Written Answers Nos. 505-518
505. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of an application to Mayo North East Leader Partnership in respect of an organisation (details supplied) in County Mayo; the reason for the continuing delay; if it will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45034/14]
View answerMy Department has been in contact with Mayo North East Leader Partnership and I understand that they have not received any application in the name of the promoter referred to.
506. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of an application to Mayo North East Leader Partnership in respect of a centre (details supplied) in County Mayo; the reason for the continuing delay; if it will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45036/14]
View answerI understand that Mayo North East Leader Partnership (MNELP) is awaiting additional information from the project promoter in relation to the project mentioned in order to progress the application.
507. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of an application to Mayo North East Leader Partnership in respect of an enterprise (details supplied) in County Mayo; the reason for the continuing delay; if it will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45037/14]
View answerI understand that the promoter referred to in the question was forwarded payment for their submitted claim on 28 October 2014.
508. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total expenditure from 1996 to date on the Oughterard sewerage scheme by Galway County Council, his Department and Irish Water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45045/14]
View answerThe Oughterard Sewerage Scheme was included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 as a scheme to commence construction within the period of the Programme.
My Department conditionally approved a revised Design Review Report for the scheme in June 2012 and part of these conditions required Galway County Council to submit further clarification to the Department prior to advancing the scheme to construction. My Department did not receive this clarification from the Council prior to the end of December 2013. In total, €480,044 in respect of the project was recouped to Galway County Council from my Department between the years 2004 and 2013. These recoupments related to planning costs.
Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure.
Irish Water has published its proposed Capital Investment Plan (CIP) 2014 – 2016 and this is available online at http://www.water.ie/news/proposed-capital-investme/Proposed-Capital-Investment-Plan-2014-2016.pdf.
Irish Water has also established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives and has contacted all Oireachtas members to provide details of an improved level of service which it is aiming to provide. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a new dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
509. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if capital assistance scheme funding will continue to be made available to voluntary groups who wish to apply for same; his plans to change the nature of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45052/14]
View answer514. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if applications for CAS and CAF funding will be available in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45129/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 509 and 514 together.
Social housing is a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the increased provisions made for the area in Budget 2015. Local authorities and approved housing bodies are continuing to work on projects announced earlier this year under a national €68 million local authority housing construction programme to provide 449 new social housing units and €46 million to approved housing bodies to provide 416 social housing units for people with special housing needs.
Approved housing bodies will continue, under the Capital Assistance Scheme, to play an important role in the future delivery of accommodation for persons with specific categories of housing need, including older people, people with an intellectual, physical or mental health disability, homeless people, returning emigrants and victims of domestic violence. The target for 2015 under this Scheme is for approved housing bodies to deliver around 440 units of accommodation for people with a specific housing need. In evaluating future applications under these Schemes, priority will be given to those approved housing bodies that have demonstrated a commitment to good governance and sound management. Engaging fully with the voluntary regulation code for approved housing bodies will be a clear statement of that commitment.
The Capital Advance Leasing Facility scheme facilitates the securing of finance by approved housing bodies from sources other than the Exchequer, including from the Housing Finance Agency and private lending institutions. The scheme provides a capital equity injection which assists approved housing bodies in securing private finance. To date over €16 million has been advanced to approved housing bodies under CALF, which has supported the provision of 551 social housing units, and this delivery is expected to continue and expand in 2015.
More broadly, plans in relation to the future delivery of social housing are now being finalised as part of a new Social Housing Strategy which will contain clear, measurable 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. It will also highlight the important role of the voluntary housing sector in future social housing delivery.
The overall social housing funding provision for 2015 has been increased by in excess of €200 million, with capital funding increasing by €180 million, which will allow for significant expansion in social housing provision. The specific allocations to be provided for each of the various funding schemes and programmes will be published in the 2015 Revised Estimates Volume in December. That will include the breakdown of my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme and at that point, my Department will be working with all local authorities to agree individual allocations across all the social housing programmes.
510. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of an application to Mayo North East Leader Partnership in respect of an agricultural show (details supplied) in County Mayo, the reason for the continuing delay; if it will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45057/14]
View answerI understand that Mayo North East LEADER Partnership expects to be in a position to submit a claim on behalf of the project promoter to my Department for payment very shortly.
511. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding an application to Mayo North East Leader Partnership in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; the reason for the continuing delay; if same will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45060/14]
View answerIn line with the 'bottom-up' approach to rural development, there are 35 Local Action Groups (LAGs) contracted, on my Department's behalf, to deliver the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP) throughout the country.
The relevant LAG in respect of the project referred to is Mayo North East LEADER Partnership (MNELP), which is the principal decision-maker in relation to the allocation of project funding in that area of Mayo. I understand that MNELP has received an application from the promoter in question. Decisions regarding which projects to fund will be made by the Board of MNELP in line with Programme Operating Rules and EU regulations and in the context of the local development strategy. Decisions are also dependent on the availability of funding. I understand that a final decision regarding this application is due to be made by the Board of MNELP shortly.
512. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding an application to Mayo North East Leader Partnership in respect of a community council (details supplied) in County Mayo; the reason for the continuing delay; if it will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45061/14]
View answerI understand that this project application is expected to come before the Board of Mayo North East LEADER Partnership for final decision very shortly.
513. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to amend the Litter Pollution Acts; and if he will extend the range of enforcement personnel that may issue fines under section 22 (Dog related offence) of the Litter Pollution Acts so that there is a wider enforcement scope in countering the problem of dog littering. [45108/14]
View answerThe Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2009 provide the statutory framework to combat littering and include provisions relating to dog fouling. Under the Acts, the primary management and enforcement response to littering (including dog fouling) is a matter for local authorities.
It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate course of action to tackle litter pollution locally within the legislation provided, including the most appropriate public awareness, enforcement and clean-up actions in relation to litter and dog fouling, taking account of its own local circumstances and priorities.
Section 16 of the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 and 1992 sets out the powers of dog wardens. In addition, section 28 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 provides that a dog warden, within the meaning of the Control of Dogs Act 1986, may issue a notice or on-the-spot fine to an individual believed to have committed a prescribed offence under the Act. It is also open to a member of An Garda Síochána or a litter warden under the Litter Pollution Acts to issue a notice where an offence is believed to have been committed. It is a matter for each local authority to authorise members of staff to perform the functions of a litter warden under the Act.
I am of the view that there are sufficient penalties in place and that the powers are conferred on appropriate personnel to deal with the issue of dog fouling when enforced under the Litter Pollution Acts and I have no plans to introduce further legislation at this time. I believe that raising awareness of the litter problem and educating our young people is key to effecting a long-term change in society’s attitudes towards litter disposal. Ultimately, however, it is the responsibility of each individual to ensure that they play their part in preserving the environment for others through the responsible disposal of their litter, including in relation to dog fouling.
515. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline the county councils which require their local authority tenants to pay property tax through their rent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45133/14]
View answerHousing authorities are responsible, under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, for determining rents in respect of their dwellings, subject to complying with broad principles laid down by my Department, notably that the rent payable should be related to income and that low-income households should pay a lower proportion of income in rent. Section 58 of the 1966 Act will be replaced in due course by section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, as amended, which provides for significant harmonisation of differential rent levels nationally, while retaining some discretion for individual authorities in setting rents in their own areas.
Both enactments empower housing authorities to levy specific charges in addition to rent in respect of works or services provided to local authority dwellings under the Housing Acts 1966 to 2013. While there is no corresponding provision in the enactments in respect of Local Property Tax (LPT), it is a matter for housing authorities, as an integral part of their housing management functions, to ensure that their income from differential rent and other charges reflects, as far as practicable, the cost of managing and maintaining their housing stock. I have no information about the extent to which individual authorities have taken account of their LPT liability in setting the amount of rent payable for their residential properties.
517. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide on an annual basis from 1997 to 2011 inclusive the financial allocation made to Monaghan County Council for water and sewerage schemes, including major schemes, smaller town and village schemes and rural group schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45177/14]
View answerMy Department provided capital funding to local authorities under the Water Services Investment Programmes (WSIPs) up until the end of 2013. The following table sets out the funding recouped to Monaghan County Council from 1997 to 2011 under the WSIPs.
|
Year Paid |
Total paid |
|
1997 |
€2,620,048 |
|
1998 |
€2,724,317 |
|
1999 |
€3,944,853 |
|
2000 |
€8,214,616 |
|
2001 |
€5,236,878 |
|
2002 |
€1,859,214 |
|
2003 |
€2,834,075 |
|
2004 |
€3,226,457 |
|
2005 |
€1,966,256 |
|
2006 |
€1,448,933 |
|
2007 |
€622,561 |
|
2008 |
€5,871,193 |
|
2009 |
€11,992,801 |
|
2010 |
€4,570,237 |
|
2011 |
€4,674,019 |
|
Grand Total |
€61,806,458 |
Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection, prioritisation and approval of individual scheme proposals for advancement and funding under the programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and subject to the block grant allocations provided, is therefore a matter for the local authorities. The table below sets out the funding recouped to Monaghan County Council from 1997 to 2011. This includes all capital funding provided under the Rural Water Programme and subsidies, provided under the Local Government Fund, towards the operational costs of group water schemes and local authority salary costs.
RURAL WATER PROGRAMME
|
Year |
Exchequer Grants Paid |
Subsidies paid towards operational costs of Group Water Schemes and Local Authority Salary Costs |
|
- |
€ |
€ |
|
1997 |
1,600,509 |
264,715 |
|
1998 |
922,989 |
356,824 |
|
1999 |
2,264,535 |
651,922 |
|
2000 |
1,972,322 |
622,189 |
|
2001 |
2,876,253 |
448,972 |
|
2002 |
3,664,322 |
761,117 |
|
2003 |
8,974,784 |
813,626 |
|
2004 |
4,354,337 |
735,770 |
|
2005 |
3,674,409 |
1,471,682 |
|
2006 |
3,263,380 |
1,002,725 |
|
2007 |
2,525,976 |
719,116 |
|
2008 |
3,358,748 |
1,790,315 |
|
2009 |
2,533,132 |
3,019,024 |
|
2010 |
2,110,841 |
1,501,258 |
|
2011 |
1,920,559 |
3,946,445 |
|
TOTALS |
46,017,096 |
18,105,700 |
Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure. Irish Water has published its proposed Capital Investment Plan (CIP) 2014 – 2016 and this is available online athttp://www.water.ie/news/proposed-capital-investme/Proposed-Capital-Investment-Plan-2014-2016.pdf.
Irish Water has also established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives and has contacted all Oireachtas members to provide details of an improved level of service which it is aiming to provide. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a new dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
