Written Answers Nos. 311-320
312. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will assist the Students Union in the University College Dublin with its promotion of the rent-a-room scheme following his meeting on 2 September 2015 with the president of the union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9067/16]
View answerRent-a-room relief was introduced with the aim of increasing the availability of rented residential accommodation. Under the scheme, rooms rented in a person’s sole or main residence as residential accommodation, including rooms let to students for the academic year are exempt from tax, PRSI and USC since 1 January 2015.
The annual limit on exempt income is €12,000. The governing legislation is contained in section 216A Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, and comes within the remit of the Minister for Finance.
314. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the fiscal risks associated with a legally binding European Union effort sharing decision on climate change covering 2013 to 2020, which necessitates a 20% greenhouse gas reduction in certain sectors on 2005 levels (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9086/16]
View answer315. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the details of the projected purchases of carbon credits that he forecasts purchasing for failure to comply with the European Union effort sharing decisions which necessitates a 20% greenhouse gas reduction in certain sectors on 2005 levels, by amount, by year, by relevant sector in tabular form. [9087/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 314 and 315 together.
For each year between 2013 and 2020, Ireland has a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target under the 2009 Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) No. 406/2009/EC. For the year 2020 itself, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20 per cent below their value in 2005. This is jointly the most demanding 2020 reduction target allocated under the ESD and one shared only by Denmark and Luxembourg. The 2013 target is based on the average of emissions for the years 2008-2010. The target for each of the years 2014 through 2019 is on a straight-line trajectory between the targets for 2013 and 2020, and surpluses in one year can be used to cover deficits in any subsequent year. The average incidence of these targets is a 12% reduction relative to 2005.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in March 2016 projected emissions for 2020 which indicate that Ireland’s emissions in 2020 could be in the range of 6-11% below 2005 levels. On a cumulative basis, Ireland will have a deficit of between 4 and 12 Megatonnes Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (MtCO2 e). The projections suggest that Ireland may have a cumulative deficit of units in 2018 or 2019. Some of this deficit can be addressed by means of the retirement of units carried forward from the 2008-2012 period, and some additional purchases may be required depending on the out-turn. It is not possible to quantify these at present, having regard to both the quantum and price of carbon units to be purchased at the time.
A Member State demonstrating compliance with an annual target retires Annual Emissions Allocations (or units from the Kyoto Protocol Flexible Mechanisms) approximately 18 months after the year end, so it is unlikely that any expenditure required will occur before 2020 at the earliest.
The extent of the challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in line with our EU and international commitments, is well understood by the Government, as reflected in the National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development, published in April 2014, and now underpinned by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 which was enacted in December 2015. The National Policy Position provides a high-level policy direction for the adoption and implementation by Government of plans to enable the State to move to a low-carbon economy by 2050. Statutory authority for the plans is set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015.
In accordance with Section 4 of the Act, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government must submit a National Mitigation Plan to Government for approval by June 2017 at the latest. Work is well underway on the development of the National Mitigation Plan, the primary objective of which will be to track implementation of measures already underway and identify additional measures in the longer term to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and progress the overall national low carbon transition agenda to 2050. The first iteration of the National Mitigation Plan will place particular focus on putting the necessary measures in place to address the challenge to 2020 but also in terms of planning ahead to ensure that appropriate policies and measures will be in place beyond that.
The ultimate objective of successive National Mitigation Plans is to incrementally achieve this low carbon transition vision by 2050. In that context, the National Mitigation Plan will have regard to Ireland’s obligations under the current 2009 Effort Sharing Decision and any likely future EU and international obligations that may arise, including new targets to be agreed under the 2030 climate and energy package.
316. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the minimum distance limit between accommodation units on temporary Traveller halting sites. [9090/16]
View answerSection 8.14 of the Guidelines for Traveller Accommodation - Basic Services and Facilities for Caravans Pending the Provision of Permanent Accommodation (1998), as provided for under section 29 of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, sets out that, generally, there should be a minimum separation distance of 6m between caravans and 9m between a caravan and a building or other structure. These distances may be reduced by the use of suitably located screen walls which can provide a barrier to the spread of fire. These distance guidelines apply to caravans in temporary or permanent residential caravan parks for Travellers. Also, the location of caravans should be such as to reduce the risk of fire between caravans and a building, or from a building to a caravan.
My Department initiated a Programme to Review Fire Safety in Traveller Accommodation in December 2015. A working draft “Guide to Fire Safety in existing Traveller Accommodation” was developed to assist local authorities in carrying out the Review. The Guide, which brings together relevant fire safety information, advice, guidance and fire safety standards applicable to existing Traveller accommodation into a single reference document, restates that, in general, the recommended layouts of sites are to provide a minimum of 6 metres separation between each caravan to prevent fire spread.
The above-mentioned Guidelines are available from my Department’s website at-
http://www.environ.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad%2C43038%2Cen.PDF
317. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the funding available under the rural development scheme, the village and town renewal scheme, or any other scheme, by which a parent can be subsidised for exorbitant Internet usage charges due to residence in a remote area with limited Internet services to download tailored online educational programmes crucial to the progression of the child's education and learning development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9130/16]
View answerThe LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2014–2020 will provide €250 million in financial resources to support the development of sustainable rural communities. Under the programme, funding will be distributed by Local Action Groups to rural communities in line with the local development strategies developed within each sub-regional area in Ireland. The broadband sub-theme of the Rural Development Programme supports local actions that complement national initiatives aimed at developing a comprehensive rural broadband infrastructure only.
In addition to this, my Department has introduced a number of measures to support rural Ireland, including the Rural Economic Development Zone (REDZ) pilot scheme and the new Town and Village Enhancement scheme which is due to be rolled out in the near future. It will see an investment package of €30 million to support the revitalisation of towns and villages with a view to improving the living and working environment in communities and enhancing their potential to support increased economic activity into the future.
The scheme will be multi-annual in nature and it is proposed to allocate €5m to the scheme each year from 2016 to 2021. It will be delivered by Local Authorities in conjunction with local communities as part of a concerted effort to support the development of rural towns and villages.
It should be noted that the LEADER broadband sub-theme, the REDZ’s pilot and the new Town and Village Enhancement scheme are not intended to subsidise internet usage charges or to cover broadband infrastructure, which is covered under the National Broadband Plan.
318. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost to the Exchequer if all moneys paid to Irish Water in domestic water charges up to 1 April 2016 were fully refunded by the State. [9140/16]
View answerIrish Water's customer billing and collection levels are a matter for the utility. Irish Water has published information on bill payment levels for the first three billing cycles on its website at www.water.ie.
The €110.8m collected in respect of domestic water charges is the amount of cash (net of rebates) collected as at 11 January 2016. The number of customers who had made a payment to 11 January was 928,000. Irish Water is currently finalising collection details in relation to its fourth billing cycle and it is expected that information relating to same will be published shortly by the company.
Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
319. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to clarify the matter regarding meetings held over winter 2015-2016 with representatives from the insurance industry; if he has reached agreement on home owners being refused flood cover because of perceived threat of flooding; if he will advise residents accordingly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9171/16]
View answerIssues relating to flood insurance are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance who is responsible for the legislative framework for insurance regulation and development of the insurance sector. I have no role in relation to this matter.
320. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the new building regulations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9182/16]
View answerThe legally enforceable minimum performance requirements which apply to dwellings in general are set out in twelve Parts (classified as Parts A to M) of the Building Regulations and apply to new dwellings or, in certain circumstances, to an existing dwelling which is undergoing an extension, material alteration or material change of use.
Part L of the Building Regulations addresses the conservation of fuel and energy in buildings and sets stringent minimum energy performance standards for dwellings in accordance with the requirements and methodologies set out in Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings. The latest Part L requirements came into effect on and from 1 December 2011.
Detailed Technical Guidance Documents (TGDs) are published by my Department to accompany each part of the Building Regulations, including Part L, in order to demonstrate how the requirements of the regulations can be achieved in practice.
Owners, designers and builders are free to make their own choices in relation to the most appropriate heating system for any given dwelling provided the dwelling complies with the minimum energy performance standards as set out in Part L/TGD L 2011. Open fire places may still be specified and installed in dwellings although this form of heating performs relatively poorly in energy efficiency terms (i.e. circa 30% compared to the approximately 8 0% efficiency achieved by a well-performing stove). As such, the open fire place does not provide an optimum contribution to the high energy performance standard required of a modern, low energy dwelling. Where regarded as desirable by homeowners, the open fire tends to be used only as a secondary source of heating and the dwelling concerned must also otherwise achieve the minimum energy performance standards as set out in Part L/TGD L 2011 which apply generally to all dwellings.
