Written Answers Nos. 247-257
247. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in the context of affordable homes, if he will consider changing legislative provisions so that material improvements will include landscaping works and other improvements that add value to properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38913/15]
View answerI assume the Deputy is referring to a provision in section 99 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 relating to the proceeds of sale of affordable houses, which provides that in calculating the amount payable to the planning authority, due allowance will be made for any material improvements made by the person to whom the house was sold, and defines “material improvements” as improvements made to the house.
While Part V of the Planning Act is generally kept under review, and has recently been amended, I have currently no plans to amend the provision referred to by the Deputy.
248. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied that the 22 modular housing units proposed by Dublin City Council will be ready for occupation on or before 22 December 2015; if he will confirm that a minimum requirement for the 22 modular homes is that they comply and are certified as compliant with all relevant building, sound, fire, insulation and environmental regulations; the steps he has taken to ensure these standards; if he is satisfied that the change of use of the land designated for the modular housing to active residential land is compliant with all planning legislation; if he is satisfied that the construction and use of the proposed modular housing is compliant with all planning legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38926/15]
View answerGovernment has approved the delivery of 500 units of modular housing for homeless families across Dublin. 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 and has issued a tender notice on this basis, 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 by mid-2016. This programme of modular housing provision is being implemented to mitigate the issues associated with an increasing volume of homeless families accommodated in inappropriate commercial hotel arrangements. These units will provide emergency accommodation in the first instance, with each unit providing accommodation for a single household at a given time. While the placement of individual households in these units is intended to be on a temporary basis, such placements will offer a greater level of stability than is possible in hotel accommodation, while move-on options to long-term independent living are identified and secured. Furthermore, such arrangements will facilitate more coordinated needs assessment and support planning for access to all required services, including welfare, health and housing services.
My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. Accordingly, it will be a matter for the relevant housing authorities to ensure, as with any form of development, that the development of modular housing units comply with all regulatory obligations, including building control, fire safety requirements and planning.
249. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the anticipated additional revenue that his Department estimates will arise from the introduction of the petroleum production tax, as outlined in the Finance Bill 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38878/15]
View answerFollowing on the Dáil Éireann debate on 9 July 2013 on the May 2012 Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture on Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration, international sectoral experts Wood Mackenzie, were engaged to advise on the appropriateness of Ireland's oil and gas fiscal terms. In undertaking their review Wood Mackenzie sought to take account of the need to strike the necessary balance between attracting the high-risk exploration investment needed to prove the potential of the Irish Offshore and maximising the return to the State from Ireland’s natural resources. Wood Mackenzie furnished their Final Report at end May 2014.
The principal recommendations made by Wood Mackenzie were as follows:
- For now Ireland should maintain a concession system, with industry rather than the State bearing the risk associated with investing in exploration;
- Going forward a form of production profit tax should continue to apply in Ireland, but for discoveries made under future licences the form of this tax should be revised;
- The tax should be charged on a field-by-field basis with the rate varying according to the profitability of the field and charged on each field’s net profits;
- That the revised tax should include a minimum payment at a rate of 5% which would function like a royalty and would result in the State receiving a share of revenue in every year that a field is selling production;
- That the revised tax rates should be higher than the Profit Resource Rent Tax currently in place, thereby ensuring a higher share for the State from the most profitable fields. This would result in a maximum rate of 55% applying in the case of new licences, compared with a maximum rate of 40% under the current fiscal regime;
- That the corporation tax rate applying to petroleum production should remain at 25%; and
- There should be no retroactive change to the fiscal terms applying to existing authorisations.
Having received and considered Wood Mackenzie’s comprehensive and detailed report the Government agreed that Ireland’s oil and gas fiscal terms should be revised along the lines recommended and implemented by way of the Finance Bill 2015.
The Bill introduces a new tax called the Petroleum Production Tax (PPT) which will apply in the case of petroleum authorisations first awarded after 18 June 2014 and replaces the Profit Resource Rent Tax introduced in the Finance Act 2008 in respect of such authorisations.
The PPT will apply on a field by field basis, calculated on a field’s net income at a rate that is determined by reference to the profit ratio of the oil or gas field having regard to cumulative gross field revenues and field costs.
The legislation provides that:
- The PPT will be payable in addition to the existing 25% rate of corporation tax that applies to the profits from oil and gas production;
- The PPT payments will be deductible for the purposes of calculating the amount of corporation tax due;
- The operation of the PPT regime will result in a maximum marginal tax take on a producing field (combining the corporation tax and petroleum production tax) of 55%;
- Once a field starts producing oil or gas, a minimum PPT payment of 5% will be payable in each year of production on the gross revenue (net of transportation costs) of a field;
- The ultimate PPT amount due on each field will be determined on a sliding scale depending on the profitability of the field.
For future prospective licence holders a clear regime is being set out and the rationale for that regime has been explained. This should further engender industry confidence in the stability and predictability of Ireland’s oil and gas fiscal terms and allow the industry to focus on effective and timely exploration effort.
Whilst we hope for more commercial discoveries, there is little point in speculating about potential revenues from commercial oil or gas fields that have yet to be discovered.
250. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of applicants awaiting transfer in his Department to locations other than their present locations; 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. [38752/15]
View answerMy Department does not maintain transfer lists of staff who wish to transfer to other Departments or locations. These lists are maintained by the Departments to which the staff member wishes to transfer. The rules on how these lists are operated is a matter for individual Departments subject to any requirements set out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
251. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources for an update on the provision of broadband in an area (details supplied) in County Kildare, where the poor quality of service is affecting the running of a business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38888/15]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services. These very significant investments represent a step-change in the quality of broadband services available.
Last November I published a national high speed coverage map for 2016. This map is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services.
The AMBER areas show the target areas for the State intervention. All premises within the AMBER areas will be included in the State's intervention.
Based on information provided by commercial operators, 92% of the townland of Gallowshill will be covered by the commercial sector while the remaining 8% will be part of the State intervention.
The map allows all members of the public, be they business or residential, to see whether their premises/home will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016 or whether they will be included in the Government's proposed intervention.
It is anticipated that speeds of at least 30Mbps will be also delivered through the Government's intervention and the network will be designed to cater for future increased demand from consumers and business.
More generally I can confirm that next generation broadband services have been rolled out to over 55,000 premises to date in Co Kildare with over 12,500 more expected to be served by commercial investment. Approximately 20,500 premises in Kildare will be covered either by further commercial investment or the proposed State intervention.
38 responses were received following the publication of the NBP proposed Intervention Strategy in July last. Non-confidential versions of these submissions have been published since last week and can be accessed at www.Broadband.gov.ie.
Meanwhile, my Department continues to review the technical and financial detail relating to potential new commercial investment proposals with a view to updating the intervention area Map. I expect to publish an updated version of the Map and to proceed to formal procurement before the end of the year.
The Government is determined to ensure that the network is built out as quickly as possible and engagement with industry stakeholders has indicated that this could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award.
In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of addresses in Ireland will have access to high speed services by 2018 with all addresses passed by 2020.
252. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources for an update on the provision of a service (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38906/15]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services. These very significant investments represent a step-change in the quality of broadband services available.
Last November I published a national high speed coverage map for 2016. This map is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services.
The AMBER areas show the target areas for the State intervention and includes the townland of Clenagh in Co Clare. All premises within the AMBER areas will be included in the State's intervention.
It is anticipated that speeds of at least 30Mbps will be also delivered through the Government's intervention and the network will be designed to cater for future increased demand from consumers and business.
38 responses were received following the publication of the NBP proposed Intervention Strategy in July last. Non-confidential versions of these submissions have been published since last week and can be accessed at www.Broadband.gov.ie.
Meanwhile, my Department continues to review the technical and financial detail relating to potential new commercial investment proposals with a view to updating the intervention area Map. I expect to publish an updated version of the Map and to proceed to formal procurement before the end of the year.
The Government is determined to ensure that the network is built out as quickly as possible and engagement with industry stakeholders has indicated that this could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award.
In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of addresses in Ireland will have access to high speed services by 2018 with all addresses passed by 2020.
253. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there is a standard compensation rate for landowners who have a 110 kV line or a 220 kV line erected through their lands; if compensation applies for all route lengths; if national guidelines apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38915/15]
View answerI understand that under the compensation arrangements which EirGrid has in place, landowners with a 110kV or 220kV line erected through their land are entitled to compensation. As each case is assessed on its own merits, there is no overall standard compensation rate that applies. I also understand that annual mast interference payments are issued to compensate farmers or landowners for the fact that areas of ground are unavailable for normal farming due to the presence of masts or double wooden pole sets that support transmission lines. Details of annual payment levels are available on the ESB Networks website at http://www.esb.ie/esbnetworks/en/domestic-customers/farming/mast_interference_payments.jsp.
My department has passed the Deputy's query to EirGrid who have been asked to provide a comprehensive reply directly to the Deputy on the matter.
254. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport why the proposed N52 Ardee bypass was not included in the Government's capital investment plan, Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38736/15]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects, such as the Ardee Bypass is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. As I explained in my reply to the Deputy on the same issue (Parliamentary Question No. 224 of 8 October 2015), decisions on the transport elements of the Capital Plan were framed by the conclusions reached in my Department’s Strategic Investment Framework for Land Transport. Based on the findings in that report maintenance and renewal of the road network will continue to be the main priority over the next period and the bulk of the roads capital budget, over €4 billion, is earmarked for such essential work with a further €600 million allocated for implementation of the PPP road programme which is already underway.
So while I recognised the need for some investment in new projects, the Ardee bypass was one of the projects that it was not possible to include given the overall funding envelope available. Over the period of the Capital Plan funding for land transport, including roads, will be built up towards the levels needed to support adequate maintenance and development.
255. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport 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. [38763/15]
View answerMy Department does not maintain transfer lists for staff wishing to transfer in to or out of my Department. It is the policy of the Department that, when additional staff are required for a particular geographic location, it seeks to avail of the Resource Panel operated by the Public Appointments Service for the purpose of redeployment of staff in the first instance. It is also the Department's policy that where a staff member wishing to transfer out of the Department seeks a head-to-head transfer with a staff member of another Department, that such a transfer maybe supported subject to the approval of the Personnel Officers of both Departments.
256. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the grant application submitted to his Department in respect of the development of the Leitrim and Cavan greenway; when will this application be approved and funding allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38835/15]
View answer257. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the grant application submitted to his Department in respect of the development of the Sligo and Leitrim greenway; when will this application be approved and funding allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38836/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together.
No new application for funding has been made for either the Sligo/Leitrim Greenway or the Cavan/Leitrim Greenway. Applications for funding for both were made as part of the National Cycle Network funding call for 2014 - 2016 but were unsuccessful as the costs involved were significantly higher than the funding available. However both projects were highly regarded by the assessment team involved.
I understand that progress is being made by all three local authorities on the preparation of planning documentation and I commend them on their work to date, it is an example that other local authorities would do well to follow. This work will put them in prime position to attract funding when it comes available in the near future.
I further understand that there may be funding available under the INTERREG VA funding call for cross-border greenways and that this call will open in December this year, and I would urge local authorities in the border counties to work with their counterparts across the border to submit applications for funding.
