Written Answers Nos. 239-260
239. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will grant funding to redevelop the old and outdated Ballyshannon fire station, given that this is a priority for Donegal County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15520/16]
View answerThe provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs, the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Service 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.
Donegal County Council, in partnership with my Department, has made substantial progress in modernising fire stations in Co Donegal and has replaced 12 of the 15 fire stations following investment of some €11 million by my Department over the last decade or so. The following towns in County Donegal are now served by modern fire stations with full facilities: Millford (1998); Buncrana (2000); Letterkenny (HQ) and An Fal Carrach (both in 2003); Carndonagh and Donegal Town (both in 2004); Killybegs (2005); An Clochan Liath, Glenties and Moville (all in 2007); and most recently Gaoth Dobhair and Stranorlar (2009). My Department has channelled significant investment to fire authorities over the last number of years and as a consequence, the high quality of Ireland’s fire service infrastructure is now widely acknowledged.
My Department recently 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, local authorities will bring forward sixteen new-build fire station projects and ten fire stations are to be upgraded. The projects in the capital programme will be reassessed on an annual basis and priority may be adjusted to bring forward projects offering best value-for-money and to take account of the state of readiness of the projects.
With regard to the provision of a new fire station in Ballyshannon, this issue has been the subject of discussions with the Local Authority for a number of years. While this station is not included in the programme, my Department is liaising with Donegal County Council to look at possibilities for advancing a project in the south of the county, taking into account, among other issues, site suitability, fire cover requirements and prioritisation of projects.
In further considering any proposal, my Department will have regard to established national priorities for funding in this area and the totality of requests from fire authorities countrywide. The priorities of Donegal County Council, the extent of current and previous investment in Donegal Fire services and the status of existing facilities, having regard to area risk categorisation, will also be considered.
240. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government how it is that the polluter-pays principle, under which fees to collect household waste are to be charged under the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Amendment Regulations 2016, is upheld by the practice of waste companies charging flat per-week service charges to consumers under the pay-by-weight scheme, a charge which must be paid regardless of whether a consumer has presented any waste for collection; if he will amend the regulations in order that service charges that can be charged by waste companies are capped; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15529/16]
View answer242. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will continue to pass on the landfill levy to customers on top of the flat service charges being introduced by waste companies under the pay-by-weight scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15546/16]
View answer267. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a new charging regime by companies (details supplied) is in line with recent regulations agreed by his predecessor; if he will review the regulations, given the significantly higher cost of bin services these companies have charged under this new regime. [15937/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 240, 242 and 267 together.
Government waste policy is predicated on the waste hierarchy, as set out in the EU’s Waste Framework Directive. A number of specific measures have been, and will continue to be, introduced to reduce the amount of waste generated in the State and to increase the segregation of waste which cannot be prevented in line with Government policy. The introduction of pay-by-weight charges for the collection of household waste is one such measure.
The legislation requires that from 1 July 2016 , the collector will charge for each kilogramme of waste collected. The Government has set a minimum mandatory fee per kilogramme for the different types of household waste: 11c for black bin (residual waste) and 6c for brown bin (food/organic waste), while a zero cent minimum fee per kilogramme may be set for green bins (recyclate). The per kilogram minimum charge was designed to cover the minimum cost of treating the waste collected after it has been deposited by the collector at their depot or a waste transfer station to its final treatment, whether that be at a landfill, incinerator or other treatment method. This helps ensure that the polluter pays principle is applied in the pricing structure and that the collector has charged at least enough to cover the cost of treating the waste, thus helping to ensure it will be treated properly. A service fee may also be charged by the collector.
Under pay-by-weight charging for household waste collection, there is an opportunity for everybody to have more control over their waste charges and to minimise their waste costs by preventing waste and segregating waste through using the food waste and recyclable waste bins properly. In an open market, it has been, and will continue to be, a matter for the collector to set charges at the level they consider to be competitive, in compliance with the requirements of the legislation. Excessive pricing by individual companies will offer the opportunity for rival operators to provide their services at a cheaper price.
Finally, the landfill levy has proven to be a huge incentive to divert waste from landfill and to encourage the recycling and recovery of materials. The current rate of the landfill levy is €75 per tonne which encourages operators to find alternative treatment options for waste, including household waste. The charge is not paid directly by householders and is not paid by the operator in cases where the waste is recycled or recovered (e.g. incineration with energy recovery).
241. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government how he will monitor the compliance of waste companies with the Metrology Act 1996, and with the technical specifications laid out in the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Amendment Regulations 2016; his plans to institute an inspection scheme; how consumers can have confidence that the reported weights of their waste are accurate; and the dispute resolution mechanisms that exist where customers believe they have been overcharged. [15530/16]
View answerThe Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, as amended, require that the operator makes available to the householder the weight, fee charged and registration number of the vehicle for each collection of waste.
The responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of the weighing instruments for the purposes of pay-by-weight charging for waste collection rests with the National Standards Authority of Ireland’s (NSAI’s) Legal Metrology inspectors. The NSAI has provided information on its role in this regard, which is available to download at: https://www.nsai.ie/Pay-By-Weight-bin-charges-system.aspx.
245. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the inspections each local authority carried out on building sites, specifying the type of site in each case, in each of the years 2011 to 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15572/16]
View answer246. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied with the system of inspecting building sites; the percentage of buildings sites that were inspected and that were not inspected in each of the years 2011 to 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15573/16]
View answer248. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the resources and number of personnel who are tasked with inspecting building sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15575/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 245, 246 and 248 together.
Local authorities, as building control authorities, have strong powers of inspection and enforcement under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014. In relation to the Deputy’s request for data regarding inspections, I have no role or function in relation to the inspection of building sites or the assignment of personnel for the inspection of building sites. These are matters for local authorities, who are independent in the use of their statutory powers. The Local Government Management Agency collected data on inspections carried out on buildings and published it in the Service Indicators in Local Authorities reports from 2005 to 2013. These reports are available at http://www.lgma.ie/en/search/node/Service%20Indicators.
Following the commencement of the Local Government Reform Act 2014, the National Oversight & Audit Commission (NOAC) now collect and publish this data. The Performance Indicators in Local Authorities 2014 report is available at http://noac.ie/noac-reports/.
I can advise the Deputy that in tandem with the commencement of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, the online Building Control Management System (BCMS) was developed to provide a common platform for the clear and consistent administration of building control matters across the local authority sector. Its purpose is to facilitate building control authorities, building owners, builders and construction professionals in discharging their separate responsibilities under the Building Control Acts. Oversight of construction activity by local building control authorities has now improved immeasurably with the availability and ready access to detailed data on projects via the online BCMS.
In addition, A Framework for Building Control Authorities was adopted by the City and County Management Association in July 2014 in order to standardise work practices, systems, procedures and decision-making in relation to the oversight of building control activity across the local authority sector, to enhance consistency of approach nationally, and to move towards a risk-based approach to inspections by building control authorities. Standardised inspection templates have also been developed under this process.
These key reforms to the building control framework represent a reasonable and appropriate response to the many building failures that occurred in the past decade and will lead to improved quality within the construction sector now and into the future. Nevertheless, my Department will continue to work closely with local authorities, industry stakeholders and members of the public generally to ensure that all concerned understand their obligations under the Building Regulations.
247. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the cost of the inspection for once-off housing; why this cost is so high; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15574/16]
View answer249. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views that the high cost of housing is linked to an increase in the cost of assigned certification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15576/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 249 together.
The key impact on costs associated with the implementation of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 lies in the requirement for the appointment of an Assigned Certifier whose role, in conjunction with the builder and the project team, is to draw up and execute an appropriate inspection plan and to certify the building’s compliance with Building Regulations on completion. In effect, the statutory Certificate of Compliance on Completion certifies that a building is compliant with all relevant requirements of the Building Regulations. While fees for professional services are determined by market forces and are therefore outside the scope of my regulatory powers, as part of last year’s review of the first twelve months of the operation of the regulations, my Department prepared a Sample Preliminary Inspection Plan for a Single Unit Dwelling on a Single Development in order to identify the key stages that would require inspection during the construction of a single unit dwelling on a single development and to estimate the costs associated with such an inspection plan.
The cost calculations published to accompany the Sample Preliminary Inspection Plan demonstrated that the Assigned Certifier role could be achieved at an approximate cost of €3,800 inclusive of VAT. Where additional design work is required the combined cost of assigned certifier duties and additional design work will be of the order of €6,000 inclusive of VAT. These costs relate to the implementation of the inspection plan on a single non-complex dwelling; for example, the costs associated with multi-units dwellings, such as apartments, may be lower due to economies of scale. A copy of this plan and all other documents released as part of that public consultation are available on my Department’s website at http://www.environ.ie/search/archived/archived/archived/current?query=sample%20inspection%20plan.
During the public consultation, a number of respondents confirmed that the assigned certifier services could be secured in line with the Department’s estimates.
Following the review, the owners of one-off houses were given the facility to opt out of statutory certification from 1 September 2015, under the Building Control (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2015.
I am satisfied that these revised arrangements address concerns with regard to the impact of statutory certification on new single dwellings. It is clear from the review that the recent reforms have brought a new order and discipline to bear on construction projects. In this regard, I am confident that as the transition to the new arrangements for the control of building activity continues to progress, these reforms will in time prove capable of transforming the culture of the construction industry in Ireland to one of improved compliance and quality.
In general terms, the cost of delivering housing is dependent on a wide range of factors such as construction costs, land cost, financing costs etc. In this regard, the costs associated with assigned certifier services are far from the most significant element of the overall costs of delivering houses to the market. However, in accordance with the Programme for a Partnership Government, my Department is preparing a new Action Plan for Housing and will continue to liaise closely with other Departments and agencies as well as with industry stakeholders with a view to identifying any reasonable and appropriate measures that may be taken in the interests of reducing construction overheads to facilitate an increased level of housing output.
250. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied with the level of information provided by private waste collection companies to residential customers about the new pay-by-weight scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15655/16]
View answerA pay-by-weight awareness campaign, launched on 18 May 2016, is being rolled out at national, regional and local levels over the coming weeks and will give invaluable advice to householders on minimising their waste management costs under pay-by-weight charging.
In terms of the information provided by household waste collectors, the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, as amended, provide for the deployment of communications and educational literature to the householder. Should the information provided by collectors to householders be found to be lacking, it may be remedied through this provision of the Regulations.
251. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the recent changes to the shared ownership scheme to address previous issues around affordability and rent increases and how participants will be informed of such changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15660/16]
View answerMy Department, together with the Housing Agency, the Housing Finance Agency and local authorities, has considered the affordability issues facing some borrowers who purchased properties under the Shared Ownership (SO) schemes and devised a more affordable long-term path towards full home ownership. A range of measures have already been taken to reduce the monthly repayments of these borrowers.
The Index Linked Shared Ownership Scheme which operated from 1999 until 2002 has been revised with regard to the annual indexation of the rental equity balance and rental payments. The amendments, which came into effect on 1 July 2015, reduce the monthly cost for these borrowers and avoid existing rental equity balances increasing for the remaining term. My Department has issued directions to local authorities outlining the measures and I understand that these changes are being applied to individual loan accounts.
In addition, the Local Authority variable mortgage interest rate was cut by 0.20% and this has helped many Share Ownership borrowers. The rate cut brought the variable mortgage interest rate charged to local authority borrowers down to 2.55% with effect from 1 July 2015, saving borrowers around €17 per month on a typical mortgage of €100,000. A further rate cut of 0.25% will take effect from 1 July 2016, saving borrowers around €21 per month on a typical mortgage of €100,000. The variable mortgage interest rate charged to local authority borrowers will then stand at 2.30 %.
An innovative Shared Ownership Restructuring Option has been available to Shared Ownership borrowers from 1 April 2016. This new restructuring option involves rolling-up all outstanding debt under a SO arrangement into a single annuity loan – i.e. the new restructured loan principal will comprise any outstanding annuity loan balance; rental equity balance, plus any arrears – with an all-sums-owing mortgage charge applying to the property. The term of the annuity loan will be determined by the amount of the monthly repayment deemed to be affordable and sustainable for each SO borrower. This restructuring option allows the borrower to have a regularised, restructured repayment solution which is more easily understood. The restructuring option can lead to full homeownership for the borrower and as such allows for up or down sizing to suit household needs. This arrangement may be of particular benefit to those SO borrowers who are nearing the end of their annuity term but who have not made sufficient provision for the repayment of their Rental Equity balance. The feasibility of this new option for each SO borrower will be determined by their local authority, and may not be appropriate in all cases. Local authorities are currently contacting SO borrowers for whom the restructuring option is deemed appropriate. In some instances, continuing with the current SO arrangement may be the best option for both the SO borrower and the local authority, or in other cases where the outstanding debt may not be sustainable for the borrower in the long-term, the Local Authority Mortgage to Rent (LAMTR) option might ultimately be the appropriate solution.
Local authority borrowers are encouraged to engage with their local authority at the earliest opportunity if they are having difficulty making the repayments on their Shared Ownership arrangement. Information in relation to local authority mortgage arrears, the local authority mortgage arrears resolution process (MARP) and the help available to borrowers is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/housing/home-ownership/mortgage-arrears/local-authority-mortgage-arrears-help-available.
252. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to initiate a change in tenancy laws so that tenants are still allowed to complete their lease, even if the landlord is selling the property. [15683/16]
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.
The Programme for a Partnership Government contains a specific commitment to review the regulatory regime for the rented sector to ensure that an appropriate balance is struck between the rights, interests and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords.
253. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to give the National Asset Management Agency a legal role to address infrastructural problems with land under its control. [15689/16]
View answerThe role and mandate of NAMA is a matter, in the first instance, for the Minister for Finance.
The Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to the preparation and publication of an ‘Action Plan for Housing’. The Action Plan will be drafted with input from a number of key Departments, including the Department of Finance, and drawing on the work of the Special Oireachtas Committee on Housing and Homelessness, which is due to submit a final report to the Dáil in the coming days.
The focus of the early actions for delivery under the Action Plan will be to increase the supply of homes. In that regard, I have asked NAMA for concrete proposals to boost housing supply in the short-term, on land they control or influence, for both social housing and housing for the wider, private market.
In addition, the Government has committed to making funding available for infrastructure to facilitate the development of all types of housing.
The Action Plan is currently being drafted and will be finalised and published in July.
254. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to link rent increases and decreases to the consumer price index; given this, his plans to take account of inevitable regional variances between the rise of accommodation, for example, a 3% rise in County Roscommon where the average rent is €473 is very different from a 3% rise in Dublin where the average rent is €1,663; and his views that percentage-based increases will leave Dublin renters at a greater disadvantage than they are at present. [15690/16]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015, enacted on 4 December 2015, introduced a number of measures to address rent stability and housing supply. In relation to rent stability, the Act provides, inter alia, that the minimum period between rent reviews for tenancies is being increased from 12 to 24 months and this new provision will apply for a 4 year period. In addition, the minimum period of notice of new rent is increased from 28 days to 90 days and longer notice periods for the termination of long-term tenancies have been introduced. Each of these new provisions commenced on enactment.
Further provisions to support rent stability in the 2015 Act include:
- that notice of new rent sent must be in a prescribed form, include details of dispute resolution procedures available through the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and be accompanied by details of rent in respect of 3 comparable dwellings in the area;
- that notification of a rent increase to the RTB will include, among other things, a signed statement by the tenant that they are aware of their rights in relation to rent and rent reviews.
The rental market in Ireland has grown significantly in recent years and now accounts for around 20% of total Irish households. In Dublin rents are now back to 2007 peak boom-time levels. The most recent RTB rent index shows that in the first quarter of 2016, rents were 8.6% higher nationally than in the same quarter of 2015. Data for Q1 2016 show that rents have continued to increase, although the rate of growth slowed in most sectors in the first quarter.
Ultimately, the key to addressing rising rents in the medium to long term is through increasing the supply of housing. Housing is an absolute priority for this Government and, accordingly, a key priority of the Programme for a Partnership Government is the preparation and publication of an ‘Action Plan for Housing’ within the Government’s first 100 days. The Action Plan will be drafted with input from a number of key Departments, and will draw on the work of the Special Oireachtas Committee on Housing and Homelessness, which is due to submit a final report to the Dáil by 17 June 2016.
255. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to grant waivers or other forms of relief to family, single and older person household users under the pay-by-weight scheme. [15698/16]
View answerGovernment waste policy is predicated on the waste hierarchy as set out in the EU’s Waste Framework Directive. A number of specific measures have been, and will continue to be, introduced to reduce the amount of waste generated in the State and to increase the segregation of waste which cannot be prevented, in line with Government policy. The introduction of pay-by-weight charges for the collection of household waste is one such measure.
During the period in which local authorities were directly involved in the collection of household waste, a minority of individual Councils offered different levels of discount to selected households, based on different qualification criteria. As local authorities exited the waste collection market, some required the private operators which took on the Councils’ customers to provide a level of discount for existing waiver customers only, and even then for a limited time. The vast majority of such contractual commitments for private operators to provide a waiver have now expired. In that context, the number of households in receipt of waiver discounts is likely to decline over time, especially as some householders were able to take advantage of special reduced offers elsewhere which actually undercut the waiver price. However, selected private operators still offer some level of discount to former waiver customers on a voluntary basis.
In addition, a very limited number of local authorities make financial contributions towards the cost of, or pay for, the collection of waste from certain households. Again, the qualification criteria and level of support differ from area to area. Such expenditure means that these local authorities divert funding from other areas to support these waiver provisions.
With the exception of one or two municipal districts, local authorities no longer collect waste and the market is now serviced by a diverse range of private operators, where the fees charged are a matter between service provider and customer and the services offered vary across the country. In that regard, it is becoming increasingly apparent that a national waiver scheme could not be imposed in the context of an open market for waste collection.
However, under pay-by-weight charging for household waste collection, there is an opportunity for everybody to have more control over their waste charges and to minimise their waste costs by preventing waste and segregating waste through using the food waste and recyclable waste bins properly. In this regard, a pay-by-weight awareness campaign, launched on 18 May 2016, is being rolled out at national, regional and local levels over the coming weeks and will give invaluable advice to householders on minimising their waste management costs under pay-by-weight charging.
256. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the national rents framework and when he will commence and complete the review of differential rent schemes, as mentioned in the current programme for Government. [15725/16]
View answerSection 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 200, which has not yet been commenced, provides for the introduction of a national differential rents framework that will harmonise local authority rent levels nationally, while retaining some discretion for individual authorities to set rents in their own areas.
While a proposed framework has been prepared, I have asked my Department to review it, including transitional arrangements, in the light of the commitment in this regard in the Programme for a Partnership Government. This commitment provides for a review of the disparate systems of differential rents for social housing across local authorities to ensure that housing supports, including the Housing Assistance Payment, are fair and sustainable, prioritise those on the lowest incomes and avoid creating social welfare traps that stop people returning to work or to the private housing market.
257. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of applications received and approved under the mortgage-to-rent scheme, by county, in each of the years 2013 to 2016 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15726/16]
View answerThere are currently two Mortgage to Rent (MTR) schemes funded by my Department. A scheme exists whereby a local authority (LA) can acquire ownership of properties with unsustainable local authority mortgages, thus enabling the household to remain in their home as a social housing tenant (LA-Mortgage-to-Rent). The other scheme provides for an Approved Housing Body (AHB) to acquire ownership of a property with an unsustainable private mortgage, which also enables the household to remain in their home as a social housing tenant (AHB-Mortgage-to-Rent). Both schemes assist families with income difficulties whose mortgages are unsustainable, and where there is little or no prospect of a significant change in circumstances in the foreseeable future. Both schemes are part of the overall suite of social housing options and an important part of the mortgage arrears resolution process.
Information in relation to Local Authority Mortgage to Rent (LAMTR) scheme applications during its pilot phase in Dublin City Council and Westmeath County Council in 2013 and following national roll out of the scheme in 2014 is available on my Department’s website – http://www.environ.ie/housing/statistics/house-prices-loans-and-profile-borrowers/local-authority-loan-activity.
Local authorities are responsible for submitting valid LAMTR applications to my Department and all applications received were approved.
To date in 2016, 3 LAMTR cases have been received and approved for Dublin City Council and 1 claim has been received from Kilkenny County Council and is being processed by my Department. The Department’s deadline for receipt of the next tranche of funding claims from local authorities is 31 July 2016.
In relation to activity under the AHB Mortgage to Rent scheme, at the end of April 2016, a total of 162 cases have been completed, 18 are currently with the lenders who are seeking the consent of borrowers to share information and for the carrying out of an independent valuation, and 645 are actively being progressed. The following tables give the breakdown by Local Authority and by AHB.
In total, since the introduction of the scheme in 2012, 3,313 cases had been submitted. There are a variety of reasons why cases have not progressed including the householder’s circumstances improving during the process, no social housing demand in the area, the householder’s income being in excess of the statutory limits for eligibility for social housing, and poor condition of the property. My Department continues to work together with the agencies involved with the scheme, including lenders, to streamline the administrative process and ensure that all potential cases are dealt with speedily and efficiently.
In addition, the package of commitments on mortgage arrears announced by Government in May 2015 included a number of amendments to the Mortgage to Rent scheme, which will enable more properties to qualify, and make it more flexible and accessible to borrowers. Amendments made with effect from July 2015 include raising the valuation thresholds for properties, flexibility in relation to the size of properties, more efficient assessment of a borrower’s eligibility for social housing support and flexibility to allow cases of marginal positive equity to avail of the scheme. Additional financial support has been made available by increasing the ceiling of support under the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) for MTR cases from 30% to 40%.
Table 2 Number of AHB Mortgage to Rent cases completed by AHB from commencement from commencement of scheme to end April 2016
|
Organisation |
Number of Completed Cases |
|
Carlow County Council |
5 |
|
Cavan County Council |
3 |
|
Clare County Council |
3 |
|
Cork City Council |
6 |
|
Cork County Council |
4 |
|
Donegal County Council |
0 |
|
Dublin City Council |
25 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council |
1 |
|
Fingal County Council |
13 |
|
Galway City Council |
1 |
|
Galway County Council |
2 |
|
Kerry County Council |
2 |
|
Kildare County Council |
8 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
6 |
|
Laois County Council |
3 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
1 |
|
Limerick City and County Council |
6 |
|
Longford County Council |
1 |
|
Louth County Council |
16 |
|
Mayo County Council |
0 |
|
Meath County Council |
15 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
0 |
|
Offaly County Council |
5 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
0 |
|
Sligo County Council |
0 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
11 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
7 |
|
Waterford City and County Council |
10 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
2 |
|
Wexford County Council |
2 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
4 |
|
|
162 |
|
AHB_Name |
Number of completed cases |
|
Clúid Housing Association |
106 |
|
North and East Housing Association |
4 |
|
Oaklee Housing Trust |
36 |
|
Respond! Housing Association |
1 |
|
Tintean |
1 |
|
Túath Housing Association |
14 |
|
|
162 |
258. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the savings to his Department following the abolition of town and borough councils under the Local Government Reform Act 2014; his plans to reverse this abolition, given the deficit of democratic representation it has created; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15727/16]
View answerThe decision to replace town authorities with a new model of municipal governance under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 was designed primarily to strengthen local government within counties and to address widely acknowledged and long-standing weaknesses and anomalies in the previous system, including divided administration between town and county authorities, for example, in relation to matters such as planning, rating and charges. However, the 2012 Action Programme for Effective Local Government, Putting People First, indicated that it would also be reasonable to anticipate that overall savings to local authorities in the range €15 to €20 million per annum relative to 2010 expenditure figures would be achievable from sub-county reorganisation when the reformed structures, including the establishment of municipal districts, had bedded down.
Municipal districts now cover the entire territory of each county, reflecting European norms, removing outdated boundaries and ending the anomaly of small towns having municipal status and dual representation, while some larger centres and rural areas lacked any sub-county governance. As well as creating a more rational and comprehensive structural arrangement, the new system enables more effective and community-focused decision making and implementation. Under the new arrangements, there is full integration of local authority resources across each county and elimination of duplication both in administrative and electoral terms.
In 2015, which was the first full year of the revised local government structures, a broadly based Advisory Group was convened to carry out a review of their operation, in conjunction with a Local Government Forum for engagement with the Association of Irish Local Government. Feedback from these deliberations and the results of surveys of local authority members and chief executives indicate that the revised structures are generally operating well but will need more time to bed down fully. The results of this operational review will provide a key input to the consideration of issues in the preparation of a report for Government and the Oireachtas by mid-2017, pursuant to the Programme for a Partnership Government, on potential measures to boost local government leadership and accountability and to ensure that local government funding, structures and responsibilities strengthen local democracy, including the issue of town or borough council status.
259. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of social houses built, by county, in each of the years 2014 to 2016 to date, in tabular form; his plans for further building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15728/16]
View answerDetails on social housing units constructed in respect of all local authorities and approved housing bodies 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.
Data in respect of quarter 1 of 2016 is currently being collated and will be published shortly; however, preliminary outputs show that between local authorities and approved housing bodies, over 200 units have been completed through either construction or acquisition of units under my Department’s capital-funded programmes.
Arising from the Social Housing Strategy 2020, targets and provisional funding allocations have been notified to each local authority and 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 the notification of these targets, approvals for a substantial number of new social housing projects were announced in May 2015, July 2015 and January 2016. Between these three announcements, almost €680 million has been allocated for over 3,900 social housing units. These are mainly new builds, but also include some turnkey developments. Details of these project approvals 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.
In addition, my Department supported local authorities in delivering over 1,000 social housing units in 2015 through the acquisition of new and previously owned houses and apartments and this activity is continuing into 2016.
Under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP), my Department, together with local authorities, can support approved housing bodies to construct, purchase or lease housing units and make them available for social housing. The housing units are secured under long-term leases/availability arrangements between local authorities, approved housing bodies and private property owners. The number of units constructed by approved housing bodies using a mix of Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and private finance made available for social housing by approved housing bodies under the SHCEP annually since 2014 is set out in the following table -
|
2014 |
8 |
|
2015 |
31 |
|
2016 |
36 (to end Q1) |
In addition, at the end of May 2016, funding approval was in place to support 627 units to be constructed by approved housing bodies. CALF funding is also provided under the SHCEP to approved housing bodies to facilitate the delivery of units for social housing use by means of acquisition. 880 units were purchased by approved housing bodies in 2015 alone. At the end of May 2016, funding approval was in place to support an additional 1,263 units to be purchased by approved housing bodies.
260. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the functions and responsibilities that will be transferred from his Department to the Department of housing, planning and local government. [15733/16]
View answer268. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the new Department of housing, planning and local government will officially be established. [15943/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 268 together.
The Rural Affairs and Social Enterprise (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 was approved by Government on 8 June 2016 and took effect from 9 June 2016. This Order provides for the transfer of certain community-related functions from my Department to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht which will be renamed as the Department of Rural Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht. These functions relate to the LEADER programme; the CLÁR programme; the Town and Village Renewal Scheme; the Tidy Towns scheme; the Western Development Commission; the implementation of the report of the Commission on the Economic Development of Rural Areas; the dormant accounts fund and social enterprise.
Responsibility for the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and other community-related functions, including the PEACE programme, the scheme to support national organisations and support for volunteering, will remain with my Department.
Responsibility for environmental functions including in relation to climate, waste, resource efficiency, air quality and environmental radiation policies will transfer to the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources which will be renamed as the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Marine planning and foreshore functions will remain with my Department. The statutory transfer of functions process to give effect to these changes in respect of the environment portfolio is underway, with the aim of completing the transfer as soon as possible.
My Department will retain responsibility for matters relating to housing, planning, local government and community, and water. It will be renamed, by Order, as the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government as soon as the statutory process of transferring the environment functions is complete.
