Mary Lou McDonald
Question:262. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the annual saving to the Exchequer if all city and county managers' pay was reduced by 15%. [26611/15]
View answerExchequer Savings
Questions (262)
Written answers
The current salaries for local authority Chief Executives are set out in the following table.
|
Local Authority Chief Executive |
Salary |
|
Dublin City Council |
€175,721 |
|
Cork County Council Fingal County Council South Dublin County Council |
€150,977 |
|
- |
|
|
Cork City Council Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Kildare County Council Meath County Council Limerick City and County Council |
€142,966 |
|
- |
|
|
Clare County Council Donegal County Council Galway County Council Kerry County Council Kilkenny County Council Louth County Council Mayo County Council Tipperary County Council Westmeath County Council Wexford County Council Wicklow County Council Waterford City and County Council |
€133,072 |
|
- |
|
|
Galway City Council Carlow County Council Cavan County Council Laois County Council Leitrim County Council Longford County Council Monaghan County Council Offaly County Council Roscommon County Council Sligo County Council |
€123,910 |
A 15% reduction on these salaries would result in the following salary levels:
|
Local Authority Chief Executive |
Salary |
|
Dublin City Council |
€149,363 |
|
Cork County Council Fingal County Council South Dublin County Council |
€128,330 |
|
- |
|
|
Cork City Council Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Kildare County Council Meath County Council Limerick City and County Council |
€121,521 |
|
- |
|
|
Clare County Council Donegal County Council Galway County Council Kerry County Council Kilkenny County Council Louth County Council Mayo County Council Tipperary County Council Westmeath County Council Wexford County Council Wicklow County Council Waterford City and County Council |
€113,111 |
|
- |
|
|
Galway City Council Carlow County Council Cavan County Council Laois County Council Leitrim County Council Longford County Council Monaghan County Council Offaly County Council Roscommon County Council Sligo County Council |
€105,323 |
Leader Programmes Administration
Questions (263)
Finian McGrath
Question:263. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 490 of 19 May 2015 and 9 of 11 June 2015, if he will release the contents of the letter dated 29 April 2015 which was sent to his Department by the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development on the implementation of the Leader programme. [26639/15]
View answerWritten answers
A copy of the letter referred to in the Question has been forwarded to the Deputy.
Water Quality
Questions (264)
Terence Flanagan
Question:264. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the lead pipe replacement grant will be available retrospectively (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26442/15]
View answerWritten answers
Earlier this month I announced a National Strategy to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water which has been approved by the Government. The Strategy was prepared by my Department and the Department of Health in consultation with Irish Water, the Health Service Executive and the Environmental Protection Agency. As part of the Strategy I will be establishing a new grant scheme to assist with the replacement of lead pipes in homes. Funding for the scheme will be finalised in the context of Budget 2016. It is envisaged that the grant scheme will be administered by local authorities and that the available resources will be prioritised to areas of highest risk. It will be important to ensure that the limited financial resources available are targeted where needed most, particularly to householders on lower incomes. Income thresholds and other eligibility will therefore apply. The terms and conditions of the new scheme will be publicised as soon as they are finalised.
Householders undertaking replacement works in advance of the new scheme should have regard to the assistance which may be available under the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) Scheme introduced under Section 5 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2013. The HRI scheme covers main residence repairs, renovations and improvements, including plumbing works. The scheme is administered by the Revenue Commissioners and full details are published on Revenue's website at: http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/reliefs/hri/hri-general-faqs.html.
Homeless Accommodation Provision
Questions (265)
Robert Dowds
Question:265. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm that his Department has instructed local authorities to allocate no more than 50% of available housing to persons who are designated as homeless; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26500/15]
View answerWritten answers
Under a Ministerial Direction, which issued on 27 January 2015 and is time bound for a six-month period until 26 July 2015, key local authorities are required to prioritise homeless and other vulnerable households in the allocation of tenancies under their control in accordance with Section 22 of the Housing Act 1988. In the case of the four Dublin local authorities, the minimum proportion of all available dwellings to be allocated to this cohort is 50%, while in the case of the local authorities in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, the figure has been set at 30%. It is expected that during the timeframe at least 500 homes will be provided to prioritised households in the Dublin Region with a similar total for the other areas combined. The operation of the Direction is kept under ongoing review and I will decide, in due course, on the question of extending the Direction's operation beyond 27 July 2015.
Electoral Reform
Questions (266)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:266. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on a matter (detail supplied) regarding extending voting rights to those aged 16 years and older; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26525/15]
View answerWritten answers
The First Report of the Convention on the Constitution included a recommendation that the constitution should be changed to provide for a voting age of 16 years. The Government accepted the recommendation and committed to holding a referendum on the proposal. I am not in a position to indicate when such a referendum might be held. However, the Taoiseach indicated in the Dáil on 9 June 2015 that the Government does not propose to hold any further referendums during the remainder of its term.
Local Authority Housing Data
Questions (267)
John Halligan
Question:267. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government specifically relating to County Waterford in the years 2012 to 2014, under the relevant anti-social legislation, the number of cases of anti-social behaviour that have been dealt with; the number of persons who have been interviewed; the number who have been prosecuted; the number who have had previous complaints registered against them; if any of these tenants have been evicted as a result of their anti-social behaviour; if the current system is not working and frequently the victims of anti-social behaviour are being left in vulnerable positions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26552/15]
View answerWritten answers
Action to deal with anti-social behaviour is primarily a matter for An Garda Síochána. Local authorities are responsible under the Housing Acts for the management and maintenance of their housing stock and the management of their estates, including taking appropriate measures to counter anti-social behaviour.
The powers of local authorities in this area were significantly enhanced with the commencement of Part 2 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 on 13 April 2015. Part 2 provides for a revised procedure to replace section 62 of the Housing Act 1966 and strengthens the power of housing authorities to recover possession of their dwellings from households in serious breach of their tenancy agreements, including engaging in anti-social behaviour. It also gives the local authority power to secure court orders excluding individuals engaged in anti-social behaviour from local authority housing and estates.
Housing Authorities furnish statistics to my Department relating to anti-social behaviour and court proceedings sought. Listed in the following table are the details for Waterford City and County Council.
Waterford City and County Council
|
- |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
Number of excluding orders made by court1 under section 3, Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Number of warrants issued by court* under section 62, Housing Act 1966 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Number of dwellings repossessed on foot of section 62 warrants |
0 |
1 |
2 |
*District Court, or Circuit Court on appeal
Any local authority tenant who is a victim of anti-social behaviour should contact their Housing Authority in confidence.
Water Services Provision
Questions (268)
John Halligan
Question:268. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding private groups which have installed and maintained a private water supply, specifically a group water scheme which has been privately operated in County Waterford for over 40 years; if water conservation grants are being made available for groups such as these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26554/15]
View answerWritten answers
Responsibility for the administration of my Department's Rural Water Programme, under which funding is provided, amongst other measures, for water conservation in group water schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection, prioritisation and approval of individual group scheme proposals for advancement and funding under the programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and subject to the block grant allocations provided, is therefore a matter for the local authorities.
To promote the sustainable use of water and to enhance water conservation in households, the Department of Social Protection will administer, on behalf of my Department, a €100 water conservation grant, for all households (principal private residences) that completed a valid response to Irish Water's registration process on or before yesterday, 30 June 2015.
Non-Irish Water customers (e.g. households on group water/sewerage schemes and those with private wells/domestic wastewater treatment systems) are also eligible for this grant. All households registered with Irish Water by 30 June 2015 will be contacted directly by the Department of Social Protection in due course. Further information on the grant is available at www.watergrant.ie.
Housing Provision
Questions (269)
John Halligan
Question:269. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason for the delay in approving the homes for the elderly scheme in Tramore, County Waterford; if he is aware of the case of persons (details supplied) who have been waiting to be relocated to housing for the elderly for over three years, who currently reside in a four-bedroom property under the rental accommodation scheme and who are eager to relocate to a two-bed bungalow, as they are finding it increasingly difficult to access the upper level of the property and to maintain the property; his views on whether the need for social housing in this area, it would be beneficial all round to have the elderly relocated as soon as possible, which would then free up rental accommodation scheme property for needy families in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26556/15]
View answerWritten answers
The project in question was originally approved by my Department in May 2014 for the development of 8 units of sheltered housing for the elderly, at an estimated cost of €1.153m. There were initial delays in advancing the project due to difficulties with ownership of the site for the development, which I understand are now resolved. However, the approved housing body and Waterford City and County Council have recently sought approval for this project based on developing 18 units of accommodation which will entail a considerably higher cost.
My Department is now finalising a cost assessment of this revised proposal which will be notified to the local authority shortly.
Unfinished Housing Developments
Questions (270)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Question:270. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a local authority which receives site resolution funding in respect of an unfinished housing estate is under an obligation to bring the said estate up to taking-in-charge standard and to take the estate in charge following the completion of the agreed site resolution plan; within what timeframe subsequent to completion of the site resolution plan should a local authority take the estate in charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26596/15]
View answerWritten answers
Budget 2014 contained a special provision, in the form of a targeted €10m Special Resolution Fund (SRF), to assist further in addressing the legacy of unfinished housing developments. The SRF is designed to encourage the resolution of the remaining tranche of unfinished developments identified in the National Housing Development Survey 2013 and, particularly, those developments not likely to be resolved in the normal way through solely developer/owner/funder action because of the presence of specific financial barriers. It is envisaged that the SRF should be particularly targeted to address the remaining unfinished developments with residents living in them and, in particular, any developments that local authorities identified, for the purposes of the Local Property Tax waiver, as in a seriously problematic condition.
In December 2013, my Department wrote to local authorities seeking proposals for funding support under the SRF and the deadline for receipt of applications was 28 February 2014. All submissions were evaluated by my Department in accordance with the criteria circulated to the local authorities. On 2 May 2014, allocations from the Special Resolution Fund were announced and 86 developments were approved for funding. The following link contains a list of all developments approved for SRF funding:http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,37940,en.htm.
All applications for funding were approved on the confirmation by the local authority that subject to the achievement of relevant standards, the development would be taken in charge or covered by such other permanent maintenance arrangement as is acceptable to the relevant local authority.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (271)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:271. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the annual saving to his Department if spending on education and training was reduced by 2.5%, 5% and 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26919/15]
View answerWritten answers
My Department’s learning and development budget for 2015 is €400,000, which includes €85,000 in respect of learning and development in Met Éireann. This is in respect of 721 FTE staff at 1 January 2015. The savings that would be associated with a 2.5%, 5% and 10% reduction to the learning and development allocations in 2015 are set out in the following table.
|
Reduction |
Amounts |
|
2.5% |
€10,000 |
|
5% |
€20,000 |
|
10% |
€40,000 |
Learning and development programmes for staff contribute to the building of capability and capacity across the Department, increases the skills base where necessary, and enhance the potential for improved delivery of the Department's business priorities.