Written Answers Nos 214-221
214. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason his Department has not yet informed local authorities of the social housing budget for 2015; and the allocations for each local authority, in tabular form, comparing the 2015 allocation to that provided by his Department in 2010, 2011 and 2013. [2960/15]
View answerSocial housing is a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the additional €2.2 billion in funding announced for social housing in Budget 2015 and the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 in November 2014, which sets out clear, measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of households on the housing list.
The target to provide 35,000 new social housing units announced in the Strategy will be delivered in two phases. Phase 1 targets the delivery of 18,000 additional housing units by the end of 2017 and phase 2, spanning the years 2018 to 2020, targets the delivery of 17,000 units. The actions contained in the Strategy include the agreement by Q1 2015 of targets with local authorities for the delivery of social housing in 2015 and to initiate work on targets for subsequent years. The groups involved in overseeing the work on setting targets, namely the Dublin Social Housing Delivery Taskforce and the Social Housing Strategy Project Board, have met and commenced the process on setting targets with each local authority. The allocation of funding to local authorities, in the context of the increased funding now available, will be based on the targets that are set and the plans of individual authorities to deliver on those targets.
The main areas of social housing capital investment are the local authorities’ own social housing construction and acquisitions programme and the Capital Assistance Scheme, through which funding is provided to approved housing bodies via the local authorities. Expenditure under these programmes broken down by local authority for the years in question was as follows:
Local Authority Housing Construction and Acquisition Programme
|
Local Authority |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
Carlow County Council |
€4,220,000 |
€1,069,097 |
€1,900,711 |
€1,046,542 |
|
Cavan County Council |
€3,694,879 |
€1,116,877 |
€1,360,702 |
€1,947,374 |
|
Clare County Council |
€5,620,420 |
€1,420,897 |
€979,207 |
€1,404,067 |
|
Cork County Council |
€42,822,737 |
€6,585,702 |
€8,389,441 |
€3,808,461 |
|
Cork City Council |
€22,257,380 |
€1,546,225 |
€1,871,352 |
€1,051,597 |
|
Donegal County Council |
€12,490,305 |
€5,744,975 |
€1,902,596 |
€1,453,503 |
|
Dublin City Council |
€53,384,302 |
€20,929,685 |
€9,861,345 |
€17,910,771 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council |
€19,716,708 |
€4,611,178 |
€12,673,635 |
€3,253,979 |
|
Fingal County Council |
€6,434,304 |
€8,355,797 |
€4,808,767 |
€6,110,592 |
|
Galway City Council |
€6,614,733 |
€1,593,731 |
€2,587,123 |
€835,238 |
|
Galway County Council |
€6,972,073 |
€4,035,823 |
€1,939,128 |
€2,853,496 |
|
Kerry County Council |
€9,700,950 |
€2,396,769 |
€1,304,258 |
€1,356,402 |
|
Kildare County Council |
€15,795,789 |
€2,901,449 |
€4,114,913 |
€3,801,389 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
€10,104,029 |
€4,566,591 |
€6,090,448 |
€1,888,413 |
|
Laois County Council |
€6,466,501 |
€2,738,481 |
€1,567,167 |
€604,893 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
€1,429,056 |
€116,308 |
€304,954 |
€902,126 |
|
Limerick City Council |
€11,873,208 |
€3,586,290 |
€1,216,646 |
€1,400,028 |
|
Limerick County Council |
€7,003,199 |
€1,616,243 |
€869,055 |
€752,635 |
|
Longford County Council |
€3,820,875 |
€758,309 |
€1,227,029 |
€576,033 |
|
Louth County Council |
€13,279,097 |
€5,375,852 |
€10,203,632 |
€1,942,919 |
|
Mayo County Council |
€5,423,522 |
€1,101,258 |
€804,563 |
€295,791 |
|
Meath County Council |
€9,960,630 |
€4,962,456 |
€2,377,523 |
€4,960,841 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
€4,539,127 |
€3,256,000 |
€1,731,686 |
€1,159,804 |
|
Offaly County Council |
€13,171,128 |
€2,478,979 |
€1,708,186 |
€797,832 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
€3,255,095 |
€847,340 |
€1,044,332 |
€656,348 |
|
Sligo County Council |
€6,365,034 |
€2,750,919 |
€2,052,179 |
€906,040 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
€18,069,760 |
€6,292,681 |
€6,461,093 |
€10,295,596 |
|
Tipperary North County Council |
€8,938,683 |
€2,176,078 |
€956,844 |
€618,979 |
|
Tipperary South County Council |
€5,541,249 |
€725,829 |
€780,778 |
€598,592 |
|
Waterford City Council |
€5,507,854 |
€1,394,419 |
€3,303,585 |
€904,103 |
|
Waterford County Council |
€3,832,007 |
€564,485 |
€3,683,959 |
€669,850 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
€6,022,684 |
€2,249,432 |
€2,916,450 |
€531,658 |
|
Wexford County Council |
€10,379,914 |
€3,333,130 |
€2,947,720 |
€1,049,837 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
€11,624,095 |
€4,800,000 |
€8,741,271 |
€3,442,935 |
Capital Assistance Scheme
|
Local Authority |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
Carlow County Council |
€812,609 |
€658,320 |
€1,488,727 |
€2,168,748 |
|
Cavan County Council |
€1,284,593 |
€14,378 |
€664,288 |
€348,563 |
|
Clare County Council |
€1,738,589 |
€787,153 |
€885,309 |
€2,827,788 |
|
Cork County Council |
€3,689,618 |
€1,245,460 |
€871,091 |
€1,628,254 |
|
Cork City Council |
€4,904,190 |
€547,937 |
€1,222,763 |
€844,687 |
|
Donegal County Council |
€820,518 |
€515,591 |
€871,158 |
€448,236 |
|
Dublin City Council |
€15,717,826 |
€4,968,484 |
€10,258,397 |
€9,327,326 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council |
€4,988,449 |
€385,573 |
€1,512,349 |
€457,141 |
|
Fingal County Council |
€5,815,961 |
€2,132,123 |
€4,969,304 |
€1,625,163 |
|
Galway City Council |
€6,118,835 |
€360,538 |
€3,984,938 |
€475,026 |
|
Galway County Council |
€1,044,027 |
€27,067 |
€764,980 |
€229,188 |
|
Kerry County Council |
€3,876,327 |
€2,789,529 |
€242,052 |
€63,308 |
|
Kildare County Council |
€5,921,801 |
€1,956,675 |
€1,891,864 |
€842,708 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
€2,623,400 |
€681,185 |
€984,044 |
€1,028,692 |
|
Laois County Council |
€1,920,539 |
€345,665 |
€695,291 |
€142,447 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
€1,335,000 |
€10,000 |
€22,115 |
€10,000 |
|
Limerick City Council |
€58,691 |
€2,286,271 |
€3,772,811 |
€1,827,945 |
|
Limerick County Council |
€1,811,184 |
€550,183 |
€1,431,786 |
€887,751 |
|
Longford County Council |
€4,054,104 |
€802,912 |
€1,123,017 |
€212,308 |
|
Louth County Council |
€5,159,568 |
€0 |
€728,437 |
€760,433 |
|
Mayo County Council |
€1,948,301 |
€281,063 |
€1,054,003 |
€2,499,474 |
|
Meath County Council |
€4,199,940 |
€21,108 |
€685,743 |
€961,298 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
€415,175 |
€86,636 |
€1,125,300 |
€1,191,568 |
|
Offaly County Council |
€812,508 |
€178,248 |
€1,139,322 |
€539,520 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
€655,576 |
€357,098 |
€928,590 |
€511,376 |
|
Sligo County Council |
€2,850,214 |
€4,319,357 |
€3,537,274 |
€251,134 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
€11,822,349 |
€3,096,552 |
€4,367,485 |
€1,229,114 |
|
Tipperary North County Council |
€2,177,126 |
€234,817 |
€1,280,339 |
€193,490 |
|
Tipperary South County Council |
€3,774,142 |
€1,089,300 |
€485,615 |
€338,374 |
|
Waterford City Council |
€2,691,671 |
€4,578,871 |
€2,005,274 |
€885,346 |
|
Waterford County Council |
€2,028,058 |
€176,359 |
€1,448,472 |
€409,222 |
|
Westmeath County |
|
|
|
|
|
Wexford County Council |
€1,161,563 |
€254,723 |
€269,551 |
€229,384 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
€1,883,455 |
€2,086,839 |
€742,351 |
€1,180,675 |
215. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details on the proposed off balance sheet funding mechanisms for the provision of social housing referred to in his Social Housing Strategy 2020, including timeframes for the establishment of each structure (details supplied); if the structures will be State-wide, regional or local authority-based; and when these mechanisms will commence funding of social housing building projects. [2961/15]
View answer216. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has an estimate or target for the total spend required to deliver all of the targets in his Social Housing Strategy 2020 from Government and non-Government sources including on balance sheet expenditure, off balance sheet expenditure, borrowed finance and private sector investment; if his Department has annual estimated targets of the total spend required to meet each of the yearly housing unit targets as set out in the strategy; and if so, if he will provide these in tabular form. [2962/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together.
The Social Housing Strategy 2020, available at the link provided, builds on the provisions contained in Budget 2015 and sets out clear, measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list.
The total targeted provision of over 110,000 social housing units, through the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units and meeting the housing needs of some 75,000 households through the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Scheme, will address the needs of the 90,000 households on the housing waiting list in full, with flexibility to meet potential future demand.
Pillar 1 of the Strategy targets the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units over the period to 2020. The cost to the Exchequer of building, acquiring, or leasing these 35,000 units over the period to 2020 is estimated to be €3.8bn.
Budget 2015 marked a significant change in the trajectory of social housing funding with an increase in 2015 of some €210m to €800m and provides a commitment to multi-annual funding envelopes for social housing with clear capital commitment over the period to 2017. Budget 2015 also provided that off-balance sheet and more sustainable forms of funding will come into operation, with the announcement of an extension to the NAMA Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), a large scale Public Private Partnership (PPP) and a commitment to establish a Financial Vehicle. The Strategy provides a coherent policy and institutional framework within which these initiatives can be executed, connected and developed.
In 2015, I expect that 3,000 units will be provided through the leasing initiative; 1,000 vacant local authority units will be returned to use through a programme of refurbishment; with a further 1,400 units to be built or acquired by local authorities and approved housing bodies through the Social Housing Investment Programme and the Capital Assistance Scheme. In addition, a further 2,000 new Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) units will be delivered and 8,400 households will be assisted through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
Under the Strategy’s Governance structure, a dedicated Finance Working Group, with appropriate membership from within my own Department, the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Housing Finance Agency will progress the delivery of off sheet balance mechanisms within the time-frames outlined in the Strategy.
This Group will build on previous experience in developing off-balance sheet mechanisms such as the NAMA Special Purpose Vehicle and the National Asset Residential Property Service (NARPS) and will identify the necessary financial mechanisms which are capable of raising finance in a sustainable manner to ensure an appropriate supply of finance is available to support the provision of new social housing.
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,39622,en.pdf
217. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the grants available in respect of a club (details supplied) in County Limerick for funding either from his Department or from lottery funding. [3001/15]
View answerFunding for this type of infrastructure may have been possible under the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013. However, that Programme is now fully committed. I expect that the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme will commence during 2015 and there will be potential under this Programme to fund this type of equipment, if it is identified as a priority in the Local Development Strategy for the area.
218. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, the total number of social housing units provided each year from 2000 to 2014 broken down by type, local authority, approved housing body, leasing, RAS and including the average cost to the State per unit in the case of leasing and RAS per year for each type of housing for the period covered. [3015/15]
View answerMy Department publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics, and the total number of units delivered through local authority and voluntary and co-operative provision can be found on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,15291,en.xls by clicking “LA Housing output (1999+) by each council” under the Social Housing Supports contents.
A breakdown of the leasing units which are operational and the average cost per unit is in tabular format as follows:
|
Year |
Overall Cumulative units |
Average Cost per unit per Annum (Current expenditure costs) |
|
2009 |
437 |
€1,464.53 |
|
2010 |
1,303 |
€2,893.32 |
|
2011 |
2,496 |
€5,528.85 |
|
2012 |
3,701 |
€5,622.80 |
|
2013 |
4,600 |
€5,947.83 |
|
2014 |
5,622 |
€6,197.08 |
|
Overall |
5,622 |
€6,197.08 |
With regard to Rental Accommodation Scheme provision, some 51,384 households have been transferred from Rent Supplement since it commenced in late 2005 up to the end of November 2014. A breakdown by local authority is set out in the table below. Of these 30,335 were housed directly under RAS and a further 21,049 were accommodated under other social housing supports.
While details of the rent paid by each authority in respect of individual RAS contracts is not collected by my Department, based on data provided by local authorities, the average monthly rent paid under the scheme in 2013 is set out in the following table, broken down by different types of units.
|
Year |
1 bed unit |
2 bed unit |
3 bed unit |
4 bed unit |
|
2013 |
€499 |
€569 |
€651 |
€708 |
Transfers to RAS and Social Housing 2005-2014
|
Local Authorities |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 to Nov |
Total 2005 - |
|
Carlow Co. Cl. |
0 |
28 |
113 |
133 |
150 |
132 |
128 |
164 |
93 |
38 |
979 |
|
Cavan Co. Cl. |
0 |
68 |
77 |
68 |
155 |
144 |
162 |
242 |
121 |
119 |
1,156 |
|
Clare Co. Cl. |
44 |
96 |
94 |
134 |
135 |
102 |
102 |
91 |
109 |
117 |
1,024 |
|
Cork City Cl. |
50 |
308 |
267 |
362 |
279 |
353 |
359 |
231 |
206 |
195 |
2,610 |
|
Cork Co. Cl. |
0 |
0 |
518 |
620 |
490 |
438 |
429 |
364 |
324 |
183 |
3,366 |
|
Donegal Co. Cl. |
141 |
373 |
402 |
222 |
298 |
323 |
277 |
212 |
219 |
131 |
2,598 |
|
Dublin City Cl. |
224 |
523 |
456 |
618 |
596 |
478 |
251 |
317 |
308 |
282 |
4,053 |
|
Dublin South Co. Cl. |
7 |
388 |
425 |
393 |
527 |
452 |
365 |
392 |
362 |
439 |
3,750 |
|
DL/Rathdown Co.Cl. |
0 |
49 |
232 |
229 |
256 |
256 |
154 |
126 |
191 |
117 |
1,610 |
|
Fingal Co. Cl. |
0 |
122 |
171 |
281 |
347 |
331 |
548 |
408 |
343 |
248 |
2,799 |
|
Galway City Cl. |
62 |
184 |
227 |
244 |
208 |
135 |
168 |
72 |
47 |
20 |
1,367 |
|
Galway Co. Cl. |
0 |
112 |
132 |
142 |
157 |
158 |
113 |
144 |
139 |
101 |
1,198 |
|
Kerry Co. Cl. |
0 |
167 |
272 |
266 |
280 |
231 |
212 |
214 |
239 |
158 |
2,039 |
|
Kildare Co. Cl. |
0 |
0 |
286 |
346 |
93 |
201 |
202 |
119 |
88 |
96 |
1,431 |
|
Kilkenny Co. Cl. |
0 |
162 |
279 |
173 |
143 |
110 |
159 |
195 |
174 |
90 |
1,485 |
|
Laois Co. Cl. |
0 |
61 |
69 |
122 |
53 |
64 |
75 |
66 |
34 |
21 |
565 |
|
Leitrim Co. Cl. |
0 |
24 |
0 |
28 |
44 |
64 |
75 |
6 |
15 |
15 |
271 |
|
Limerick City Cl. |
42 |
116 |
118 |
123 |
133 |
174 |
175 |
140 |
117 |
74 |
1,212 |
|
Limerick Co. Cl. |
0 |
131 |
112 |
122 |
133 |
111 |
149 |
102 |
59 |
0 |
919 |
|
Longford Co. Cl. |
0 |
51 |
81 |
121 |
106 |
94 |
42 |
8 |
16 |
25 |
544 |
|
Louth Co. Cl. |
17 |
169 |
158 |
281 |
201 |
197 |
156 |
29 |
22 |
0 |
1,230 |
|
Mayo Co. Cl. |
0 |
128 |
245 |
244 |
234 |
251 |
224 |
175 |
217 |
164 |
1,882 |
|
Meath Co. Cl. |
0 |
39 |
43 |
108 |
135 |
164 |
168 |
124 |
101 |
71 |
953 |
|
Monaghan Co. Cl. |
0 |
76 |
88 |
83 |
72 |
117 |
59 |
39 |
32 |
5 |
571 |
|
Nth Tipperary Co. Cl. |
0 |
77 |
89 |
100 |
132 |
144 |
173 |
152 |
129 |
31 |
1,027 |
|
Offaly Co. Cl. |
7 |
53 |
65 |
376 |
127 |
113 |
86 |
92 |
53 |
47 |
1,019 |
|
Roscommon Co.Cl. |
0 |
57 |
148 |
13 |
145 |
165 |
144 |
134 |
117 |
97 |
1,020 |
|
Sligo Co. Cl. |
3 |
121 |
63 |
156 |
163 |
117 |
128 |
110 |
42 |
56 |
959 |
|
Sth Tipperary Co. Cl. |
0 |
129 |
179 |
13 |
200 |
196 |
199 |
196 |
137 |
112 |
1,361 |
|
Waterford City Cl. |
0 |
226 |
140 |
118 |
181 |
111 |
250 |
142 |
99 |
62 |
1,329 |
|
Waterford Co. Cl. |
0 |
40 |
46 |
101 |
142 |
155 |
99 |
93 |
69 |
19 |
764 |
|
Westmeath Co. Cl. |
0 |
72 |
83 |
140 |
162 |
91 |
71 |
90 |
123 |
76 |
908 |
|
Wexford Co. Cl. |
9 |
198 |
304 |
260 |
191 |
283 |
274 |
275 |
255 |
197 |
2,246 |
|
Wicklow Co. Cl. |
0 |
88 |
72 |
175 |
134 |
154 |
161 |
187 |
101 |
67 |
1,139 |
|
Totals - Annual |
606 |
4,436 |
6,054 |
6,915 |
6,802 |
6,609 |
6,337 |
5451 |
4701 |
3,473 |
51,384 |
219. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total number of long-term voids to be returned to social housing use under the new arrangements outlined in his Social Housing Strategy 2010; if he will provide in tabular form the location of these voids by local authority; the timeframe by year for returning these voids to use; and the average cost per unit per local authority and per year of returning these voids to social housing use. [3016/15]
View answerThe Social Housing Strategy 2020 outlines that the funding for work by local authorities to return vacant social housing units to productive use in 2015 and onwards will be linked to local authorities putting in place ongoing maintenance programmes to address the issue of vacant properties. Funding made available under Budget 2015 will see 1,000 vacant units being returned to productive use this year and will be allocated on an equitable and evidence-based system, adjudicated and weighted based on the priorities submitted by local authorities, the degree of local housing need, the current numbers of vacant units, the length of time properties have been vacant and the cost effectiveness of the proposal. The funding provided by my Department has been to a limit of €30,000 per unit.
220. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a county breakdown of the roll-out of water meters to date; and the number of additional water meters to be installed. [3037/15]
View answerThe National Metering programme is the most ambitious nationwide metering programme of its type ever undertaken, with water meters being installed in all regions across the country at a rate of some 31,000 per month, with an overall target of 1.1 million dwellings to have meters installed by end 2016. Irish Water’s meter installation rate is three times that of comparable programmes in the UK. The installation rates are reported by regional contractor for their region, rather than by county. The number of meters installed per region to 18 January 2015 is set out in the table.
|
Region |
Number of meters installed |
|
North West |
59,970 |
|
West |
60,776 |
|
South West |
59,895 |
|
North East |
75,418 |
|
Dublin City |
55,648 |
|
Midlands |
80,291 |
|
County Dublin |
103,408 |
|
South East |
57,181 |
|
Total |
552,587 |
221. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the correspondence his Department has had to date with EUROSTAT in respect of the off-balance sheet test; if concerns have been raised with his Department on the issue by EUROSTAT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3038/15]
View answerA key component of the strategy to establish Irish Water is that Irish Water will be classified as a Market Corporation under Eurostat rules and as a result, will not, other than in relation to Government operating subvention, be included in the calculation of the General Government Balance (GGB). The Market Corporation Test is a requirement that income from customers be greater than 50% of production costs.
The Central Statistics Office is responsible for engagement with Eurostat on such matters, and my Department is providing the necessary information to facilitate this work.
