Written Answers Nos. 751-770
751. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost in 2013 and 2014 of printing reports by his Department and agencies under the control of his Department; the corresponding figure for annual reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30039/15]
View answerThe information requested in respect of my Department is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Printing costs for Agencies under the aegis of my Department are a matter for the Agencies themselves.
752. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost in 2013 and 2014 of issuing hardcopy payslips to staff or retired staff by his Department and agencies under the control of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30054/15]
View answerIn 2013 and 2014 approximately 10% of staff in my Department were issued with hard copy payslips at an estimated annual cost of €4,300. My Department is scheduled to move to Payroll Shared Services in July 2016, which should see the remaining staff move to electronic payslips. Information in this regard in respect of bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the body concerned.
753. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline and itemise all expenditure undertaken by his Department on private travel for him and-or his private office, on legal fees, on consultancy fees and on hotel accommodation during the 12-month period to 30 June 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30069/15]
View answerMy Department does not pay expenses in respect of private travel. Details of my travel expenses for official purposes are available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie/en/corporateexpenditure/ministerialexpenses/FileDownLoad,41065,en.pdf.
Legal fees totalling €4,907 were paid by my Department in the twelve month period to 30 June 2015, as set out in the following table:
|
Name of Firm or Solicitor/Barrister |
Subject Matter/Nature of Work |
Expenditure from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 |
|
Eamon Galligan SC |
Legal advice on new provisions under section 261a of the Planning and Development Act 2000 |
€2,432 |
|
Arthur Cox Solicitors |
Codling Windfarm/Foreshore lease |
€2,475 |
|
Total |
€4,907 |
The table does not include legal fees associated with the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments. Payments of this nature by agencies or bodies under the aegis of my Department are a matter for the agencies/bodies concerned.
The expenditure by my Department on consultancies during the period in question is set out in the following table:
|
Consultant |
Purpose of Consultancy |
Expenditure from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 |
|
AECOM |
Additional cost-optimal calculations to meet requirements under Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings (recast). |
€33,684 |
|
Bid Management Services |
Professional services regarding procurement document. |
€2,583 |
|
Building Research Establishment |
Study on Attic Ventilation in domestic dwellings. |
€15,375 |
|
Deloitte & Touche |
Expert Assistance in the Local Government Shared Services Programme. |
€66,036 |
|
Duncan Lawrence Environmental Ltd. |
Analysis of Household Waste Collection Legislation. |
€4,617 |
|
Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) |
Research on the possible socio-economic impact of an incident at Sellafield. |
€79,950 |
|
Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) |
Technical support for the purposes of advising Government on the proposed 2030 EU Framework for Climate and Energy Policies. |
€13,595 |
|
Glas Ecology |
Environment Management follow up Report (Breeding Chough and Peregrine Survey, Valentia Island, Co. Kerry). |
€1,599 |
|
Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency |
NTACC research into why Travellers leave Traveller-specific accommodation. |
€2,017 |
|
ILC Sports and Recreation |
Review of Comhairle na Tuaithe and the implementation of the National Countryside Recreation Strategy. |
€4,797 |
|
Institute of Public Administration (IPA) |
Peer review of Met Eireann's Operational and Strategic Review. |
€4,920 |
|
MacCabe Durney Barnes |
Independent Planning Review. |
€75,921 |
|
Marine Institute |
Assist and advise in the management and phased roll-out of the requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive for Irish waters including an initial assessment of the environmental status of Irish waters; the development of a monitoring programme; and the institution of programmes of measures to maintain and improve good environmental status. |
€583,105 |
|
Mason Hayes & Curran |
Professional advice in relation to Climatological Observers. |
€566 |
|
Mr. John Martin |
Report on the Planning Policy and practice implications of the High Court ruling in the O'Grianna case. |
€1,500 |
|
National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)/National Economic and Social Council (NESC) |
Environmental Policy Integration: Case Studies Research. |
€38,222 |
|
National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)/National Economic and Social Council (NESC) |
Sustainable Urban Development. |
€20,303 |
|
Padraic Thornton Planning & Environmental Consultancy |
Independent Review of Draft Ministerial Direction on Westmeath CDP. |
€5,263 |
|
Tom Philips Associates (Patricia Thornton) |
Independent Review of Draft S31 Directions in Limerick. |
€4,151 |
|
Ricardo-AEA |
NSMC Residential Solid Fuel Study. |
€16,475 |
|
RPS Group (RPS Consulting Engineers Limited) |
Review of Producer Responsibility Initiatives within Ireland and investigate the possibility of additional initiatives. |
€79,848 |
|
Sweeney Consulting (Scotland) Limited |
Independent expert perspective for National Directorate of Fire and Emergency Management. |
€45,842 |
|
Tobin Consulting Engineers |
Operation of the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System (NLPMS). |
€52,014 |
|
University College Cork (UCC) |
Technical support for the purposes of advising Government on the proposed 2030 EU Framework for Climate and Energy Policies. |
€23,678 |
|
University College Cork (UCC)/National Economic and Social Council (NESC) |
Review of Environmental Social Policy Literature. |
€4,305 |
|
Total |
€1,182,799 |
The expenditure by my Department on hotel accommodation for my predecessor and myself, along with staff in the Minister’s Private Office in the twelve month period to 30 June 2015 was as follows –
|
Minister Hogan |
Expenditure from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 |
|
Accommodation - Min Hogan |
€2,249.40 |
|
Accommodation - Runaí Aire |
€2,249.41 |
|
Subtotal - Minister Hogan |
€4,498.81 |
|
Minister Kelly |
Amount |
|
Accommodation - Advisor |
€1,554.64 |
|
Accommodation - Civilian Driver |
€334.85 |
|
Accommodation - Min Kelly |
€2,955.21 |
|
Accommodation - Runaí Aire |
€2,793.71 |
|
Subtotal - Minister Kelly |
€7,638.41 |
|
Total |
€12,137.22 |
With regard to the expenditure incurred in respect of my predecessor, only €450.44 related to costs incurred from 1 July 2014. Of the remaining €4,048.37 costs incurred by my predecessor, €2,740.21 related to costs met by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade during the period October 2013 to March 2014 that were not recouped until November 2014.
754. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to reform the electoral register system, which is not updated regularly and from which persons can often be incorrectly removed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30079/15]
View answerIn law, the preparation of the register of electors is a matter for each local authority as a registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the register. Register details are updated in preparation for the publication of the draft register on 1 November each year. Guidance issued to local authorities by my Department on preparing and maintaining the register requires authorities to send a notice to any person whose name it is proposed to omit from the draft register indicating that they have failed to establish that the person is still resident at the address and, unless evidence to the contrary is provided within 10 days, their name will be removed. The Guidance also advises that a name which appeared on a previous register should not be omitted solely on the grounds that the name is not included in the list of names furnished in respect of the household on the relevant form for the register being compiled. The Guidance advises that checks be carried out in such cases.
In regard to the reform of the electoral register system, I await the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht following their consultation on the paper I published in January on the establishment of an Electoral Commission in Ireland. One of the issues being considered in the context of the establishment of an Electoral Commission is the role that the Commission might play in respect of the register of electors. I understand that public hearings in the consultation have concluded and that the register has been a key feature in the Committee’s considerations and in the contributions of the persons engaging with the Committee. The report to be submitted to me on the outcomes from the consultation process will inform the development of an Electoral Commission Bill.
755. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the new Leader programmes will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30080/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, Ireland is conducting a two stage process for the selection of Local Development Strategies to support the delivery of the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme for the 2014-2020 programme period.
Under stage one of the selection process, any entity who wished to be considered as a Local Action Group was invited to submit an expression of interest. For the purposes of the new programme, there are 28 sub-regional areas in Ireland and 45 separate expressions of interest were received. A single expression of interest was received in 19 of the 28 areas and at least 2 expressions of interest were received in the remaining 9 areas.
I established an Independent Evaluation Committee to evaluate the expressions of interest received. The Evaluation Committee recently met and the following is the outcome of this stage of the process. Of the 45 expressions of interest received, 1 was formally withdrawn before assessment. Of the remaining 44, 42 met the minimum criteria and the Evaluation Committee decided that these should proceed to the next stage of the process, which is the preparation of Local Development Strategies for their areas. Those who were successful in this process have been notified and have been invited to attend workshops and presentations in Tullamore, Co. Offaly this morning. The purpose of the event is to set out in detail what is expected in terms of the content and quality of Local Development Strategies.
A minimum of 6 months will be allowed for the preparation of Local Development Strategies. However, I expect that not all areas will require the full 6 months to prepare their strategies. Indeed, I am hopeful that many areas will have their strategies approved and be in a position to begin delivery on the ground by Autumn 2015.
In areas where a single strategy is submitted, the Evaluation Committee will review and evaluate these strategies with a view to ensuring that the strategies meet the required standard. In areas where entities do not come to an agreement and multiple strategies are submitted, it will be a matter for the Evaluation Committee to make a decision on which Local Development Strategy best meets the needs of the community. In this situation, the Evaluation Committee will not make a decision on the successful strategy until all strategies for that sub-regional area have been submitted for assessment.
756. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the roll-out of the housing assistance payment scheme; the success of the scheme; the number of applicants in County Cork; the number of persons in County Cork receiving payment under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30084/15]
View answerFurther to the enactment of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 on 28 July 2014, the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) has been rolled out to all categories of households in 13 local authority areas on a pilot basis, including both the Cork County and Cork City Council areas. Dublin City Council is also implementing a HAP pilot for homeless households in the Dublin region on behalf of the 4 Dublin local authorities. There are now over 2,600 households nationally in receipt of the payment across the local authority areas taking part in the statutory pilot. During the legislation’s passage through the Oireachtas in July 2014 an undertaking was given that a progress report on the first phase of the HAP pilot would be prepared for the relevant Oireachtas Committee. I submitted a report to the Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht at the end of April 2015, with an information session for Oireachtas members and their staff on 23 June 2015. Based on the findings of that review, the second phase of the HAP statutory pilot has recently commenced with the HAP scheme becoming operational in Donegal County Council on 25 May 2015, in Offaly County Council on 15 June 2015 and in Carlow, Clare and Tipperary County Councils and Cork City Council on 29 June 2015.
There are currently 492 households supported by HAP in the administrative area of Cork County Council where the scheme has been piloted since 15 September 2014. The scheme has recently commenced in Cork City and 2 further households are now being supported in that administrative area. I am happy with this level of progress and both local authorities have engaged very positively with the scheme. The introduction of HAP to the City Council area will assist in the success of its operation in the County Council area.
Consideration is currently being given to the sequencing of a further cohort of local authorities to commence HAP on an incremental basis later this year.
757. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount provided by his Department to Cork City Council and to Cork County Council over each of the past four years by scheme and by grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30085/15]
View answerMy Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, including protecting the environment, providing necessary housing supports and fostering community and rural development in partnership with local government and other local development bodies. In order to deliver on this broad business agenda, my Department allocates significant resources to a wide range of organisations, including local authorities, dedicated agencies and non-statutory bodies, as well as to individuals. In this regard, some €4.842 billion in voted expenditure has been expended by my Department in the period from 2011 to 2014; and a further €1.329 billion has been provided in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2015, published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, to support the Department’s programmes this year. In relation to the two local authorities in question, the Department has expended €341m in total from voted expenditure to support a range of programmes in the period 2011 to 2014. This has been supplemented by payments of some €177m in total from the Local Government Fund to the two local authorities, largely made up of General Purpose Grants.
The extraction of a detailed breakdown of this expenditure across the two authorities over the four year period on a scheme/grant basis is not readily available in my Department and the compilation of same would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. Annual Financial Statements, which provide specific detail in relation to income and expenditure, are available at: www.corkcity.ie/services/finance/financialaccounting/ for Cork City Council; and at www.corkcoco.ie/co/web/Cork%20County%20Council/Departments/Finance/Publications for Cork County Council.
758. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is responsible for all board appointments where such power to appoint persons to State boards is vested in him by statute; if any politically appointed State employee outside of his Department is involved in decision-making concerning such appointments, in particular, if, during the lifetime of the Government, a named person (details supplied) has had any influence over any appointments made by him; if he or officials from his Department have corresponded with that person regarding the composition of and appointments to State boards to which he has statutory power to make appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30109/15]
View answerSince July 2011, my Department’s website has been used as the primary mechanism for seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced persons, for consideration as members or chairpersons of the boards of State bodies under my Department’s aegis. In the case of certain appointments to State Boards, statutory selection procedures must be followed or nominations must be sought from independent nominating panels before appointments are made by the Minister or the Government, as appropriate. In addition, in the case of a number of boards, not all of the appointments to the body concerned are made by the Minister, and in some situations appointments are made by the Minister with the consent of another Minister. Furthermore, appointments to An Bord Pleanála and to the Board of the Environmental Protection Agency are of a full-time executive nature and are governed by statutory processes.
Information in relation to all Board appointments made since March 2011, the statutory powers required to make such appointments, the responsibility for each appointment and the mechanism used for such appointments is published on my Department’s website and is available at the following link: www.environ.ie/en/Publications/CorporateServices/TransparencyData/FileDownLoad,42058,en.pdf.
In line with a recent Government Decision, a Revised Model for Ministerial Appointments to State Boards, brought forward by my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, has been put in place, operating through the Public Appointments Service, and will govern relevant future appointments.
Under the revised model expressions of interest are now made directly by registering on Stateboards.ie. My Department’s website has been amended to refer any interested party to the Stateboards website.
Since 2001 the Taoiseach’s Office has been notified of vacancies arising on Boards in my Department for each year until 2012. For 2011 and 2012, the named person was the contact point for this information.
759. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the current and capital funding allocated to his Department; the underspend or overspend in 2015 to date under each category based on his Department's spending profile; the funding made available within and external to his Department's functions to support innovation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30124/15]
View answerMy Department is responsible for a wide range of programmes, including in the areas of housing, environmental protection, local government services, and community and rural development. The Revised Estimates for Public Services 2015, published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, provide for €1.328 billion gross funding (comprising €494.1m capital and €834.8m current) this year to be expended in support of the range of programmes for which my Department is responsible.
Current expenditure to the end June 2015 is €176 m and capital expenditure over the same period is €51.869m. While, at this mid-year stage, both of these categories of expenditure are behind profiled expenditure envisaged at the beginning of the year (current 50.7% behind, capital 41.9% behind), there are a number of timing issues contributing to this. It is usual that there is significant expenditure from the Vote towards the end of the year and I expect that this will also be the case this year.
While there is no specific subhead in the Department’s vote which is identified as supporting general innovation per se, the LEADER Programme (provision €45m in 2015) fosters innovation in rural communities in order to improve the quality of life in rural areas as well as promoting the diversification of the rural economy. The programme addresses directly many of the challenges facing rural communities including the need to increase economic activity and stimulate job creation by supporting innovative projects; improve access to basic services for rural dwellers and encourage rural tourism based on sustainable development of natural resources.
760. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department or agencies under the authority of his Department have performed an assessment of the potential savings to be accrued if current paper-based application processes by members of the public were replaced with a fully online application system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30139/15]
View answerMy Department has not quantified the savings in the manner suggested, but is committed to ensuring effective and efficient provision of services to the public, including electronic services such as the MyPlan.ie and the Met.ie websites. A new Department website will be launched later this year. The provision of online services by agencies is a matter for the agencies concerned.
761. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to deal with the recently reported rise in biting attacks by dangerous dogs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30169/15]
View answerThe overall thrust of the dog control legislation is to place the onus on dog owners and those in control of dogs to act responsibly by keeping their dogs under effectual control. Such responsible dog ownership is the key to reducing incidences of dog biting and other problem behaviours. The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2010 set out a range of requirements for all dog owners or any other person in charge of a dog. In particular, section 9 of the 1986 Act requires the owner or any other person in charge of a dog to accompany it and keep it under effectual control in any place other than the premises of the owner, the premises of the person in control of the dog, or other premises with the consent of the owner of the premises. Section 21 of the 1986 Act provides that the owner of a dog shall be liable in damages for damage caused in an attack on any person by the dog; it is not necessary for the person seeking damages to show a previous mischievous propensity in the dog, or the owner's knowledge of such previous propensity, or to show that such injury or damage was attributable to neglect on the part of the owner.
In addition to the foregoing, the Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 (as amended) set out further requirements that owners of specific breeds of dogs have to follow, namely that such dogs must be muzzled and led, on a sufficiently strong leash or chain not exceeding 2m in length by a competent person over 16 years of age when in a public place.
I am satisfied that the restrictions under the current legislative framework provide the necessary controls for the protection of society and I have no plans to amend the legislation in respect of these matters.
762. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, details of the spending on the household adaptation grant, by county, for each year from 2011 to 2014 and in 2015 to date. [30198/15]
View answer763. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, spending on the mobility grant scheme, by county, for each year from 2011 to 2014 and in 2015 to date. [30199/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 762 and 763 together.
The Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability were introduced on 1 November 2007. Information on Exchequer funding provided by my Department to each local authority for these schemes is available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/, by selecting ‘Social and Affordable Housing’, ‘Housing Adaptation Grants by Area 2008 to date’.
Details of the 2015 allocations are available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.environ.ie/en/GeneralNews/MainBody,41581,en.htm.
764. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, the latest monthly statistics held by his Department, on the number of persons and the number of families with dependants, who are presenting to homeless services in each local authority. [30200/15]
View answer765. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, details of the spending allocated from his Department to each local authority to fund emergency homeless services in the years 2013 to 2015. [30201/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 764 and 765 together.
Data on individuals in emergency accommodation is provided through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). Lead housing authorities provide monthly reports on homelessness which identify the number of people utilising State-funded emergency accommodation on a regional and county basis. These monthly reports also provide details of the breakdown of the individuals and the numbers of families and dependents that are in emergency accommodation. These monthly reports are available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/SpecialNeeds/HomelessPeople/.
Details of the ‘Section 10’ funding allocations made by my Department to housing authorities for the years 2013 to 2015 are set out, on a regional basis, in the following table. Additional details are provided for 2014 where final drawdown exceeded allocation in a number of regions. Under Section 10 funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of services from their own resources. Furthermore, housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure on homeless related services outside of the Section 10 funding arrangements.
Funding Provided under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988.
|
Region |
2013 |
2014 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
|
Allocation/Drawdown |
Allocation |
Drawdown |
Allocation |
|
Dublin |
€31,322,223 |
€31,322,223 |
€35,322,223 |
€37,160,470 |
|
Mid-East |
€811,275 |
€811,275 |
€928,489 |
€934,267 |
|
Midlands |
€649,707 |
€649,707 |
€649,707 |
€794,972 |
|
Mid-West |
€3,399,336 |
€3,399,336 |
€3,405,060 |
€3,499,898* |
|
North-East |
€879,963 |
€879,963 |
€879,963 |
€977,737 |
|
North-West |
€348,879 |
€348,879 |
€348,879 |
€387,643 |
|
South-East |
€1,787,469 |
€1,787,469 |
€1,818,969 |
€2,394,619* |
|
South-West |
€4,272,197 |
€4,272,197 |
€4,307,772 |
€5,000,686 |
|
West |
€1,528,951 |
€1,528,951 |
€1,544,712 |
€1,698,834 |
|
Total |
€45,000,000 |
€45,000,000 |
€49 , 205 , 774 |
€52,849,125 |
*Following the amalgamation of North and South Tipperary County Councils into Tipperary County Council in 2014, the re-alignment of Tipperary County Council into the Mid-West Region is pending.
766. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of landlords in the private rented sector who have signed up to the housing assistance payment scheme in each of the pilot areas; and if he will provide figures, by area. [30202/15]
View answer767. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide departmental estimates of the number of households that are expected to be taken off social housing waiting lists, and placed on reserve social housing waiting lists as a result of the roll-out of the housing assistance payment scheme; and if he will provide the latest figures on the number of households that have been removed from the social housing waiting list and placed on the reserve social housing waiting list in the pilot areas. [30203/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 766 and 767 together.
The Social Housing Strategy 2020 set a target of meeting the housing needs of 8,400 households through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) in 2015, and 41,400 households over the lifetime of the strategy.
Further to the enactment of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 on 28 July 2014, HAP has been rolled out to all categories of households in 13 local authority areas on a pilot basis. Dublin City Council is also implementing a HAP pilot for homeless households in the Dublin region on behalf of the 4 Dublin local authorities. There are now over 2,600 households in receipt of HAP across the local authority areas taking part in the statutory pilot scheme and consideration is currently being given to the sequencing of a further cohort of local authorities to commence HAP on an incremental basis this year. My Department does not hold a detailed breakdown, by local authority, of landlords who are receiving payments on behalf of HAP households. However, I understand that there are almost 1,900 separate landlords currently receiving HAP payments through the HAP transactional shared service hub that is currently being provided by Limerick City and County Council.
Applicants for social housing support are assessed by the relevant housing authority in accordance with section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, as amended and the associated Social Housing Regulations 2011. Households that qualify for social housing support on assessment are entered onto the housing authority’s waiting list and are considered for the allocation of suitable tenancies in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme. The most up-to-date available figures for housing list numbers, which relate to 2013, predate the introduction of HAP. However, the Social Housing Strategy 2020 published by the Government in November 2014 includes a commitment to undertake a summary of social housing assessments on an annual basis from 2016.
As HAP is deemed to be a social housing support under section 19 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, as amended, those households in receipt of HAP are no longer included on the local authority waiting list for social housing support. However, HAP recipients may access other social housing supports by applying to go on the local authority transfer list. I issued a statutory direction to the local authorities involved in the HAP statutory pilot, instructing them to take the necessary steps to ensure that households benefitting from HAP can avail of a move to other forms of social housing support, should they wish to do so, through the transfer option. I also directed that HAP recipients, who apply to go on the transfer list, should get full credit for the time they spent on the waiting list and be placed on the transfer list with no less favourable terms than if they had remained on the waiting list. In practice, housing authorities inform HAP recipients in writing of their entitlement to apply to go on the transfer list when they are approved for HAP. My Department does not gather or hold any data in relation to the number of households supported by HAP who have availed of this option.
The following table details the number of households being supported by the scheme by pilot authority area.
|
HAP Wave 1 Local Authorities |
Hap Implementation Date |
HAP Households 14 July ‘15 |
|
Cork County Council |
15 September 2014 |
492 |
|
Limerick City & County Council |
15 September 2014 |
659 |
|
Waterford City & County Council |
15 September 2014 |
357 |
|
Louth County Council |
1 October 2014 |
340 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
1 October 2014 |
115 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
1 October 2014 |
229 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
15 September 2014 |
394 |
|
Dublin City Council (Homeless Pilot) |
18 December 2014 |
29 |
|
HAP Wave 2 Local Authorities |
||
|
Donegal County Council |
25 May 2015 |
41 |
|
Offaly County Council |
15 June 2015 |
5 |
|
Carlow County Council |
29 June 2015 |
0 |
|
Cork City Council |
29 June 2015 |
2 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
29 June 2015 |
3 |
|
Clare County Council |
29 June 2015 |
2 |
|
Total |
2,659 |
768. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has figures on the number of long-term vacant housing units owned by each local authority and the average turnaround time for vacant local authority dwellings; and if he will provide the latest figures held by his Department. [30204/15]
View answerStatistics on local authority housing stock are published by the Local Government Management Agency, including numbers of vacant social housing units and the average number of weeks for each local authority to re-let a unit from the date of vacation of the unit to the completion of repairs. The most recent statistics are the Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2013 which are available at the following weblink: www.lgma.ie/en/service-indicators-local-authorities-2013.
769. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details on the amount available in the local government fund in the years 2014 and 2015; and if he will provide a breakdown of the allocation to each local authority and of each line item capital and current expenditure allocated for other purposes from the fund. [30205/15]
View answerThe estimated income and expenditure from the Local Government Fund for 2014 and 2015 (set out in the tables) is also set out in page 160 of the Revised Estimates Volume for 2015, which is available on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Table 1: Local Government Fund Income
|
€m |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Motor Tax (net) |
1,150.0 |
1,167.0 |
|
Exchequer Contribution |
0.0 |
233.1 |
|
Household Charge |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
Local Property Tax |
476.0 |
440.0 |
|
Interest |
0.3 |
0.0 |
|
Total |
1,626.3 |
1,840.1 |
Table 2: Local Government Fund Expenditure
|
€m |
2014 |
2015 |
|
General Purpose Grants |
282.0 |
0.0 |
|
Local Property Tax Allocation |
0.0 |
458.9 |
|
Road and Public Transport Payments |
359.9 |
363.9 |
|
Payment to Exchequer |
520.0 |
484.0 |
|
Irish Water Subvention |
439.1 |
399.0 |
|
LA Rates payments |
0.0 |
59.0 |
|
Other Miscellaneous |
93.9 |
75.0 |
|
Total |
1,694.9 |
1,839.8 |
The Local Government Fund is audited each year by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The annual accounts of the Local Government Fund for 2014 are in the process of being audited and, when finalised, will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and will be published on my Department’s website.
As regards allocations to each Local Authority I assume that the Question refers to general purpose grants from the Local Government Fund. General purpose grants were my Department’s contribution towards meeting the cost to local authorities of providing a reasonable level of services to their customers. GPGs were replaced by Local Property Tax allocations in 2015. The following tables detail the general purpose grant allocations from the Local Government Fund to all local authorities in 2014 (the allocations to County Councils are “county at large” allocations in respect of the County Council and any Town Councils within the county) and the LPT allocations for each local authority in 2015.
Table 3: General Purpose Grant Allocations 2014
|
Local Authority Name |
General Purpose Grant Allocations 2014 € |
|
Carlow County Council |
5,352,469 |
|
Cavan County Council |
8,458,415 |
|
Clare County Council |
2,646,284 |
|
Cork County Council |
2,951,435 |
|
Donegal County Council |
22,720,760 |
|
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council |
5,724,579 |
|
Fingal County Council |
454,714 |
|
Galway County Council |
12,506,381 |
|
Kerry County Council |
11,043,837 |
|
Kildare County Council |
9,686,924 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
9,356,019 |
|
Laois County Council |
7,631,324 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
8,282,319 |
|
Limerick County Council |
6,175,333 |
|
Longford County Council |
8,119,493 |
|
Louth County Council |
8,243,835 |
|
Mayo County Council |
17,492,594 |
|
Meath County Council |
8,799,199 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
10,247,882 |
|
North Tipperary County Council |
9,832,046 |
|
Offaly County Council |
6,663,642 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
9,107,439 |
|
Sligo County Council |
9,993,352 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
923,906 |
|
South Tipperary County Council |
12,923,064 |
|
Waterford County Council |
12,125,219 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
10,115,479 |
|
Wexford County Council |
11,888,576 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
6,846,310 |
|
Cork City Council |
8,544,374 |
|
Dublin City Council |
2,667,330 |
|
Galway City Council |
1,626,429 |
|
Limerick City Council |
8,449,826 |
|
Waterford City Council |
4,399,212 |
Table 4 : Local Property Tax Allocations 2015
|
Local Authority Name |
Revised 2015 LPT allocation (post local variation) € |
|
Carlow County Council |
5,352,469 |
|
Cavan County Council |
8,458,415 |
|
Clare County Council |
6,763,902 |
|
Cork County Council |
29,282,225 |
|
Donegal County Council |
22,720,760 |
|
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council |
34,757,156 |
|
Fingal County Council |
25,398,588 |
|
Galway County Council |
12,506,381 |
|
Kerry County Council |
11,659,186 |
|
Kildare County Council |
16,082,282 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
9,356,019 |
|
Laois County Council |
7,631,324 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
8,282,319 |
|
Limerick City & County Council |
14,139,276 |
|
Longford County Council |
8,054,219 |
|
Louth County Council |
8,098,323 |
|
Mayo County Council |
17,171,286 |
|
Meath County Council |
14,366,384 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
10,247,882 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
23,320,110 |
|
Offaly County Council |
6,663,642 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
9,107,439 |
|
Sligo County Council |
9,993,352 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
21,224,721 |
|
Waterford City & County Council |
16,524,431 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
9,918,066 |
|
Wexford County Council |
11,888,576 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
11,448,674 |
|
Cork City Council |
8,013,089 |
|
Dublin City Council |
53,728,544 |
|
Galway City Council |
6,709,100 |
770. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when his Department's annual report for 2014 will be published. [30212/15]
View answerMy Department's Annual Report for 2014 has been published and is available on the homepage Department's website, www.environ.ie.
