Written Answers Nos. 751-764
751. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost to the Exchequer for the provision of hotel accommodation to homeless families in County Dublin in the 12 months to 31 March 2016. [6290/16]
View answerMy 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. I therefore have no function in relation to operational matters, such as amounts spent by housing authorities on hotels for emergency accommodation.
The purposes for which housing authorities may incur expenditure in addressing homelessness are prescribed in Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. Under Section 10 funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of such services from their own resources. Furthermore, housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure on homeless related services outside of the Section 10 funding arrangements.
752. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the expenditure on acquiring second-hand social housing units in 2015; the number that were acquired; and the average cost per unit in County Dublin and outside County Dublin. [6298/16]
View answerThe combined spend in 2015 on the acquisition of new and previously owned houses and apartments for social housing use was €1 79.2 million, with €110.7 million provided by my Department from Exchequer funding and €68.5 million provided by certain local authorities from their own funding sources, including local property tax receipts.
A total of 1,096 properties were acquired. The average cost per unit across the four Dublin authorities was €227,000 and across the other authorities was €144,000.
753. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the location of the 28 new council homes built in 2015, and the number provided through the Part V scheme. [6299/16]
View answerInformation on social housing units constructed in respect of all local authorities funded by direct capital investment by my Department, is published on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
The figure of 28 units was in respect of the period to the end of quarter three 2015. Full year statistics for 2015 show a final outturn for 2015 on construction of 64. The link provided shows the local authority areas in which these were delivered.
Details of social housing units delivered through Part V arrangements are available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/housing/statistics/affordable-housing/affordable-housing-and-part-v-statistics.
754. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the expenditure on providing social housing through renting and leasing private rental accommodation from landlords and developers through the rental accommodation scheme, the housing assistance payment scheme, the social housing capital expenditure programme, the new Part V in 2015 and other schemes; the number of rented or leased units provided; and the average annual cost per unit per scheme. [6300/16]
View answerThe information requested in relation to the cost of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) for 2015 is set out in the following table. These costs represent the value of the ongoing commitments in respect of existing units and the additional cost of units as they become operational within the year. The basis of the rental or availability payments made to property owners by local authorities and recouped by my Department and the underlying contractual arrangements under each of the three schemes, differ from each other.
|
Scheme |
2015 |
|
Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) |
€15,643,829 |
|
Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SCHEP) |
€34,342,074 |
|
Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) |
€136,667,296 |
To date, some 8,800 households have been supported by the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), which is being introduced on a phased pilot basis to local authorities since September 2014. A total of 5,680 households commenced HAP in 2015 over a phased period throughout the year, in addition to the 485 supported by the scheme in 2014. Using the total number of households at year end and the full cost of the scheme in 2015, the average annual cost per unit would be €2,537. However, this is not an accurate reflection of the average cost per unit when account is taken of the phased introduction of units over the course of the year. A better measure is the annualised cost of the average monthly rent paid to landlords in 2015, which is estimated as €6,804.
By the end of December 2015, a total number of 7,099 social housing units were supported and operational under SHCEP with 1,477 units becoming operational in 2015. This figure includes leased units sourced through Part V arrangements. Using the total number of units operational at year end and the full cost of the scheme in 2015, the average annual cost per unit would be €4,838. The annualised cost of the average monthly cost per unit under SHCEP in 2015 is estimated as €7,320.
From the commencement of the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) in late 2005 to 31 December 2015, some 32,347 households have been transferred from Rent Supplement to RAS. My Department does not hold information on the number of households in RAS at any given time. Numbers in RAS constantly vary as contracts end, tenants move on to other properties, landlords withdraw from the Scheme, new tenancies are allocated or vacancies in contracted units are filled. Financial returns from local authorities for the year 2015 are still being collated. However, there were 20,473 RAS tenancies in place on 1 January 2015, and on the basis of full year costs an estimated average annual cost per unit would be €6,675. The annualised cost of the average monthly rent paid to landlords in 2015 is estimated as €7,800.
755. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to provide funding to Dublin City Council for the refurbishment of the North Strand fire station in Dublin 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6321/16]
View answerThe provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects.
In February 2016, I announced a five-year Fire Services Capital Programme with an allocation of €40 million, based on the current annual €8 million allocation, to be used for the purchase of fire appliances and specialist equipment, building or upgrading of prioritised Fire Stations, an upgrade of the Communications and Mobilisation system and improvements to Training Centres. Under this programme, the list of priority projects to be progressed will be kept under review on an annual basis.
A fire station project in North Strand is not included in the current five-year programme, but my Department will have regard to Dublin City Council’s priorities and national priorities for funding in further considering any proposal.
756. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost of training 40 new persons to be fully qualified firefighters for the Dublin Fire Brigade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6322/16]
View answerThe costs relating to the training of recruits for Dublin Fire Brigade does not come under the remit of my Department.
Such costs are a matter for the relevant local authority, in this case Dublin City Council, who provides the Fire Service for the four Dublin local authorities, through Dublin Fire Brigade.
757. Deputy Frank O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the policy initiatives he has taken to ensure that the rights of tenants are strengthened in the context of the sale of property they occupy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6364/16]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. Security of tenure under the Act is based on rolling four-year tenancy cycles. Where a tenant has been in occupation of a dwelling for a continuous period of 6 months and no notice of termination has been served in respect of that tenancy before the expiry of the period of 6 months, the tenancy is established for the remainder of the four year period. This is referred to in the Act as a ‘Part 4’ tenancy.
A landlord may not terminate a Part 4 tenancy except on clearly defined grounds which are set out in the Table to section 34 of the Act. These grounds include that the landlord intends to sell the dwelling, that the landlord wishes to change the use of the dwelling, and that the landlord requires the dwelling for a family member.
Amendments introduced in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 further strengthen the protections around tenancy terminations by providing for measures that will guard against, for example, landlords falsely declaring that the property is needed for a family member, or that it is going to be sold.
In addition, the 2015 Act introduced further graduated increases in the notice periods that must be given to tenants of the termination of a tenancy so that a landlord must now give a tenant up to a maximum of 224 days’ notice for tenancies of 8 years or more.
758. Deputy Frank O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of housing adaptation grants processed for older persons and for persons with disabilities in County Kildare and nationally in the years 2008, 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6366/16]
View answer780. Deputy Frank O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of housing adaptation grants for older persons and persons with disabilities processed in County Kildare in each of the years 2008 to 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6833/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 758 and 780 together.
The number of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability processed in all local authority areas, including for Co. Kildare, for the period requested is available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/housing/statistics/social-and-affordble/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics.
759. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applicants who have been accepted onto the housing assistance programme in Sligo County Council in 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6376/16]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. The HAP scheme removes a barrier to employment, by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment, it improves regulation of the rented accommodation being supported and it provides certainty for landlords as regards their rental income. To be eligible for HAP, a person must first apply for and be approved for social housing support by their local authority.
Under the HAP scheme, eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector, payments are made electronically directly to the landlord on behalf of the tenant, and the tenancy agreement is between the HAP recipient and the private landlord.
The first phase of the statutory pilot for the HAP scheme commenced in September 2014 and has been introduced incrementally to 19 local authority areas to date, including in the administrative area of Sligo County Council where the pilot scheme became operational on 16 November 2015.
To date in 2016, 53 households have been supported by the scheme in the administrative area of Sligo County Council, with an average of 4 tenancies being set up per week in 2016. These figures are in line with what was envisaged in the initial stages of roll out for the scheme in the Sligo County Council area.
It should be borne in mind that HAP is a demand-led scheme and in this context, I am pleased at how the HAP scheme is being operated within the administrative area of Sligo County Council and I would like to commend the local authority on its engagement with the scheme to date.
760. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the details of the lands owned by each local authority and zoned for social housing. [6382/16]
View answerThe Housing Agency, in consultation with my Department and local authorities, is gathering data and developing a detailed database and GIS map of local authority owned lands, as well as the Land Aggregation Scheme lands, showing their location, size, boundaries and other information.
Furthermore, 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 Survey 2014, published in February 2015, determined the location and quantity of lands that may be regarded as being undeveloped and available for residential development purposes at 31 March 2014. This survey measured the total amount of lands whether owned privately or by the local authority that have been identified for housing development in the various local authority development plans and that are the highest priority for development.
The area of such lands amounts to 17,434 hectares, which given a range of densities appropriate to whether the areas are in small villages or larger towns and cities and as determined by the relevant local authorities, could theoretically enable the construction of over 414,000 dwellings.
The Residential Land Availability Survey 2014 is available on my Department’s website at: http://www.environ.ie/planning/residential-land-availability/residential-land-availability-survey.
761. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the details of the appointment of additional staff to the housing department of Kildare County Council in 2015 and 2016, including the number appointed, the positions and grades of the appointees, the future plans regarding appointments to the housing section; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6389/16]
View answerMy Department works closely with Kildare County Council in relation to the Council’s overall staffing requirements. However, under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, it is the Chief Executive of the Council who is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority.
The table below sets out the posts sanctioned by my Department for Kildare County Council in 2015. No sanction applications for housing staff have been received in 2016.
|
Title of Post |
Number of Post(s) |
|
Senior Architect |
1 |
|
Director of Services (Planning) |
1 |
|
Clerical Officer |
1 |
|
Tenant Liaison Officer |
1 |
|
Social Worker |
2 |
|
BER Assessor - Clerk of Works |
1 |
|
Homeless Outreach Worker |
1 |
|
Senior Architect |
1 |
|
Senior Executive Officer |
1 |
|
Project Manager Housing |
1 |
|
Administrative Officer |
1 |
|
Staff Officer |
2 |
|
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Executive Technician |
2 |
|
Tenant Sustainability Officer |
1 |
|
Homeless Outreach Worker |
1 |
|
Assistant Staff Officer |
3 |
|
Clerical Officer |
3 |
|
Executive Planner |
1 |
|
Assistant Planner |
2 |
|
Executive Planner |
1 |
|
Clerk of Works - Housing Delivery |
4 |
|
Clerk of Works - Housing Maintenance |
1 |
|
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Assistant Staff Officer |
2 |
|
Clerical Officer |
2 |
|
Total Posts |
39 |
762. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the progress of the investigation into serious allegations of planning irregularities and other issues in County Wicklow into which he said he would establish an inquiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6405/16]
View answerI have received correspondence in relation to a number of complaints regarding certain matters in County Wicklow which is being considered. A reply will be issued in due course.
763. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government whether he is aware of the independent fire safety audit that was carried out on Oldcourt estate in Bray in County Wicklow in 2005 and published in 2007; and given this report, if he will fund a phase 3 for these critical works. [6407/16]
View answer764. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the nature and purpose of works to be carried out at Oldcourt estate in Bray in County Wicklow; and if he will extend these works to private homes which were bought in good faith from the local authorities. [6408/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 763 and 764 together.
My Department has provided approximately €1.2 million to Bray Town Council and Wicklow County Council towards a range of improvement and retrofitting works undertaken since 2012 to houses in Oldcourt Estate.
The precise nature and extent of the necessary works is a matter for Wicklow County Council to determine; however, my Department is in dialogue with the Council in respect of further works and the Council’s proposals in this regard are currently under consideration.
