Written Answers Nos. 1-30
20. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when he expects to publish individual targets for each local authority with regard to local authority targets for social housing, new builds and acquisitions; and the way in which the targets for the number of new build and acquisitions to be provided in each area will be determined. [28635/16]
View answerAll local authorities already have targets for social housing delivery out to 2017. At present, my Department is liaising with local authorities in relation to increasing social housing targets and accelerating social housing delivery over the coming years.
Having regard to the Social Housing Assessment 2016 and reflecting the increased targets and significantly increased budget of €5.35 billion provided by the Government for social housing delivery under Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, new individual targets will be formally issued to local authorities in early 2017.
I can advise the Deputy that the Summary of Social Housing Assessments 2016 is now well advanced and will provide updated figures of national housing need. This updated information will allow for social housing delivery and resources to be aligned with the up-to-date priority housing needs locally.
In the meantime, social housing building programmes across all local authorities are well underway and continue to be ramped up.
It should be noted that the exact blend of delivery on new units between, for example, new builds and acquisitions, will depend in the first instance on the approach of individual local authorities. Some authorities may, for example, pursue a greater number of new builds where the local market does not support acquisitions as strongly. Other authorities may take a different approach and it is appropriate that, having regard to overall national targets, some level of local responsiveness is available to local authorities in their pursuit of the earliest possible delivery.
21. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of rapid-build houses that will be completed and under construction, respectively, by the end of 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28424/16]
View answer23. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on further delay of provision of rapid-build homes in Dublin; the number of these units which will be tenanted in Dublin at the end of 2016 and at the end of each quarter of 2017. [28700/16]
View answer27. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if funding for proposed rapid builds is new funding or if it is funding that was previously allocated to other housing projects. [28610/16]
View answer70. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the options for local authorities for the tender process; the reason for the recent delays in the houses planned in Cherry Orchard, Darndale, Finglas and Drimnagh; and the projected unit cost for all such homes to be delivered in 2017. [28689/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 23, 27 and 70 together.
Of the 47,000 social housing units to be delivered under Rebuilding Ireland, an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, it is estimated at this stage that approximately 26,000 will be constructed, including 1,500 rapid-build homes, primarily in the Dublin region.
I envisage that there will be more than 320 homes either complete or under construction on site by end-2016. These include the four projects referred to in Deputy Boyd Barrett’s Question, which have been advanced as quickly as possible, subject to the need to complete procurement and contractual arrangements necessary to ensure value for money. I am advised that works will commence on each of these sites very shortly and units will be handed over to Dublin City Council, on a phased basis over the coming months. Sites for a further 200 homes have already been identified and work is ongoing to identify sites for a further 500 homes to be constructed in 2017.
In relation to the unit cost for each project, this will vary from site to site and this information is financially sensitive, as Dublin City Council is in the process of finalising the procurement-contract phase for the four projects and a wider procurement framework is being put in place by the Office of Government Procurement.
As Deputies will be aware, I am rolling out the rapid-build housing programme in order to address issues associated with inappropriate hotel arrangements for homeless families and to expedite social housing supply. This type of accommodation offers a greater level of stability for homeless families, while move-on options to long-term independent living are identified and secured. Furthermore, such arrangements will facilitate more co-ordinated needs assessment and support planning for these families, with access to all required services, including welfare, health and housing services.
Funding for the delivery of rapid-build housing units is being made available as part of my Department’s capital funding for the provision of social housing units. It will not impact on the funding previously approved for other social housing projects, which will continue to be delivered under the Rebuilding Ireland programme. The specific breakdown of the funding allocation for the capital housing programmes will be determined annually in the context of the estimates process.
I can assure the Deputies that rapid-build homes are being built to the highest construction standards, with a minimum 50 to 60 year life guarantee. My Department is working closely with the local authorities, particularly in the greater Dublin region and other urban areas where the need is greatest, with a view to expediting the delivery of rapid-build units as quickly as possible.
22. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the provisions in place to attempt to tackle the issue of child and youth homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23037/16]
View answer51. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the progress to date in combatting the most urgent and pressing issues contributing to the housing crisis, with particular reference to the extent to which the local authorities are making a rapid and substantial contribution to alleviation of the crisis in the form of an immediate response to homelessness and the use of emergency accommodation to accommodate families; the progress in respect of the medium to long-term housing plan, with particular reference to local authorities meeting explicit targets in terms of annual building programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28692/16]
View answer68. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to tackle child homelessness in the next year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23029/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 51 and 68 together.
The solution to the challenge of homelessness is to increase the supply of homes as envisioned under Rebuilding Ireland: An Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness. The Action Plan, published on 19 July 2016, aims to deliver 47,000 units of social housing over the period to 2021 through construction, refurbishment, acquisitions and leasing, supported by Exchequer investment of some €5.35 billion.
The Plan also provides for early solutions to address the unacceptable level of families in emergency accommodation, including the objective that by mid-2017, hotels will only be used for emergency accommodation in very limited circumstances. The increases in Rent Supplement and Housing Assistance Payment levels from 1 July 2017, in terms of supporting families to remain in rented accommodation, will play an important role in the achievement of this overall objective. However where families do find themselves in a homeless situation their needs will be met through the enhanced Housing Assistance Payment, general social housing allocations, as well as by the additional housing supply to be delivered through an expanded Rapid-Build housing programme and a Housing Agency initiative to acquire 1,600 vacant housing units.
The Action Plan also outlines the Government’s commitment to ensure that services are fully responsive to the particular needs that might arise for families with dependants that are residing in emergency accommodation with a number of measures to be overseen by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. These measures include the appointment of a Dedicated Child Support Worker, assistance by Home School Community Liaison and School Completion staff, and access to crèches and preschool services.
Also contained in the Plan is a cross-Government action to ensure that young people leaving State care and at risk of homelessness are identified and catered for through appropriate housing and other supports appropriate for their needs. My Department will allocate specific funding under the Capital Assistance Scheme for the accommodation needs, while the health and independent living supports will be provided by the HSE, Tusla and expert NGOs.
With regard to housing delivery, all local authority areas already have targets out to 2017. New targets, reflecting the increased ambition of Rebuilding Ireland, will be issued based on the Summary of Social Housing Assessments 2016, which is now well advanced and will provide updated figures of national housing need in all local authority areas. This will allow for social housing delivery and resources to be aligned with priority need. In the meantime, social housing building programmes across all local authorities are well underway and will be ramped up in line with the new targets.
As outlined in Rebuilding Ireland, continued collaborative engagement and co-ordinated implementation and delivery will be essential to ensure that the ambition of the plan is fully realised. A dedicated Cabinet Committee on Housing, chaired by An Taoiseach, has been established to oversee both the development and implementation of the plan. Progress reports on implementation of Rebuilding Ireland will be published on a quarterly basis and the initial Q3 2016 progress report is currently being compiled.
24. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide an updated list of all social housing capital projects currently within the four-stage approval process, stating the status of the process, when the funds for each project will be drawn down, the value of these funds and when these units will be tenanted. [28701/16]
View answerFollowing the launch in late 2014 of the Social Housing Strategy 2020, announcements in respect of a substantial new set of social housing projects were made in May 2015, July 2015 and January 2016. Between these three announcements, details of which are available on my Department’s website, almost €680 million has been allocated for over 3,900 social housing new builds, turnkey developments and acquisitions.
Since those announcements, I have continued to approve further additional projects and details of these latest approvals will be provided shortly on my Department’s website. All of these projects are now undergoing planning and development work by local authorities; in parallel, the authorities are engaging with my Department in relation to the funding approval process. On an ongoing basis, projects are moving through the four stages of the approval process according as they are advanced by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, and considered by my Department.
I am keen that these projects are advanced as soon as possible and I have assured the local authorities that funding is available to fully support their efforts in this regard. I am pleased to see the increasing number of such projects that are now starting on site and advancing through construction. Funding is drawn down on these projects separately over the course of the planning, development and construction work involved and similarly, tenanting is undertaken as soon as construction and fit-out is complete on each project.
With the project approvals referenced above, I anticipate a notable ramping up in terms of both construction spend and delivery over the next year. The Deputy can be assured that I and my Department are committed to ensuring that construction projects are advanced in the most effective and efficient manner.
My priority is to deliver quality value for money social housing in as speedy and efficient a timeframe as possible.
25. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the discussions he has had on new planning guidelines for wind turbines; the scenarios he has examined for set-back distances between wind turbines and residential homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21634/16]
View answer55. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the status of updating wind turbine guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21624/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 55 together.
In December 2013, my Department published proposed draft revisions to the noise, setback distance and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions proposed:
- the setting of a more stringent day- and night-time noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments,
- a mandatory minimum setback distance of 500 metres between a wind turbine and the nearest dwelling for amenity considerations, and
- the complete elimination of shadow flicker between wind turbines and neighbouring dwellings.
A public consultation process was initiated on these proposed draft revisions to the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines, which ran until 21 February 2014. My Department received over 7,500 submissions from organisations and members of the public during this public consultation process.
As outlined in the Programme for a Partnership Government, the Government is committed to finalising the revisions to the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines within the first six months of coming into office. The revisions to the Guidelines will be informed by the public consultation process and by best international practice. My Department is continuing to advance work on the Guidelines, in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, in order to bring the matter to a conclusion with in the Programme for Government timeline.
The revisions to the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines, when finalised, will be issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. Planning authorities, and, where applicable, An Bord Pleanála are required to have regard to such guidelines, issued under Section 28, in the performance of their functions under the Planning Acts.
26. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the 47,000 social housing units detailed in pillar two of rebuilding Ireland, by local authority and year of delivery. [28710/16]
View answerOf the 47,000 social housing units to be delivered under Rebuilding Ireland, an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, approximately 26,000 will be constructed, while 11,000 will be acquired by local authorities and approved housing bodies directly from the market or the Housing Agency, with a portion of these being newly built units. 10,000 units will be leased by local authorities and approved housing bodies, which includes an estimated 5,000 units to be sourced from the NTMA Special Purpose Vehicle and 5,000 properties to be secured from a combination of the Repair and Leasing Initiative that will be piloted shortly and under long-term lease arrangements by local authorities and approved housing bodies from a range of different sources, not including Part V. This therefore includes a mix of units from the existing housing stock and newly built units. Overall, it is estimated that around 4,700 units could be secured for social housing from Part V agreements.
The final delivery will ultimately depend on many factors, including activity in the private sector, capacity of local authorities and approved housing bodies and readiness of projects.
All local authority areas already have targets out to 2017 and reflecting the increased targets of Rebuilding Ireland, new individual targets will be issued which will be based on the Summary of Social Housing Assessments 2016. The Assessments process is now well advanced and will provide updated figures of national housing need; this will allow for social housing delivery and resources to be aligned with the up-to-date, priority housing needs locally. I expect that new targets for each local authority, taking account of the updated housing needs data, will be finalised very early in 2017.
28. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he has had discussions with the Minister with responsibility for housing on tourism-related measures to alleviate the housing crisis; if he has considered prohibiting the advertisement on a company's website (details supplied) of professional lettings of whole apartments or houses in the greater Dublin area, similar to measures recently introduced in Berlin and under consideration in New York; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22521/16]
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. Section 3(2)(f) of the Act provides that it does not apply to a dwelling let for the purpose of a holiday. I have no function in the prohibition of advertisements on a company’s website. While, to date, I have not discussed tourism-related issues that may be impacting the housing market with my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have had significant engagement with my Government colleagues generally in the context of preparing the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. In this Action Plan, 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, which deals with the Rental Sector, commits to developing a comprehensive strategy for the sector by the end of this year. The strategy will be structured around 4 key areas: security, standards, supply and services. In terms of supply, the strategy will focus on maintaining existing levels of rental stock and encouraging investment in additional supply. In developing the strategy, I will be examining all issues that affect the availability of dwellings in the rental market, including short-term lettings.
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 and investment opportunities for providers, reflecting the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords.
29. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the way in which a residence group in a private estate applies to have their estate taken in charge by their local authority; the length of time the process takes; if there is a limit on the amount of estates taken in charge annually; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28430/16]
View answerSection 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides that, as soon as possible following a request by the developer or by the majority of the house owners, a planning authority must initiate procedures to take in charge a residential housing estate completed to its satisfaction in accordance with the planning permission.
Section 180 also provides that, following a request by the majority of the house-owners, a planning authority must initiate procedures to take an unfinished estate in charge, where the authority has not commenced enforcement proceedings in respect of the estate within seven years of the expiry of the planning permission concerned.
In the case of an unfinished estate, where the planning authority has commenced enforcement proceedings within seven years of the expiry of the planning permission or considers that enforcement proceedings will not result in the satisfactory completion of the estate, section 180 provides that, following a request by the majority of the house-owners, the authority may, at its absolute discretion, initiate procedures to take in charge the roads and some or all of the other services in the estate. A planning authority may, for the purposes of section 180, hold a plebiscite to ascertain the wishes of the house-owners.
In view of the varying circumstances of each estate concerned, there is no statutory timeframe for completing the taking-in-charge process in individual cases. There is no limit on the number of estates taken in charge annually by planning authorities, which is entirely a matter for each planning authority, having regard to local demands and resources.
My Department has recently launched a National Taking in Charge Initiative (NTICI) to accelerate the taking in charge of estates by planning authorities. €10 million has been made available in 2016 to fund the NTICI that will assist local authorities in developing new approaches to addressing housing estates, including those with developer-provided water services infrastructure that, for various reasons, have not been taken in charge to date.
On 8 July 2016 , following consideration of submissions put forward by local authorities, I announced the allocation of €9 million to assist in the process of taking in charge of 356 developments (accounting for over 17,000 households). In addition to the €9m allocation, almost €4.5m of funding will be sourced by local authorities through bonds and other sources.
