Written Answers Nos. 313-321
313. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the criteria for replacing substandard, damaged or overcrowded mobile homes for members of the Traveller community; and the resources available for local authorities, either from their own resources or through his Department, to allow replacements to take place. [4495/17]
View answerIn accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist the authorities in providing such accommodation, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding. As part of the capital funding supports provided by my Department, funding of 50% is provided to housing authorities for the purchase of ‘Emergency Replacement Mobiles’. An emergency in this respect is an unanticipated event, such as flood/storm/fire damage, that would render a caravan/mobile uninhabitable or dangerous to live in. Non-emergency replacements i.e. where mobiles falls into disrepair over time due to lack of maintenance, are expected to be anticipated and preventative action taken by the owner/Local Authority. These replacements are funded from the Local Authorities’ own resources.
A scheme of loans and grants for the purchase of caravans by Travellers was established by Circular TAU1/2000, underpinned by Section 25 of the 1998 Traveller Accommodation Act. This provision gives local authorities discretionary powers to extend loans to Traveller families to aid the purchase of caravans with a grant element funded by my Department of 10% of the purchase price of the caravan up to a maximum of €640.
My Department has commissioned the Housing Agency to conduct a full review of the operation of this scheme in each Local Authority since its introduction. The review commenced in November 2016 and a report with recommendations is expected to be submitted to my Department in Q2, 2017.
314. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when authorisation will be given to Meath County Council to commence a programme of house acquisition; and if funding will be provided. [4497/17]
View answerMy Department has recently given approval for Meath County Council to proceed with its planned programme of acquisitions. Subject to compliance with the usual conditions, these acquisitions will be funded by my Department following submission of the requisite funding applications and supporting documentation by Meath County Council.
315. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when Meath County Council will be given permission to proceed to tender for and build a small estate of houses in Ratoath, County Meath. [4498/17]
View answerThe project referred to in the Question is not at tender stage. An application was recently submitted by Meath County Council seeking approval to proceed with Part 8 planning for this scheme. The Council’s submission is currently under consideration and it is expected that a reply will issue shortly.
317. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of vacant positions on the board of the Residential Tenancies Board; and the efforts that are being made to fill these places. [4520/17]
View answerThere are currently no vacant positions on the Board of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). However, the terms of appointment of 3 Board Members will expire on 31 March 2017. In accordance with Government policy, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) will be given responsibility for putting in place an open and transparent system through which applications can be made for appointments to the Board. The dedicated website, www.stateboards.ie, is the channel through which the PAS will advertise these vacancies and I expect this process to commence shortly.
318. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons who are on the social housing waiting list with Galway City Council for some time (details supplied) are now being required to cancel their application with Galway City Council and reapply to Galway County Council, thereby losing their place on the social housing waiting list with Galway City Council in respect of their Galway city and Galway county areas of preferences; his plans to change these regulations to avoid this situation and the duplication of work it is causing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4529/17]
View answerSection 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 set down a standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing support. A household may apply for support to one housing authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it has a local connection, or the authority that agrees, at its discretion, to assess the household for support. In determining whether a household has a local connection with its area, a housing authority must have regard to whether a household member: - lived in the area for a continuous five- year period at any time in the past,
- is employed in the area or within 15 km of the area,
- is in full-time education, or attending specialist medical care in the area, or
- has a relative (defined in the Regulations) living in the area for two years or longer.
A household meeting either the residence or local connection condition may specify up to three areas of choice for receipt of support in the areas of all housing authorities in the county and city concerned and, if qualified, will be entered on the housing waiting list of each of those housing authorities. Thus, a household that applies to Galway City Council could, if qualified for support, be also entered on the waiting list of Galway County Council without having to make a separate application to the latter.
I am not aware of households qualified with Galway City Council for social housing support, which includes the Housing Assistance Payment scheme, having to reapply to Galway County Council to avail of the scheme. However, if the Deputy wishes to furnish further details on the matter, I will arrange for my Department to follow up on the matter.
319. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the detail of the allocation of funds to Galway County Council and Galway City Council for housing in 2016; the amount actually remitted to the two councils, respectively, for housing in 2016; the number of new units built and completed with this money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4611/17]
View answerRather than annualised allocations, funding for the delivery of new social housing is provided as local authorities advance projects or acquire housing. It is only certain programmes for the improvement of existing stock for which annual allocations are provided to local authorities. In respect of the provision of new social housing, funding is provided to local authorities under my Department’s Social Housing Capital Investment programme to deliver additional social housing stock through new construction projects and through the acquisition of new and previously owned houses and apartments to accommodate persons on local authority social housing waiting lists.
Arising from the Social Housing Strategy, targets and provisional funding allocations were notified to each local authority , including Galway City and Galway County Councils, from 2015 out to end-2017. These targets 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.
The Galway authorities have a combined target of 1,126 social housing units to end-2017, supported by an allocation of €58.5m, to be invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes.
Following on from the notification of these targets, approvals for a substantial number of new social housing projects have issued, details of which 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.
These include over 270 new housing units in respect of the Galway authorities, supported by investment of some €45 million. Additional projects in respect of Galway County Council that have also been approved which are not listed at the above links are:
|
Location |
AHB |
Estimated Cost |
No. of Units |
|
Rossaveal Cottages, Ros á Mhíl Connemara |
Tearmann Eanna Teo |
€1,175,000 |
8 |
|
Caheroyn, Athenry |
Peter Triest Housing Association |
€407,000 |
3 |
In addition to the above projects, under the €300 million public private partnership (PPP) model for new social housing, 73 new units are earmarked for a site at Ballyburke in Galway City.
As well as capital-funded projects, the Galway local authorities have also been collaborating with a number of AHBs to deliver additional social housing through the CALF (Capital Advance Leasing Facility) scheme. In 2016, there were 15 new social homes delivered in this way and a healthy pipeline for future delivery is in place, with approvals made for the delivery of a further 204 units across 9 projects by AHBs.
I am keen that all local authorities advance all of these projects as soon as possible and I have assured them that funding is available to fully support their efforts in this regard.
In 2016, capital funding for housing delivery by Galway City Council was self-funded from their local property tax receipts. A total of €2,173,786 of self-funding was expended across a range of capital housing programmes, with €607,625 of this contributed towards their local authority housing construction and acquisition programmes. My Department provided €1,230,910 to Galway County Council to support them in the delivery of their local authority housing construction and acquisition programmes, with a further €3,199,866 provided for projects by AHBs under my Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme.
In respect of the number of new units built and completed with this funding, my Department publishes a wide range of statistical information on housing delivery, including information on social housing units constructed and acquired in respect of all local authorities and AHBs. This 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.
The information on the website is currently provided up to the end of quarter 3 of 2016; information for the last quarter of 2016 is currently being finalised and will be published shortly.
320. Deputy Frank O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the total allocation for housing adaption grants for Kildare County Council in each of the years 2014 to 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4615/17]
View answerMy Department provides funding under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability in relation to private homes. The funding provided under this scheme to Kildare County Council in 2014, 2015 and 2016 was €1,819,830, €1,943,200 and €2,204,809 respectively. The Council drew down €1,676,952, €1,940,678 and €1,743,266 over these years, respectively. In addition, my Department provides funding to local authorities for adaptations and extensions to the existing social housing stock to meet needs of elderly local authority tenants or those with a disability. This funding also allows for the provision of extensions where needed to address over-crowding. The funding provided by my Department under this scheme to Kildare County Council in 2014, 2015, 2016 was €329,829, €361,846 and €402,053, respectively. The Council drew down €193,326, €268,917 and €670,289 over these years, respectively.
321. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of staff under the aegis of his Department in the clerical officer, staff officer or equivalent grade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4935/17]
View answerThe total number of full time equivalent (FTE) staff in my Department at these grades as of 31 December 2016 is as follows: 80.17 Clerical Officers and equivalents; 7.73 Staff Officers and equivalents.
