Thursday, 21 Jul 2016

Written Answers Nos. 261-280

Commercial Rates

Questions (261)

Barry Cowen

Question:

261. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount collected in commercial rate receipts by each individual local authority in 2015 and in 2016. [23548/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. Rates income data are published by local authorities in their Annual Financial Statements, which are published as a matter of course on local authority websites. 2014 is the latest year for which audited local authority Annual Financial Statement data are available.

Work on the auditing of local authority Annual Financial Statements for 2015 by the Local Government Audit Service is ongoing.

Air Pollution

Questions (262)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

262. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when a reply will issue to correspondence (details supplied) regarding a ban on using smoky coal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23611/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous fuel (or ‘smoky coal ban’ as it is commonly known) was first introduced in Dublin in 1990 in response to severe episodes of winter smog that resulted from the widespread use of smoky coal for residential heating. In August 2012, following a public consultation process, new solid fuel regulations were introduced with the aim of ensuring that the smoky coal ban remains fit for purpose in safeguarding air quality by limiting harmful emissions of air pollutants arising from the use of certain residential solid fuels. The ban now applies in 26 urban areas nationwide, including all towns like Letterkenny with a population greater than 15,000 people, which brings the ban areas broadly into line with national EPA air quality management zones.

The ban has proved very effective in reducing particulate matter and sulphur dioxide levels. As well as bringing air quality levels into compliance with EU standards, the ban has also had the effect of significantly improving human health in the country. Research indicates that the ban has resulted in over 350 fewer annual deaths in Dublin alone.

Given the significant health impacts, it is not proposed to relax the ban in any areas where it applies. The stated policy objective is to extend the benefits of the smoky coal ban nationwide, to eliminate discrepancies in the levels of environmental protection and clean air benefits for citizens in different locations.

This process necessarily involves discussion and consultation with a wide number of stakeholders, including with the European Commission, relevant Departments and agencies of Government, the residential fuel industry as well as the general public. Preliminary discussions on issues that may arise in connection with the proposed nationwide ban have already taken place with some of these stakeholders. It is proposed to launch a public consultation on the national Clean Air Strategy in the near future.

Private Rented Accommodation Provision

Questions (263)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

263. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider introducing measures to incentivise landlords to rent homes on a long-term basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23613/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

In publishing Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness this week, the Government has set out a practical and readily implementable set of actions to create a functioning and sustainable housing system. The Plan is available at the website www.rebuildingireland.ie. The Plan is divided into five pillars, with each targeting a specific area of the housing system for attention. Pillar 4 of the Plan, entitled Improve the Rental Sector, commits to developing a comprehensive strategy for the rental sector in Q4 2016. The strategy will be structured around 4 key areas: security, standards, supply and services. One of the specific measures that will fall to be considered under the heading of security is the scope for a move to indefinite leases, replacing the Part 4 four-year tenancy, perhaps with incentives for landlords to waive their right to terminate a tenancy in the event of the sale of the property.

In addition, the Plan commits to the introduction of a new affordable rental scheme to enhance the capacity of the private rented sector to provide quality and affordable accommodation for households currently paying a disproportionate amount of disposable income on rent. The objective of this scheme will be to provide long -term affordable accommodation for low to moderate income key-worker households in urban areas of high demand and provide an economic incentive to increase supply of rental accommodation. The actions under Pillar 4 also include a commitment to examine standards, costs and feasibility of Build-to-Rent on a large scale, and commission research on ways in which further investment might be encouraged.

The overarching objective of the strategy will be to increase supply and support the development of a stable, strong and viable rental sector offering true choice for households, investment opportunities for providers and reflecting the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords.

Fire Service

Questions (264)

Michael McGrath

Question:

264. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of hoax calls to which Cork city and county fire services were called out in 2014, 2015, and to date in 2016; the estimated cost to the service of responding to these calls; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23855/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The numbers of false alarm incidents within their functional areas and attended by Cork City and County fire services for the years 2014 and 201 5 are set out in the following table. These data are based on annual fire statistics returns from each individual Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service. The statistical information for 2016 will not be collected until early next year. The table shows calls broken down by sub-categories of “malicious” and “good intent”, according to the call-makers intentions. “Good intent” includes responses to fire alarms which may turn out not to involve a fire.

-	2014	-	-	2015	-	-
	Malicious	Good Intent	Total	Malicious	Good Intent	Total
Cork City Council	107	474	581	100	479	579
Cork County Council	85	162	247	65	150	215

The costs incurred in responding to these calls are a matter for the local authority concerned and this information is, therefore, not available in my Department.

Local Authority Housing Data

Questions (265)

Michael McGrath

Question:

265. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of voids or vacant local authority dwellings for Cork City Council and Cork County Council at present; if sufficient funding has been granted to both authorities to repair these properties in order that they can be made available to persons on the social housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23863/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The number of vacant social housing properties owned by both Cork City Council and Cork County Council changes on an ongoing basis, as the local authorities have social units handed back and as units are re-let. Ongoing changes in these numbers would be expected in the context of the management of large volumes of social housing stock. Further information on precise levels of stock at any one time is available directly from both authorities. Since commencing the current programme of funding in 2014, to support local authorities in returning vacant social housing units to productive use, my Department has provided €11 million combined to Cork City Council and Cork County Council, to support over 850 vacant homes to be returned to use. The programme for 2016 will see an additional 220 units remediated across the two Cork authorities at an expected cost of some €5.5 million. Further vacant units may arise for remediation over the course of the year from the two authorities and my Department will liaise with both authorities on the further provision of funding.

My Department’s funding to local authorities under this programme is on the basis that all remediated social housing units are tenanted straightaway, with priority in allocation given to homeless families to the fullest extent possible. Furthermore, this funding from my Department is on top of the normal pre-letting works undertaken by local authorities themselves on vacant units. Many other vacated social units are repaired as part of the normal maintenance work that local authorities carry out continuously on their housing stock, funded from their own resources.

The strong level of funding provided by my Department and the work undertaken by the local authorities in tackling the backlog of vacant units that had accumulated has resulted in individual local authorities reporting a reduced rate of vacancy of 1-2% of their overall stock. Between the funding supports available from my Department and the efforts of local authorities themselves, I am satisfied that both local authorities in Cork are in a position to ensure that all social housing units for which there is a housing need can be returned to use.

More broadly in relation to dealing with vacant social housing stock, the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, sets out commitments in line with best asset management practices, which will see all local authorities operating to a national re-letting performance standard and making greater use of a preventative maintenance approach to housing stock management.

Waste Disposal Charges

Questions (266)

Martin Heydon

Question:

266. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the current position with regard to the implementation of increased charges for waste collections; the negotiations that are currently ongoing with waste companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23897/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Legislation has been introduced to remove mandatory pay-by-weight charging for household waste collection. However, it is still open to a company to charge on a pay-by-weight basis. Indeed, many companies already have a pay-by-weight element to their charging structure and their customers are quite happy with this approach.

However, in response to the reported escalation of waste bills for customers of certain companies, particularly in relation to some proposed increases in service charges, I have actively engaged with waste industry representatives to agree a way forward that results in customers paying no more than they are currently paying for waste over the next 12 months, by means of a price freeze to end-June 2017.

The operation of the price freeze by the industry is being closely monitored by Government and, in the event of evidence of the agreement being breached, legislative options will be considered to address the issue. In this regard, my Department has met with representatives of the waste industry and is continuing to liaise with operators as necessary with regard to the consistent implementation of the agreement.

Regeneration Projects Funding

Questions (267)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

267. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the assessment of the regeneration funding that has been conducted in respect of recent projects nationally; if the outcomes have led to an increase to housing stock and commercial activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23901/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Regeneration projects being funded by my Department target the country’s most disadvantaged communities, including those defined by social exclusion, unemployment and anti-social behaviour. My Department currently supports a programme of large-scale regeneration projects in Dublin, Cork and Limerick and smaller projects in Tralee, Sligo and Dundalk. The 2016 allocation for existing commitments on regeneration projects is €50 million.

A regeneration project by its nature is complex, taking time to develop. It moves through a number of phases including the initial master-planning stage, demolition works, enabling works, refurbishment and/or consolidation works and construction. Therefore it can take some time before the impact of that work becomes visible such as the delivery of improved homes and living conditions, and improvements in the quality of life in the regenerated area. In Ballymun, for example, some 2,000 social housing units were provided over the years of that project through a mixture of construction, acquisitions and refurbishment of void/derelict units.

The regeneration project at Limerick has been in operation for over eight years, with a cumulative investment to date of some €258 million. 2016 will see significant building works, including the major advancement of a contract for 82 new social housing units. The regeneration project at Cork City will see work advanced on a further 23 new homes commenced in 2016. Regeneration works consisting of major refurbishment and renewal in Dundalk and Sligo are ongoing, while Tralee regeneration is largely complete. In the Dublin City area, two new large regeneration projects, Dolphin House and St. Teresa’s Gardens, are expected to move onto the construction of new units in 2016.

While regeneration funding provided by my Department is primarily focused on the physical build programme, funding is also provided for social regeneration activities that help to maintain and develop communities during the physical regeneration process. The wider impacts of regeneration works, such as increased commercial activity within a regenerated area, can be influenced by a range of factors beyond the remit of a regeneration project, such as prevailing economic conditions, investment by businesses in the area, the local authority development plan and the relevant local authority’s local economic and community plan. Many of the regeneration projects have their own Regeneration Boards, made up of relevant stakeholders, including residents representatives, local authority representatives and State agencies. Through the shared expertise and multi-agency representation on these boards, they bring a focus to the broader elements of regeneration, including economic and social dimensions, and seek to develop a whole of community approach to the programme.

Limerick as the largest ongoing regeneration project, is monitored on an annual basis. One year on from the formal adoption of the Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan, a Monitoring Report has been prepared on the activities relating to Housing and the Physical Environment for the period 2014-2015 and is available at:

https://www.limerick.ie/council/annual-monitoring-report-housing-and-physical-environment.

A monitoring report for the period 2015-2016 is currently being finalised.

Limerick City and County Council have also finalised a separate Monitoring Report for the Social Intervention Fund 2012-2014 under the Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan and, I understand, will have it available for public viewing in September 2016.

My Department’s Regeneration Programme is a priority from a social policy perspective, encompassing social housing improvements as well as social/community and economic renewal of communities. It reflects the Government’s commitment to an urban regeneration programme that empowers people to work together to improve their communities and the quality of life for all who live within them.

Housing Assistance Payment Implementation

Questions (268)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

268. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for extending the homeless housing assistance payment, HAP, provision outside the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, DRHE, area to the adjoining regional band of Kildare, Meath and Wicklow; if a review of the DRHE provision has been conducted; if statistical analysis is available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24032/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and it is now available in 19 local authority areas including Kildare and Meath; the roll-out to Wicklow is planned for later in 2016. The Government recently increased the rent limits under HAP, allowing for a greater level of assistance from the State from 1 July 2016. The capacity of local authorities to make discretionary enhanced payments has also been extended to all authorities operating HAP. These new measures mean that maximum rent limits will increase in every part of Ireland, with the increase reflecting the pressures on rental properties in each particular location.

The Dublin Region Homelessness Pilot of HAP has been operational since February 2015 across the four housing authorities in the Dublin Region, i.e. Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council, and is being implemented through the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE). The focus of the Pilot is to transition qualified households from emergency accommodation into private rented tenancies. To date almost 350 tenancies have been secured for homeless households through the Pilot. The operation of the Pilot is kept under review on an on-going basis and I have no plans at present to extend it outside of the Dublin Region.

Financial support in respect of accommodation needs is also available through the Department of Social Protection’s Rent Supplement scheme which currently supports approximately 57,000 recipients at a cost of €267 million in 2016. At this time of constrained supply, the Department of Social Protection takes a flexible, case-by-case approach where rents exceed limits; this ensures that people at risk of homelessness or loss of their tenancy are supported under Rent Supplement where increased rental payments are required, and almost 9, 000 households have been supported through this approach.

Local Authority Housing

Questions (269, 277, 279)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

269. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to advertise via a national campaign that all housing list persons should re-register their details for social housing support; that a deadline exists re circular 25/2016 for local authorities by September 2016 and for individual persons by July 2016; his intentions to notify citizens, the arrangements he has made for those families in transitional shared or emergency accommodation to retain their place on the housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24033/16]

Catherine Murphy

Question:

277. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the housing assessment process requires a public information process to accompany it; if a review followed previous processes where housing applicants were excluded from the housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24127/16]

Catherine Murphy

Question:

279. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the housing assessment should be accompanied by a public information campaign; if a review was done following previous assessments and where housing applicants were excluded from the housing list; if he will undertake such a process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24134/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I propose to take Questions Nos. 269, 277 and 279 together.

The Social Housing Strategy 2020 – Support, Supply and Reform, published in November 2014, included a commitment to undertake summaries of social housing assessments on an annual basis from 2016. Arrangements to carry out the 2016 summary, which will provide updated figures of national housing need later this year, are well advanced.

The aim of the 2016 Summary of Social Housing Assessments is to capture the total number of households nationally which are qualified for social housing support and whose housing need is not being met. A household is deemed to qualify for social housing support where it demonstrates its eligibility and need for such support in accordance with the qualification criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations made thereunder.

Information sessions for Local Authorities were hosted by my Department on 30 June and 6 July 2016. Detailed guidance has been prepared by the Housing Agency and provided to all authorities to support the Social Housing Assessment 2016. The Summary process requires housing authorities to review qualified households who are not currently in receipt of housing support to ensure that they still qualify and still require support, and to ensure that the detail of the applicant households is up to date and accurate.

As part of this assessment, all Local Authorities have been asked to write to relevant households, including those in transitional and shared or emergency accommodation if relevant, informing them of the assessment and seeking updated information where necessary. Any household that has been assessed or reviewed since 21 September 2015 does not need to submit updated details under this assessment unless there has been a recent change in the household circumstances. In the event of non-reply by an applicant, authorities are advised to contact them again and to use all reasonable means of communication available to them in contacting applicants. Authorities have also been advised to undertake local advertising campaigns informing applicants about the Assessment.

Homeless Persons Data

Questions (270)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

270. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of homeless single persons accommodated outside the county in which they are registered homeless, by month, length of duration of stay in accommodations, by county in which they are registered homeless and by county in which they are accommodated, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24034/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The official homelessness data provided by housing authorities are produced through the Pathway Accommodation and Support System (PASS). These data capture details of individuals and households utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. Quarterly reports from lead housing authorities are published on my Department's website as soon as these are available. In addition, lead housing authorities provide monthly reports on homelessness which identify the number of people utilising State-funded emergency accommodation on a regional and county basis and also broken down by the number of families and dependents; my Department collates this information into monthly homeless reports. The specific data sought in the Question are not available in my Department. However, both the quarterly and monthly reports are available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.

Tenant Purchase Scheme

Questions (271)

Brendan Smith

Question:

271. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if improvements will be introduced at an early date to the tenant purchase scheme to enable Part V tenants and tenants in receipt of a social welfare payment who are in a financial position to purchase their homes participate in this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24070/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The new Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme and applies to all existing local authority houses, other than those classes of houses excluded under legislation. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having been in receipt of social housing support for a minimum period of one year and having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum.

The minimum reckonable income for eligibility under the Scheme is determined by the relevant housing authority in accordance with the detailed provisions of the Ministerial Directions issued under Sections 24(3) and (4) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. In the determination of the minimum reckonable income, housing authorities can include income from a number of different sources and classes, such as from employment, private pensions and maintenance payments. The reckonable income can also include certain social welfare payments, including pensions, where the social welfare payment is secondary to employment income.

In determining reckonable income, the income of the tenants of the house, including adult children that are joint tenants can be included, as can the income of the spouse, civil partner or other partner / cohabitant of a tenant who lives in the house with them.

In order to ensure the sustainability of the scheme, it is essential that an applicant’s income is of a long-term and sustainable nature. This is necessary to ensure that the tenant purchasing the house is in a financial position, as the owner, to maintain and insure the property for the duration of the charged period, in compliance with the conditions of the order transferring the ownership of, and responsibility for, the house from the local authority to the tenant.

The provisions of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, are designed to enable the development of mixed tenure sustainable communities. Part V units are excluded from the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme to ensure that units delivered under this mechanism will remain available for people in need of social housing support and that the original policy goals of the legislation are not eroded over time. The continued development of mixed tenure communities remains very important in promoting social integration.

The financing of any house sold under the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is a separate matter from the eligibility criteria for the scheme. In order to participate in the scheme, the tenant must, in the first instance, meet the eligibility criteria as set out in the relevant legislation. If the tenant is deemed eligible under the scheme, he or she may fund the purchase of a house from one, or a combination of, own resources or a mortgage provided by a financial institution or a local authority house purchase loan.

In line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government and reaffirmed in Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, published this week, I intend to undertake a review of the 2016 scheme following its first 12 months of operation. I will bring forward any changes to the terms and conditions of the scheme which are considered necessary based on the evidence gathered at that stage.

Fire Stations Provision

Questions (272, 273)

Brendan Smith

Question:

272. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the proposal to provide a new fire station in Virginia, County Cavan; the stage this project is at; the estimated time line for the tendering process; the estimated costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24071/16]

Brendan Smith

Question:

273. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the proposal to provide a new fire station in Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan; the stage this project is at; the estimated timeline for the tendering process; the estimated costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24072/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I propose to take Questions Nos. 272 and 273 together.

The 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, a five-year Fire Services Capital Programme was announced, 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.

A fire station project in Virginia is included in the Fire Services Capital Programme under the list of priority projects to be progressed in 2016. Original project documentation including contract documents and a cost plan were received in my Department in 2011, indicating a total project cost of approximately €864,000; an updated cost plan was requested in February 2016.

A fire station project in Ballyjamesduff is also included in this programme under the list of priority projects to be progressed for 2018. Original project documentation, including contract documents and a cost plan were received in my Department in 2011, indicating a total project cost of approximately €864,000.

My Department is liaising with relevant local authorities to progress proposed projects in the programme within the indicated timescales. 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 individual projects.

Library Projects

Questions (274)

Brendan Smith

Question:

274. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the proposal to provide a new library in Virginia, County Cavan; the stage this project is at; the estimated timeline for the tendering process; the estimated costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24073/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The development of Virginia Library will be supported by my Department under the Libraries Capital Investment Programme 2016-2021. My Department will provide a contribution of €850,000 under the capital programme towards the overall cost of the proposed development, which is estimated at €3.5 million. The matching funding will be provided by Cavan County Council, which has responsibility generally for the provision of premises and facilities in the public library service in its capacity as a library authority.

Projects will be funded on a phased basis over the lifetime of the capital programme. Accordingly, while the development of Virginia library may progress at the discretion of Cavan County Council, Department funding for the proposal will be available for drawdown from 2021. The project will also be subject to a four-stage approval process, which will be dictated largely by Cavan County Council’s readiness to proceed through the various stages. Stage one of the approval process, the initial project capital appraisal, commenced recently and I expect the outcome of the appraisal will be notified by my Department to Cavan County Council in the near future.

Library Projects

Questions (275)

Brendan Smith

Question:

275. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the proposal to provide a new library in Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan; the stage this project is at; the estimated timeline for the tendering process; the estimated costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24074/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I refer to the reply to Question No. 476 of 20 April 2016 which sets out the position in this matter.

Local Authority Assets

Questions (276)

Martin Heydon

Question:

276. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government for an update on the progress of development of a site (details supplied) in County Kildare, which is to provide additional housing supply in the south Kildare area as well as an amenity park and other community facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24113/16]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

The development of this site is a matter in the first instance for Kildare County Council. I understand that the site was purchased by the local authority for the purpose of developing a new library, social housing and a community amenity facility. My Department has approved €1.65 million for the development of the library, of which €700,000 was provided as a contribution to the purchase of the site, in 2015. The library project is currently at the design stage, with development work expected to commence in October 2016. I understand that the Council is working on plans for the provision of housing on the site and I look forward to these being further developed and provided to my Department.

Question No. 277 answered with Question No. 269.

Question No. 278 answered with Question No. 245.

Question No. 279 answered with Question No. 269.

Question No. 280 answered with Question No. 244.