Written Answers Nos 569-586
569. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, a list of all external public relations firms hired by his Department and associated costs incurred from 2007 to 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4542/15]
View answerMy Department has engaged the services of external public relations companies for a number of specific high profile campaigns including Race Against Waste and climate change awareness. Details of the amounts paid in respect of hiring external public relations companies for such services are set out in the following tables.
|
Company Name |
Contract |
Amount Paid (including VAT) |
Year |
|
Mary Murphy & Associates |
Public relation services for the Race Against Waste Campaign |
€953 |
2007 |
|
Brindley Advertising |
Draft Register of Electors Awareness Campaign |
€ 167,903. |
2007 |
|
Mary Murphy & Associates |
Public relations services for National Climate Change Awareness Campaign |
€587,562 |
2008 |
|
First Communication & Advertising |
Public relations services for National Climate Changes Awareness Campaign |
€ 158,894.28 |
2008 |
|
Mary Murphy & Associates |
Public relations services for National Climate Change Awareness Campaign |
€283,751 |
2009 |
|
Mary Murphy & Associates |
Public relations services for National Climate Change Awareness Campaign |
€59,392 |
2010 |
|
Company Name |
Contract |
Amount Paid (including VAT) |
Year |
|
Mary Murphy & Associates |
Public relation services for the Race Against Waste Campaign |
€953 |
2007 |
|
Brindley Advertising |
Draft Register of Electors Awareness Campaign |
€ 167,903. |
2007 |
|
Mary Murphy & Associates |
Public relations services for National Climate Change Awareness Campaign |
€587,562 |
2008 |
|
First Communication & Advertising |
Public relations services for National Climate Changes Awareness Campaign |
€ 158,894.28 |
2008 |
|
Mary Murphy & Associates |
Public relations services for National Climate Change Awareness Campaign |
€283,751 |
2009 |
|
Mary Murphy & Associates |
Public relations services for National Climate Change Awareness Campaign |
€59,392 |
2010 |
570. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will sign off on legislation or statutory instrument, further to and inclusive of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, empowering local authorities to deal with tenants engaged in anti-social behaviour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4565/15]
View answerPart 2 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 introduces a new court procedure for the recovery of possession of local authority dwellings and strengthens the powers of housing authorities to obtain court orders excluding persons engaged in anti-social behaviour from local authority accommodation and estates. The Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020, published in November 2014, includes a commitment to commence Part 2 of the 2014 Act in the first quarter of this year.
571. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has developed a national volunteering strategy; when this strategy will be implemented; the content of this strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4585/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware my Department supports the community and voluntary sector in its contribution to an active, democratic and pluralist society. There is a particular focus on supporting communities that are vulnerable, disadvantaged or under threat through a suite of schemes.
In relation to the specific issue concerned, my Department’s policy and strategy is to promote active citizenship and volunteering. In this regard my Department funds a network of twenty one Volunteer Centres, which support volunteering and provide advice to potential volunteers and also to organisations seeking volunteers. They also work with organisations to develop their volunteer management capacity and facilitate Garda vetting requirements of small voluntary organisations.
My Department also provides funding to Volunteer Ireland, the national volunteer development agency and a number of other organisations that promote volunteering. The focus of Volunteer Ireland is to create an enabling environment for volunteering, to develop an ethos of volunteerism across all sectors of society and to be an independent and legitimate voice for volunteering.
My Department continues to review its policy on volunteer centres and other community programmes, having regard to the need for a sustainable, nationwide approach to supporting volunteering and active citizenship, and will amend its schemes and strategies, where required, to meet the changing needs of our communities.
572. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his future plans for the seniors alert scheme; if his Department plans to continue administering the scheme; if the value of the grant per alarm will be maintained into the future; the overall budget for 2015 compared to 2012, 2013 and 2014; the number of units provided under the scheme nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4645/15]
View answerMy Department manages the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department.
The maximum grant per beneficiary for equipment is as follows:
- Monitored personal alarms (with pendant) - €250
- Additional pendant/Re-installation - €50
The annual monitoring costs (generally between €60 - €80 per annum) are borne by the beneficiary.
My Department undertook to consider new approaches to the Seniors Alert Scheme in 2014 and arising from this, it was decided that the scheme be managed by Pobal, given that organisation’s significant experience delivering programmes on behalf of Government.
Pobal’s management and administrative services for the Scheme included an invitation to tender for the supply and installation of personal monitored alarms, which was publicly advertised on eTenders on 20 October 2014. The tender process, which is being led by Pobal, is almost complete and following this a panel of regional suppliers will be contracted to provide the equipment within specific regional areas.
Monitoring has always been the responsibility of the beneficiary and this is not changing. There are no implications for existing installations in respect of the Pobal tender competition; however, under the new arrangements, Pobal are also providing a facility for beneficiaries to choose from a panel of monitoring companies or to continue with their current monitoring company. In this regard Pobal will also set up a panel of pre-qualified telecare service providers, who provide monitoring services and this was publicly advertised on eTenders on 6 November 2014.
This new approach will reduce the administrative burden for the many hundreds of community and voluntary groups registered under the Scheme, who provide an excellent service for the elderly. It will enable the groups to concentrate on the main purpose of the Scheme, namely to support and interact with the elderly in the local community.
The funding allocated for the Seniors Alert Scheme in 2015 is €2.35m. The following table outlines the expenditure for this scheme and the overall number of beneficiaries from 2012 to 2014.
|
Year |
Expenditure |
Beneficiaries |
|
2012 |
€2.52m |
9,142 |
|
2013 |
€2.32m |
10,597 |
|
2014 |
€1.7m |
7,120 |
573. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update regarding the refurbishment work due to be undertaken in an area (details supplied) in Dublin 17; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4730/15]
View answerThe construction of 35 new social housing units and ancillary works at the location referred to was approved in principle by my Department in March 2014. Dublin City Council has since advanced the planning and tendering of the project and I understand that construction is due to commence later this month.
574. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will clarify the position regarding Northern Ireland holders of Irish passports and entitlements to vote in elections (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4739/15]
View answerIn order to be able to vote at an election or referendum in Ireland, a person’s name must be entered on the register of electors for the constituency in which the elector ordinarily resides in the State. The compilation and maintenance of the register of electors is a matter for each local registration authority (City, County or City and County Council).
Subject to age and residency requirements, a registered elector’s citizenship determines the polls as which he or she is entitled to vote. British citizens may vote at Dáil, European Parliament and local elections; EU citizens may vote at European Parliament and local elections; non-EU citizens may vote at local elections; Irish citizens alone are entitled to vote at Presidential elections and referendums.
Recommendations made in the Fifth Report of the Convention on the Constitution relating to giving citizens resident outside the State and citizens resident in Northern Ireland the right to vote in Presidential elections are being examined in my Department.
575. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form by local authority such as service area housing, planning and so on, the number of requests for additional staff received; the number of requests granted; the number of new staff commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4752/15]
View answerMy Department received local authority staff sanction applications for 2,394 acting, contract or permanent positions during 2014, of which 1,854 have been approved to date . In addition, 427 sanction requests have been received since the beginning of 2015, of which 227 have been approved. A breakdown of sanction requests by local authority is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, commencement dates for new staff and individual staff assignments are a matter for Chief Executives and I have no direct function in relation to these matters.
576. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied that a foreshore licence application (details supplied) has remained in the Chief State Solicitor's office for four years without being finalised; the reason for this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4819/15]
View answerMy Department is continuing to engage with the Chief State Solicitor’s Office concerning matters in relation to the foreshore lease application concerned. There is a challenge by a Third Party to the State’s ownership of the foreshore and this challenge relates to an area of foreshore that forms part of the application. I will only be in a position to make a determination on the application following resolution of the ownership issues.
577. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will take into account the importance of the role of the arts in rural communities when allocating future Leader and-or SICAP funding to community development organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4833/15]
View answerMy Department provides supports and funding to communities, urban and rural, which enables them to identify and address issues and priorities for action in their own areas. In this regard, communities regularly identify the arts and creative industries as priorities for action in their areas and indeed many projects of this nature have been funded under the current Leader elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2014 and the Local Community Development Programme.
In relation to the role of the arts in rural communities and future funding of arts projects, the forthcoming LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 will provide €250 million in resources to support the sustainable development of rural communities across the country. This funding will be delivered using a community led local development approach based on local development strategies designed and implemented by groups of people from a given sub-regional area or a Local Action Group (LAG). It should be noted that all decisions related to funding specific projects, including those that relate to the arts and creative industries, will be a matter for the Local Action Group and will be made based on the needs and priorities that the Local Action Group have identified in their local development strategy. My Department will have no role to play in the selection of individual projects at local level under this programme.
The Local Community Development Programme (LCDP) is the largest social inclusion intervention, of its kind, in the state. It is a key tool of Government. The successor programme to the LCDP, the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) to be rolled out in April next, will build on the LCDP aims and objectives, including supporting and resourcing disadvantaged communities and marginalised target groups through life-long learning opportunities and interventions which may involve the arts.
As part of the programme of reform of local government, Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) were established in all local authorities and these Committees, comprising public-private socio-economic interests, will have responsibility for local and community development programmes on an area basis, including the role of co-ordinating, managing and overseeing the implementation of SICAP. They will develop, co-ordinate and implement a more coherent and integrated approach to local and community development than heretofore, with the aim of reducing duplication and overlap and optimising the use of available resources for the benefit of citizens and communities.
578. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps that have been taken to tackle the increasing cost of waste disposal in County Sligo; and his views on restoring power over waste disposal back to Sligo County Council. [4872/15]
View answerSection 33 of the Waste Management Act 1996 requires a local authority to collect, or arrange for the collection of, waste within its functional area. However, it also provides that this requirement does not apply where any of the following conditions are met:
(a) an adequate waste collection service is available,
(b) the estimated costs of the collection of the waste concerned by the local authority would in the opinion of the authority be unreasonably high, or
(c) the local authority is satisfied that adequate arrangements for the disposal of the waste concerned can reasonably be made by the holder of the waste.
I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by the Agency or a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory function vested in it. In this regard, the involvement or otherwise of Sligo County Council in the collection of waste is a matter solely for that local authority.
579. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if consideration has been given to the introduction of some form of rent control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4879/15]
View answer581. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will introduce fair rent regulations based for example on changes in the CPI in the January 2012 to December 2013 period in order to address the growing housing crisis where spiralling rental prices are pushing families and persons into emergency homeless services and onto the street. [4890/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 579 and 581 together.
In the third quarter of 2014, rents were 5.6% higher nationally than in the same quarter of 2013, according to the most recent rent index from the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB). Rents for houses were 4.3% higher while apartment rents were 7.3% higher than in the same quarter of 2013. In Dublin, which is seeing the highest rates of increase nationally, overall rents were higher by 9.5% although the rate of annual increase was down slightly.
Fundamentally, the main cause of rising rents is a lack of supply in the market and the recently published Social Housing Strategy 2020 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. In addition, the implementation of the range of actions under the Government’s Construction 2020 Strategy will support increased supply in the wider housing market.
A recent poll for the PRTB found that only 64% of tenants are aware of their rights under the 2004 Act, including in relation to rent increases. Tenants must be given 28 days’ notice of new rent and can make an application for dispute resolution to the PRTB where they feel the rent increase is in excess of the market rent. These provisions have effect notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in a lease or tenancy agreement.
The PRTB is developing a new education and communications strategy to address the awareness issue . The first element in the strategy, a ‘do you know’ campaign, commenced recently in the national press and will be rolled out in citizens information centres, libraries and other public spaces as well as on social media.
The Government is monitoring the rental market closely and is considering policy options in relation to achieving greater rent certainty. The options put forward in the report, Rent Stability in the Private Rented Sector, commissioned by the PRTB and published in Autumn 2014, form part of these considerations.
580. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of units currently under the rental accommodation scheme in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4880/15]
View answerUp to the end of December 2014 some 955 households have been transferred by Meath County Council from Rent Supplement to the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and other social housing supports in County Meath.
Numbers in RAS in each local authority area are subject to continuous fluctuation as contracts end, tenants move on, landlords withdraw from the scheme and new tenancies are allocated or vacancies in contracted units are filled. My Department does not hold information on the number of households accommodated in RAS, in each local authority area, on a day to day basis.
583. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide the details of the 24 orders for reduced costs for persons on foot of findings of non-co-operation made as part of a separate process subsequent to the publication of the final report of the Mahon tribunal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4895/15]
View answerThe Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments (the Mahon Tribunal) was established in October 1997 and published its Final Report in March 2012. The work of the Tribunal at present is largely focused on the settlement of the remainder of third-party and court costs incurred during the work of the Tribunal.
In relation to costs applications arising from the publication of the Tribunal's Final Report in March 2012, the Tribunal has to date reduced the cost orders of twenty one parties on the basis that they have not fully co-operated with the Tribunal in its inquiries. The decision of the Tribunal Chairman to reduce costs was made in each case following the receipt of submissions on behalf of the party concerned, both in relation to the issue of their co-operation (which was ruled on by the Tribunal Members) and the percentage of the reduction to be applied in each case. I have been advised by the Mahon Tribunal that the cost reductions applied in relation to these twenty-one parties have ranged from 7½% to 70%, depending on the extent of the level of cooperation.
A further three parties are still involved in this legal costs submission making process. It is expected that a determination by all three Tribunal members will be made in each of these cases regarding the issue of cooperation over the coming weeks. Thereafter, the Tribunal Chairman will determine what, if any, reduction in costs is appropriate in each of these outstanding cases.
Similar to the practice with other previous Tribunals of Inquiry, my Department is involved in recouping the final third-party costs of witnesses to the Mahon Tribunal. This process involves the assessment of claims by legal cost accountants acting on behalf of the State prior to the submission of final claims to my Department. Reductions of costs claimed by witnesses to the Tribunal are determined in the first instance by the Chairman of the Tribunal and subsequently by legal cost accountants and my Department has no role in these matters.
None of the parties who were entitled to seek the payment of their legal costs, and who did so, have been refused their entire costs.
584. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce legislation to protect the rights of residents in mobile home parks; if his attention has been drawn to such protections under the Caravans Act in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4921/15]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 and 2009 apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy. The definition of “dwelling” in section 4(1) of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 excludes a structure that is not permanently attached to the ground and a vessel and a vehicle (whether mobile or not). In addition, section 3 of the Act provides that the Act does not apply to dwellings let to a person whose entitlement to occupation is for the purpose of a holiday only. The relationship between residents in mobile home parks and the owners of such parks is the subject of a private commercial agreement and is a matter of contract law. I have no function in that regard.
585. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the plans by Limerick council to place a charge on local authority tenants to cover the cost of the local property tax; if this policy is to be taken up by other councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4927/15]
View answerUnder section 11 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012, local authorities are liable to pay Local Property Tax (LPT) in respect of a dwelling that they own, other than a dwelling that accommodates people with special housing needs
The rents charged by individual housing authorities for their housing stock, under the Housing Acts, is a matter for local authorities. In accordance with the timelines outlined in the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020, published in November 2014, the necessary order and regulations to initiate a new rent framework for local authorities will be made in the first quarter of this year.
