Written Answers Nos. 213 - 223
213. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for a school extension consisting of four classrooms and a nurses' station (detail supplied) in County Kilkenny. [38932/15]
View answerI can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers has submitted an application for capital funding for additional accommodation. The application is currently being considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process has been concluded.
214. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the refusal of an application for a certificate in education and training by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38940/15]
View answerThe Childcare Education and Training Scheme (CETS) is not available to learners in PLC provision.
CETS, which is administered by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, is available to support long term unemployed learners engaging on Youthreach, VTOS and ETB Training provision.
215. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government for details of the new tax regime for heavy goods vehicles; if it applies to unladen weight or gross weight; when it will apply; the new rates for various categories of vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38911/15]
View answerWhile it is the intention to move the basis of taxation for goods vehicles to gross design vehicle weight in the future, goods vehicles are currently taxed on the basis of unladen weight.
On foot of a Court of Appeal judgment of 21 October 2015, and pending fuller consideration of the implications of the judgment and the appropriate response to it, articulated goods vehicles now fall to be taxed as non-agricultural tractors, rather than as goods vehicles. As a consequence of this judgement, there is, therefore, a single annual rate of tax of €333 applicable to the category (the corresponding half-yearly and quarterly rates are €184 and €94 respectively), regardless of the weight of the vehicle.
216. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when applications will open for new private developers for funding under the Leader programme; the criteria for same; and the maximum amount of funding available. [38711/15]
View answerThe LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme 2014–2020 will provide €250 million in financial resources to support the development of sustainable rural communities.
As 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 of the process is now complete and those successful at stage one have moved to stage two of the process, which is the preparation of local development strategies for their areas.
The preparation and submission of local development strategies is underway in each of the 28 designated sub-regional areas. To date, three local development strategies have been received and these are being considered at present.
A minimum period of six months to end-January 2016 has been allowed for the submission of strategies by all Local Action Groups, with the majority expected to submit strategies within that timeframe. Based on progress made to date, I expect that my Department will enter into contracts with a small number of Local Action Groups before year-end. Following this, Local Action Groups will be accepting applications from both private promoters and community groups for projects, which are consistent with the priorities identified in the local development strategies for their area. I am hopeful that the remaining areas will have their strategies approved and be in a position to commence delivery on a rolling basis from early 2016.
217. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applicants awaiting transfer in his Department to locations other than their present location; the number of applications by location; the rules that apply for such transfers; if an applicant has a defined position on the list for transfer; the grounds that apply to applicants being moved up or down on the list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38755/15]
View answerThere are currently six officials in my Department awaiting transfer to different locations as set out in the table. Two of the applications are currently in train and the others will be progressed when circumstances permit. The rules and procedures around central transfer lists are generally settled at national level by representatives of employer and staff interests.
|
County |
Number of Officials |
|
Carlow |
1 |
|
Limerick |
2 |
|
Meath |
1 |
|
Waterford |
1 |
|
Wexford |
1 |
|
Total |
6 |
218. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total value of commercial rates collected in 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38772/15]
View answerThe levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is applied to the valuation for each property determined by the Valuation Office, to obtain the amount payable in rates, is decided by the elected members of each local authority during the annual budget process.
The latest available audited information relates to 2013. The total value of commercial rates collected as reported by local authorities in Appendix 7 of their individual audited financial statements in 2013 was €1,295,621,403. It should be noted that the amounts collected and written off may include arrears. As a matter of course, every local authority publishes its annual audited financial statement on their websites, and the Local Authority Financial Statement Outturn 2013 is published on my Departments website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/LocalGovernment/Administration.
219. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which he has sought or received information from each local authority regarding the availability of serviced or serviceable sites on zoned or zoneable lands adjacent to towns and villages, with a view to addressing the serious and ever-growing housing shortage, with particular reference to the provision of a substantial number of modular houses within the shortest possible time, thereby alleviating the distress and hardship caused to those families who find themselves without a home in current circumstances, given that no serious provision was made to address this issue for at least 15 years, thereby creating an almost total dependency on voluntary housing agencies and the private rental sector; if he will consider emergency legislation given the emerging situation affecting thousands of families and given that approximately 100,000 families were already registered on local authority housing lists some six years ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38805/15]
View answerThe Housing Agency, in consultation with my Department and local authorities, is updating data and developing a detailed database and GIS map of all local authority owned lands, as well as the Land Aggregation Scheme lands, showing their location, size, boundaries and other information. This map will be up-dated over the course of the Social Housing Strategy to record the development and use of these lands.
Accordingly, both lands that have been transferred to the Housing Agency under the Land Aggregation Scheme and other local authority held lands suitable for housing development will be among the first sites considered in order to support the implementation of the Strategy.
With regard to the delivery of modular housing for homeless families across Dublin, Government has approved the delivery of 500 such units, the sites for which were selected by the relevant housing authorities on the basis of access to community infrastructure and services. It is intended to have the first 150 units delivered as quickly as possible in the Dublin City Council administrative area, with the City Council acting as the contracting authority. The City Council expects the delivery of an initial 22 units by December, with a further 128 units to follow by late Quarter 1 2016 through a fast-tracked procurement process. A further 350 units will then be provided across the four local authorities in the Dublin region through a national procurement framework overseen by the Office for Government Procurement, with expected construction on sites.
Furthermore, in 2014, my Department, in conjunction with Local Authority Planning Departments, carried out a national survey of all lands zoned for residential development in statutory local authority development plans and local area plans across Ireland. This exercise, The Residential Land Availability Study, determined the location and quantity of lands that may be regarded as being undeveloped and available for residential development purposes at 31st March 2014. The results of the survey indicated that there was 17,434 hectares of residential zoned lands nationally which could theoretically enable the construction of over 414,000 dwellings. Servicing of housing lands in terms of providing water services, energy and communications, transport, schools and community facilities and amenities involves a range of both public sector organisations and private sector companies. The Residential Land Availability Study operated at a national scale did not examine this level of detail. However, where infrastructure deficiencies exist, the local authority development plan or local area plans provide a framework for addressing such deficiencies through collaboration between the relevant authority, local communities, housing developers and relevant infrastructure providers.
In relation to housing in the Dublin Region the Government published Construction 2020 – A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector (May, 2014) which included a commitment to establishing a Housing Supply Coordination Taskforce for Dublin with an immediate focus on addressing supply-related issues (Action 2 of the Strategy). This Task Force was convened by my Department and includes representatives of the four Dublin local authorities. The First Report of the Task Force undertook an analysis of planning applications for 20 housing units or more and concluded that across the four Dublin authorities there is land immediately available with planning permission for development of 12,785 houses and 7,925 apartments, equating to circa. 3 years supply. A further 25,507 units were deemed permissible in the immediate to short term.
A further study of these zoned residential lands by the Task Force has examined infrastructural constraints and has identified specific infrastructural interventions possible to facilitate additional housing supply in the Dublin Region. These identified infrastructural requirements are intended to form the basis of future investments by Governmental and other infrastructure providers.
I issued a draft Ministerial policy directive under section 29 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, to the four Dublin planning authorities on 29 October 2015 suggesting that they utilise all powers available to them under the provisions of section 179 of the Act, as appropriate, relating to local authority own development for the purpose of finding solutions to the urgent social housing situation presently faced and accelerating the delivery of social housing developments to address the urgent and increasing need for social housing accommodation in the region. This directive will come into effect following approval by both Houses of the Oireachtas. Thereafter, I will keep the operation of the Directive under review.
220. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps he has taken, or proposes to take, to address the immediate housing crisis, which was inherited from the previous administration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38806/15]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 3 on today's Order Paper, which sets out the position in this matter.
221. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which he may be in a position to provide a framework to fund the provision of local authority housing by way of Government development bonds, or by other means, in order to address the current housing situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.] [38807/15]
View answerIn November 2014 the Government approved the Social Housing Strategy 2020 which sets out a strategic framework for meeting the State’s social housing needs to the end of the decade. The Strategy includes a commitment to commence work on a financial vehicle, to be known as the Strategic Housing Fund, to raise funding for the social housing sector. The financial vehicle will be established to facilitate the aggregation of private investment into a fund for subsequent lending as project finance.
Work on the development of this new funding model is being progressed under the oversight of a group which has been put in place to develop the financial aspects of the Social Housing Strategy. This group - the Finance Work Stream - comprises a range of key stakeholders including the Housing Finance Agency, the National Development Finance Agency and the Departments of Finance and of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Arising from the opportunity offered by the Strategy, a range of developers, investors, financiers and others expressed interest in being involved in the provision of social housing. 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 was established - the Social Housing Proposals Clearing House Group - which operates through my Department, under the oversight of the Finance Work Stream.
To date 24 different proposals have been received and 20 of the proposers have presented their ideas to the Clearing Housing Group. The Group is currently in the process of concluding its work and bringing forward recommendations.
222. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which he has received correspondence from the various local authorities regarding the lack of sufficient funding to meet housing adaptation grant requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38808/15]
View answer223. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which the funding approved in respect of housing adaptation grant requirements has been drawn down by the respective local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38809/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 223 together.
A total funding allocation for 2015 of €50.5m nationally was made for the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability. To date 56% of the funding has been expended on the grant schemes.
My Department is in ongoing contact with local authorities regarding these schemes and in that context, a number of authorities with high levels of grant activity have indicated that additional funding, if provided, could be expended by them on further projects. Engagement with the authorities also includes identifying other cases where there is potential underspend and this will allow additional allocations to be made shortly to authorities with greater spend potential.
My Department encourages local authorities to keep the schemes open for applications and to this end, approvals for grant commitments carried forward into 2016 can issue up to the value of 50% of their 2015 allocation.
