Written Answers Nos. 545-554
546. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 30 and 142 of 21 November 2013, the action he has taken given the new information available (details supplied); how he will address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4364/16]
View answerIn February 2014, the then Minister of State for Housing Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., appointed an independent interim regulator within the Housing Agency to assess the governance, financial management and performance of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). The Regulation Office is led by a Regulatory Committee of non-executive members and is independent in its decision making powers. Co-operative Housing Ireland (formerly NABCO) is among the 212 AHBs who have since signed up for regulation and therefore it comes under the oversight of the current interim AHB Regulator. It is a matter for the interim Regulator to focus on individual AHBs and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on individual regulatory matters.
In September 2015 the Government approved the drafting of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2015 with a view to establishing an AHB Regulator on a statutory basis.
547. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of social houses that were built in counties Cavan and Monaghan in each of the past ten years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4377/16]
View answerInformation on social housing units constructed in respect of all local authorities, including both Cavan and Monaghan County Councils, and funded by direct capital investment by my Department, is published on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,15291,en.xls. Data up to Quarter 3 of 2015 are currently available, including a breakdown across the different categories of delivery for all local authorities. Data for the full 2015 calendar year will be available shortly.
548. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts submitted to his Department as estimates for flood damage from the recent floods, by local authority. [4419/16]
View answerMy Department is responsible for the response phase only of severe weather related emergencies including flooding. As part of the response related activities undertaken in relation to the recent flooding, my Department wrote to the Local Authorities and asked them to submit details of the exceptional costs they incurred in the response, clean-up and necessary immediate works. As part of this exercise estimates of the costs of damage to public infrastructure were also requested. The damage reported was principally to the roads network and details were passed to the responsible Departments (see Table 1 below).
My Department is not compiling any further details in this regard as most of the public infrastructure damaged falls outside the remit of my Department. The compilation of further data on flooding damage and the associated funding arrangements for restoration works on roads and other infrastructure is a matter for the relevant Government Departments or Agencies to administer, in consultation with Local Authorities, as appropriate.
My Department made available to Local Authorities two tranches of additional funding totalling €18 million to support them in meeting the costs associated with the flood preparedness, response and clean-up activities arising from the recent flooding. This funding was provided to Local Authorities in acknowledgement of the exceptional nature of the work undertaken in protecting homes and property from flooding and in the post-flooding clean-up works.
To date, my Department has made payments to local authorities totalling €6.354 million to assist them in meeting the costs of the response, clean-up and necessary immediate works related to the flooding that occurred up to 19 December 2015 (see Table 2 below). My Department recently wrote to local authorities inviting them to submit claims for recoupment of costs from 19 December to date.
Table 1
Local Authority Infrastructure Damage Estimates 5 Dec 2015 to 4 Jan 2016
|
Local Authority |
DTTAS |
DECLG |
OPW |
|
Carlow |
541,000.00 |
||
|
Cavan |
3,379,400.00 |
||
|
Clare |
850,000.00 |
||
|
Cork City |
100,000.00 |
45,300.00 |
|
|
Cork County |
5,197,600.00 |
500,000.00 |
|
|
Donegal |
4,120,000.00 |
50,000.00 |
|
|
Dublin City |
11,955.60 |
||
|
Galway City |
35,000.00 |
||
|
Galway County |
12,110,300.00 |
235,000.00 |
|
|
Kerry |
1,464,705.00 |
||
|
Laois |
577,500.00 |
100,000.00 |
|
|
Leitrim |
1,000,000.00 |
||
|
Limerick |
1,450,000.00 |
2,950,000.00 |
|
|
Longford |
147,000.00 |
||
|
Mayo |
3,000,000.00 |
||
|
Monaghan |
133,000.00 |
||
|
Offaly |
1,639,586.25 |
||
|
Roscommon |
4,100,000.00 |
||
|
Sligo |
3,190,000.00 |
||
|
Tipperary |
4,460,200.00 |
||
|
Waterford |
13,972,000.00 |
200,000.00 |
7,795,000.00 |
|
Westmeath |
1,970,000.00 |
17,000.00 |
|
|
Wexford |
1,915,000.00 |
250,000.00 |
|
|
Wicklow |
215,000.00 |
239,000.00 |
330,500.00 |
|
65,567,291.25 |
1,536,300.00 |
11,187,455.60 |
Table 2
DECLG Payments to Local Authorities for Response Phase
|
Local Authority |
Current - Paid |
|
Carlow |
21,886.00 |
|
Cavan |
41,526.00 |
|
Clare |
900,000.00 |
|
Cork County |
135,226.00 |
|
Donegal |
763,300.54 |
|
Fingal |
6,800.00 |
|
Galway City |
39,387.00 |
|
Galway County |
980,418.00 |
|
Kerry |
244,447.00 |
|
Kildare |
30,452.58 |
|
Leitrim |
477,640.00 |
|
Limerick |
328,839.92 |
|
Louth |
37,889.00 |
|
Longford |
85,513.00 |
|
Mayo |
980,000.00 |
|
Monaghan |
45,500.00 |
|
Offaly |
76,735.53 |
|
Roscommon |
285,000.00 |
|
Sligo |
297,000.00 |
|
Tipperary |
52,000.00 |
|
Waterford |
253,000.00 |
|
Westmeath |
241,309.00 |
|
Wexford |
30,000.00 |
|
- |
6,353,869.57 |
549. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is an agreed national policy on the rent charged to tenants by approved housing bodies; if rents are related to the local authority rents charged in a given area; if an appeal mechanism is in place for tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4428/16]
View answerApproved Housing Bodies (AHBs) generally use the differential rent scheme as applied by the relevant local authorities to determine the rents of their dwellings. Under this system the amount of rent to be paid by a tenant is based on the income of the household. Approved Housing Body rents for their social housing tenants are set when the AHB signs an agreement with the housing authority to house those tenants. Those agreements are made under section 6 of the Housing Act 1992.
My Department’s Memorandum on Capital Funding Schemes for Provision of Rental Accommodation by Approved Housing Bodies sets out the terms and conditions attached to the provision of funding under the schemes. It states that Approved Housing Bodies should fix rents at levels which are reasonable having regard to tenants’ income and the outlay of the Approved Housing Body on the accommodation, including the on-going costs of management. The Memorandum also states that it should be a condition of advancing a loan under the Capital Assistance Scheme that the housing authority has clear rights of consultation in relation to the fixing of rents generally.
The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 will bring AHBs under the remit of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) on commencement of Part 2 of the Act. This is expected to commence in the second quarter of 201 6 following which disputes arising in the sector may be resolved by the PRTB.
550. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the expenses he incurred in the administration of the Water Services Act 2013 or grants made by him pursuant to section 15 of the Act and paid out of moneys provided by the Houses of the Oireachtas which was expended on public relations and on advertising in each calendar year from 2013 to 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4432/16]
View answerMy Department has not incurred any expenses relating to public relations and advertising in the administration of the Water Services Act 2013 in the period 2013 to 2015 nor has it provided any funds pursuant to Section 15 of the Water Services Act 2013 for any item of expenditure during this period.
551. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the range of grants that are available for the repair of an old house by a person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4446/16]
View answerSupport provided by my Department in respect of refurbishment or adaptations to houses are primarily in respect of social housing. In the case of private houses, the main programme of support funded by my Department is via the local authorities and is focussed on house adaptations for older people and people with a disability.
The suite of grants under the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability has the objective of facilitating the continued independent occupancy of their own homes by older people and people with a disability. It supports necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works to be carried out to make accommodation more suitable to the needs of such persons. As these schemes are administered at local level, further enquiries/applications should be directed to the relevant local authority.
Householders may also qualify for relief under the Home Renovation Incentive Scheme, introduced under Section 5 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2013. The Scheme covers main residence repairs, renovations and improvements and is administered by the Revenue Commissioners; full details are on their website www.revenue.ie.
552. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of properties which have been successfully purchased through the national mortgage to rent scheme since its launch in 2012 by county, in tabular form; if he will reform the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4454/16]
View answerBy the end of December 2015 a total of 147 cases had been completed under the Mortgage to Rent Scheme since its commencement. In addition, 619 cases were actively being progressed. A breakdown of this information on a county basis is provided in tabular form below.
In July 2015, the Government announced changes to the mortgage to rent scheme as part of a broader package of measures to deal with mortgage arrears. The changes were made in order to make the scheme more flexible and accessible and are designed to enable more properties to qualify for the scheme.
Amendments include:
- The valuation threshold for properties has been increased and will be reviewed on a regular basis.
- Flexibility has also been provided in relation to the size of properties which qualify for the scheme.
- Eligibility criteria for the borrower remains the same - however, a borrower who has completed the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARPS) and is applying for mortgage to rent will have their eligibility for social housing support assessed without delay.
- As a general rule the criterion of the borrower being in negative equity remains – however, some flexibility has been provided, on a case by case basis, to allow for a borrower who is in marginal positive equity to avail of the scheme.
- Greater funding is being made available to support the Scheme. The funding ceiling under the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) has increased from 30% to 40% for mortgage-to-rent cases only.
Progress under the scheme will continue to be monitored and every opportunity will be taken to ensure the Scheme operates to its full potential.
Breakdown of Completed and Active MTR Cases at end December 2015 by local authority:
|
County |
Actively Being Progressed |
Complete |
|
Carlow County Council |
17 |
5 |
|
Cavan County Council |
18 |
3 |
|
Clare County Council |
3 |
3 |
|
Cork City Council |
20 |
4 |
|
Cork County Council |
34 |
3 |
|
Donegal County Council |
3 |
0 |
|
Dublin City Council |
64 |
23 |
|
Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council |
4 |
1 |
|
Fingal County Council |
47 |
12 |
|
Galway City Council |
4 |
1 |
|
Galway County Council |
12 |
1 |
|
Kerry County Council |
8 |
2 |
|
Kildare County Council |
54 |
8 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
10 |
5 |
|
Laois County Council |
25 |
2 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
1 |
1 |
|
Limerick City and County Council |
15 |
6 |
|
Longford County Council |
1 |
1 |
|
Louth County Council |
37 |
15 |
|
Mayo County Council |
1 |
0 |
|
Meath County Council |
62 |
14 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
6 |
0 |
|
Offaly County Council |
23 |
4 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
3 |
0 |
|
Sligo County Council |
0 |
0 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
42 |
10 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
21 |
6 |
|
Waterford County Council |
35 |
9 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
11 |
2 |
|
Wexford County Council |
23 |
2 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
15 |
4 |
|
619 |
147 |
553. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of houses owned by local authorities, by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4455/16]
View answerMy Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy. Data on local authority housing stock - which incorporates owned housing stock and accommodation provided under the Rental Accommodation Scheme and the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme - are available on my Department’s website at: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,15291,en.xls, by clicking “L.A. rented units by area 2003 +” under the Social Housing Supports Heading.
