Written Answers Nos. 228-237
228. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which a higher education grant is available in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35083/14]
View answerI understand from SUSI that an overpayment of a grant is required to be repaid by the student referred to by the Deputy in accordance with the Student Support Act 2011 and the Student Grant Scheme. SUSI implements a repayment policy under which students are asked to agree a repayment plan that is appropriate to their circumstances. SUSI deals with such repayments carefully and sensitively having regard to the ability of students to make repayments.
229. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on special needs assistants additional funding that has been given to schools in Dublin 3, 5, 9, 13 and County Dublin for 2014-15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35106/14]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The criteria by which SNA support is allocated to pupils is set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) have allocated over 10,900 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts in schools to support students with special needs for the 2014/2015 school year. The exact numbers of SNAs will become clear when enrolments of students in mainstream schools are finalised later this month. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated. It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised. It is important to note that each school's allocation of SNA support can change from year to year and may be increased or decreased as students who qualify for SNA support enrol or leave a school. New students with care needs may, or may not, enrol to replace students who have left, for example, or SNA allocations may be decreased where a child's care needs have diminished over time. There is always a significant churn of posts within the system. Details of the SNA allocations to schools including in the areas referred to by the Deputy and the mechanism for schools/ parents to appeal a decision in relation to the allocation of SNA support by the NCSE are available on the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie. As Special Needs Assistants are paid directly by my Department the Deputy should be aware that individual schools do not receive additional funding to meet such costs.
230. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if it is the practice of her Department to employ an archivist to examine records and archives once records are deemed appropriate for archiving to determine the quality of the records, the importance, the estimated care and attention needed to preserve the records and so on; if not if she will consider this option in order to best capture the most valuable records before they potentially deteriorate in storage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35393/14]
View answerIn 2007, a Records Manager was appointed, under a two-year contract, to assist in formulating my Department's Records Retention and Disposition Schedule which sets out how long records should be held and the various disposition options. It is not the practice of my Department to employ an archivist to examine records and archives. My Department adheres to the provisions of the National Archives Act 1986, Regulations 1988 and receives advice and direction from the National Archives Office regarding the transfer of records of archival value to its Office. The National Archives Office has responsibility for securing the preservation of records which warrant preservation as archives.
231. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the total cost of her Department and those under the aegis for the storage of records and archives that are ultimately intended to be forwarded to the National Archives in time; if she will provide this cost for 2012 and 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35416/14]
View answerThe costs involved in renting off-site storage for my Department's records is a matter for the Property Management Section of the Office of Public Works, which acts on behalf of my Department in relation to the rental of off-site storage. Each body under the aegis of my Department is responsible for the storage of its own records and the information is not centrally collated.
232. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider changing the motor tax regime in order that the amount of tax applicable to modified vehicles corresponds with the engine size/emissions of the modified engine rather than the engine which was originally in the vehicle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34999/14]
View answerCars registered pre-2008 are taxed on the basis of engine capacity. Licensing authorities will amend the engine capacity of the vehicle, where there has been a change of engine, if the number and cubic capacity of the new engine have been certified by a main dealer, and motor tax liability is adjusted accordingly where appropriate.
In the case of cars registered since 2008, the basis of taxation is CO2 emissions, as provided on the Certificate of Conformity for the vehicle. The level of CO2 is determined at manufacturing stage as part of the type approval process for the vehicle. The level of CO2 is the level emitted in terms of grams per kilometre driven and is affected not just by engine size, but also by factors such as body type and weight, aerodynamics, type of transmission, etc. I understand that determining the level of CO2 emitted by a vehicle is expensive and that it is generally only carried out in respect of new vehicles at manufacturing stage in facilities in mainland Europe. I do not, therefore, propose to provide for a variation of motor tax in respect of such modified vehicles.
233. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the new local authority house purchase scheme is likely to be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34884/14]
View answerPart 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses. This scheme will replace the 1995 and 2011 tenant purchase schemes under section 90 of the Housing Act 1966, which closed in June 2014 and June 2013, respectively.
The new scheme will be open to local authority tenants in receipt of social housing support, for a prescribed period of at least one year, who have not previously purchased a house under a tenant purchase scheme and who have an annual income equal to or greater than a prescribed amount.
The scheme will operate along the incremental purchase model currently being applied in purchase schemes for local authority apartments and new local authority houses under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which involve discounts for purchasers linked to household income and a discount-related charge on the property that reduces over a period unless the house is resold or the purchaser fails to comply with conditions of the sale.
I intend to make the necessary statutory instruments later this year to enable the new scheme to come into operation.
234. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a full breakdown of all expenditure incurred by his Department on consultancy, legal fees and other costs connected with Irish Water prior to, during and since the establishment of Irish Water. [34919/14]
View answerExpenditure incurred by my Department relating to the Water Sector Reform Programme amounted to €15.7 million to the end of 2013. The majority of this expenditure related to the domestic metering programme (€7.7 million) and the local authority staffing costs of the Water Services Transition Office (€5.7 million), which was put in place to ensure appropriate arrangements for engagement with the local authority sector during the reform process. Internal Departmental costs, which included the staffing of the Water Sector reform Project Management Office in my Department, amounted to some €1.3 million in 2013.
The balance of the costs incurred to the end of 2013 includes €179,584 paid to Price Waterhouse Coopers in respect of the initial report on water sector reform, €0.76 million paid to the Commission for Energy Regulation in respect of their expanded functions in becoming the independent economic regulator for the public water sector and €55,000 paid to the Economic & Social Research Institute in respect of providing research and advice on affordability issues associated with the introduction of domestic water charges.
It is estimated that some €2 million will be spent on my Department’s water sector reform programme management and the Water Services Transition Office during 2014. It is also expected that some €5 million will be recouped to local authorities in connection with road-opening licence work associated with the national domestic metering programme.
235. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the way a person may obtain details of all grant allocations by a LDC to private companies, which were below the threshold for needing Ministerial approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34963/14]
View answerThe publication of details of beneficiaries under the EU Common Agricultural Policy, which includes the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme, was subject to legal challenge in another Member State. The European Court of Justice judgement prohibited the publication of certain beneficiaries and due to this Ireland only publishes details of payments to the Local Action Groups that administer the Programme. In January 2014 this issue was resolved to allow payments in respect of the 2014 EU financial year to be published in May 2015.
236. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the proposed review of the national spatial strategy; if there will be a public consultation before any such review is completed; the time table proposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34992/14]
View answerThe 2002 National Spatial Strategy (NSS) was Ireland's first national strategic spatial planning framework. It aimed to provide the spatial vision and principles to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development and population growth between regions through the co-ordinated development of nine gateway cities and towns, and nine hub towns, together with complementary policies to activate the potential for lasting economic development in their hinterlands and wider regions. While the existing NSS remains in place and having regard to the significantly changed economic circumstances that the country now faces, I intend to shortly bring proposals to Government on plans to develop a new national planning framework that will require consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including public consultation. The new national planning framework is expected to be finalised by the end of 2015.
237. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding housing waiting lists in County Louth by location; the time on these waiting lists; his plans to construct homes by location in County Louth, and to purchase homes already built and owned privately; the number of homes which the National Asset Management Agency has in County Louth by location; the number of these that are suitable for letting this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34993/14]
View answerThe results of the 2013 statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments, including details on length of time spent on waiting lists and other details br oken down by each local authority, are available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,34857,en.pdf.
I am committed to delivering an increased local authority housing construction programme. In March 2014, my Department announced the approval of some 56 social housing construction projects with an overall value of some €68 million. This new construction programme will deliver 449 new units of accommodation for households on the housing list. In respect of County Louth, two projects with an estimated total cost of over €3.1 million have been approved, which will produce 24 units.
In relation to future provision of social housing, information in relation to the delivery of NAMA sourced units for social housing, including a full breakdown by county of units delivered by quarter, is available on the Housing Agency’s website: www.housing.ie/NAMA.
- NAMA identified 27 potential units in Louth, all of which had demand confirmed by the local authority and have since been committed or contracted for social housing purposes.
- A new Social Housing Strategy is currently in preparation, with the intention that it will be considered by Government in the coming weeks. It will contain clear, measureable actions to increase the supply of social housing, based on innovative solutions that will harness new funding streams, in order to continue to protect the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society.
In the meantime, my Department is continuing to oversee the provision of social housing for people on the housing waiting list and for homeless persons through local authorities and other providers. Overall, I expect some 6,000 social housing units to be delivered across the range of programmes this year.
