Written Answers Nos. 222 to 231
222. Deputy Seán Conlan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is liable for breaches of the Planning and Development Acts by Monaghan County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24108/15]
View answerLocal authorities are independent statutory bodies with democratically elected councils and their own management systems and structures and are, accordingly, responsible for their own actions.
223. Deputy Gabrielle McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason funding under the scheme to support national organisations allocated in May 2015 has decreased from a total figure of €1.4 million in 2014 to the current figure of €1.32 million; his views that this cut will impact on these vital services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24111/15]
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 totalling approximately €8 million 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. On 18 July 2014, it was announced that bridging funding of €1.4 million would be allocated for a twelve month period to thirty-two 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.
On 25 May 2015 I announced that funding will be provided from 1 July this year to 30 June 2016 following a review in relation to the impact of the cessation of their current funding on 30 June 2015. This funding is being provided to thirty of the thirty-two organisations previously in receipt of bridging funding, including all health and disability organisations. This further support will be based on current levels of funding to the organisations in question and is being provided through a Developmental Scheme to Support National Organisations (DSSNO). The funding, totalling €1.32 million, to be provided to each organisation is set out in the table below, and each organisation is allocated the same amount of funding over the 12 months from 1 July 2015 under DSSNO as provided in the 12 months to 30 June 2015 under bridging funding.
It is envisaged that the new Scheme to Support National Organisations will be advertised in early 2016 and groups funded under the 2014-2016 Scheme to Support National Organisations and the recently announced Developmental Scheme to Support National Organisations will be required to apply for funding under the single SSNO Scheme and meet the criteria required for funding.
|
Funding allocated under Developmental Scheme to Support National Organisations 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 |
€ |
|
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 Neurone 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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
224. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to provide an update regarding the provision of a National Asset Management Agency hotel to accommodate homeless persons including the location of the hotel and the date it will open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24124/15]
View answerAs originally identified in the December 2014 Action Plan to Address Homelessness, my Department has been liaising with South Dublin County Council regarding a NAMA property which will provide 65 units of accommodation and a single assessment centre for homeless families. The 65 units of standard residential accommodation were considered to have greater long-term potential than a hotel property. These units have now been purchased through the NAMA Special Purpose Vehicle NARPS. An approved housing body has been selected to manage and operate the units in association while support for families will be provided through Focus Ireland. The facility is expected to be operational imminently. The units will, in the first instance, be used to provide more appropriate accommodation on a temporary basis for families currently accommodated in hotels, prior to securing more long-term sustainable tenancies.
225. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update regarding the implementation of the Social Housing Strategy 2015 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24125/15]
View answerSince the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 in November 2014 positive progress on the implementation of the measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing and reform delivery arrangements has been made. A clear governance structure has been put in place, which Minister of State Paudie Coffey and I personally oversee, to ensure delivery of all actions. Dedicated groups have been established in Dublin and Cork with a lead role in driving increased delivery of social housing in these important areas.
In the context of the delivery of new social housing units, ambitious targets have been set for local authorities for the period 2015 – 2017 with the announcement on 1 April 2015 of over €1.5 billion to be invested in a combination of building, purchase and leasing schemes, to accommodate 25% of those currently on the social housing waiting lists. Full details of the targets and provisional allocations for each local authority are available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41016,en.htm.
On 5 May 2015, I announced funding of €312 million for the first tranche of the local authority direct-build social housing programme under the Strategy. This announcement covers over 100 separate housing projects, providing 1,700 units across all 31 local authorities and details are available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41340,en.htm.
Further announcements of new unit delivery under the Capital Assistance Scheme and the broader social housing investment programmes will be made in the coming weeks and months.
The implementation of HAP has been progressing at increased pace. There are now over 2,200 households in receipt of HAP across the country and by the end of June HAP will be available in 13 local authority areas including South Dublin with HAP available in respect of homeless households in all Dublin local authorities.
The dedicated Finance Working Group, with appropriate membership from within my own Department, the Department of Finance, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Housing Finance Agency, has commenced Work on Public Private Partnership proposals. Engagement between the NDFA is on-going and a site selection process is at an advanced stage.
Proposed legislative changes to Part V provisions have been set out in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015 which was published on 5 June. In future, the focus of Part V will be on the delivery of completed social housing units, with a requirement for up to 10% social housing in developments of 10 or more units. The Bill also proposes a more concerted focus on the delivery of completed Part V units instead of, for example, the making of cash payments instead, being discontinued.
Research into off-balance sheet and more sustainable forms of funding, including the development of a new Strategic Housing Fund, are also currently being assessed. A protocol was put in place in March 2015 under the auspices of the Finance Work Stream to facilitate individuals and entities seeking to engage with the State to provide investment for the delivery of social housing. A single point of contact for submitting proposals has been established - the Social Housing Proposals Clearing House Group - which operates through my Department, under the oversight of the Finance Work Stream. Interested parties are invited to contact the Clearing House at newfundingmodels@environ.ie.
As part of the process, I held a conference in March 2015 entitled ‘Financing and Delivering Ireland’s Social Housing Strategy’ in Dublin. The conference was attended by more than two hundred domestic and overseas financiers and investors as well as developers, voluntary housing associations, local authorities, Government departments and public bodies.
The powers of local authorities to deal with anti-social behaviour and the repossession of local authority dwellings were significantly enhanced with the commencement of Part 2 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 on 13 April 2015.
It is recognised that the Social Housing Strategy sets out ambitious targets for the delivery and reform of social housing and I am determined to see all the targets and measures fulfilled and implemented.
226. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the housing targets that each of the Dublin local authorities has to achieve for the Social Housing Strategy 2015 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24126/15]
View answerSocial housing is a key priority for this Government, as evidenced by the additional €2.2 billion in funding announced for it in Budget 2015 and the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 in November 2014. 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 circa 90,000 households on the housing waiting lists. Social housing targets have been set for each local authority out to 2017 and are available on my Department’s website, along with the provisional funding allocations, at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41016,en.htm .
227. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the action being taken to ensure the welfare of children and pregnant women who are homeless or in emergency accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24128/15]
View answerA range of measures are being taken to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation for homeless households and mobilise the necessary supports in order to deliver on the Government's target of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. These measures have been identified 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 Plans represent a whole-of-Government approach to dealing with homelessness and the implementation of measures identified in these plans is being overseen by a group of senior officials drawn from key State agencies dealing with homelessness, housing, welfare, healthcare and related services including the Departments of Health and Children and Youth Affairs, Tusla (the Child and Family Agency) and the Health Service Executive.
Appropriate measures with regard to healthcare and child welfare are included among the actions. 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/ .
228. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, a breakdown of the cost to the State of providing the rental accommodation scheme, the housing assistance payment and social leasing schemes in 2014 and to date in 2015. [24164/15]
View answer229. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the current number of recipients under the rental accommodation scheme; the housing assistance payment; and social leasing support. [24165/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 229 together.
The information requested in relation to the cost of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SCHEP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme for the year 2014 and to date in 2015 is set out in the following table.
|
Scheme |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) |
€394,472.90 |
€2,824,827.78 (end of May 2015) |
|
Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SCHEP) |
*€34,844,781 |
*€6,345,473 (end of May 2015) |
|
Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) |
€133,512,889 |
**€32,626,562.72 (end of March 2015) |
* This excludes capital advances under the Capital Advanced Leasing Facility (CALF). Under CALF, €4,827,997 was advanced in 2014 with a further €1,010,838 to the end of May 2015.
** Rental Accommodation Scheme figures available to end of March only.
There are now more than 2,200 households in receipt of HAP across the local authority areas taking part in the statutory pilot scheme.
As of 31 May 2015, under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP), previously referred to as the leasing programme, 6,085 units are deemed operational with the units tenanted or in the process of being tenanted. A further 1,698 units have received full funding approval and are at the point where legal agreements and negotiations are being finalised. A range of types of units are sourced under the programme. My Department holds statistics on units sourced for the programme but does not hold statistics on the number of persons in receipt of housing support by programme.
From the commencement of the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) in late 2005 to 31 March 2015, some 52,529 households have been transferred from Rent Supplement to RAS and other social housing options. My Department does not hold information on the number of households in RAS at any given time. Numbers in RAS constantly vary as contracts end, tenants move on to other properties, landlords withdraw from the Scheme, new tenancies are allocated or vacancies in contracted units are filled. However, according to returns from individual local authorities, it is estimated that there were approximately 20,473 RAS tenancies in place on 31 December 2014.
230. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of local authority houses built in each of the past ten years by the local authority responsible. [24166/15]
View answerMy Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy. Data on number of local authority houses built are included within this range, and are available on my Department’s website at http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,15291,en.xls, by clicking on the “LA housing output and commenced (1994 +)” tab under the “Social Housing Supports” heading.
231. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an estimate of the total housing need, both public and private, currently and for the next ten years. [24167/15]
View answerThe Housing Agency estimates the future housing supply requirements for the period 2014 to 2018 at just under 80,000 dwellings across 272 urban settlements nationally, an average of 16,000 units per annum over the five years. It estimates that 47% of total supply over the period is required across the Dublin Region. The Agency notes that 57% of all households in the Dublin region over this period will be for one and two persons, while a further 18% will be for three person households.
Analysis by the ESRI has estimated that, in coming years, increases in population will result in the formation of at least 20,000 new households each year, each requiring a separate dwelling. In addition, a number of existing dwellings will disappear through redevelopment or dilapidation. The results suggest an on-going need for at least 25,000 new dwellings a year over the coming fifteen years.
In response to this projected demand, the Government’s published Construction 2020 in May 2014. This strategy is aimed at addressing issues in the property and construction sectors to ensure that any critical bottlenecks that might impede the sector in meeting the forecasted residential demand are addressed.
A key action under Construction 2020 is a commitment to put in place a National Framework for Housing Supply, ensuring a balanced approach in which the supply of housing is matched with projected demand, and in which emerging imbalances can be identified and rectified at an early stage.
A core aspect of the National Housing Framework is the analysis of supply and projected demand data, broken down on a national and local basis, with information on housing types and sizes a key feature. This action also includes a commitment to publish an annual National Statement of Projected Housing Supply and Demand. The Housing Agency, in consultation with my Department, is leading on delivery of this action and I expect the first of these Statements to be finalised in the coming weeks. On receipt of the final Statement, I will consider its contents, in the context of future housing policy development.
In terms of social housing need, the latest summary of social housing assessments, which was carried out as of 7 May 2013, showed that there were 89,872 households on local authority waiting lists at that date. The full 2013 results are available on my Department’s website at:
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,34857,en.pdf .
In addition, the Housing Agency carried out an analysis of the results of the 2013 summary of social housing assessments and on the basis of certain assumptions, and taking account of housing support mechanisms, including the progressive roll-out of HAP over the years ahead, identified a need for an additional 35,000 properties for social housing.
In this regard, the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020, published in November 2014, targets the 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. This will address the needs of the 90,000 on the housing waiting list in full, with flexibility to meet potential future demand.
Moreover, in order to ensure that the most up to date and comprehensive data is available relating to the numbers applying for social housing support, the Strategy includes a commitment to increase the regularity of the summary of social housing assessments by undertaking it on annual basis from 2016 onwards.
