Written Answers Nos. 154-160
154. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide details of the educational supports available for children and young adults with autism and other learning difficulties in County Mayo; her plans for investment in tailor-made facilities to provide the necessary supports and early intervention in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33639/15]
View answerThe policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs, including children with autism, should be included, where possible and appropriate, in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. All State-funded primary and post primary schools have been allocated additional resources to provide for children with special educational needs enrolled in school. Primary and Post Primary schools have a permanent allocation of additional teaching supports to provide for children whose educational psychological assessment places them in the high incidence, or less complex, disability category. In circumstances where children with special educational need require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also available.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports, including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents are encouraged to liaise with the local SENO to discuss placement options for their child. SENOs engage with schools annually in order to plan for, and to open, new special classes each year, in order to ensure there are sufficient special class placements available at primary and post primary school level to meet demand in a given area.
Details of all of the special classes for children with special educational needs which are attached to mainstream schools are published each year on the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie. In Co Mayo there are currently 10 classes for children with autism in primary schools, including 2 early intervention classes and there are a further 6 classes at post primary level. The NCSE will continue to monitor and review the requirement for special class places in particular areas and has capacity to open such new special classes including early intervention classes where necessary.
Home Tuition is provided to children with autism aged between 2½ and 3 years of age as they cannot enrol in a school until they reach the age of three. Parents can choose to enrol children with autism in an early intervention class from the age of three and where such a placement is not available home tuition can be provided. Children with autism over the age of four may also be eligible for home tuition if a school placement is not available for them. The annual circular for the 2015/2016 Home Tuition Scheme (0038/2015) is available on www.education.ie
155. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will set out, in tabular form, the expected revenues from Irish Water in respect of domestic water charges for 2015, and for 2016; if he will provide details of the subventions to Irish Water from the Government for these years, indicating the sources of those subventions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33459/15]
View answerThe Irish Water funding model is set out in a detailed fact sheet published on my Department’s website. Irish Water expects billed income from domestic customers to total €271m in 2015 and €274m in 2016. Government funding is by way of operational subvention, loans and capital contributions. Specifically, the Government will provide €399m in operating subvention to Irish Water in 2015 and €479m in 2016. This subvention will be paid in respect of the child allowance of 21,000 litres per child per annum, a product subsidy and the capping of domestic water charges at the rates set out in the Water Services Act 2014.
|
2015 |
2016 |
|
|
Domestic Billed Income |
271 |
274 |
|
Government subvention excluding working capital loan to Irish Water |
399 |
479 |
156. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he or his officials have assessed the impact of the small business rate relief scheme in Northern Ireland; if consideration has been given to introducing a similar scheme here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33603/15]
View answerLocal authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is applied to the valuation of each property, determined by the Valuation Office, to obtain the amount payable in rates, is decided by the elected members of each local authority in the annual budget and its determination is a reserved function.
I am aware of the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme in Northern Ireland. Within this jurisdiction, the Local Government (Rates) Act 1970 provides for the operation of rates waiver schemes. Under the provisions, a rating authority may make and carry out a scheme providing for a waiver of all or a portion of commercial rates due by ratepayers in respect of a specified class or classes of property. The formulation of such a scheme is a matter reserved for the members of the relevant local authority and is subject to my consent as Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.
I would consider carefully any application received for a rate waiver scheme. In considering any such application, it has to be borne in mind that a waiver of rates for one class of ratepayer could unfairly impact on other businesses in the area by giving a competitive advantage to a certain group through a reduction in costs. As such, it would be necessary to consider State Aid rules in relation to the provision of any such relief.
Recent developments have seen some local authorities introduce locally designed business incentive schemes which promote the use of vacant commercial property. Such schemes rely upon Part 9 of the Local Government Act 2001 which provides that the functions of local authorities include providing grants, loans guarantees or other financial aid to promote the interests of the local community, including economic interests. Unlike rates waiver schemes, no Ministerial sanction is required for the setting up of these schemes.
I am aware of the continued need to restrain the costs on businesses. My Department has in recent years requested local authorities to exercise restraint in setting, and where possible to reduce, ARVs and they have responded positively in this regard. The national average ARV decreased each year from 2010 to 2014; 2015 is not directly comparable due to the local authority mergers and the necessity to harmonise rates across new local authority areas.
I will continue to keep the approach to rates by local authorities under active review, and am determined that every avenue will be pursued to optimise efficiency and contain costs in the local government sector.
157. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost of restoring all cuts in central Exchequer funding to local authorities since 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33460/15]
View answerCentral Government funding to local authorities presents a complex picture, with allocations coming from a range of Departments and Offices for a variety of purposes. Some streams of funding are delivered directly from funding departments to local authorities, while others are routed through state agencies. The chapter of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Annual Report concerning Central Government Funding of Local Authorities provides an overview of local authority expenditure and income, detailing the range of programmes for which local authorities are responsible and the range of funding sources. The Comptroller’s most recent report, in respect of 2013, is available at the following link: http://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/annualreports/2013/report/en/Chap05.pdf.
Annex A of this report shows central government transfers to local authorities by expenditure programme for the years 2007 – 2013. As noted in the Report, the fall in transfers has, in some cases, occurred as a result of the removal of responsibilities from local authorities.
158. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities have a records manager in place to deal with information management, as was recently announced by the central policy unit of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33465/15]
View answerThe management of local authority records is a matter solely for local authorities and one in which my Department has no direct role. Section 80 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that “it is a function of a local authority to make arrangements for the proper management, custody, care and conservation of local records and local archives and for inspection by the public of local archives’.
159. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government regarding the recently announced investment package for rural Ireland to increase the attractiveness of rural towns and villages as places to live and work, and to promote their position as local commercial and social centres, if he will provide details of the application process for same; if an island (details supplied) in County Cork may apply under this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33475/15]
View answerOn 23 September 2015, I was delighted to announce, with the Taoiseach and my colleague Minister Kelly, the new Town and Village Renewal Scheme. This scheme is part of a concerted effort to support the development of rural towns and villages, not only as a component of a broader approach to rural development but also to improve the environment of rural dwellers in a way that will increase their quality of life and simultaneously support potential economic activity in their area.
The scheme will be multi-annual in nature, commencing in 2016 and will have a budget of €30 million. The initiative will be channelled through the local authorities and details of the application process will be available over the coming weeks.
160. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on a matter regarding planning regulations (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33556/15]
View answerThe Retail Planning Guidelines published by my Department in 2012, provide overall policy direction for local authorities in relation to retail development.
The Guidelines provide advice to local authorities with regard to preparing the content of development plans and require a proactive approach to the development of city and town centres, assessing their vitality and viability, investigating potential development opportunities and activating potential development and redevelopment opportunities.
Annex 2 of the Retail Planning Guidelines recommends that local authorities examine the strengths and weaknesses of town centres to assess how well city and town centres are performing. One such indicator is the proportion of vacant street level property. The guidelines also advise that the indicators should be collected and monitored regularly for the main centres in the retail hierarchy in order to provide baseline information on the health of town centres and help inform the preparation of city or town centre strategies.
It is a matter for local authorities, as provided for under section 34(2) of the Planning & Development Act 2000, to consider the provisions of the development plan, which includes a strategy for retail planning, in decisions relating to planning applications. This includes an assessment of what additional retail floor-space may be required in various locations within the functional area of the local authority and over the plan period.
Retail development is therefore considered by reference to factors including general demand, overall planned development and future population growth as an integral part of the preparation and implementation of planning policy.
However, developing suburbs in some urban areas did not develop as quickly as originally envisaged due to the economic downturn of recent years and this has given rise to some delays in the utilisation of newly constructed commercial properties, pending the completion of originally envisaged residential development.
In addition the Local Government Act 1946 provides that where a property in a county council or urban local authority area is unoccupied on the date of the making of the rate the owner becomes liable for payment of rates. However, the owner is entitled to a refund if the property is vacant for specified purposes. These are where the premises are unoccupied for the purpose of the execution of additions, alterations or repairs; where the owner is bona fide unable to obtain a suitable tenant at a reasonable rent; and where the premises are vacant pending redevelopment. The collection of rates and the determination of eligibility for a refund in this context are matters for each individual local authority.
