Written Answers Nos. 139 - 144
139. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of payments to persons for the use of walkways (details supplied) on their lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8696/16]
View answerMy Department administers a Walks Scheme, which provides modest payments to landowners to maintain sections of walking trails that traverse their lands. It does not affect their property rights and is not a payment for access purposes. It should be noted that all landowners and occupiers whose property or land is traversed or adjoins a recreational trail that has been inspected and approved by the National Trails Office are indemnified by a commercial company.
Due to budgetary constraints it has not been possible to expand the existing Walks Scheme in recent years. However, there continue to be 39 trails covered by my Department’s Walks Scheme and in 2015 payments to participants exceeded €1.8m. The number of participants currently on the Scheme stands at approximately 1,900.
140. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has met with the League of Credit Unions to discuss the construction of social housing; the progress made; if he has put a time scale for progress in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8649/16]
View answer148. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to respond positively to a proposal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8751/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 148 together.
I and my colleague, Minister Paudie Coffey, met with the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) on 1 December 2015 to discuss a submission setting out a proposed means by which funding could be provided to Approved Housing Bodies, by credit unions, for the development of social housing. My Department has since had two further meetings with the ILCU to address technical aspects of its proposal. The most recent meeting was on 13 April 2016.
The Central Bank commenced a number of new regulations for credit unions on 1 January 2016. Prior to their commencement, following careful consideration, the Central Bank made a number of modifications including to Regulation 25(2) which makes reference to the fact that the Central Bank may prescribe, in accordance with section 43 of the Credit Union Act 1997, further classes of investments for credit unions which may include investments in projects of a public nature. The effect of these modifications is that regulation 25(2) now provides that investment in projects of a public nature can include, but are not limited to, investments in social housing projects.
I acknowledge the recent modifications made by the Central Bank and the willingness of credit unions to actively seek a role in financing the delivery of social housing.
Conscious of the independence of the Central Bank in its regulatory role in respect of credit unions, bilateral engagement has taken place between my Department and the Department of Finance to consider the potential regulatory and legislative implications of credit union involvement in the social housing sector.
My Department and the Department of Finance met with the Central Bank on 21 April 2016 to provide information of a technical nature in relation to social housing funding arrangements. This was with a view to assisting the Central Bank in understanding how these arrangements operate, as it deals with issues arising from proposals put forward for credit union investment in social housing.
Ultimately, the funding mechanisms will have to be put in place in the first instance by the ILCU w ith the support of its members, and with the agreement of the Central Bank. I and my Department are happy to continue to contribute to this process by providing necessary technical advice and support.
141. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to reintroduce the block grant to provide extra funding to local authorities which originally had a town council. [8663/16]
View answerI assume that the Question refers to general purpose grants from the Local Government Fund. Up to 2014, general purpose grants (GPG) were a contribution, from my Department, towards meeting the cost to local authorities of providing a reasonable level of services to their customers. The general purpose grant allocations to local authorities in 2014 were in respect of the local authority area as a whole and took into account any former borough or town councils within the area. The 2014 GPG allocations recognised the move of water related costs from local authorities to Irish Water in 2014. 2015 saw the introduction of Local Property Tax (LPT) allocations being paid to local authorities through the Local Government Fund.
Given that local authorities vary significantly in terms of size, population, public service demands, infrastructure and income sources, the Government decided that no local authority would receive less income from LPT in 2015 and 2016 than they received from their GPG allocation in 2014. Accordingly, the LPT allocations for 2015 and 2016 take account of the historical GPG funding provided to any former borough or town councils within the local authority area.
142. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to fund the reinstatement of an administrator, even on a part-time basis, for the Ballybeg community development project in Waterford city. [8667/16]
View answerWhile my Department operates a range of community schemes and programmes, which are governed by eligibility criteria and rules, it does not provide funding to Ballybeg Community Development Project nor does it have any contractual arrangements with that organisation.
143. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of social housing in County Kerry and in Daingean Uí Chúis (details supplied) in particular; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8684/16]
View answerIn April last year, I announced over €1.5 billion in funding allocations in respect of social housing to be provided by all local authorities via a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes. Those allocations and associated targets for each local authority, including Limerick, are available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/minsters-kelly-coffey-announce-eu15-billion-social-housing-targets-local.
Following this notification of targets, I made announcements for substantial new social housing projects in May 2015, in July 2015 and in January 2016. Between these three announcements, almost €680 million has been allocated for over 3,900 social housing new builds, turnkey developments and acquisitions. Details of these project approvals, including those for Kerry, are available on my Department’s website at the following links:
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41340,en.htm
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,42225,en.htm
http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/ministers-kelly-coffey-announce-further-1000-social-housing-units.
I am keen that all local authorities, including Kerry County Council, advance these projects as soon as possible and I have assured them that funding is available to fully support their efforts in this regard. While social housing construction projects are being advanced, acquisitions of new and second-hand houses and apartments remain an effective means of meeting immediate social housing need. In 2015, Kerry County Council secured the purchase of 29 housing units. In addition, under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme, approved housing bodies can purchase, lease or construct housing units and make them available for social housing - 51 new units became operational for Kerry under this programme in 2015. I understand also that six social housing units in Daingean Uí Chúis, to be managed by Camphill Communities of Ireland, will be tenanted soon.
The development of further social housing proposals in all areas of need in Co. Kerry is a matter for the local authority in the first place and under the Social Housing Strategy, my Department remains keen to see further projects advanced.
144. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of social housing and the ownership scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8685/16]
View answerThe Government announced in 2011 the standing down of all affordable housing schemes, including the Shared Ownership Scheme, given the changes in the property and lending markets. There are no plans at this time to develop a new shared ownership scheme.
