-food measure. Of this, up to a maximum of 20% may be spent on administration expenses leaving a minimum of 80% of the funding available for projects and animation expenses.
To date, €198 million has been spent on projects, €12 million on animation and €54 million has been spent on administration expenses giving a total of €264 million.
The overall spend to date in 2014 is €17 million and I would expect this to increase steadily over the coming months.
468. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when a decision will be made by him on the level of co-funding for the Leader programme 2014-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19029/14]
View answerI expect to be in a position to formally announce the funding arrangements for the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020 shortly.
473. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons and families experiencing homelessness who were housed in hotels and bed and breakfasts paid for by local authorities to date in 2014; and if he will provide a breakdown of same specifying the local authority responsible and the cost of these hotel and bed and breakfasts. [19137/14]
View answerMy Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with the housing authorities. The purposes for which housing authorities may incur expenditure in addressing homelessness are prescribed in Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. The specific information sought is not available in my Department.
