Written Answers Nos. 1490-1507
1490. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts allocated by his Department to Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for housing adaptation grants for older people with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31974/15]
View answer1491. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts drawn down from his Department by Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for housing adaptation grants for older people with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31975/15]
View answer1492. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts allocated by his Department to Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for adaptations and extensions to social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31976/15]
View answer1493. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts drawn down from his Department by Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for adaptations and extensions to social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31977/15]
View answer1494. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts allocated by his Department to Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for the upgrading, refurbishment and reinstatement of vacant housing units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31978/15]
View answer1495. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts drawn down from his Department by Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for the upgrading, refurbishment and reinstatement of vacant housing units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31979/15]
View answer1496. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts allocated by his Department to Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for housing construction and acquisitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31980/15]
View answer1497. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts drawn down from his Department by Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for housing construction and acquisitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31981/15]
View answer1498. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts allocated by his Department to Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for capital advance leasing, the remedial works scheme and energy efficiency insulation measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31982/15]
View answer1499. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts drawn down from his Department by Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for capital advance leasing, the remedial works scheme and energy efficiency insulation measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31983/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1490 to 1499, inclusive, together.
The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
1500. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts allocated by his Department to Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for the rural development programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31984/15]
View answer1501. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts drawn down from his Department by Cork County Council for each of the years 2008 to 2015 for rural development programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31985/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1500 and 1501 together.
In line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, there are 34 Local Action Groups (LAGs) contracted, on my Department’s behalf, to deliver the Programme throughout the country. This includes Avondhu Blackwater Partnership, Ballyhoura Development Company, IRD Duhallow, South East Cork Area Development and West Cork Development Company in the county of Cork.
The LAGs are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the local development strategy of the individual groups and in line with Programme’s Operating Rules and EU regulations.
I am advised that since 2008, €311,000 has been paid to Cork County Council who partnered with various community groups to deliver projects under the Programme.
1502. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if it is possible to transfer the amount of time spent on a housing waiting list in local authority to another if a person moves; if this is not possible, if he will consider making any necessary changes to facilitate same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31986/15]
View answerUnder the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, it is not possible for a household to apply to more than one housing authority for social housing support at a time. Furthermore, it is not possible for a household on the waiting list of one housing authority to transfer its application to another authority and to carry the time spent on the previous list. In respect of applicants in Dublin, Cork and Galway it is possible for a qualified household, once entered on the waiting list of one authority in the County, to also be entered simultaneously on another authority’s waiting list within the same County. In Cork and Galway this allows applicants to be simultaneously on the City Council and County Council waiting lists. In relation to Dublin, applicants can be on lists in up to 2 other local authorities.
The Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020 , published on 26 November, includes a commitment to examine the possibility of introducing a “housing passport”. This measure has the potential to allow households in receipt of, or qualified for, social housing support in one local authority area to transfer to, or be allocated, social housing in another local authority area for reasons such as availing of employment opportunities. The “passport” proposal is being examined as part of the review of the assessment and allocation process in line with commitments under the Strategy.
1503. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a building (details supplied) in County Kerry will qualify for grant aid to re-thatch its roof; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32028/15]
View answerGrants are available from my Department for the renewal or repair of thatched roofs, details of which are available online, along with application forms, at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/HousingGrantsFinancialAssistance/ThatchingGrants/.
1504. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the progress made to date with the roll out of the Leader programme in County Galway; the process that is to be followed to select entities to deliver the programme in the county; if it is intended to cover all of rural County Galway under the programme; when it is hoped that a successful bidder will be selected and a contract signed for the Leader programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32052/15]
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 2014-2020. Stage one, the Expression of Interest (EOI) stage, is complete. Two entities in Galway submitted qualifying EOIs, namely Forum Connemara covering the Connemara area of the county and Galway Local Community Development Committee covering the whole county.
My Department has facilitated a number of meetings with both entities with a view to bringing all interested parties together to develop one coherent Local Development Strategy for Galway. To date no agreement has been reached between the parties and both entities are preparing separate strategies for their selected areas.
All applicants have been given a minimum of 6 months for the preparation of Local Development Strategies. I expect that not all areas will require the full 6 months and I am hopeful that many areas will have their strategies submitted, assessed and approved and be in a position to begin implementing their strategies 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 Independent 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.
1505. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the annual spend on ambient air quality monitoring programmes here broken down by year over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32067/15]
View answerThe annual expenditure by the Environmental Protection Agency on its air quality monitoring programme over the past ten years is set out in a table:
|
Year |
Expenditure |
|
2006 |
212,986.48 |
|
2007 |
322,386.25 |
|
2008 |
454,849.05 |
|
2009 |
369,455.05 |
|
2010 |
631,923.80 |
|
2011 |
470,583.11 |
|
2012 |
579,911.95 |
|
2013 |
561,098.02 |
|
2014 |
665,653.71 |
|
2015 |
642,183.91 |
|
Total |
€4,911,031.33 |
1506. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the powers local authorities have to reduce or tackle air pollution in their districts; where these powers originate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32068/15]
View answerUnder the Air Pollution Act 1987, local authorities have significant investigatory and enforcement powers to tackle air pollution, including under section 16 of the Act which provides that a local authority may serve a notice on the occupier of a premises, requiring that occupier to furnish such particulars as may be specified in relation to:
- any activity or process being carried out on the premises;
- any fireplaces on the premises; and
- the fuels or other materials being burned on the premises.
In addition, section 26 of the Act empowers a local authority to serve a notice on the occupier of any premises from which there is an emission. Such a notice may direct the occupier to take such measures as the authority specifies in order to prevent or limit air pollution. It is a matter for the local authority to exercise its judgment in any individual case as to whether a nuisance is being caused, and what abatement action may be required.
I am currently in the process of enhancing the powers of local authorities in this matter. The recently enacted Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015 provides for the introduction of Fixed Payment Notices in respect of offences under regulations relating to vehicle refinishing products, organic solvents and, in particular, solid fuels. I intend to bring forward regulations to give full effect to these provisions in the near future.
1507. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the management of Sligo County Council incurred overexpenditure of €377,326 to cover the cost of the recent royal visit to Sligo; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that the council management did not prepare any budget in preparation for the royal visit; if the council management sought the approval of the elected members of the council for the expenditure of the €377,326; his plans to introduce legislation to allow the elected members of a council to impose strict budgetary control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32073/15]
View answerIt is a matter for each local authority, including Sligo County Council, to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which include adopting the annual budget and authorising borrowing, and are democratically accountable for all expenditure by the local authority. Section 104 of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended by the Local Government Reform Act 2014, provides for the incurring of additional expenditure. I have no role in the detailed implementation of the relevant legislative provisions at local level.
To enhance the financial management and audit control systems in local authorities, a statutorily required audit committee, with both councillor and expert external membership, is now in place in each county and city council. This audit committee has an important role to play in supporting the elected members’ oversight of the performance of the Executive. The functions of an audit committee include reviewing financial and budgetary reporting practices and procedures within a local authority; reviewing auditors’ reports and special reports and assessing follow-up action by management; assessing and promoting efficiency and value for money, reviewing risk management systems and making such recommendations to the authority as the committee considers appropriate in respect of such matters.
