Written Answers Nos. 548-569
548. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of funding that has been released by his Department, for bringing vacant properties back into productive use. [17632/15]
View answer549. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of voids in Dublin city, out of the total 1,046, that have been brought back into productive use since December 2014. [17633/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 549 together.
The allocation of funding to local authorities of some €20m from my Department in respect of the 2015 programme to bring vacant units back to productive use will be made shortly. This allocation will also set out the number of targeted units per local authority. For 2015, a target of 1,000 vacant units to be returned to productive use has been set as part of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. The Strategy also outlines that for the future, funding for work by local authorities to return vacant social housing units to productive will be linked to local authorities putting in place ongoing maintenance programmes to address the issue of vacant properties.
While funding from my Department will support local authorities in dealing with an amount of vacant units, it is the case for all local authorities that social housing units become vacant on an ongoing basis and many are returned to productive use as part of the normal management of stock by the authorities.
550. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of homeless households that have been housed in Dublin since December 2014, and if this is in line with the target of providing homes for 500 persons by June 2015. [17634/15]
View answer551. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of funding that has been released by his Department since the adaption of Dublin City Council’s budget 2015 to tackle homelessness in Dublin City. [17635/15]
View answer552. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for the use of the hotel, under the control of the National Asset Management Agency, to provide accommodation for homeless families. [17636/15]
View answer553. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if Dublin City Council can use any apartment properties under the control of the National Asset Management Agency for temporary emergency accommodation. [17637/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 550 to 553, inclusive, together.
A range of measures are being taken to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation to house homeless households and mobilise the necessary supports nationally in order to deliver on the Government's target of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. These measures are set out in the Government's Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessness (May 2014) and in the Action Plan to Address Homelessness (December 2014). These include measures with regard to NAMA property and the allocation of housing units by key housing authorities to homeless and other vulnerable households. Progress in implementing these plans is reported through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform. The plans and progress reports are available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/SpecialNeeds/HomelessPeople/ .
South Dublin County Council has recently completed the purchase of a NAMA apartment block, as the preferred option to a hotel property, which will operate as an assessment centre for homeless families providing 65 units of accommodation. A service level agreement has been put in place with a provider and it is expected that this facility will be fully operational by June. My Department continues to work closely with NAMA, the Housing Agency, local authorities and approved housing bodies in relation to the delivery of social housing. NAMA has made significant numbers of housing units available through the Housing Agency to local authorities and approved housing bodies for social housing use including addressing homelessness. This includes units provided through the NAMA special purpose vehicle, the National Asset Residential Property Services. Information in relation to the delivery of NAMA sourced units, including a full breakdown by county of units delivered on a quarterly basis, is available on the Housing Agency’s website at www.housing.ie/NAMA .
I am confident that significant numbers of social housing units will continue to be delivered through this process.
Successfully tackling the current homelessness issue demands that a higher priority be afforded to homeless households in the allocation of housing. Accordingly, I issued a Direction to a number of key housing authorities on 27 January 2015 to prioritise homeless and other vulnerable households. This Direction applies for six months, from 27 January 2015 to 26 July 2015. Under this Direction each of the Dublin housing authorities must ensure that at least 50% of the dwellings available for allocation under Section 22 of the 2009 Act during the specified period will be allocated to such households that had qualified for social housing support on or before 1 December 2014. It is expected that this intervention will deliver approximately 500 homes for households in the Dublin Region. Housing authorities will be reporting on the first 3-months operation of this Direction very shortly.
As regards funding, I have made an additional €10.5 million of ‘Section 10’ funding available for homeless accommodation and services across the country in 2015. This is an increase in funding of over 20%, bringing the Exchequer contribution to €55.5 million. The 2015 regional allocations are currently being finalised with a view to their confirmation shortly. Housing authorities also contribute to the funding costs for their areas from their own resources. In 2014, my Department provided €35.3 million in Exchequer funding to Dublin City Council, as the lead authority for the Dublin Region, under Section 10 arrangements. To date in 2015, my Department has recouped €4,698,333 in ‘Section 10’ funding to Dublin City Council – further payments will be made upon receipt of quarterly reports from the Council.
554. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of money that has been allocated in 2015 to approved housing bodies; and the details of the proposed developments. [17638/15]
View answerFunding to approved housing bodies is allocated to them on the basis of proposals they make in respect of social housing provision which have been approved by local authorities and my Department. These proposals must be viable, meet housing need and represent value for money.
Under my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme, approved housing bodies are already implementing projects for the construction and/or acquisition of social housing to meet the needs of people with special needs, which were approved in May 2014; details of those projects are available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,38066,en.docx
Approved housing bodies were recently invited to submit further proposals under the Capital Assistance Scheme, in line with the increased targets set under the Social Housing Strategy. These proposals will now be assessed by my Department and project approvals, where appropriate, will be issued to the local authorities and approved housing bodies. This year over €70 million has been made available for the advancement of projects under the Capital Assistance Scheme, of which €5.5 million will be self-funded by certain local authorities through local property tax receipts.
Under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP), both local authorities and approved housing bodies can submit proposals for approval to my Department throughout the year. SHCEP is a national fund without individual local authority or approved housing body funding allocations.
555. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the name, specific remit, powers and operating time frame of the senior counsel appointed to investigate planning irregularities in County Donegal following on from the June 2013 High Court case; if Dáil Éireann will be consulted on the remit of the investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17652/15]
View answerI have considered what next steps need to be taken in respect of certain Donegal County Council planning matters taking account of advice from the Office of the Attorney General. My Department is finalising arrangements for the imminent appointment of a Senior Counsel, on a non-statutory basis, nominated by the Attorney General to prepare a report in relation to these matters in line with terms of reference which have been agreed in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General. The arrangements involved will be announced in due course.
556. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will publish the report into planning irregularities in six local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17653/15]
View answerMacCabe Durney Barnes Consultants were appointed in February 2014 to carry out an independent planning review on the performance of planning functions in six selected planning authorities (Carlow, Cork, Galway and Meath County Councils and Cork and Dublin City Councils) in accordance with section 255 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended.
I expect to receive the final report from the consultants shortly and I subsequently intend to publish it having considered its contents.
557. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of water meters installed to date, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17654/15]
View answerThe Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group (now Ervia) and assigned the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the domestic water metering programme. I have no responsibility for the rollout of the metering programme.
However, I understand that water meters are 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 the end of 2016. The installation rates are reported by regional contractor for their respective region, rather than by county. The number of meters installed per region to 1 May 2015 is set out in the table.
|
Region |
Number of meters installed |
|
North West |
69,176 |
|
West |
80,057 |
|
South West |
76,175 |
|
North East |
98,376 |
|
Dublin City |
60,727 |
|
Midlands |
89,646 |
|
County Dublin |
120,986 |
|
South East |
67,098 |
|
Total |
662,241 |
Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
558. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of households currently in receipt of the housing assistance payment; if the roll-out of the payment is on track to be available in all local authorities and to 8,400 households by the end of 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17674/15]
View answerThe implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. The HAP scheme will bring all social housing supports provided by the State under the aegis of local authorities. The scheme will remove a barrier to employment by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment. HAP will also improve regulation of the rented accommodation being supported and provide certainty for landlords as regards their rental income.
The Social Housing Strategy 2020 is based on a multi-annual approach to delivery over two phases:
- Phase 1, building on Budget 2015 announcements – a target of 32,000 HAP/RAS units by end 2017, and
- Phase 2, 2018-2020 – a target of 43,000 HAP/RAS units by end 2020.
Further to this, the specific delivery target for the HAP scheme in 2015 is 8,400.
Following the enactment of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 on 28 July 2014, the first phase of the HAP statutory pilot commenced with effect from 15 September 2014 in Limerick City and County Council, Waterford City and County Council and Cork County Council. HAP commenced in Louth, Kilkenny, South Dublin and Monaghan County Councils from 1 October. Subsequently, on 18 December, Dublin City Council became part of the statutory HAP pilot, with a specific focus on accommodating homeless households. Dublin City Council is implementing the HAP pilot for homeless households in the Dublin region on behalf of all 4 Dublin local authorities.
There are now over 1,600 households in receipt of HAP across the local authority areas taking part in the statutory pilot scheme.
During the legislation’s passage through the Oireachtas in July 2014 an undertaking was given that a progress report would be prepared for the relevant Oireachtas Committee. I can confirm that data from the pilot sites has been gathered and I submitted a report to the Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht last month. Based on the findings of that review, consideration is currently being given to the sequencing of a further cohort of local authorities to commence HAP on an incremental basis this year. These additional local authorities will assist in achieving the 2015 HAP delivery target as set out in the Strategy.
561. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown, in tabular form, of the amount of funding allocated to each local authority for housing adaptation grants for elderly or disabled persons from 2008 to 2015; the number of persons who availed of the grant in each of these years; the average payment per recipient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17711/15]
View answerInformation on the funding provided by my Department to local authorities for the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability is available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/ by selecting ‘Social and Affordable Housing’, ‘Housing Adaptation Grants by Area 2008 to date’.
The average payment per recipient in 2014 was €3,234 for Mobility Aids Grants, €3,714 for Housing Aid for Older People Grants and €7,930 for Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability.
Exchequer funding of over €37 million was provided by my Department to local authorities in 2014 for these grants. Combined with an additional 20% contribution by individual local authorities, there was an overall spend last year of €46.3 million in this area. I am pleased to confirm that the 2015 amount will increase by some 10% to give a combined spend of €50.5 million. The 2015 allocations are currently under consideration in my Department and will issue to local authorities shortly.
562. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown, in tabular form, per local authority, of the number of persons on the social housing waiting list from 2008 to 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17712/15]
View answerThe statutory social housing needs assessments carried out in 2008, 2011 and 2013 detail the number of households on social housing waiting lists during the period concerned, broken down by each local authority.
The full results of the assessments undertaken in 2008 to 2013 are available on my Department’s website at the following links:
2008: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,27868,en.pdf
2011: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,27864,en.pdf
2013: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,34857,en.pdf
The 2013 figures are the most up-to-date figures available on waiting list numbers, which are subject to on-going fluctuation due to households being allocated housing and new households applying for housing support. However, the 2013 results cannot be directly compared to previous results given that this latest summary employed updated methodologies and was the first to be carried out under the new 2011 Social Housing Assessment Regulations.
In order to ensure that the most up to date and comprehensive data is available on an on-going basis, relating to the numbers applying for social housing support, the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020, published in November 2014, includes a number of actions to standardise assessment and increase the regularity of assessments including undertaking the summary of social housing assessments on an annual basis from 2016 onwards.
563. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the dispute mechanisms available to tenants of voluntary housing associations, who have a dispute with the housing association; if there is an independent third party that they can refer a dispute to for resolution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17737/15]
View answerA number of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) provide internal dispute resolution facilities, including mediation, for their tenants; however, where it is not possible to resolve a dispute between an AHB and their tenant, the dispute must ultimately be resolved before the Courts.
The current law for AHB tenancies is based on a combination of tenancy agreements, the Landlord and Tenant Acts and the common law. The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 applies only to the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector.
However, the Residential Tenancies (Amendment)(No.2) Bill 2012, currently before the Oireachtas, provides for the extension of the provisions of the 2004 Act to the AHB sector. Following enactment, tenants and landlords in the sector will be able to refer disputes to the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) for resolution thus providing them with an accessible and independent means of resolving a dispute.
This Bill represents a significant further evolutionary step in the development of the rented sector and underpins the concept of tenure neutrality that was outlined in the Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement. The Bill has passed all stages in the Dáil together with Second Stage in the Seanad. It is intended to return to the Seanad for Committee Stage in the coming weeks.
565. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the housing assistance payment will be made available in County Meath. [17754/15]
View answerThe implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020, which I published on 26 November 2014. The HAP scheme will bring all social housing supports provided by the State under the aegis of local authorities. The scheme will remove a barrier to employment by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment. HAP will also improve regulation of the rented accommodation being supported and provide certainty for landlords as regards their rental income.
Further to the enactment of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 on 28 July 2014, the first phase of the HAP statutory pilot commenced with effect from 15 September 2014 in Limerick City and County Council, Waterford City and County Council and Cork County Council. HAP commenced in Louth, Kilkenny, South Dublin and Monaghan County Councils from 1 October. Subsequently, on 18 December, Dublin City Council became part of the statutory HAP pilot, with a specific focus on accommodating homeless households. Dublin City Council is implementing the HAP pilot for homeless households in the Dublin region on behalf of all 4 Dublin local authorities.
There are now over 1,600 households in receipt of HAP across the local authority areas taking part in the statutory pilot scheme.
During the legislation’s passage through the Oireachtas in July 2014 an undertaking was given that a progress report would be prepared for the relevant Oireachtas Committee. I can confirm that data from the pilot sites has been gathered and I submitted a report to the Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht last month. Based on the findings of that review, consideration is currently being given to the sequencing of a further cohort of local authorities to commence HAP on an incremental basis this year. While no implementation date has yet been confirmed, my Department is in contact with Meath County Council in relation to their inclusion in the next phase of the pilot.
566. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of the development levy fund in each local authority area; if he will provide, in tabular form, the amount collectable by local councils, in each county; and the amount set aside for bad debt; if he will make provision for all councils to expand this fund, in the provision of essential community projects and infrastructure developments, as a matter of urgency. [17814/15]
View answerMy role as Minister with regard to development contributions is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each local authority. The adoption of these schemes is a reserved function of the locally elected members of each planning authority. It is a matter for the members to determine the level of contribution and the types of development to which they will apply. Similarly, and as with all local charges, the invoicing and collection of any outstanding development contributions is a matter for the planning authority concerned to manage in the light of prevailing local circumstances and in accordance with normal financial procedures. Where any payments required in respect of development contributions are not settled, such payments may be pursued by the planning authority through the courts as a contract debt and until such time as amounts outstanding are discharged in full, the conditions of the relevant planning permission are regarded as not having been met with the development concerned being unauthorised.
Information on the monetary value of development contribution balances on hand (collected at year end and not spent) is not available in my Department. In relation to development levy debtors and amounts collectable, local authorities are obliged to include data on current and long-term development levy debtors in their Annual Financial Statements. The figures requested are set out in the table below which outlines the position at the end of 2013. The audited figures for 2014 are not yet available. Current debtors are debts due in the current year, and long term debtors are debts due in respect of periods greater than one year. An annual breakdown in respect of long term debtors is not available.
Data on bad debt provisions relating to current development levy debtors, is also included in the table and is sourced from Quarterly Debtor Reports collected from local authorities by my Department.
|
County Council |
Current Development Levy Debtors € * |
Current Development Levy Bad Debt Provision € ** |
Long Term Development Levy Debtors (net of bad debt provision) € *** |
|
Carlow |
1,241,623 |
1,099,489 |
1,527,779 |
|
Cavan |
656,147 |
175,000 |
4,359,922 |
|
Clare |
4,405,242 |
5,122,821 |
2,014,553 |
|
Cork |
8,737,494 |
8,813,728 |
40,778,678 |
|
Donegal |
726,045 |
0 |
3,892,885 |
|
Fingal |
50,058,710 |
45,267,003 |
30,881,531 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown |
38,782,901 |
33,282,901 |
40,936,147 |
|
Galway |
1,795,486 |
500,000 |
15,500,000 |
|
Kerry |
1,968,224 |
630,000 |
119,620 |
|
Kildare |
3,723,972 |
1,861,987 |
9,493,504 |
|
Kilkenny |
5,302,041 |
4,800,000 |
0 |
|
Laois |
1,017,685 |
101,769 |
2,383,496 |
|
Leitrim |
980,675 |
218,383 |
1,716,919 |
|
Limerick |
28,713,036 |
27,486,305 |
99,173 |
|
Longford |
2,483,405 |
2,232,795 |
568,000 |
|
Louth |
2,337,033 |
1,386,163 |
2,313,966 |
|
Mayo |
9,576,292 |
5,982,115 |
293,385 |
|
Meath |
16,462,721 |
14,384,669 |
6,884,602 |
|
Monaghan |
869,610 |
223,389 |
2,928,245 |
|
North Tipperary |
1,264,888 |
500,356 |
718,286 |
|
Offaly |
3,446,581 |
2,363,000 |
81,046 |
|
Roscommon |
12,263,242 |
10,000,000 |
422,979 |
|
Sligo |
194,000 |
118,500 |
775,866 |
|
South Dublin |
4,575,135 |
878,772 |
12,089,003 |
|
South Tipperary |
941,525 |
470,763 |
1,246,350 |
|
Waterford |
2,412,117 |
1,085,453 |
0 |
|
Westmeath |
2,243,180 |
1,866,199 |
0 |
|
Wexford |
10,114,348 |
3,892,247 |
5,977,516 |
|
Wicklow |
5,722,097 |
150,000 |
0 |
|
City Council |
|
|
|
|
Cork |
5,367,431 |
4,312,200 |
1,981,555 |
|
Dublin |
22,227,479 |
17,781,984 |
15,155,717 |
|
Galway |
3,589,318 |
3,376,433 |
3,294,287 |
|
Limerick |
1,398,355 |
869,092 |
138,875 |
|
Waterford |
413,173 |
376,918 |
192,725 |
|
Borough Council**** |
|
|
|
|
Clonmel |
329,725 |
164,862 |
33,016 |
|
Drogheda |
4,557,856 |
1,643,428 |
242,010 |
|
Kilkenny |
2,072,317 |
1,700,000 |
0 |
|
Sligo |
196,000 |
93,000 |
381,591 |
|
Wexford |
2,504,629 |
833,873 |
0 |
|
Town Council**** |
Current Development Levy Debtors € * |
Current Development Levy Bad Debt Provision € ** |
Long Term Development Levy Debtors (net of bad debt provision) € *** |
|
Arklow |
419,929 |
0 |
1,501,517 |
|
Athlone |
1,457,503 |
1,335,101 |
0 |
|
Athy |
53,214 |
26,607 |
211,511 |
|
Ballina |
172,413 |
170,000 |
0 |
|
Ballinasloe |
548,713 |
359,000 |
324,000 |
|
Birr |
505,554 |
204,914 |
0 |
|
Bray |
246,244 |
20,000 |
533,415 |
|
Buncrana |
7,163 |
39,163 |
240,000 |
|
Bundoran |
390,626 |
0 |
0 |
|
Carlow |
1,428,499 |
1,350,000 |
99,269 |
|
Carrick on Suir |
190,312 |
173,939 |
590,479 |
|
Carrickmacross |
10,386 |
0 |
50,249 |
|
Cashel |
124,950 |
62,475 |
25,690 |
|
Castlebar |
851,365 |
700,000 |
0 |
|
Castleblayney |
408,716 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cavan |
43,658 |
77,566 |
238,307 |
|
Clonakilty |
779,967 |
616,305 |
32,766 |
|
Clones |
25,125 |
20,000 |
0 |
|
Cobh |
143,728 |
27,834 |
0 |
|
Dundalk |
1,281,842 |
1,120,792 |
5,501,053 |
|
Dungarvan |
327,776 |
208,140 |
0 |
|
Ennis |
1,261,327 |
1,200,000 |
0 |
|
Enniscorthy |
134,187 |
134,187 |
234,859 |
|
Fermoy |
155,771 |
138,083 |
0 |
|
Kells |
113,320 |
65,000 |
0 |
|
Killarney |
261,730 |
174,087 |
121,443 |
|
Kilrush |
8,623 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kinsale |
551,277 |
247,767 |
0 |
|
Letterkenny |
1,034,159 |
817,319 |
0 |
|
Listowel |
175,944 |
150,000 |
0 |
|
Longford |
1,826,178 |
1,629,494 |
162,000 |
|
Macroom |
380,849 |
138,899 |
68,225 |
|
Mallow |
1,790,543 |
287,896 |
76,140 |
|
Midleton |
250,550 |
233,633 |
0 |
|
Monaghan |
928,375 |
50,366 |
4,306 |
|
Naas |
1,508,499 |
413,221 |
300,498 |
|
Navan |
658,564 |
125,875 |
0 |
|
Nenagh |
1,323,756 |
121,356 |
120,370 |
|
New Ross |
690,281 |
406,156 |
221,514 |
|
Town Council (cont’d) |
Current Development Levy Debtors € * |
Current Development Levy Bad Debt Provision € ** |
Long Term Development Levy Debtors (net of bad debt provision) € *** |
|
Skibbereen |
602,361 |
576,895 |
0 |
|
Templemore |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Thurles |
705,333 |
600,000 |
173,990 |
|
Tipperary |
10,382 |
5,190 |
428,567 |
|
Tralee |
400,668 |
218,688 |
282,728 |
|
Trim |
193,191 |
120,000 |
0 |
|
Tullamore |
120,516 |
50,000 |
4,510 |
|
Westport |
633,323 |
450,867 |
0 |
|
Wicklow |
938,702 |
231,548 |
0 |
|
Youghal |
355,280 |
187,525 |
0 |
|
Total |
292,103,110 |
221,331,484 |
220,970,631 |
* Current Development Levy Debtors:
Source = audited local authority Annual Financial Statements 2013.
** Current Development Contribution Bad Debt Provision:
Source = Q4 2013 Quarterly Management Report on local authority debtors.
*** Long Term Development Levy Debtors:
Source = audited local authority Annual Financial Statements 2013.
**** Borough and Town Councils have since been amalgamated with City and County Councils under the Local Government Reform Act 2014.
567. Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for the regeneration of Dominick Street, Dublin 1; if he has approved funding for the work; when the work is due to begin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17816/15]
View answerA Capital Appraisal for the regeneration of the Dominick Street flats complex was submitted to my Department by Dublin City Council at the end of January 2015, in accordance with the requirements of the Capital Works Management Framework. This is currently under consideration and my Department will be in contact with the City Council as quickly as possible.
568. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will implement a rural proofing strategy in conjunction with the Minister of State for Rural Affairs, aimed at revitalising rural towns and villages, and maintaining vital services such as post offices, schools, Garda stations, health facilities, and so on; if he will implement the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas reports, in tandem with the rural proofing strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17817/15]
View answerMinister Kelly and I are committed to supporting the development of rural Ireland, including its towns and villages. In this regard, we are also committed to advancing the implementation of the CEDRA Report recommendations and to ensuring that national and local systems and programmes facilitate and support rural development and rural communities.
To facilitate this agenda, I established the CEDRA Interdepartmental Group (IDG), comprising senior representatives of all relevant Government Departments. As Chair of that Group, I am working to ensure that the work that is being progressed across Government Departments has a rural focus and reflects the challenges and issues facing rural Ireland. This in effect, provides an important system for rural proofing.
In addition to this, both Minister Kelly and I have indicated recently that we intend to advance the implementation of recommendation 1 of CEDRA Report, which calls for the development of a Rural Policy Statement. Work on this will begin shortly and I am confident that this will provide a framework to ensure that due consideration is given to the challenges and issues facing rural communities and will support the alignment of policy design and implementation frameworks.
569. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the duties and/or responsibilities that have been delegated to the Minister of State (details supplied) in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17832/15]
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 taken on additional responsibilities in my Department, which include a range of functions relating to Community, Local and Rural Development. The need for a formal Delegation of Functions Order in relation to any associated statutory responsibilities/functions will be kept under review.
