Thursday, 19 Jun 2014

Written Answers Nos. 111 - 119

Pyrite Remediation Programme

Questions (111)

Clare Daly

Question:

111. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views regarding the approach being taken to home owners with a building condition assessment damage rating of 2 where the builder is still trading; if a decision has been made to exclude these persons from the pyrite remediation scheme; if he will immediately take steps to address this issue and ensure that they are not excluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26463/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Decisions in connection with the inclusion or otherwise of a homeowner in the pyrite remediation scheme are operational matters for the Pyrite Resolution Board. The pyrite remediation scheme, which was published by the Board in February 2014, was developed having regard to the recommendations set out in the Report of the Pyrite Panel. The scheme is one of “last resort” and only applies to dwellings which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave established in accordance with I.S. 398-1 :2013 Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol. In addition, applicants must be able to demonstrate to the Board that they have no practicable options other than under the scheme to secure the remediation of their dwellings. In this regard it is incumbent on the Pyrite Resolution Board to ensure that any financial resources, other than Exchequer funding provided under the pyrite remediation scheme, which may be awarded to parties who bear some level of responsibility for the pyrite problem, should be secured for the remediation of the affected dwellings.

Local Authority Housing Provision

Questions (112)

Clare Daly

Question:

112. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when Central Statistics Office data will be available in relation to local authority house starts per month for 2014. [26465/14]

Written answers

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

My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy, and these data are available on my Department’s website at www.environ.ie. In July 2014, my Department will commence collating figures for the number of social housing starts for the first six months of the year as informed by local authorities. These data will be made available on my Department’s website and will be published subsequently on a quarterly basis.

Private Residential Tenancies Board

Questions (113)

Finian McGrath

Question:

113. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding a housing situation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26469/14]

Written answers

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

The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants relating to, inter alia, security of tenure and the termination of tenancies. The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants.

The requirements for the valid termination of a tenancy by a landlord are set out in Parts 4 and 5 of the Act. Where there is an alleged failure by a tenant to offer up vacant possession of a dwelling on foot of the service of a valid notice of termination, the landlord has the right to refer a complaint to the PRTB for resolution. Further information on the PRTB’s dispute resolution services, including a downloadable dispute resolution application form, is available on the PRTB website www.prtb.ie. Having regard to the quasi-judicial nature of the work of the PRTB, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on the specifics of any individual case.

Dormant Accounts Fund Administration

Questions (114, 115, 116)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

114. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in relation to his declared intention to publish a dormant accounts disbursement action plan, if he has consulted only with some Government Departments and with the special purpose agency Pobal with regard to the preparation of that action plan; the reason that led to the exclusion of all other stakeholders in the consultation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26471/14]

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

115. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the analysis expressed in the Reaching Out – Guidelines on Consultation document, published by the Department of the Taoiseach, that consultation supports greater transparency, which is an important principle of good governance, that consultation helps to ensure that the operations of Government and bodies throughout the public sector are conducted with greater clarity and openness, that in public consultation processes, Governments recognise that public policy making is enhanced through the active involvement and contribution of all stakeholders with an interest in particular policy developments and that by ensuring interested parties can express their views about a particular proposal, the decision-making process becomes better informed, more rigorous and more accountable; his views that, in the absence of public consultation, the credibility of the forthcoming dormant accounts disbursement action plan is compromised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26472/14]

Kevin Humphreys

Question:

116. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the dormant accounts disbursement scheme for 2013 to 2016 is publicly available; if he will provide a copy to this Deputy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26476/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 to 116, inclusive, together.

Under the Dormant Accounts legislation, balances on dormant accounts with banks, building societies and An Post and the net encashment value of certain life assurance policies are paid into the Dormant Accounts Fund, which is managed by the National Treasury Management Agency . The primary purpose of the legislation is to re-unite the original account holders with their moneys, including all interest due. In addition, the legislation also provides that disbursements from the Fund may be made for purposes of community benefit.

In accordance with the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2012, the objectives underpinning disbursements from the Dormant Accounts Fund remain unchanged; allocations will continue to focus on programmes or projects to assist the personal and social development of persons who are economically disadvantaged, the educational development of persons who are educationally disadvantaged and persons with a disability.

A new Disbursement Scheme was prepared, in accordance with the 2012 Act, after consultation with various Ministers, including the Minister for Health, the Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Social Protection. The Scheme was approved by Government in December 2013 and was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 18 December 2013. The Scheme is also available on my Department’s website at http://www.environ.ie/en/Community/DormantAccounts.

The 2012 Act also provides for the preparation of an Action Plan each year to give effect to the Scheme. My Department, together with Pobal, is currently in consultation with the Minister for Health, the Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Social Protection and other Ministers as appropriate in relation to the Action Plan, which I expect to be finalised in the coming weeks. Under Government Accounting procedures, disbursements on Dormant Accounts measures are paid in the first instance “up front” from the relevant Department’s Vote in the same way as with any other spending programme. Government Departments have to source funding for Dormant Accounts programmes from their Exchequer allocation in the annual Estimates process.

Once spending takes place, it is reimbursed to the Exchequer from the Dormant Accounts Fund in the form of Appropriations-in-Aid payable through each Department’s Vote. The Government Departments will ensure that disbursements will have regard for the three themes set out in the Act, the priorities and policies of Government and the availability of monies within Departments for the proposals and measures to be adopted under the Action Plan. These are the first rounds of preparation of a Disbursement Scheme and Action Plan under the 2012 Act. The Department will review the experience involved in advance of the preparation of the next iteration of the Disbursement Scheme and Action Plan.

Rental Accommodation Scheme Criteria

Questions (117)

Jerry Buttimer

Question:

117. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government regarding the rental accommodation scheme, if there are exceptions to the requirement to be on rent supplement for 18 months before qualifying for RAS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26486/14]

Written answers

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

While in general a household must be in receipt of rent supplement for 18 months or more to qualify for the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), the 18 month threshold is a ‘rule of thumb’ to try to distinguish between persons who are seeking a short term income support and those who have a long term housing need. Housing authorities do, on occasion, accept households on to RAS where they have been less than 18 months on rent supplement. This occurs where there are exceptional circumstances and where a long term housing need can be demonstrated. This has been applied in respect of homeless persons and for households with special needs. Bringing persons into RAS before the 18 month period has elapsed has also been applied administratively to facilitate a landlord who is bringing a number of properties across with tenants on rent supplement for different periods. It has also been used to facilitate persons moving back to employment.

Gender Balance

Questions (118)

Heather Humphreys

Question:

118. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of female councillors elected nationwide following the recent local elections; the way this figure compares with previous local elections; his views on the progress that is being made to encourage female participation in politics; the further steps that will be taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26499/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Provisional data indicate that some 21% of the local authority members elected at the 2014 local elections were women. This compares with a figure of 19% at the 2009 local elections. The lack of equality in participation by women in politics has been recognised as a lacuna in public life for some time and I welcome this small, but important, increased level of representation by women in local government. The Government is committed to further improving the participation of women in politics and has introduced legislation linking the State funding of political parties under the Electoral Act 1997 to the achievement of a gender balance in candidate selection at Dáil general elections.

Part 6 of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012 provides that in order to receive full State funding, a qualified political party must select at least 30% women candidates and at least 30% men candidates at the next general election. Seven years from the next general election, this will rise to 40% commencing at the general election held next after that. Payments made to political parties will be reduced by half in the event that this condition is not fulfilled. The provision is designed as an incentive mechanism to encourage political parties to apply a more equal gender balance in the selection of candidates.

Departmental Staff Remuneration

Questions (119)

Seán Fleming

Question:

119. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cumulative total of unapproved salary top-ups currently being paid under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27083/14]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

My Department, the agencies under the aegis of my Department and Local Authorities are all compliant with Public Sector Pay Policy. There is, however, one limited exception to the consolidated pay policy in respect of a travel allowance of €3,348 paid to one employee acting at Senior Executive Officer level in the Local Government Management Agency.