Written Answers Nos. 393-421
393. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) will not lose a teacher for the year 2017-2018; if this school will retain its existing allocation of teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14208/17]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teachers to primary schools is published annually on the website of the Department of Education and Skills. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
Staffing arrangements for the 2017/18 school year are set out in circular 0017/2017 which is available on my Departments website.
The staffing arrangements include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit an appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board.
The school referred to by the Deputy had an enrolment of 501 on 30th September 2016. This allows for a mainstream staffing of 18 classroom teachers for the 2017/18 school year.
394. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a request for additional funding (details supplied) will be given urgent consideration in view of the fact the present reduced allocation for 2017 is not adequate to meet ongoing financial commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14209/17]
View answerI understand the Deputy is referring to the non-pay allocation within the entity. With regard to the current year funding (2017) and the non-pay allocation for the entity in question this has been calculated taking into account student enrolment numbers and head office costs. The 2017 initial allocation is higher than the initial 2016 allocation by over €150,000. As enrolments in the entity in question have remained static, the overall grant has reduced slightly on the 2012 levels.
The Deputy might wish to note that the improvements in the economy have now started to result in some improvements in the funding levels for the sector of which this entity is a part. The first steps in this regard was additional funding that was provided to this sector in 2015 and 2016; the entity in question received additional funding in the amount of €443,000 towards the end of 2016.
Any further improvements for the sector will be considered as part of the annual budgetary process.
395. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will confirm that no Minister or Minister of State under the Department's remit since 2011 has claimed overnight expenses for staying in Dublin. [14565/17]
View answerMy Department's records do not contain any overnight claims for staying in Dublin submitted by Ministers or Ministers of State since 2011.
396. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on a matter (details supplied) with regard to the ongoing review of the wind farm planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13411/17]
View answer397. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when he will publish the new setback distances for wind turbines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13455/17]
View answer398. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the actions he will take to assist persons affected by shorter setback distances from wind turbines on existing developments when the new, more substantial setback distances are published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13456/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 396 to 398, inclusive, 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 also initiated on these proposed draft revisions to the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines, which ran until February 2014. The Department received submissions from 7,500 organisations and members of the public during this public consultation process.
In light of the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government to finalise the Guidelines and on-going policy and legal developments in this area, my Department is continuing to advance work on the Guidelines and related matters in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, in order to bring the various issues to a conclusion as early as possible. I expect to be in a position to make a statement on the matter in the coming weeks, outlining the timelines for implementation of the various elements.
399. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the percentage of property tax that is retained by each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13497/17]
View answerLocal retention of Local Property Tax (LPT) commenced in 2015. Given that local authorities vary significantly from one another in terms of size, population, public service demands, infrastructure and income sources, the Government decided that 80% of the estimated LPT yield for a given year’s liability is retained locally to fund public services, notwithstanding any local variation decisions. The remaining 20% of LPT is re-distributed to provide top-up or equalisation funding to certain local authorities that have lower property tax bases due to the variance in property values and density across the State.
Equalisation in the context of LPT allocations is a process that ensures that every local authority’s LPT allocation is brought up to minimum funding level known as the LPT Baseline. The authority itself may subsequently decide to reduce its LPT rate locally in line with the power available to local authorities to vary the basic rate of LPT in their respective areas by up to 15%. In such circumstances, the LPT allocation is reduced in line with that decision and the corresponding income is foregone. In the event that a local authority decides to increase the LPT rate by up to 15%, the Government has decided that the local authority retains 100% of the additional LPT collected.
401. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of adapted units that will be allocated to housing persons during phase 2 and phase 3, respectively, of a development (details supplied); the estimated time of completion of both phases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12805/17]
View answerIn accordance with the Part V agreement for this development, 124 units are being delivered for social housing. Of these 124 units, 6 units, comprising two one-bed and 4 two bed apartments, are being adapted to include level access showers.
Phase 1 consisted of 52 units, which were delivered in February 2017; Phase 2 includes 40 units and will be delivered shortly. Phase 3 includes 32 units and is expected to be delivered in April 2017. All the adapted units will be provided in phase 3 of the development.
402. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of local authorities that had a water metering policy for new house builds prior to the establishment of Irish Water; the number of water meters installed by local authorities during that period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12832/17]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 403 on today’s Order Paper, which sets out the position in respect of attaching the condition of installation of a water meter to the planning permission for new houses.
Where a local authority decided to attach the condition of installation of a water meter to the planning permission for new houses this would have been at the sole discretion of the local authority in question.
Irish Water published a Code of Practice for Water Infrastructure (A design and construction guide for developers) in December 2016. The Code of Practice outlines acceptable typical design and construction guidance that is required by Irish Water for the provision of water supply pipes and related infrastructure which are to be connected to the Irish Water Network. It provides for general minimum requirements to apply to works in new developments including that all domestic connections shall have individually valve controlled metered services.
Prior to the commencement of the national metering programme, a survey was undertaken by local authorities which provided information on the number of meter boxes and meters which were in place at that time. Essentially, this survey identified properties that were suitable for metering and water meters were installed in line with the survey results as carried out by each Local Authority. Where water meters and meter boxes were installed in advance of the metering programme as a condition of planning, I understand that in some cases the planning authority only requested a meter box be installed, while in other cases the installation of a meter box and meter was required. Irish Water committed to reusing previously installed meter boxes where possible and over the course of the metering programme in excess of 125,000 meter boxes were reused by Irish Water.
403. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if prior to the establishment of Irish Water, as part of the approval of a planning application for a new house build by a local authority, a water meter had to be installed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12833/17]
View answerWhen making decisions on planning applications or appeals, a planning authority or An Bórd Pleanála, as the case may be, is restricted to considering matters relating to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, as set out in section 34 the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended.
With regard to other matters, such as water meters, the 2007 Development Management Guidelines state that it is inappropriate for planning authorities to attach to planning permissions conditions relating to matters that are subject to control under other legislation or regulation, unless there are particular circumstances, for example, the matters are relevant to proper planning and sustainable development and there is good reason to believe they cannot be dealt with effectively by other means. Instead, the Guidelines suggest that a planning authority could, when notifying the grant of a permission, issue clear notice about the requirements of other codes.
The 2007 Guidelines were issued under section 28 of the 2000 Act and planning authorities and the Board are required to have regard to them in the performance of their functions under the Act.
404. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the total number of valid commencement notices lodged with the building control management software since 1 March 2014, by each local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12858/17]
View answer405. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of valid commencement notices which included a completed optout declaration lodged with the building control management software since 1 September 2015, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12861/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 404 and 405 together.
The purpose of the Building Control Management System (BCMS) is to facilitate building control authorities, building owners, builders and construction professionals in discharging their separate responsibilities under the Building Control Act 1990. The system provides a common platform for clear and consistent administration of building control matters across the local authority sector.
My Department is not involved in the day to day operation of this system. However, it collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics, including information on Commencement Notices, which are available on the Department's website at http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/house-building-and-private-rented/construction-activity-starts.
In addition, Building Control Authorities are required to keep certain information pertaining to building works that come under the Building Control Regulations 1997-2015 on a statutory register, including particulars in relation to Commencement Notices and Declarations of Intention to Opt Out of Statutory Certification. BCMS is centrally hosted by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) on behalf of the 31 Local Authorities and has enabled this information to be hosted on a central nationwide register, readily available and updated quarterly at https://www.localgov.ie/en/link-type/bcms.
406. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department is providing funding to Dublin City Council for the north city arterial watermain as part of the S2S footway and cycleway interim works scheme at Clontarf, Dublin 3; the level of funding being provided; if difficulties have been notified to his Department in relation to these works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12891/17]
View answerSince 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels.
Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
407. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if there are grants available for the removal of asbestos roofs from community centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12927/17]
View answerThere is no funding programme managed by my Department granting assistance to remove asbestos from community buildings.
408. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to commence the national differential rents framework provided for in section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009; his plans to exclude family income supplement and disability payments for local authority rent assessments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12985/17]
View answerThe making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of local authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions, subject to broad principles laid down by my Department in Circular letter HRT 3/2002 of 6 March 2002. It is a matter for local authorities, when assessing individual households, to consider whether rents payable are in accordance with the authority’s rent scheme. Therefore, decisions on whether or not to disregard either a proportion of income or particular sources of income, such as Family Income Supplement (FIS), for the purposes of calculating rents are matters for each individual local authority in accordance with their own rent scheme.
Section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 allows the Minister to make regulations in respect of various matters to be included in a rent scheme, including the sources of household income that may be assessed for the purpose of determining rent levels. Considerable work has been carried out by my Department in developing a draft framework for a harmonisation of the approach to be taken by local authorities in regard to various aspects of rent schemes. This includes providing for a common set of income disregards to be applied by all housing authorities in determining a household’s assessable income for rent calculation purposes. These proposals are now being examined further in the light of the broader commitment given in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, to review the disparate systems of differential rents for social housing in place across local authorities to ensure that housing supports are fair and sustainable, prioritise those on lowest incomes and avoid creating social welfare traps that may prevent people from either returning to work or to the private housing market.
I expect this review to be completed before the end of Quarter 2 2017.
409. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on whether local authorities have become significantly more reliant on revenues from commercial rates in view of the fact that revenues sourced from this category constituted 29% of total revenues in 2010 but in 2015 constituted 38% of total revenue; his further views on whether local authorities should diversify their revenue income sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12991/17]
View answerThe monetary amount of each revenue income source to local authorities in the years 2010 - 2015 is set out in Table 1. Table 2 sets out each revenue income source as a proportion of the total for the same period.
Table 1.
|
Revenue Income sources |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Goods & Services |
€1.52bn |
€1.482bn |
€1.352bn |
€1.38bn |
€1.394bn |
€1.304bn |
|
Commercial rates |
€1.43bn |
€1.449bn |
€1.497bn |
€1.494bn |
€1.5bn |
€1.496bn |
|
Income from local sources |
€2.95bn |
€2.931bn |
€2.849bn |
€2.874bn |
€2.894bn |
€2.8bn |
|
Grants & subsidies |
€1.225bn |
€1.195bn |
€939m |
€850m |
€871m |
€878m |
|
Other income* |
€923m |
€865m |
€791m |
€794m |
€355m |
€386m |
|
Income from external sources |
€2.148bn |
€2.06bn |
€1.73bn |
€1.644bn |
€1.226bn |
€1.264bn |
|
Total Income |
€5.098bn |
€4.991bn |
€4.579bn |
€4.518bn |
€4.12bn |
€4.064bn |
Table 2.
|
Revenue Income sources |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Goods & Services |
30% |
30% |
30% |
31% |
34% |
32% |
|
Commercial rates |
28% |
29% |
33% |
33% |
36% |
37% |
|
Income from local sources |
58% |
59% |
63% |
64% |
70% |
69% |
|
Grants & subsidies |
24% |
24% |
20% |
19% |
21% |
22% |
|
Other income* |
18% |
17% |
17% |
17% |
9% |
9% |
* Other income includes: the General Purpose Grants (GPG) which were paid to local authorities until 2014; Local Property Tax (LPT) allocations which commenced in 2015, replacing GPGs; the County Charge which ceased in 2014 when local authorities and the former town councils merged; and Pension Related Deductions which local authorities retained as income from 2009 to 2015.
While income from commercial rates has made up an increased proportion of local authorities' income, it has not increased significantly in monetary terms from 2010 to 2015. It is important to note that the local authority funding model changed considerably as a result of the introduction of LPT in 2013 and the establishment of Irish Water. The Local Government Fund (LGF) historically, through GPG allocations, provided local authorities with finance for funding some of their day-to-day activities, including elements of water services costs; for non-national roads; and funding for certain local government initiatives.
The Government decided in the context of Budget 2014 that the former water-related elements of GPGs should continue to contribute to the water services costs that were previously met by local authorities. GPG allocations from the LGF to local authorities in 2013 were €641m and in 2014 were €281.25m. These figures recognise the removal of water related costs from local authorities to Irish Water in 2014 and local authority allocations are therefore not directly comparable to previous years. In 2015, LPT allocations (which replaced GPGs) to local authorities amounted to €458.8m.
LPT was introduced to provide an alternative, stable and sustainable funding base for the local authority sector, providing greater levels of connection between local revenue raising and associated expenditure decisions and giving greater funding certainty for the sector through removing the reliance on other taxes, which may fluctuate according to economic circumstances. It is a matter for each local authority to decide as to how it can maximise local income sources and manage its own spending, in the context of the annual budgetary process.
Section 20 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 provides local authority members with the power to vary the rates of LPT in their areas from 2015 onwards by up to 15%. If an authority decides to vary the LPT basic rate upwards (by up to 15%) it retains 100% of the resultant additional income collected in that area. Likewise, if the rate is reduced, the authority forgoes the full amount of the reduced income collected. Fewer local authorities decided to lower their LPT rates for 2017 than was the case for 2016, illustrating a growing appreciation of the link between service provision, LPT income and the budgetary process. Limerick, Wexford and Galway County became the first local authorities to use their power to vary the LPT rate upwards for 2017, thereby gaining a combined €3.6m in additional LPT income for the delivery of local services in their areas.
410. Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he has analysed the optimum mix of social and private housing dwellings in large scale developments such as strategic development zones in terms of social cohesion, the tipping point for private buyers to purchase in such schemes, the average income levels sufficient to attract retail and other pull services; if his attention has been drawn to international evidence in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13020/17]
View answerPart V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, will apply to each individual application or applications for permission for housing in a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ), or any other large development, which should lead to 10% social housing in the development in question.
The acquisition of further social housing units, beyond the Part V requirement, in an SDZ or other development is a matter for the relevant housing authority in the first instance, subject to the policy of sustainable communities, which aims to ensure the provision of a choice of house type, size and tenure within a single neighbourhood.
The objective of this policy is to avoid the significant effects of social isolation and limiting of opportunities that can occur with large mono - tenure estates, frequently necessitating significant regeneration and remediation proposals at a later stage, at considerable cost. This policy approach was reaffirmed in the Social Housing Strategy 2020 published in November 2014 which further defined sustainable neighbourhoods as “areas where an efficient use of land, high quality urban design and effective integration in the provision of physical and social infrastructure such as public transport, schools, amenities and other facilities combine to create places people want to live”.
My Department has produced considerable planning guidance, including Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (2010) and the Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (2013), to assist local authorities to promote sustainable communities. In addition, the Department guidance document, Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities, seeks to promote quality and value for money in publicly funded housing.
411. Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to review the 10% social mix in housing developments provided for under current legislation; his plans to facilitate ancillary schemes such as shared ownership as an additional option (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13021/17]
View answerThe Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 made a number of amendments to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, effective from 1 September 2015, following the outcome of an independent review of Part V, which included a consultation process.
The amendments sought to maximise the contribution Part V can make to social housing supply and sustainable mixed-tenure communities across the country. The amendments reduced the overall requirement for social and affordable housing in private developments from 20% to 10% of the total, but also removed the option of a cash payment by the developer in lieu of units, or the transfer of sites or parts of sites. The options remaining are focused on the delivery of completed units. The operation of Part V is kept under review by my Department.
I have currently no plans to re-introduce a Shared Ownership Scheme. However, a range of measures are being taken under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness to increase housing supply overall, with the aim of creating a functioning and sustainable housing system which can meet housing demand at more affordable prices.
The plan is divided into five pillars, with each targeting a specific area of the housing system. Pillar 3, entitled Build More Homes, has a key objective of increasing the output of private housing to meet demand at affordable prices, including by
- Opening up land supply and State lands, including the Major Urban Housing Development Sites initiative, which identified large-scale sites in the main cities that are capable of delivering significant homes in the short to medium term to boost overall housing supply;
- €200m Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund;
- National Treasury Management Agency financing of large-scale “on-site” infrastructure;
- Planning Reforms;
- Putting in place a National Planning Framework and land management actions;
- Efficient design and delivery methods to lower housing delivery costs;
- Measures to support construction innovation and skills.
Pillar 4 of the Plan, entitled Improve the Rental Sector, provided for the introduction of an 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. As set out in the recently published Strategy for the Rental Sector, this commitment is now being progressed through kick-starting supply in rent pressure zones.
Other measures taken to increase the supply of housing include -
- The enhanced supply of more affordable starter homes in key locations through a targeted rebate of development contributions in Dublin and Cork for housing supplied under certain price levels;
- New National Apartment Planning Guidelines, reducing the cost of apartment building;
- Changes to aspects of the operation of Strategic Development Zones to enable swifter adjustments to meet market requirements;
- A vacant sites levy.
In relation to assistance to purchase, the Help to Buy incentive is designed to assist first-time buyers with obtaining the deposit required to purchase or self-build a new home. The incentive provides for a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) paid over the previous four tax years to first-time buyers. Further information on this Scheme can be found on the Revenue Commissioners' website at the following link: http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/reliefs/htb/index.html.
It might also be noted that a first time buyer who is unable to get a loan from a building society or bank may be eligible for a mortgage from their local authority, in cases where the gross income (before tax) is €50,000 or less for a single income household or €75,000 or less in the case of a double income household. The loan can be up to 97% of the price of the house subject to a maximum loan of €200,000. Also first time buyers can apply for a Home Choice Loan to purchase a new or second hand property or build their own home. Home Choice Loan provides up to 92% of the market value of a property purchased, subject to a maximum loan amount of €285,000. Further information is available at www.homechoiceloan.ie.
412. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the total number of on-site inspections carried out by local authorities on construction projects entered onto the building control management software since 1 March 2014 that were deemed to be covered by valid commencement notices, by each local authority area, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13059/17]
View answerThe matters referred to are matters for local authorities, who are independent in the use of their statutory powers under the Building Control Acts 1990 - 2014.
Regarding the number of inspections carried out, the Local Government Management Agency collected data on inspections carried out up to 2013 and published this information in the Service Indicators in Local Authorities reports from 2005 to 2013. These reports are available at http://www.lgma.ie/en/publication-category/service-indicator-reports-2004-2010.
Following the commencement of the Local Government Reform Act 2014, the National Oversight & Audit Commission (NOAC) now collects and publishes this data. The Performance Indicators in Local Authorities reports for 2014 & 2015 are available at http://noac.ie/noac-reports/. The 2016 report will be published by NOAC once it is finalised.
413. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 355 of 28 February 2017, if he will consider further amending the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to allow for towns with a population of over 5,000 persons to be considered for designation as rent pressure zones in their own right, rather than the present system whereby the whole local electoral area is looked at (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13120/17]
View answerI have undertaken to carry out a review, in June this year, of the Rent Predictability provisions introduced under the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016. At that point, the provisions will have been in place for 6 months and it will be possible to ascertain their effectiveness and whether any changes need to be made to, for example, the qualifying criteria or the designation process. The issues the Deputy raises will be considered at that stage.
414. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of potential development sites in each local authority that are publicly owned or controlled; the total area in hectares of these sites; the potential number of bed spaces or housing units that could be constructed on these sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13122/17]
View answerRebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, which is available at http://rebuildingireland.ie/Rebuilding%20Ireland_Action%20Plan.pdf, contains a number of integrated actions to underpin active land supply management for the delivery of housing. In particular, Action 3.5 commits to the establishment of a centralised database of publicly-owned lands, that are potentially suitable for the development of housing, whether by the State or by private sector housing providers, and that could be brought forward to aid land, and therefore housing, supply.
Initially, this involves identifying and mapping sites in local authority and public ownership with appropriate lands to be master-planned to deliver increased mixed-tenure housing, including social and more affordable homes, to meet demand. The map will form part of the broader National Land Supply Management Strategy, which is being developed within the context of the Ireland 2040 National Planning Framework. Once established, the map will be updated to record the development and use of these lands, to ensure that the best possible information is publicly available. The project is an iterative process and will be completed in phases.
Phase 1 of the mapping project is well underway and involves the mapping of approximately 700 sites in local authority ownership and those held by the Housing Agency under the Land Aggregation Scheme, showing their location, size, boundaries and other information. I expect to be in a position to publish this mapped data set, together with lands zoned for residential development, in the coming weeks.
Phase 2 of the project involves the mapping of other publicly-owned and religious congregation-owned sites with housing potential. In this regard, my Department is working with the relevant Government Departments, State Agencies and semi-State bodies to identify all potentially suitable sites. The initial focus of this phase of the project will be on lands in the main urban areas where demand is highest, i.e. Dublin, and the cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.
A third phase of the project will involve the mapping of local authority and Approved Housing Body social housing construction projects. This will include new build projects under the Social Housing Capital Investment Programme, the Capital Assistance Scheme, as well as regeneration, rapid delivery, turnkey (i.e. pre-construction acquisition), design and build, and Part V projects.
Already, local authorities and approved housing bodies have a strong pipeline of construction projects in place that will deliver 8,430 social housing homes. In February, I published a full list of social housing construction projects, in each local authority area, in the Social Housing Construction Status Report for Q4 2016 which can be accessed here:http://rebuildingireland.ie/install/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Social-Housing_Construction-Status-Report_Q4-2016.pdf.
I am keen that all approved projects are advanced as quickly as possible and I have assured the local authorities that funding is available for well-planned, quality projects, to fully support their efforts in this regard.
At its heart, Rebuilding Ireland is about increasing and accelerating housing delivery, across all tenures, to help individuals and families find homes. The active pursuit of housing provision on State lands, including local authority lands, will continue to be an important part of delivering on this overall ambition.
415. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the rules and flexibility applying to the tenant purchase scheme in relation to the amount that can be paid by way of a lump sum in conjunction with the portion that is liable by way of mortgage; the length of time a member of a household must be named on the tenancy before their income can be taken into account in the purchase of the house; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13123/17]
View answer440. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when is it likely to have a new revised tenant purchase scheme in place that takes into account savings that persons that are retired might have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13384/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 415 and 440 together.
The 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, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year.
The funding of the purchase price is a separate matter from the reckonable income criteria for the scheme. In relation to funding of the purchase price, a tenant may fund the purchase from one, or a combination of, his or her own resources or a mortgage provided by a financial institution or a local authority house purchase loan.
Under Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 the tenant, or in the case of joint tenants, one of the tenants must have been in receipt of social housing support for a minimum period of one year on the date of making the application to purchase. A housing authority shall not sell a house to a tenant where, in the three years prior to applying to purchase, he or she or a household member was in arrears of rent, rent contributions, charges, fees or any other monies owing to a housing authority for an accumulated period of more than 12 weeks in respect of a dwelling or site provided as social housing support. Under the legislation there is no provision given for a specified length of time required to be a joint tenant for purposes of a tenant purchase application.
In line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government, and reaffirmed in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, a review of the first 12 months of operation of the scheme is currently being conducted by my Department. To inform the review a public consultation was undertaken during January/February of this year. Any changes to the terms and conditions of the scheme which are considered necessary based on the evidence gathered at that time will be brought forward.
I expect the review to be completed in the coming weeks.
416. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will request that empty houses in County Kildare owned by Waterways Ireland will be either taken out of dereliction or given to the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13126/17]
View answerThe Derelict Sites Act 1990 requires every owner and occupier of land, including a statutory body and a State authority, to take all reasonable steps to ensure that land does not become or does not continue to be a derelict site. It also requires that local authorities take reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does not become, or continue to be, a derelict site. To this end, local authorities have been given substantial powers under the Act in relation to such sites, including to:
- establish and maintain a register of derelict sites in their functional area,
- require specified measures to be taken in relation to a derelict site,
- impose a levy on sites which are included in their derelict sites register, and
- acquire derelict sites by agreement or compulsorily.
I am informed that Kildare County Council does not have property owned by Waterways Ireland included in its Derelict Sites Register. Accordingly, the utilisation of powers under the Act, including Ministerial powers, does not arise.
It is a matter for local authorities to determine the most appropriate use of the legislation within their respective functional areas.
Under section 8(5) of the Act, a copy of the Derelict Sites Register compiled by a local authority can be inspected at the offices of the authority in question during office hours. This facilitates members of the public to engage, if they so wish, with their local authority in relation to addressing individual derelict sites.
417. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the cost of the housing assistance payment, HAP, scheme in County Kildare in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13127/17]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is funded through a combination of Exchequer monies and tenant differential rents collected in respect of HAP tenancies. At 31 December 2016, there were 16,493 households having their housing need met through the HAP scheme. The provisional Exchequer outturn for the HAP scheme in 2016 was in excess of €57 million. The majority of this funding is to support the on-going costs of tenancies established in 2015 that continued into 2016, and the costs of the 12,075 additional households supported by the scheme in 2016.
A breakdown of the cost of supporting HAP tenancies by local authority, including Kildare County Council, is being compiled and will be available on my Department's website at www.housing.gov.ie.
Budget 2017 has increased the Exchequer funding for the HAP scheme to €152.7 million, in order to meet the continuing costs of existing HAP households, and the costs of supporting an additional 15,000 households to be supported by HAP in 2017.
418. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of persons on the housing lists for County Kildare in each of the years from 2010 to 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13128/17]
View answerDetails on the number of households on waiting lists in each housing authority area are provided by the results of the tri-annual social housing needs assessments carried out from 1993 to 2011 under Section 9 of the Housing Act 1988, and the summaries of social housing assessments carried out in 2013 and 2016 in accordance with section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009.
The 2013 and 2016 results show that there were 5,454 and 5,572 households on Kildare County Council’s waiting list as at 7 May 2013 and 21 September 2016, respectively.
The results of the summaries/assessments undertaken are available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/search/sub-topic/needs-assessment.
It is important to note that only the results of the 2013 and 2016 summaries are directly comparable with each other. These summaries were carried out using a standardised methodology as specified by the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011. Previous summaries were not carried out under the current standardised assessment regime for social housing support which came into effect on 1 April 2011.
In line with a commitment given in the Social Housing Strategy 2020 future summaries will now be carried out an annual basis. I expect the results of the 2017 summary to be available for publication in the latter half of this year.
419. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when a project (details supplied) under the Limerick regeneration programme can proceed to construction now that the tender phase has been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13132/17]
View answerLimerick City and County Council recently provided my Department with the tender report for the Moyross Community Enterprise Centre. This is now being examined and a response will issue to the Council shortly.
420. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the position regarding a tenant that is being moved to the housing assistance payment, HAP, scheme but wishes to remain on the social housing list for a home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13135/17]
View answerThe Government’s long-term approach is for Rent Supplement to be replaced with the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) for households with a long-term housing need, although Rent Supplement will continue to be available for people who need short-term support in meeting their housing costs.
Upon commencement of the HAP scheme in a local authority administrative area, the availability of Rent Supplement support is altered and in general Rent Supplement will no longer be available to any new applicant households that have an identified long-term housing need. Under Rebuilding Ireland, it is envisaged that all long-term Rent Supplement recipients will be transferred to the HAP scheme by 2020.
The Department of Social Protection may request long-term recipients of Rent Supplement to contact their local authority in order to have their housing need assessed, which could potentially allow them to access HAP. Local authorities are working closely with local Department of Social Protection staff to transfer eligible households from the Rent Supplement scheme to HAP. The phased process of transferring households from Rent Supplement to HAP, which only begins after the scheme has been introduced and established in a local authority area for some months, is carefully managed in order to ensure that no gaps in support arise within the transfer process.
Following the commencement of the provisions in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, HAP is considered to be a social housing support and consequently, households are not eligible to remain on the main housing waiting list. However, acknowledging that households on the waiting list who avail of HAP might have expectations that they would receive an allocated form of social housing support, Ministerial Directions were issued to ensure that, should they so choose, HAP tenants can avail of a move to other forms of social housing support through a transfer list. With the completion of the HAP rollout and the ending of the scheme’s pilot phase, I recently signed a Ministerial Direction instructing local authorities to continue to offer HAP tenants access to other forms of social housing through the transfer list. This refreshed direction ensures that following completion of the HAP pilot phase, HAP tenants still get all the benefits of HAP and are no less likely to get a different form of social housing support.
The practical operation of transfer lists is a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of their scheme of letting priorities. The setting of such schemes is a reserved function of the local authority and as such is a matter for the elected members. I understand that the majority of HAP households do avail of the option to be placed on a transfer list. Since its statutory commencement in December 2016, some 240 households (at the end of December 2016) have transferred from the HAP scheme to other forms of social housing support.
Further information in relation to the HAP scheme is available on www.hap.ie.
421. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department has undertaken an analysis of the costs of operating the commercial rates system; the estimated cost of centralising the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13142/17]
View answerLocal 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 pursuant to the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority, as are the costs of collection.
The Debt Management Project Implementation Board, on which my Department was represented, was established by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in February 2015, to progress the recommendations of the Debt Management Review, which was published in 2014. The Project Implementation Board concluded its work in 2016 and recommended that a Central Collection Agency was not justified at this time. This was due to the fact that the improvements which had been made by the Public Sector Bodies (PSBs) and the targets set for those PSBs for the period to 2018 were close to those that might be expected of a Central Collection Agency.
As part of this process, the local authority Sector prepared a business case for stronger enforcement powers in the collection of commercial rates. This business case was endorsed by the Project Board. I will be bringing legislative proposals to Government shortly in this regard.
