Tuesday, 15 Nov 2016

Written Answers Nos. 276-289

School Admissions

Questions (276)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

276. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans a referendum on the issue of equal access to schools. [28714/16]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I have included a specific action in the Action Plan for Education that expresses my commitment to working with the Committee to deliver change in this area.

As the Deputy is aware, the Government proposed and the Dáil agreed that the Equal Status (Admissions to Schools) Bill proceed to second stage in June 2017. This will allow parents, patrons and other stakeholders to have their say and to ensure that the right balance can be struck between competing rights and that there would be no unintended consequence that would create an adverse impact on the schools of minority denominations.

I believe that this matter requires the time and space to allow for adequate scrutiny and debate in order to ensure that any new approach is reasonable, fair and workable.

The work of the Education and Skills Committee will be invaluable in that regard and I look forward to working with the Committee on this important work.

Motor Tax

Questions (277, 287)

Robert Troy

Question:

277. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will ensure stipulation number 6 on the official form for taxing a horsebox will be amended to address a matter (details supplied). [34436/16]

Peter Burke

Question:

287. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will include bloodstock owners and breeders who may not have a herd number as a group on the commercial tax listing of vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34668/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

I propose to take Questions Nos. 277 and 287 together.

To be taxed as a commercial vehicle, a vehicle must be constructed as a goods vehicle and must be used solely in the course of trade or business. Licensing authorities have an obligation under Article 3 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1992 to be satisfied that a vehicle is correctly taxed and it is thus open to a motor tax office to seek appropriate documentation supporting a claim for the commercial rate of motor tax. Such documentation may include a certificate of commercial insurance, evidence of registration for VAT or, at the discretion of the licensing authority concerned, any other appropriate documentation that would indicate that the applicant is in trade or business. It is up to the individual concerned to provide whatever evidence is required by the licensing authority in order for it to be satisfied that the applicant is entitled to claim what is in effect a concessionary rate of tax.

Motor Tax

Questions (278)

Peter Burke

Question:

278. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will advise on a motor tax issue for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34440/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 came into effect on 1 July 2013. The primary purpose of the Act is to replace the system whereby a vehicle was declared off the road retrospectively with a system under which the vehicle must be declared off the road in advance. The system of making retrospective declarations had become a means of evasion of motor tax estimated to have cost some €50m annually.

The Act provides that a vehicle can be declared off the road for a minimum period of three months and a maximum period of twelve months. Where the owner of a vehicle wishes to make a declaration of non-use, he or she must do so during the final month of an existing tax disc or a previously made declaration of non-use. The declaration can be made on-line at www.motortax.ie or through the local motor tax office. The National Vehicle and Driver File, under the auspices of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, issues renewal notices at the beginning of the final month of tax or a previously made declaration of non-use to remind motorists that the vehicle must be taxed or declared off the road for a further period.

Where a declaration of non-use is not made in the final month of a tax disc or previously made declaration of non-use, a vehicle must be taxed for the minimum period provided for in motor tax legislation for the category of vehicle concerned. A new declaration can then be made at any stage during the final month of the new motor tax disc if the vehicle is thereafter not going to be in use in a public place.

These arrangements were well publicised at the time of introduction of the legislation.

The legislation does not provide for exemptions from the foregoing requirements. This is to protect the revised arrangements; allowing an owner to declare a vehicle off the road after the expiry of a current declaration of non-use could potentially be a move back to the system of retrospective declarations, thereby undermining the overall objective of the legislative change.

Control of Dogs

Questions (279)

John Brady

Question:

279. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if Wicklow County Council has an obligation to put the Wicklow dog pound contract with ISPCA out to tender; the standards and protocols that apply to the operation of the dog pound system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34413/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Under the Control of Dogs Acts, local authorities have responsibility for operating and managing dog control and licensing services in their administrative areas, including the management of dog pounds or shelters and my Department has no involvement in this process. In this regard, section 15(2) of the 1986 Act empowers local authorities to enter into arrangements with any person for the provision and maintenance of dog pounds or shelters and for the exercise by any such persons of the functions of the local authority under the Act in respect of the acceptance, detention, disposal and destruction of stray or unwanted dogs.

Furthermore, section 15(3) of the 1986 Act empowers local authorities to enter into arrangements with any other local authority, or with the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA), or with a person connected with animal welfare, for the exercise of all or any of its functions, other than its functions under section 17 or Section 30 of this Act.

The procurement of any service in that regard, therefore, is a matter for each local authority and the management and operation of such pounds or shelters are matters solely for the relevant local authority.

Moreover, the enforcement of welfare standards regarding all animals, including the welfare of dogs in pounds or shelters, is a matter for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, and one in which my Department has no direct role.

Insurance Costs

Questions (280)

Clare Daly

Question:

280. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views regarding the fact that insurance companies are stating that they will not insure properties post pyrite remediation; the steps he proposes to take to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34442/16]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

At the outset, neither my Department nor the Pyrite Resolution Board has been made aware of any properties remediated under the pyrite remediation scheme, which have been declined insurance cover post completion of remediation works. While I am acutely aware of the upset and distress faced by many homeowners who have been affected by pyritic heave, my Department has no function in relation to the regulation or oversight of insurance providers or insurance based products ; these are matters for the Minister for Finance and the Central Bank of Ireland.

The provision of insurance cover and the price at which it is offered are commercial matters for insurance companies and their decisions are based on the completion of assessments by such insurers of the risks involved. Ultimately, these matters are considered by insurers on a case-by-case basis and neither the Minister for Finance nor the Central Bank can direct insurers to provide home insurance cover to specific individuals.

However, my Department understands that Insurance Ireland, which is the representative body for insurance companies in Ireland, operates a free Insurance Information Service for those who have queries, complaints or difficulties in relation to obtaining insurance. Their service can be contacted at Tel: [phone] or by email at [e-mail].

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Questions (281)

Peter Burke

Question:

281. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide information on a proposed development (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34482/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Longford County Council recently advertised for proposals to deliver social housing in their administrative area. As with all such publicly advertised processes and in line with public procurement arrangements, the local authority has undertaken an assessment of the proposals received and has proposed the advancement of a particular project for social housing delivery. A decision on this project proposal will issue from my Department to the local authority imminently.

Housing Agency Portfolio

Questions (282, 355)

Barry Cowen

Question:

282. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department has provided funding to the Housing Agency to buy portfolios of vacant properties for sale and leasing to local authorities; and the status of the implementation of these proposals for reducing the vacant rate of residential dwellings. [34496/16]

John Curran

Question:

355. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago the status of the progress made to date on action 5.6 to directly fund the housing agency with €70 million to acquire suitable portfolios of vacant properties for social housing; the number of units of accommodation that have been acquired under this action to date; the number that will be acquired by year end and in the first two quarters of 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35105/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

I propose to take Questions Nos. 282 and 355 together.

With the demand for additional social housing units to be delivered at an accelerated pace, initiatives which provide greater efficiency in the delivery of those units are vital. In particular, engaging with banks and investment companies in respect of their vacant/available property portfolios, which normally span a number of local authority jurisdictions, benefits from a national approach. In that context, the Housing Agency currently acts as a central co-ordination body at national level for banks/investors to interact with. This activity began in early 2015 and to date has yielded 174 properties across 29 local authorities at a total value of over €25m.

In a further development of this activity, a new acquisitions initiative was provided for in Rebuilding Ireland (Action 5.6), under which the Housing Agency is to be provided directly with capital funding with the specific focus of engaging with banks and investment companies to acquire properties for social housing nationally, thereby increasing social housing delivery. Under this acquisitions programme, the Agency will use a rotating fund of €70m to acquire vacant properties from banks and private equity investment funds in areas with high levels of social housing demand. In doing this, the Agency will work in close consultation with local authorities to ensure that suitable properties are only purchased in areas where there is a demand for social housing. It is estimated that this mechanism, implementation of which is already underway, will deliver some 1,600 units over the period to 2020. Details of the progress under this initiative will be outlined in future Rebuilding Ireland quarterly progress reports.

In respect of dealing with vacant dwellings generally, Action 5.1 of Rebuilding Ireland undertakes to develop a National Vacant Housing Re-Use Strategy by early 2017. To this end, the Housing Agency, which has lead responsibility for co-ordinating the development of the Strategy, has established a working group to inform the Strategy, with senior representatives from my Department, local authorities and from the Housing Agency itself. It has met twice so far. A number of local authorities have commenced, or are planning to commence, pilot programmes to identify vacant homes and bring them back into use; these pilot programmes will inform the Strategy. In addition, the Strategy will be informed by international best practice and experience, and research is being undertaken in this area.

Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Data

Questions (283)

Seán Fleming

Question:

283. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the liability due by persons who have not paid the non-principal private residence charge to date; the amount due for each year since it was introduced in 2009; the amounts due in respect of each year and the amount increased as a result of non-payment adding up to a figure of €7,230 which may be due in these cases; if the figure will increase in the future; the number of cases in which fines of this nature are due to be collected; if this is being followed up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34548/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provides the legislative basis for the Non-Principal Private Residence Charge. The NPPR Charge, which has since been discontinued, applied in the years 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence. The self-assessed charge is set at €200 per annum and liability for it falls, in the main, on owners of rental, holiday and vacant properties. It is a matter for an owner, whether resident in Ireland or elsewhere, to determine if he or she has a liability and, if so, to declare that liability and pay the Charge and any late payment fees applicable. Under the Act, it is a function of a local authority to collect Non-Principal Private Residence Charges, and late payment fees due to it and all Charges and late payment fees imposed and payable to a local authority are under the care and management of the local authority concerned.

Approximately 385,000 properties have been registered for the Non-Principal Private Residence Charge, which has raised in excess of €544m to date over its five years of operation. Proceeds from the charge are retained by local authorities and are used for the provision of local services. It is not possible to state with certainty the level of non-compliance with the Charge. In 2016, to date, approximately €30m has been collected by local authorities in charges relating to the period 2009-2013.

Housing Adaptation Grant

Questions (284)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

284. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to increase the upper level of the housing adaptation grant from €30,000; his further plans to review the means testing system for this grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34628/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

I have no plans currently to increase the upper limit of the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability from €30,000. The average grant paid out under this scheme in 2015 was €8,000 per applicant and I believe it is important to spread the benefit of the scheme to as many recipients as possible within the funding available.

Changes to the means assessment for this scheme were introduced following a 2013 review. I have no proposals to further review the means assessment for the scheme at this point.

Local Authority Housing Data

Questions (285)

Imelda Munster

Question:

285. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount of council land banks zoned for social housing that have yet to have housing built on them by county, in tabular form; and the number and acreage of each individual land bank in each county. [34629/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

My Department does not hold the data requested by the Deputy. Indeed, it is a matter for each local authority to satisfy itself that it has sufficient lands zoned to meet its overall housing needs, both in relation to wider residential development and in terms of lands on which social housing can be provided.

Under Rebuilding Ireland: an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, 47,000 social housing units are to be delivered by 2021, with approximately 26,000 to 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. My Department is currently working closely with each local authority on their individual social housing delivery programmes, including in relation to their construction programmes and land issues arising.

Local Authority Boundaries Review

Questions (286)

John Deasy

Question:

286. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the progress made in implementing the recommendations contained in the report of the Waterford reorganisation implementation group, as published in 2013 before the city and county councils merger, specifically the seven suggested high level interventions therein. [34636/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

The merger of Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council took effect from 1 June 2014. It is a matter for the new authority, Waterford City and County Council, to ensure that the recommendations of the Implementation Group are progressed on behalf of the citizens of Waterford.

Question No. 287 answered with Question No. 277.

Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists

Questions (288)

Carol Nolan

Question:

288. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of persons, by county, who have been taken off the social housing lists as a result of failure to return forms during the recent housing needs assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34817/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

In line with a commitment given in the Social Housing Strategy 2020, summaries of social housing assessments will now be undertaken on an annual basis, starting this year. Work on the 2016 summary is well advanced and I expect it to be finalised shortly. Data on the numbers failing to return assessment forms during the 2016 process will be compiled and included in the Summary findings.

The summary process requires all housing authorities to review those households who are on their housing list but who are not currently in receipt of housing support. This is to ensure that the details of the applicant households are up to date and accurate and that they remain eligible for, and in need of, social housing support in accordance with the criteria set down in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations. As part of this assessment, all local authorities wrote to relevant households over the past number of months, including those in transitional and shared or emergency accommodation if relevant, informing them of the assessment process and seeking updated information where necessary.

In the event of an initial non-response by a household, guidance issued by the Housing Agency advised housing authorities to contact the household again and to use all reasonable means of communication available to them in contacting the applicant. Authorities were also advised to undertake local advertising campaigns informing households about the Summary. Where a number of attempts to contact a household failed to elicit a response, authorities were advised that the household’s application may be closed. However, housing authorities were also advised that should the household subsequently respond with the information required within a reasonable time, the application could be re-activated.

Fire Stations Provision

Questions (289)

Aindrias Moynihan

Question:

289. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when construction of a new fire station in Macroom will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34896/16]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

The 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 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.

My Department, earlier this year, 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, sixteen new-build fire stations are to be provided 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.

A new fire station for Macroom is included in the Fire Services Capital Programme 2016-2020. My Department wrote to Cork County Council in July this year, in view of the significant capital allocation envisaged, requesting confirmation that any plans submitted remain current, or if new plans are proposed. The submission of a capital appraisal and revised cost plan was also requested. My Department currently awaits these submissions.

The indicative year for tendering for the Macroom project is 2017; however, all proposed projects in the programme will be reassessed on an on-going basis and priority will be given to projects offering the greatest value-for-money and earliest completion dates.