Written Answers Nos. 156-161
156. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the Private College Network complaint (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15995/15]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that a meeting has been arranged between officials from my Department, the Department of Justice and Equality and the Private College Network for Thursday 23rd April. The issues raised by the Network will be discussed at this meeting.
157. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when disability and health organisations will be informed regarding funding following the cross-departmental review that was due to be completed at the end of last month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15871/15]
View answerThe funding Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) in the community and voluntary sector aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. Applications for a new round of funding, which commenced on 1 July 2014, were subject to an appraisal process. 55 applications were approved for funding for the two-year period from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2016. A number of previously funded organisations were not approved for funding on this occasion. Pobal were asked to undertake the management of the scheme and, in that context, put in place a dedicated team to deal with any inquiries from applicants and to provide detailed feedback. Furthermore, an appeals process was put in place, on foot of which Pobal submitted a report, which is currently being considered.
On 18 July 2014, it was announced that bridging funding of €1.4million would be allocated for a twelve month period to a number of previously funded health, disability and other organisations that were not approved for funding under the new scheme, pending the carrying out of a review of the public funding of national organisations in the health and disability sector. This bridging funding in 2014/2015 will enable organisations to plan for their future, whether with or without State support, such as that provided under the SSNO. Details of the bridging funding provided are set out in the table below.
The review process is well underway and is being advanced in consultation with the Department of Health. The review is designed to rationalise the funding of these organisations to ensure efficiency in the use of public money and avoidance of duplication, while providing appropriate support to organisations working in the sector. The Health Service Executive and Pobal are also participating in the review. All organisations in receipt of bridging funding have been contacted to make submissions as part of the review process. A number of meetings have also taken place with representative organisations, including the Disability Federation of Ireland. I intend to complete and publish the outcome of the review in the coming weeks.
Bridging Funding Provided 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015
|
Body |
€ |
|
Arthritis Ireland |
53,882 |
|
Asperger Syndrome Association of Ireland Ltd |
41,448 |
|
Asthma Society of Ireland |
41,448 |
|
Breaking Through Limited |
58,028 |
|
Chronic Pain Ireland Limited |
37,304 |
|
Dyslexia Association of Ireland |
62,172 |
|
Genetic and Inherited Disorders Organisation Ltd |
16,580 |
|
GROW in Ireland |
16,580 |
|
Huntington's Disease Association of Ireland Limited |
19,066 |
|
Irish Deaf Society The National Association of the Deaf Limited |
62,172 |
|
Irish Heart Foundation |
41,448 |
|
Irish Mountain Rescue Association |
58,028 |
|
Irish National Council of Attention Deficit Disorder Support (INCADDS) |
33,158 |
|
Irish Stammering Association |
24,868 |
|
Migraine Association of Ireland Ltd |
29,014 |
|
Motor Neuron disease Association |
24,868 |
|
MOVE Ireland |
41,448 |
|
Muintir na Tíre |
70,462 |
|
Muscular Dystrophy Ireland |
37,304 |
|
National Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Ireland Limited |
37,304 |
|
National Association for Youth Drama Ltd |
29,014 |
|
New Communities Partnership (NCP) Ltd |
74,606 |
|
Peter Bradley Foundation Limited |
41,448 |
|
Post Polio Support Group Limited |
24,868 |
|
Safe Ireland |
74,606 |
|
Show Racism The Red Card Limited |
29,014 |
|
Suas Educational Development |
37,304 |
|
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland |
62,172 |
|
The Carers Association Limited |
62,172 |
|
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland |
49,738 |
|
The Neurological Alliance of Ireland |
49,738 |
|
The Union of Voluntary Organisations of People with Disabilities |
45,592 |
158. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has concerns regarding Irish Water becoming technically insolvent as it is a private company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15830/15]
View answerSince 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Its operating and capital cost plans are reviewed by the Commission for Energy Regulation. I have no concerns about Irish Water becoming insolvent.
159. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has estimated the number of units to be bought by councils from developers, and the number to be leased under the new Part V rules, to be contained in the forthcoming Planning and Development (No. 1) Bill; the increases he is allocating to the capital and current budgets of local authorities to cover the costs involved; and his Department's estimate of the average purchase price of houses and apartments to be bought under the new Part V scheme. [15831/15]
View answerUnder the existing Part V provisions, developers are required to ensure that up to 20% of land zoned for residential and other uses, shall be reserved for social or affordable housing. However, with the substantial fall off in private construction, very little social housing is currently being provided under Part V. Informed by a recent review of the Part V provisions, which included a public consultation process, my Department has incorporated the required legislative changes into the General Scheme of the Planning and Development (No 1) Bill which was published in November 2014 and is available on my Department’s website at: http://www.environ.ie/en/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,39512,en.pdf.
The General Scheme of the Bill was the subject of pre-legislative scrutiny by the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. The Bill is currently being drafted in consultation with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel with a view to publication in the coming weeks and enactment before the summer recess.
The General Scheme provides that, in future, the focus of Part V will be on the delivery of social housing, with a requirement for up to 10% social housing in developments in excess of 9 units. In the operation of these revised Part V arrangements, the priority will be to secure social housing units on-site; the making of cash payments in lieu of social housing is to be discontinued.
The changes to the Part V provisions that are proposed are an important component of the range of delivery mechanisms that will help to achieve the targets set out in the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020 – Support, Supply and Reform. It is estimated that in the region of 4,000 additional social housing units will be delivered by 2020 under the revised Part V provisions, using a range of delivery options including leasing mechanisms. My Department has written to local authorities highlighting the importance of ensuring that Part V agreements are discharged in ways that maximise the potential for the immediate delivery of social housing units. I am committed to the principle of a social housing gain from private development and I believe that the Part V mechanism has the potential to be a significant contributor to social housing in the context of a recovering housing market.
It is not possible to estimate either the precise number of units that may become available under Part V or their cost. In targeting the supply of 35,000 additional social housing units under the Social Housing Strategy 2020 over the next 6 years, including units under Part V, the Government has estimated the total cost to the Exchequer at €3.8 billion. The substantial additional funding provided through Budget 2015 will provide the required kick start to the delivery of the targets in the Strategy and I am confident that my recent announcement of over €1.5 billion for the delivery of the targets out to 2017 will meet the full delivery cost of these units. The scale of ambition represented in these targets and the accompanying funding allocations illustrate that housing is of the highest priority for this Government.
My Department monitors build and acquisition costs of housing on an ongoing basis and data on house prices is amongst the range of housing statistics which are available on my Department ’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,15295,en.xls.
160. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in the case of a leak in the pipes of council tenant properties, the person responsible for fixing them, and in the case of private tenant properties, if the landlord or the tenant is responsible. [15833/15]
View answerWith the installation of domestic water meters, it becomes possible to identify domestic properties with leaks. If Irish Water suspects that there is a leak at a domestic property it will inform the property owner/occupier accordingly. The occupier will also be able to check this as it will usually manifest itself as a high meter read or a continuous flow of water through the meter. If the leak is on the public side of the infrastructure it is the responsibility of Irish Water to locate and fix the leak. If the leak is on the private side of the supply pipe it is the responsibility of the owner to locate and fix the leak, as set out in the Water Services Act 2007.
However, the Government has agreed to provide additional funding to Irish Water for their capital investment to include a free first fix scheme which will cover leaks between the boundary of the property and the dwelling (but will not include leaks internal to the dwelling). Irish Water has submitted a draft first fix scheme to the CER. On 15 April the CER launched a public consultation in relation to the draft scheme. Full details of this consultation are available on CER's website, www.cer.ie.
161. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide for each local authority the number of applications for housing adaptation grants for necessary works to the homes of council tenants that are currently awaiting funding from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15842/15]
View answerMy Department provides funding to local authorities for various social housing supports, including for adaptations and extensions to the social housing stock to meet the needs of local authority tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. Funding provided by my Department meets 90% of the cost of such works, with each local authority providing the remaining 10%. The administration of the grants is a matter for individual local authorities and, therefore, information in relation to the number of applications received by each authority is not available in my Department. My Department has received proposals in relation to the scheme for 2015 from each local authority. The proposals are currently being examined with a view to allocating funding to each authority shortly.
