Written Answers Nos. 150-157
150. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount allocated for projects under the current Leader programme; the amount spent to date, including to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25087/14]
View answerThe current value of the Axes 3 and 4 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. Up to a maximum of 20% of the total expenditure can be used to defray administration expenses leaving a minimum of 80% of the funding available for projects and animation expenses. To date, €205.7 million has been spent on projects, €12 million on animation expenses and €55.2 million on administration giving a total of €273 million.
The overall spend to date in 2014 is €29.1 million and I expect this to increase steadily over the coming months.
151. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps being taken by him to ensure that Travellers are not discriminated against in the allocation of housing, culturally appropriate housing is made available to them and they can access private rented accommodation on the private rental market; the amount of money allocated in each of the past five years for Traveller-specific accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25088/14]
View answerIn accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller accommodation programmes, designed to meet these needs, rests with individual housing authorities. My Department's role is to ensure that there is an adequate legislative and financial system in place to assist the authorities in providing such accommodation.
Accommodation for Travellers is provided across a range of options including standard local authority housing and Traveller-specific accommodation such as group housing and halting sites for bays funded under my Department's housing programme, private housing assisted by local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies, private rented accommodation and through their own resources. It is open to Travellers to opt for any form of accommodation, including, where relevant, culturally appropriate Traveller-specific accommodation and local authority Traveller Accommodation Programmes are intended to reflect these preferences. Local authorities have recently adopted a new round of Traveller Accommodation Programmes which will run from 2014 to 2018. These programmes set out local authority investment priorities for Traveller accommodation for the next five years and identify the accommodation needs of Travellers and how these needs are to be met, using all of the housing supply options available to the local authority, including Traveller-specific accommodation.
The legislation places a strong emphasis on consultation with all relevant interests in the preparation of these multi-annual programmes. The programmes are prepared in consultation with Travellers as well as with other public authorities, community and other relevant bodies and the public in general. Submissions in relation to the programmes are sought by public advertisement. In particular, local authorities are required to consult with the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committees which are comprised of members and officials of the local authority and representatives of local Travellers and Traveller bodies. These consultative arrangements ensure that the interests of all parties concerned with, or affected by, proposals for Traveller accommodation are considered and facilitate a planned and comprehensive response by local authorities to the accommodation needs of Travellers.
Details of the capital allocations to local authorities over the past five years for Traveller-specific accommodation are set out in the following table.
|
Year |
Allocation (€) |
|
2010 |
35,000,000 |
|
2011 |
15,000,000 |
|
2012 |
6,000,000 |
|
2013 |
4,000,000 |
|
2014 |
3,000,000 |
152. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government for each local authority, using information at their disposal under the commercial rates system, if he will provide details of the number of commercial properties currently vacant; the overall rateable valuation and the amount of rates not being collected as a result in respect of such properties; the amount of rates arrears due in respect of such vacant commercial properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25113/14]
View answerMy Department does not hold or collect the information requested. Local 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.
153. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a detailed list in tabular form of all staff vacancies, within his Department and in each agency under his Department's remit, at principal officer grade or above, including the title of the vacant post and the functional area to which it belongs; the length of time the post has been vacant; the salary attached to the post in question; in respect of agencies where Civil Service grades do not apply, if he will include vacancies where the post attracts a salary equivalent to or greater than a principal officer grade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25121/14]
View answerMy Department manages its existing staffing resources in line with approved staffing and budget levels, through internal staff assignments and redeployment, limited recruitment and the streamlining of business areas to ensure optimum staffing to meet priority business needs. The Government moratorium on recruitment and promotion restricts the filling of public service posts by recruitment, promotion or the payment of an allowance for the performance of duties at a higher grade in all but very limited circumstances and with the appropriate sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
The information sought in respect of vacant posts at Principal Officer level and above in my Department is set out in the following table.
|
Title of Post |
Functional Area |
Length of Time Vacant |
Salary Scale * |
|
Assistant Secretary |
Local Government Division |
2 ½ months |
€125,761 - €143,535 |
|
Principal Adviser |
Water Inspectorate, Water & Planning Division |
8 ½ months |
€92,131 - €109,075 |
|
Senior Adviser |
Water Inspectorate, Water & Planning Division |
6 months |
€ 78,327 - € 97,194 |
|
Senior Adviser |
Planning Inspectorate, Water & Planning Division |
Recently arising |
€ 78,327 - € 97,194 |
* Note: The salary scales that apply to these posts are determined centrally by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The salary scales in the table reflect the Personal Pension Contribution scales for established officers appointed after 6 April 1995 and include Long Service Increments. The process to fill the Assistant Secretary post is currently underway. It is my Department's intention to fill the remaining posts, subject to sanction required.
In relation to the Department's Agencies, all requests for sanction to recruit or promote must be examined by my Department in the first instance and suitable requests are then forwarded to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform requesting sanction. Sanction is granted only in exceptional circumstances. A request is currently with that Department for sanction to fill the post set out below.
|
Name of Agency |
Title of Post |
Functional Area |
Length of Time Vacant |
Salary Scale |
|
An Bord Pleanála |
Assistant Director of Planning |
Planning |
1 ½ months |
€77,95 1 - €93,022 |
My Department works closely with Agencies to ensure that critical posts are filled while overall numbers are reduced in accordance with approved staffing and budget levels.
154. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the use of overlapping joints, as in the construction of underground car parks, complies fully with building regulations or if there is a risk of collapse over time due to expansion and-or contraction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25213/14]
View answer155. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if adequate safety precautions apply in the case of underground car parks where access may be restricted in the event of fire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25214/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 155 together.
In accordance with the Derelict Sites Act 1990 and the Local Government Acts, owners have a statutory responsibility to make sure that their property does not become derelict or contain any dangerous structure. If it does, an owner must take steps to remedy the situation and may otherwise be liable for prosecution by the relevant local authority.
In relation to the specific concern regarding overlapping joints, I refer to the reply given to Question No. 567 of 27 May 2014 which sets out the statutory framework in place for ensuring structural safety in the design and construction of buildings in accordance with the requirements of the Building Regulations made pursuant to the Building Control Act 1990. Any advice in relation to the compliance or otherwise of a specific building is a matter in the first instance for an appropriately qualified structural engineer.
In relation to the specific concerns regarding fire safety, the position is that Part B of the Building Regulations, and the accompanying Technical Guidance Document B, addresses fire safety. In addition, Section 18 of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 places a duty on persons having control over premises, such as apartment complexes, to take all reasonable measures to guard against the outbreak of fire and to ensure the safety of persons on the premises in the event of an outbreak of fire. Furthermore, Section 22 of the Acts empowers fire authorities to inspect any land or building, including apartment complexes, for the purposes of the Acts.
Any concerns about the well-being and safety of members of the public in or near a particular building should be brought to the attention of the local authority in whose functional area the building concerned is situated. Local authorities have considerable powers of inspection and enforcement under the various Acts referred to enabling them to take whatever action is reasonable and appropriate in all such cases.
156. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide a detailed list in tabular form of all staff vacancies within his Department and in each agency under his Department's remit, at principal officer grade or above, including the title of the vacant post and the functional area to which it belongs; the length of time the post has been vacant; the salary attached to the post in question; in respect of agencies where Civil Service grades do not apply, if he will include vacancies where the post attracts a salary equivalent to or greater than a principal officer grade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25119/14]
View answerThere are no vacancies at Principal Officer grade or above in the Department of Defence or the Army Pensions Board. There are no vacancies at the rank of Colonel or above in the Defence Forces.
157. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara cén uair a dhéanfar íocaíocht faoin Scéim Íocaíochta Aonair nó faoi Scéim na Limistéar faoi Mhíbhuntáiste le feirmeoir i gContae na Gaillimhe (sonraí tugtha); cén fáth a bhfuil moill leis an íocaíocht seo; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [24983/14]
View answerFuair mo Roinn iarratas faoi Scéim na hAoníocaíochta/Scéim na Limistéar faoi Mhíbhuntáiste 2013 ón duine ainmnithe an 19 Aibreán 2013. Nuair a bhí an t-iarratas próiseáilte tugadh faoi deara go raibh forluí i gceist maidir le dhá ghabháltas talún a bhí tugtha ar an iarratas. Tar éis comhfhreagras idir mo Roinnse agus an duine ainmnithe, tá an t-ábhar seo anois réitithe agus tá an t-iarratas á phróiseáil faoi láthair le híocaíocht a dhéanamh.
