Written Answers Nos. 198-204
198. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the grant support that was provided to Cork City Council in the years 2013 and to date in 2014 in respect of carrying out repair and maintenance works to occupied council properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40509/14]
View answerThe management and maintenance of local authority housing stock is the responsibility of the relevant housing authority. My Department provides a range of funding supports to housing authorities under the Social Housing Investment Programme to improve their existing social housing stock. As part of a €50 million investment programme nationally over three years to improve the energy performance of local authority housing, Cork City Council received €1,091,104 in 2013 and €4,402,949 to date in 2014. Once-off adaptation works in respect of extensions and adaptations to social housing units are also funded under the Social Housing Investment Programme for persons with disability. Cork City Council received €489,465 in 2013 and €361,204 to date in 2014 under this scheme.
My Department is also funding a regeneration programme in the Knocknaheeny area of Cork City Council. €6.7m was spent in 2013 and €10m has been allocated for 2014.
In all the above cases, it is a matter for the local authority to prioritise the programme of works to be advanced within the allocations.
199. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 528 of 8 July, if the report has been produced by the Private Residential Tenancies Board; if he will make a copy available; if the report is not yet finalised, if he will indicate when it is expected to be finalised and made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40528/14]
View answerThe report, Rent Stability in the Private Rented Sector, was completed towards the end of last month. I understand that the formal launch of the report is due to take place on 23 October 2014 at a Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) conference on the future of the private rented sector. The report includes an examination of rent regulation regimes in other countries and puts forward a series of policy options in relation to rent stability for consideration. These include options in relation to rent regulation at one end of the spectrum through to measures aimed at increasing awareness of tenant rights under the existing legislation at the other. Rent Stability in the Private Rented Sector is one of two reports commissioned by the PRTB, the second of which, Future of the Private Rented Sector, is currently being finalised.
The options put forward in these reports will require careful consideration, together with stakeholders, before deciding on the best policies to address the current difficulties in the market. My overriding objective in relation to rents is to achieve stability and sustainability in the market for the benefit of tenants, landlords and society as a whole.
200. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason there is a delay in the commencement of the Construction Contracts Act 2013 which was signed into law on 29 July 2013; the reason the implementation body is not fully operational yet; and if he will provide an up to date report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40529/14]
View answerThe commencement of the Construction Contracts Act 2013 is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. My Department has no function in this matter.
201. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will clarify the situation with regard to estates which have not been taken over by the local authority and specifically therein the entitlement of Irish Water to charge for water and discharge to a public sewer in circumstances where the discharge is to a private treatment plant owned and operated currently by the developer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40538/14]
View answerThe Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall charge each customer in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that for the purpose of calculating a charge, the amount of waste water discharged from a premises is deemed equal to the amount of water supplied to that premises, unless Irish Water and the customer otherwise agree. Where a customer of Irish Water is resident in an estate which has not been taken over by a local authority, he or she will be liable for a charge for the services he or she receives. In the specific circumstances outlined in the question, where the waste water is being discharged to a private treatment plant owned and operated currently by the developer, the customer would not be liable for a charge from Irish Water for a waste water service. It would be important that such customers include this information when completing the customer verification pack which Irish Water recently circulated to households.
202. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the precise protections in place to ensure that personal public service numbers are never divulged, sold or transferred to a third or more parties. [40558/14]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question Nos. 207, 215, 208, 209, 210 and 211 of 8 October 2014. The position is unchanged.
203. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the local authorities that have decided to lower their local property tax in 2015. [40559/14]
View answerEffective from 1 July 2014, local authorities may vary the rate of Local Property Tax (LPT) in their administrative area for the following year by up to 15% of the basic rate of the Tax. The power to vary LPT rates has been given to local authorities to further increase their autonomy. Elected members are already responsible for finalising the annual budget of the local authority – it is a reserved function for them – and the power to vary LPT rates will enable them to directly influence the level of LPT income they have to meet their expenditure requirements in the future. The decision to vary must be taken by resolution of the Council and must be notified to the Revenue Commissioners by 30 September in order to apply for the following year. For 2015, 14 local authorities availed of the opportunity to reduce the basic rate of LPT by the levels set out in the following table. The other 17 local authorities did not vary the LPT rate for 2015.
|
2015 LPT basic rate reduced by |
Local Authority |
|
1.50% |
Louth County Council |
|
- |
|
|
3% |
Limerick City and County Council |
|
- |
Longford County Council |
|
- |
Mayo County Council |
|
- |
Westmeath County Council |
|
- |
|
|
7.50% |
Kildare County Council |
|
- |
|
|
10% |
Cork County Council |
|
- |
|
|
15% |
Cork City Council |
|
- |
Clare County Council |
|
- |
Dublin City Council |
|
- |
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council |
|
- |
Fingal County Council |
|
- |
South Dublin County Council |
|
- |
Wicklow County Council |
204. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown by category of the amount that has been spent by each local authority over the past ten years installing water meters in a private houses, commercial properties and for agricultural purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40622/14]
View answerThe amount spent by local authorities in the last ten years on the installation of water meters for the provision of water services for commercial and mixed use (commercial and domestic) customers is a matter for each individual authority and the information requested is not available in my Department.
