Written Answers Nos 250-259
250. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of residential units owned by local authorities or voluntary housing partnerships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6527/15]
View answerMy Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy. Data on local authority housing stock (which incorporates owned housing stock with accommodation provided under the Rental Accommodation Scheme and the Social Housing Leasing Initiative) are available on my Department’s website at: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,15291,en.xls, by clicking ‘LA rented units by area 2003’ under the Social Housing Supports contents.
As indicated in the Government’s Social Housing Strategy published in November 2014, Approved Housing Bodies (previously known as Voluntary Housing Associations or Housing Co-operatives) manage approximately 27,000 houses. The number of units provided and financed via the Voluntary and Co-operative Housing schemes is available on my Department’s website at:
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,15291,en.xls, by clicking ‘Affordable and other social housing summary 1991 to date’ under the Housing Supports contents.
251. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, separately, the development levy balance held in each of the local authority areas; his views on the restrictions that local authorities face in spending these levies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6528/15]
View answerDevelopment contributions allow local authorities to recoup some of the costs to public funds of servicing land for private development. They provide a mechanism by which developers can contribute to the cost of providing public infrastructure and facilities that benefit development in the area. The payment of development contributions is a longstanding part of the planning system, dating back to the first Local Government (Planning and Development) Act in 1963. Since the Planning and Development Act 2000, each planning authority is required to have a development contribution scheme in place setting out how development contributions are to be applied in their area and outlining the major infrastructure projects to be funded by contributions received.
Information on the monetary value of development contributions collected at year end and not spent is not available in my Department. Local authorities are obliged to include, in Note 11 of their Annual Financial Statements, data showing the closing balances for development contributions. The overall Development Contributions balances, as provided in the table below, comprise both cash and debtors and include adjustments for movements in bad debt provisions. The data provided relates to the balance at 31 December 2012, which is the latest fully audited information available. It should be noted that local authorities operate on an accrual accounting basis and therefore recognise income as earned / billed and not just as cash received. Audited data in relation to 2013 should be available shortly.
Arising from the Government’s effort to meet commitments in relation to the general government deficit limit, the local government sector’s impact on the General Government Balance (GGB) is required to deliver a neutral position each year. The precise manner in which capital and current accounts are managed in order to achieve the overall balance necessary is a matter for individual local authorities themselves. However, within these overall limits, there is additional capacity for new non-mortgage borrowing and the expenditure of capital balances on hand by local authorities, which must be sanctioned by my Department. In reviewing requests for sanction, consideration is given to ensuring that priority infrastructural investment can proceed, that contractual commitments and on-going projects can proceed; and that development contributions already collected and aligned to specific capital projects can be utilised efficiently.
The development levy balances of all local authorities as at 31 December 2012 are as follows:
|
County Councils |
€ |
|
Carlow |
4879598 |
|
Cavan |
1,669,063 |
|
Clare |
3,626,538 |
|
Cork |
33,123,615 |
|
Donegal |
11,398,390 |
|
Fingal |
88,890,737 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown |
100,712,033 |
|
Galway |
1,625,265 |
|
Kerry |
14,531,772 |
|
Kildare |
19,736,071 |
|
Kilkenny |
5,277,455 |
|
Laois |
12,970,235 |
|
Leitrim |
4,348,373 |
|
Limerick |
10,202,221 |
|
Longford |
2,693,263 |
|
Louth |
34,714,758 |
|
Mayo |
3,492,055 |
|
Meath |
16,724,381 |
|
Monaghan |
8,842,966 |
|
North Tipperary |
6,229,900 |
|
Offaly |
8,369,001 |
|
Roscommon |
6,067,833 |
|
Sligo |
619,487 |
|
South Dublin |
51,331,916 |
|
South Tipperary |
13,578,397 |
|
Waterford |
5,963,698 |
|
Westmeath |
6,724,734 |
|
Wexford |
36,276,766 |
|
Wicklow |
5,423,943 |
|
City Councils |
|
|
Cork |
8,040,883 |
|
Dublin |
47,400,718 |
|
Galway |
7,873,710 |
|
Limerick |
4,980,128 |
|
Waterford |
180,759 |
|
Borough & Town Councils* |
|
|
Clonmel |
4,773,483 |
|
Enniscorthy |
236,620 |
|
Drogheda |
4,895,838 |
|
Fermoy |
931,856 |
|
Kilkenny |
1,227,297 |
|
Kells |
741,989 |
|
Sligo |
743,488 |
|
Killarney |
7,858,971 |
|
Wexford |
5,616,361 |
|
Kilrush |
328,838 |
|
Arklow |
10,767,777 |
|
Kinsale |
1,495,192 |
|
Athlone |
1,790,459 |
|
Letterkenny |
922,682 |
|
Athy |
2,365,300 |
|
Listowel |
380,428 |
|
Ballina |
366,115 |
|
Longford |
970,037 |
|
Ballinasloe |
1,183,684 |
|
Macroom |
3,485,866 |
|
Birr |
740,799 |
|
Mallow |
2,784,946 |
|
Bray |
8,406,333 |
|
Midleton |
4,599,693 |
|
Buncrana |
906,261 |
|
Monaghan |
2,302,345 |
|
Bundoran |
629,401 |
|
Naas |
4,496,789 |
|
Carlow |
3,773,140 |
|
Navan |
2,458,790 |
|
Carrick on Suir |
850,699 |
|
Nenagh |
4,374,806 |
|
Carrickmacross |
347,632 |
|
New Ross |
4,249,026 |
|
Cashel |
1,924,640 |
|
Skibbereen |
1,399,091 |
|
Castlebar |
3,407,595 |
|
Templemore |
686,373 |
|
Castleblayney |
684,621 |
|
Thurles |
3,318,286 |
|
Cavan |
3,144,287 |
|
Tipperary |
817,534 |
|
Clonakility |
3,553,062 |
|
Tralee |
2,706,742 |
|
Clones |
32,098 |
|
Trim |
459,708 |
|
Cobh |
969,341 |
|
Tullamore |
1,800,715 |
|
Dundalk |
4,070,486 |
|
Westport |
178,810 |
|
Dungarvan |
260,131 |
|
Wicklow |
1,677,384 |
|
Ennis |
3,589,376 |
|
Youghal |
2,056,777 |
|
Total |
717,260,663 |
252. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of off-the-road declarations for private motor vehicles in 2014; how this compares with figures for 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6540/15]
View answerThe Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 came into effect on 1 July 2013, replacing the retrospective system of declaring vehicles off the road with one where a vehicle must be declared off the road in advance. Figures for the number of retrospective declarations made in the six months to the end of June 2013 are not readily available. Prospective declarations of non-use made between 1 July and 31 December 2013 and in 2014 by owners of private vehicles are set out below.
|
Year |
No. of declarations |
|
2013 (1 July to 31 December) |
89,369 |
|
2014 |
94,818 |
253. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the responsibilities and powers that have been delegated to the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6571/15]
View answerMinister of State Ann Phelan’s responsibilities were extended by the Government in late 2014. In addition to her assignment to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, she has now also been assigned to my Department where she has responsibility for a range of functions relating to Community, Local and Rural Development. Any associated statutory responsibilities/functions to be delegated will be the subject of a formal Delegation of Functions Order in due course.
254. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will consider flying the Amber Flag from his Department buildings, on a chosen day, in order to raise awareness of the Amber Flag programme, which works to raise awareness of mental health issues within second level schools, sports clubs and youth organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6426/15]
View answerMy Department is fully supportive of the promotion of positive mental health. However this Department currently confines itself to flying the National and EU flags in line with current protocols. Any change to this protocol from the Protocol and General Division of the Department of the Taoiseach will be followed by my Department.
255. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the subsidies available to wind farm developers; the incentives and-or tax breaks available and what they amount to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6442/15]
View answerThe Renewable Electricity Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) schemes are the principal means of supporting renewable electricity generators for renewable energy exported to the grid. The schemes operate by guaranteeing a minimum price for renewable energy generation over a 15 year period. There have been two REFIT schemes that provide support to onshore wind: the REFIT 1 scheme for which state aid approval was obtained in September 2007, and the REFIT 2 scheme which opened in March 2012. The support rates in euro per Mega watt hour generated for each scheme are as outlined in the table below.
|
Technology |
2015 Tariffs per MWh (€) |
|
Large Wind (above 5MW) |
69.72 |
|
Small Wind (equal or less than 5MW) |
72.167 |
The REFIT schemes are supported through the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy which is a levy on all electricity customers and is the overall support mechanism for a number of different renewable and non-renewable security of supply plant. There was 1,874 MW of REFIT renewable generation capacity included in the 2014/15 PSO levy period which represents the total megawatts which have become eligible for REFIT payments. Overall, the total projected PSO amount set for the 2014/15 PSO period for the renewable support schemes is €94.3 million out of a total PSO levy of €350.4 million for this period.
There are also tax relief based incentives available such as the Employment and Investment Incentive (EII) Scheme which allows individual investors to obtain income tax relief on investments in renewable energy in each tax year and additional relief in future years if the business has expanded to employ a designated number of people (or if the investment was used for R&D). The scheme has an investment cap of €750,000 and may thus be suited to small industrial renewable energy projects. A number of financial services companies offer EII Funds or portfolios to investors.
The Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) scheme was first introduced in 2008 and extended in Budget 2015 for a further three years. The scheme allows companies to offset the cost of investment in qualifying renewable energy generation technologies, against their tax liabilities in year 1 rather than over a more prolonged period, thus aiding their cash flow.
256. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the direct revenue to the State from the exploitation of the nation's natural resources; and the expected revenue over the next ten years. [6479/15]
View answerAs the term “natural resources” covers a wide range of activity, the question is too broad in scope to allow a complete response from me. I propose therefore to reply only in relation to hydrocarbons and mining which are in my remit. Profits from Ireland’s three producing gas fields are taxed at a corporation rate of 25% (double the standard rate of corporation tax for trading income) and royalties are payable to the State from two of these, the Kinsale and Ballycotton fields, at a rate of 12.5% of the fair market value of the gas at the well head. The combination of tax, royalties and rental fees currently provides for a State take of 40% of net income from these two fields.
Royalties are not payable on production from the Seven Heads Gas field as Ireland moved away from a royalty based payments system to a tax based system in 1987. The rental fees figure for 2014 for the three gas fields totalled €0.77 million. The royalties received in 2014 from the two gas fields, and attributable to production in the period 1 October 2013 to 30 September 2014, was €1.98 million. The direct financial return to the State from the Corrib gas field, which is expected to come into production in 2015, will be through the 25% corporation tax on profits.
There is no commercial production of oil in the Irish offshore.
In June 2014 Government approval was received to revise Ireland’s oil and gas fiscal terms along the lines recommended by international energy consultants Wood Mackenzie. A key recommendation of Wood Mackenzie was that tax rates in respect of new licences should be revised to ensure a higher share for the State from the most profitable fields. This would result in the application of maximum rate of 55% in the case of new licences. My Department is working with the Department of Finance and Revenue Commissioners to give operational effect to this approach.
A report on the non-petroleum mineral sector carried out by independent economic consultants Indecon in 2013 showed that mineral exploration and mining companies contributed a total of €56.6 million in tax and other payments to the Exchequer and to local authorities during 2012. In addition, the State benefits from payments made by mining and prospecting licence holders in the form of royalties, licence fees and other payments. The most recent figures availble for these payments are for 2014, when €6.45 million was received in total, comprising Prospecting Licence fees of €0.34 million, and royalties and rents from State Mining facilities totalling €6.11million. Profits from mining are taxed at 25%.
Several factors impact on the level of State take from a producing gas field or mineral mine, such as the wholesale price of gas and the global price of mineral commodities, which are subject to significant movement over time, as are production levels. As such attempting to accurately estimate future State receipts over the next ten years would be a speculative exercise.
The amount paid in taxation in respect of Ireland's producing mines or gas fields is a matter between the companies concerned and the Revenue Commissioners and not one in respect of which I have a function.
257. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the annual cost of grants under the better energy homes scheme in each year from 2012 to 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6530/15]
View answerThe Better Energy Homes Scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) under the Better Energy Programme. The table below details the number of homes that received energy efficiency measures under the scheme from 2012 to 2014 and the amount of Exchequer funding disbursed on grants to the homeowners.
|
- |
- |
2012 |
- |
2013 |
- |
2014 |
|
Programme |
Homes Grant Aided |
Spend |
Homes Grant Aided |
Spend |
Homes Grant Aided |
Spend |
|
Better Energy Homes |
26,426 |
€28.95m |
13,710 |
€13.16m |
9,927 |
€9.9m |
Since the launch of the Better Energy Homes scheme in 2009 163,471 homes have received energy efficiency upgrades, with the payment of a total of €171 million in grants. This clearly demonstrates the success of this scheme. Nevertheless, the SEAI continues to examine the measures available under this scheme with a view to increasing uptake by new entrants and encouraging householders who have previously benefitted from grant support to undertake deeper retrofit work on their homes. This underlines the importance of the Better Energy Homes Scheme in helping people to reduce their energy costs and improve the comfort of their homes.
258. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to roll-out the use of biofuel pumps across the country (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6576/15]
View answerThe Biofuels Obligation Scheme was introduced in July 2010 as the primary means to meet the target of at least 10% renewable energy in transport by 2020, which was mandated by the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive. The scheme works by obligating road transport fuel suppliers to bring a certain amount of biofuel, currently 6% by volume of total transport fuel sales, to the market. This has seen increased amounts of biofuel used in Ireland since the scheme was introduced and, in 2013, approximately 150 million litres of biofuels were placed on the Irish transport fuel market.
259. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the Aer Lingus regional service (details supplied) passenger figures for Shannon Airport for October, November and December 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6355/15]
View answerStobart Air operates as Aer Lingus Regional under a franchise agreement with Aer Lingus.
Aer Lingus publishes total passenger traffic data on a monthly basis including details of the total passengers carried on Aer Lingus Regional scheduled services. Shannon Airport Authority also publishes full year traffic figures, including figures for 2014, broken down by region.
The figures requested for Aer Lingus Regional's services at Shannon are not publicly available.
