Written Answers Nos. 263-277
263. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the measures his Department has taken to encourage the supply of housing in the private sector in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11395/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under-supply of housing across all tenures is at the heart of the significant challenges which exist in the housing sector. At an overall level, 25,000 new homes per year are targeted to meet demand nationally. The key objective of the Government's Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness is to increase and accelerate housing delivery, across all tenures, to help individuals and families find homes.
With regard to increasing the supply of private housing in particular, Pillar 3 of Rebuilding Ireland, entitled “Build More Homes”, has as its key objective a doubling of housing output, from approximately 12,500 homes in 2015, to deliver at least 25,000 homes per annum by 2021. In order to support the supply of affordable housing and to ensure a steady supply of development land and planning permissions so that housing providers can plan ahead effectively in response to current and emerging demands in Donegal and other counties, Rebuilding Ireland sets out key actions which provide for:
- active State-land management;
- greater certainty in the planning process, including provisions introduced in the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016;
- targeted investment in enabling infrastructure, including through the €200 million Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund;
- competitive financing for developers to fund on-site housing infrastructure through ISIF;
- reviewing and adjustment as necessary and practicable, in relation to construction cost inputs; and,
- development of capacity and skills within the construction sector.
The Strategy for the Rental Sector published in December 2016 also contains a number of actions targeted at increasing the supply of properties to rent; these actions have been incorporated into the reporting under Rebuilding Ireland. Updates on the implementation of Rebuilding Ireland, including those that will encourage the supply of housing nationally, are outlined in the first two Quarterly Progress Reports, covering the cumulative period from July to December 2016, available on www.rebuildingireland.ie. The Third Quarterly Progress Report, covering Quarter 1 2017, is expected to be published in late April/early May.
A new monthly housing activity report is available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/january-housing-activity-report/.
It shows upward trends in activity in terms of planning permissions, commencements and completions; indeed, completions reached approximately 15,000 homes in 2016.
Of course, while building new homes is a key part of the overall delivery under Rebuilding Ireland, making better use of vacant houses and property is another key objective under Pillar 5 – Utilise Existing Stock. A new National Vacant Housing Re-Use Strategy is currently being finalised and I have already announced a €32m Repair and Leasing initiative for vacant housing, one of several initiatives under Pillar 5. Other initiatives include the Buy and Renew Scheme which provides funding for local authorities to purchase and remediate vacant properties. Under the auspices of the Cabinet Committee on Housing, chaired by An Taoiseach, the Government and I will be keeping the implementation of Rebuilding Ireland under regular and active review.
264. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount his Department spent on public relations consultants and all matters relating to public relations costs in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11428/17]
View answerThere was no expenditure on public relations consultants by my Department in 2016 with PR services provided by my Department’s Press Office. The engagement of external expertise is generally only considered where the issues involved require expert skills or capabilities that are not readily available within my Department.
On occasion, photographers will be hired to support the Press Office and record events, with an expenditure in 2016 of €1,845.
265. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of all local authorities across the State that have granted planning permission for one-off rural housing which was subsequently appealed to An Bord Pleanála and overturned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11442/17]
View answerPlanning statistics are submitted by planning authorities on an annual basis for collation and publication on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/statistics/planning-statistics-1. These statistics include data in respect of each planning authority on the number and percentage of decisions to grant or to refuse permission, but not the detailed information sought by the Deputy in respect of single houses in rural areas.
An Bord Pleanála’s Annual Reports - available at the following link: http://www.pleanala.ie/publications/index.htm - include statistics on appeals received and decided in respect of, among other development types, single houses, but not the detailed information sought by the Deputy in respect of single houses in rural areas.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) publishes statistics, available at the following link: http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?Maintable=BHQ02&PLanguage=0, on permissions granted for one-off houses by local authority area, but does not differentiate between houses in urban and rural areas.
266. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the way in which the residents of an unfinished housing estate (details supplied) in County Sligo can make their estate safe from a health and safety perspective; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11445/17]
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.
My Department, by way of circular letter PD 1/2008 dated 26 February 2008, issued updated policy guidance to planning authorities on Taking in Charge of Residential Developments/Management Arrangements. This advised each planning authority to develop or update, as appropriate, its policy on taking-in-charge by the end of June 2008, based on the following principles (among others):
- Certain core facilities/infrastructure to be taken in charge on request - public roads and footpaths, unallocated surface parking areas, public lighting, public water supply, foul and storm water drainage and public open spaces;
- The procedures for taking in charge to begin promptly on foot of a request by the majority of the residents in the development or by the developer, as appropriate. Protocols, including time frames, must be set out by planning authorities to respond to requests for taking in charge.
Each planning authority’s policy on taking in charge is required to be made available to the public and published on its website, and the policy is reported on to the elected members on a regular basis, and at least once annually.
Under the provisions of Section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) I am specifically precluded from intervening in individual cases. However my Department has made enquiries to Sligo County Council in relation to the estate the subject of this question and I have been informed that the vast majority of this estate has been completed to a satisfactory standard. The portion of the lands which has been left unfinished has recently been sold and the new owners have met with the planning and enforcement sections of Sligo County Council to outline their intentions for the lands. In this regard, a planning application was lodged on 22 February 2017 for the completion of this unfinished part of the overall development.
267. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the details of the financial criteria to quality for a local housing list; if he will review the financial limit for acceptance onto a housing list (details supplied) and introduce a window of discretion on the income amount in view of the fact that if a couple is even €1 over the limit they do not qualify for inclusion on the housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11446/17]
View answerFor the purpose of assessing households under the income eligibility criteria, the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended, prescribe the maximum net income limits that can be set by each housing authority to be applied in assessing an applicant’s eligibility for social housing support. The 2011 Regulations do not provide housing authorities with any discretion to exceed the limits that apply to their administrative areas and I have no plans to amend the position in this regard. The limits are broken into three different bands according to the authority area, with in come being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country. The limits also reflect a blanket increase of €5,000 introduced prior to the new system coming into operation, in order to broaden the base from which social housing tenants are drawn and thereby promote sustainable communities.
Under the Household Means Policy, which applies in all housing authorities, net income for social housing assessment is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI and the universal social charge. The Policy provides for a range of income disregards, and housing authorities also have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once off in nature.
I am satisfied that the current income limits generally provide for a fair and equitable system of identifying those households unable to provide accommodation from their own resources. These limits will continue to be kept under review by my Department, as part of the broader social housing reform agenda set out in the Social Housing Strategy 2020.
268. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to grant funding in relation to the cases of persons (details supplied); and if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing hardship being imposed on the persons concerned. [11453/17]
View answerBallyduff Upper Group Water Scheme, a small existing three house scheme located on the Cork – Waterford border, was included by Cork County Council in its 2016 bids under Measure 3 of the Multi-Annual Programme Rural Water 2016–2018. This measure supports social and economic development in rural towns and villages and their hinterlands by providing new group water schemes where public water supply schemes or private wells are not an option. An Expert Panel was convened by my Department to examine the 2016 bids from local authorities for projects under a number of the programme’s measures, including Measure 3, and to make recommendations to the Department on funding. However, following examination of the bids under this measure by the Panel, the Ballyduff Group Water Scheme was not recommended for funding under the programme. My Department accepted the recommendations of the Panel in full in making final overall funding allocations in 2016 to local authorities.
A copy of the Expert Panel's report and consideration of all proposals under the Programme for 2016 for are available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/water/water-services/rural-water-programme/group-water-schemes-and-rural-water-issues.
As part of this year’s funding process under the programme, my Department will consider bids from local authorities for schemes for the period 2017–2018 for certain Measures. For example, Measure 1 is aimed at improving water quality in existing group water schemes so that they can achieve compliance with the parameters of the Drinking Water Regulations, 2014. It is a matter for Cork County Council to consider including the scheme in its bids.
269. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the position regarding the development of a new fire station at Crossmolina in County Mayo. [11471/17]
View answerThe 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, my Department 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.
The provision of a new fire station at Crossmolina, Co Mayo has been included as part of this Capital Programme. In light of the fact that this is a priority project for Mayo County Council, my Department is liaising with them to progress it to the next stages of development. While the current indicative year for delivery is 2020, all projects in the Capital Programme are 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.
270. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the position regarding the development of a new library in Crossmolina in County Mayo. [11472/17]
View answerThe provision of premises and facilities in the public library service is generally a matter for each local authority in its capacity as a library authority. Notwithstanding that, in January 2016 my Department announced a new €22m Libraries Capital Investment Programme for the period 2016-2021 to support the development of priority capital projects submitted by local authorities. The programme was developed on the basis of priority proposals submitted by local authorities and will support the development of 16 capital projects over the programme period. In this regard, the programme includes a priority proposal submitted by Mayo County Council in respect of Westport library.
As the development of the library at Crossmolina was not submitted as a priority by Mayo County Council, it could not be considered for funding as part of the capital programme.
271. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he is reconsidering the tenant purchase scheme to allow the tenant and the subtenant to purchase jointly. [11502/17]
View answerThe 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. To be eligible persons must be a tenant, or joint tenants, of the house to be sold by the housing authority, i.e. registered as joint tenants of the property for purposes of rent assessment with the local authority. A tenant, or joint tenants, must then meet the other eligibility criteria of the scheme as laid out in the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015. In line with the commitment given in Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, a review of the first 12 months of the scheme’s operation is currently being undertaken by my Department. To inform the review, a public consultation was undertaken, with a closing date for submissions of 10 February 2017. Any changes to the terms and conditions of the scheme which are considered necessary based on the evidence gathered at that stage will be brought forward.
I expect the review to be completed on schedule by the end of Quarter 1 2017.
272. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the level of construction inflation that has been experienced by his Department in each of the past six years and to date in 2017 in respect of construction projects and other capital projects; the way in which he monitors construction inflation and the mechanisms he employs to establish this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11535/17]
View answerWith the reduced level of capital funding that applied up until recently, there has been minimal tender activity up to 2016 to form a reliable data base in respect of construction projects for which my Department is the sanctioning authority. However, recently, there has been a much increased level of tender activity and my Department has a team of Quantity Surveyor advisors who monitor this activity for the reconstruction projects. This monitoring indicates that inflation in respect of such projects is in line with the Tender Price Index published by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI).
SCSI produces this independent assessment of construction tender prices biannually. The Index can be accessed at the following weblink:
https://www.scsi.ie/policy_research/indices.
273. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of households that have had their water supply restricted arising from the introduction of section 56 of the Water Services Act 2007 (details supplied). [11570/17]
View answerThe information requested is not available in my Department. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, which came into effect on 1 January 2014, provides for the transfer of responsibility for the delivery of water services from the water services authorities to Irish Water.
Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email at oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
Prior to 2014, the operation of the legislation in question was a matter for individual local authorities.
275. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if a tenant can obtain a valuation in respect of their house that they reside in under the 2016 tenant incremental purchase scheme and in circumstances in which the local authority obtains a valuation; if that is the final word or if there are any reasonable grounds whereby an alternative valuation can be obtained from approved valuers and auctioneers and submitted to the council for their consideration; the mechanism used to ensure that the setting of the price is not a unilateral decision by the public body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11604/17]
View answerUnder the terms of the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016, the purchase price for a house (as per section 10 of the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 ) shall be the greater of: (a) The relevant market value of the house, or (b) 50 percent of the estimated cost to the housing authority of providing, on the same site as the house being purchased and in accordance with prevailing national building standards and design policies for local authority housing, a house of the same class that the house being purchased was designed for, and such estimated cost shall include, among other matters, the cost of site acquisition, legal and other professional fees.
In relation to valuations, the valuation is undertaken by a professional valuer either employed by or engaged by the housing authority. In the event of a valuation being disputed by a prospective tenant purchaser, it is open to the purchaser, at their own expense, to engage a valuer approved by the housing authority to prepare a second valuation. In such circumstances, the housing authority would generally engage with the purchaser and consider the two valuations with a view to agreeing a final purchase price.
In line with a commitment in Rebuilding Ireland, the first year of operation of the Tenant Purchase Scheme is currently under review. In that context, the arrangements in relation to valuations will be considered further. The review is targeted for completion by end Q1 2017.
276. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if there is grant assistance available to community groups to remove asbestos from a community building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11776/17]
View answerThere is no funding programme managed by my Department granting assistance to community groups to remove asbestos from community buildings.
277. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of persons who avail of group water schemes; if there is a breakdown by county of these numbers; the number of families that have private wells by county; the amount by which these costs are subsidised in comparison to Irish Water customers; the amount these private supplies cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11797/17]
View answerIn 2016, my Department recouped local authorities for subsidy payments made by them to 694 group water schemes serving 96,678 houses. This does not account for all group water schemes in the country as not all group water schemes claim subsidies. Some smaller schemes, particularly those that are supplied water from the Irish Water public mains supply, do not currently apply for subsidies. However, these figures are understood to represent the majority by household that avail of group water schemes to supply their domestic water. The following table provides a breakdown by county of the numbers claiming subsidies in 2016.
|
Numbers of Group Water Schemes and Associated Number of Houses Paid a Subsidy by the Department in 2016 |
||
|
Local Authority |
Number of Group Water Schemes |
Number of Houses |
|
Carlow |
4 |
684 |
|
Cavan |
27 |
10,367 |
|
Clare |
39 |
5,140 |
|
Cork |
31 |
958 |
|
Donegal |
38 |
2,403 |
|
Galway |
119 |
15,904 |
|
Kerry |
41 |
4,151 |
|
Kildare |
6 |
617 |
|
Kilkenny |
50 |
1,543 |
|
Laois |
24 |
1,700 |
|
Leitrim |
26 |
2,178 |
|
Limerick |
30 |
3,601 |
|
Longford |
2 |
92 |
|
Louth |
6 |
940 |
|
Mayo |
95 |
22,402 |
|
Meath |
3 |
519 |
|
Monaghan |
12 |
9,574 |
|
Offaly |
16 |
4,370 |
|
Roscommon |
13 |
2,436 |
|
Sligo |
16 |
2,233 |
|
Tipperary |
61 |
2,722 |
|
Waterford |
7 |
72 |
|
Westmeath |
5 |
269 |
|
Wexford |
16 |
1,409 |
|
Wicklow |
7 |
394 |
|
Total |
694 |
96,678 |
In order to establish a more complete picture of the group water scheme sector, work is being advanced on the compilation of a full dataset of group water schemes across the country. The dataset is being developed through the co-operation of key stakeholders involving local authorities, the National Federation of Group Water Schemes as well as my Department.
To ensure equity of treatment with households on public water supplies the subsidy rates for group water schemes were adjusted down in 2015 to reflect the new domestic water charging regime introduced on 1 January 2015. In line with the suspension of domestic water charges for a period of nine months from 1 July 2016, as set out in the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2016, and to ensure equity of treatment with households on public water supplies, my Department advised local authorities in August 2016 that, for the duration of the suspension period, the subsidy rates were adjusted up to pre-2015 levels to reflect the suspension of domestic water charges for households connected to the public water supply. My Department will give further consideration to the subsidies available for the operation of group water schemes in light of the Oireachtas decision on the enduring funding model for public domestic water services.
Details of the level of subsidies are available from local authorities and on my Department’s website at the following link: http://housing.gov.ie/water/water-services/rural-water-programme/group-water-schemes-and-rural-water-issues.
Census 2011 indicated that 161,532 private dwellings in the country are dependent on a private non-mains source of water supply (more commonly called private wells) for their household water supply. Figures for Census 2016 will not be available under later in 2017. There is no annual subsidy funding towards the operation and maintenance cost of private wells.
