Written Answers No. 192-197
192. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when the commission report will be published regarding the constituency boundary commission now that the census is complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18385/17]
View answerSection 5 of the Electoral Act 1997 provides for the establishment of a Constituency Commission upon publication by the Central Statistics Office of preliminary census results. Census 2016 was taken on 24 April 2016. The function of the Constituency Commission is to make a report on the constituencies for the election of members of the Dáil and for the election of members of the European Parliament, having regard to Article 16 of the Constitution and to the provisions of sections 6(2) and 6(3) of the Act. Following publication of the preliminary census results on 14 July 2016, the Constituency Commission (Establishment) Order 2016 was made establishing the current Constituency Commission to begin work on its report on Dáil and European Parliament constituencies.
Section 9 of the Electoral Act 1997 provides that the Constituency Commission must present its report to the Chairperson of the Dáil no later than 3 months after the publication of final census results. These results were published on 6 April 2017 and, therefore, the Constituency Commission must present its report to the Chairperson of the Dáil no later than 6 July 2017.
193. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount of the €5.35 billion funding promised in the Government's action plan for housing that has been spent to date; the number of social housing units that have been delivered by the action plan; the locations of each; if the remaining units will be delivered to make up the his target delivery of 47,000 units of social housing by the end of 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18438/17]
View answerTo support the implementation of the Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, I have secured €5.35 billion in investment to deliver 47,000 social housing units through build, refurbishment, acquisitions and leasing, over the period to 2021.
In 2016, over €935 million was provided through a range of housing programmes which saw the needs of over 19,000 households met. An additional €1.3 billion has been provided for 2017, of which some €0.326 billion has been expended to date. This funding is supporting the accelerated delivery of social housing and the achievement of the 2017 target to meet the needs of over 21,000 households.
Some 5,700 social housing units were delivered in 2016 from the 47,000 that are to be delivered under the Action Plan. The balance of the 2016 delivery was through the Rental Accommodation Scheme and the Housing Assistance Payment. The table shows the local authority areas where the 5,700 units were delivered. These numbers are preliminary, as the validation of statistics in respect of quarter 4 of 2016 is being finalised, at which point official statistics will be published on my Department's website.
|
Local Authority |
Units delivered in 2016 |
|
Carlow County Council |
38 |
|
Cavan County Council |
108 |
|
Clare County Council |
219 |
|
Cork City Council |
394 |
|
Cork County Council |
217 |
|
Dun L/R County Council |
151 |
|
Donegal County Council |
148 |
|
Dublin City Council |
970 |
|
Fingal County Council |
407 |
|
Galway City Council |
130 |
|
Galway County Council |
85 |
|
Kerry County Council |
253 |
|
Kildare County Council |
221 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
103 |
|
Laois County Council |
74 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
90 |
|
Limerick City and County Council |
169 |
|
Longford County Council |
79 |
|
Louth County Council |
125 |
|
Mayo County Council |
78 |
|
Meath County Council |
200 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
75 |
|
Offaly County Council |
98 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
106 |
|
Sligo County Council |
96 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
208 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
231 |
|
Waterford City and County Council |
273 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
123 |
|
Wexford County Council |
181 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
66 |
|
5,716 |
194. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to ensure that the constitutional rights of the visually impaired voters to vote are upheld in view of the High Court judgment on 30 March 2017 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18447/17]
View answerI refer to the reply to Questions No. 208 and 231 of 5 April 2017 which sets out the position in this matter.
My Department is examining the 30 March 2017 judgment of the High Court in advance of the Order of the Court being made.
195. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the rate of production of housing that would have to take place to support not only Dublin’s current population, but also to support the 150,000-person increase that Dublin will undergo in the next ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18467/17]
View answerPopulation growth projections and estimates of the extent to which additional population will translate into additional demand for housing units, are subject to some uncertainty, given the range of variables involved. For this reason, the Central Statistics Office provides a number of projected scenarios associated with future population levels. Factors such as economic conditions in Dublin and elsewhere, migration, fertility, and household formation rates will all have a bearing on actual observed population change and the consequent demand for housing.
What is certain is that supply of new homes must increase in Dublin and elsewhere. My priority therefore, as Minister with responsibility for housing and planning, is to ensure that all reasonable steps are being taken to secure the required increase in housing supply to meet both current and future demand.
The Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness (July 2016), which is available at the following link, http://rebuildingireland.ie/install/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Rebuilding-Ireland_Action-Plan.pdf, is focused on increasing supply across all tenures to achieve total housing output of at least 25,000 homes nationally per year by 2021 and beyond, effectively doubling the output of 12,600 homes recorded in 2015. A significant proportion of these homes will need to be provided in the Greater Dublin Area, where demand pressures are greatest.
As well as the unprecedented increase in the Government’s social housing investment programme to €5.35 billion over the six-year period to 2021, this Action Plan includes measures to encourage, facilitate and incentivise the increase of housing supplied by the private sector for both purchase and rent. Through Rebuilding Ireland, I am also working to ensure that housing is delivered much more quickly from key strategic sites in Dublin and the other cities in both public and private ownership, particularly off State-owned lands.
In that regard, a total of €113 million funding of enabling infrastructure is being provided to the four Dublin local authorities under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund to open up major housing sites to deliver an estimated 14,000 additional housing units up to 2021, with a long-term potential yield of over 37,000 as the sites are fully built out. Further details on the Dublin sites funded can be found at http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/local-infrastructure-housing-activation-fund-announced/.
My Department continues to work closely with the four Dublin local authorities, through the governance arrangements under Rebuilding Ireland and, more specifically, through the Dublin Housing Supply Coordination Taskforce. This Task Force, which comprises representatives from my Department, the Chief Executives of the four Dublin local authorities, NAMA and other key agencies, was established to address supply-related issues regarding the delivery of homes in the Dublin region.
In Quarter 4 2016, the Taskforce reported that there are some 5,200 homes under construction in Dublin, with permissions in place for a further 23,700 homes on which construction had not yet commenced. The full report can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/housing_supply_coordination_task_force_returns_q4_2016.pdf
Finally, with regard to future planning more generally, the development of the new National Planning Framework, entitled Ireland 2040: Our Plan, is currently underway. This Framework will shape how Ireland, including Dublin, can and should develop over the next twenty years or more, and how we can plan for and accommodate the substantial additional population expected by 2040 in a more strategic and sustainable way. My Department is currently analysing and assessing the submissions received under the initial public consultation exercise, as well as preparing other technical analyses to inform the new Framework. It is my intention to bring a draft Framework to Government by the Summer, for consideration by the Oireachtas later this year. Further details in relation to the Framework can be found at www.npf.ie.
196. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the progress made to date with regard to implementing the commitment in the programme for Government to establish an electoral commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18492/17]
View answerIn 2015, on the basis of a consultation paper prepared by my Department, and at the invitation of the then Minister, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht undertook a public consultation process on the establishment of an electoral commission. The Committee published a report on the consultation in January 2016. This report contains a series of recommendations regarding the establishment of an electoral commission, including functions which should be assigned to it; independence, membership and accountability mechanisms; and the establishment process. The report is informing the implementation of the commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government on establishing an electoral commission and it is informing the preparation of an Electoral Commission Bill to give effect to that. My Department is in the first instance preparing a Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Bill.
197. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the funding provided to each local community development committee, LCDC, to address youth unemployment; and the number of young persons in each LCDC area supported to date under the SICAP programme in tabular form. [18493/17]
View answerMy Department provides funding to support young, unemployed persons through the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), which is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State. SICAP was rolled out in April 2015 and will run until 31 December 2017. Its aim is to tackle poverty, social exclusion and long-term unemployment through local engagement and partnership between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations, public sector agencies and other stakeholders.
The Programme allocation for 2017 is €37.5 million of which €3 million is provided for under the European Social Fund (ESF) Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020.
Young people are primarily supported under goals two and three of SICAP, which deal with supporting marginalised individuals to participate in lifelong learning and to become more job-ready, respectively. SICAP responds to the strategic needs for education and training among disadvantaged groups across the spectrum of life-long learning, from informal to formally accredited education and training, including career advice, job preparing/job search, assisting beneficiaries acquire pre-employment supports such as foundation skills and working on job-ready supports such as CV preparation, interview skills, work placements, mentoring, literacy and numeracy, entrepreneurship supports, as well as achieving defined outcomes of placing people into employment, tailored to the needs of the individual client and in accordance with a personal action plan. Young people aged 15-24, who are Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEETs), are a dedicated target group under SICAP and are therefore targeted to receive support under goals two and three of the Programme.
SICAP is delivered in 51 Lots throughout the country. It is a key intervention for the harder to reach, with delivery in each area (or Lot) overseen and managed by the relevant Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) in the local authority area. The numbers of young persons supported, or due to be supported (in 2017), in each Lot area, are provided below:
|
Lot |
2015 Goal 2 |
2015 Goal 3 |
2016 Goal 2 |
2016 Goal 3 |
2017 Goal 2 (Target) |
2017 Goal 3 (Target) |
|
Carlow County (1-1) |
82 |
52 |
47 |
76 |
35 |
49 |
|
Cavan County (32-1) |
41 |
33 |
42 |
43 |
43 |
55 |
|
Clare County (16-1) |
2 |
66 |
72 |
98 |
50 |
79 |
|
Cork Bandon & Kinsale (18-6) |
14 |
16 |
15 |
15 |
12 |
16 |
|
Cork Charleville & Mitchelstown (18-2) |
25 |
12 |
33 |
24 |
23 |
26 |
|
Cork City (17-1) |
72 |
99 |
72 |
182 |
228 |
135 |
|
Cork Kanturk, Newmarket & Millstreet (18-1) |
28 |
40 |
29 |
57 |
29 |
25 |
|
Cork Mallow & Fermoy (18-3) |
36 |
24 |
20 |
28 |
17 |
25 |
|
Cork South & East Cork (18-4) |
104 |
61 |
49 |
81 |
52 |
74 |
|
Cork West Cork District (18-5) |
2 |
5 |
28 |
33 |
21 |
32 |
|
Cork West Cork Islands (18-7) |
5 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
Donegal (33-3) |
55 |
99 |
80 |
71 |
67 |
85 |
|
Donegal Gaeltacht (33-2) |
11 |
47 |
9 |
30 |
22 |
28 |
|
Donegal Inishowen (33-1) |
27 |
64 |
41 |
100 |
38 |
55 |
|
Dublin Ballyfermot & Chapelizod (2-1) |
141 |
166 |
188 |
126 |
190 |
81 |
|
Dublin Ballymun, Whitehall & Tolka (2-2) |
164 |
213 |
236 |
230 |
207 |
310 |
|
Dublin Canal, Rathmines & Pembroke (2-4) |
122 |
57 |
170 |
153 |
240 |
138 |
|
Dublin Inner City (2-5) |
168 |
99 |
189 |
154 |
296 |
85 |
|
Dublin Northside (2-3) |
316 |
40 |
337 |
24 |
200 |
12 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown (5-1) |
60 |
23 |
74 |
79 |
54 |
77 |
|
Fingal (4-1) |
35 |
24 |
61 |
63 |
77 |
109 |
|
Galway City (26-1) |
34 |
42 |
37 |
68 |
41 |
60 |
|
Galway County (27-1) |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
84 |
119 |
|
Kerry North East & West Kerry (19-1) |
110 |
65 |
138 |
101 |
69 |
94 |
|
Kerry Rathmore & Gneeveguilla (19-2) |
44 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
|
Kerry South Kerry & Killarney (19-3) |
24 |
14 |
40 |
24 |
33 |
47 |
|
Kildare County (6-1) |
75 |
112 |
103 |
114 |
70 |
94 |
|
Kilkenny County (7-1) |
101 |
42 |
113 |
96 |
39 |
56 |
|
Laois County (8-1) |
72 |
34 |
106 |
63 |
38 |
52 |
|
Leitrim County (28-1) |
42 |
52 |
80 |
38 |
33 |
48 |
|
Limerick East Rural (21-3) |
25 |
24 |
33 |
31 |
28 |
35 |
|
Limerick Urban (21-2) |
277 |
86 |
265 |
116 |
81 |
114 |
|
Limerick West Rural (21-1) |
58 |
55 |
63 |
76 |
40 |
48 |
|
Longford County (9-1) |
37 |
31 |
53 |
41 |
26 |
35 |
|
Louth County (10-1) |
149 |
81 |
93 |
105 |
83 |
118 |
|
Mayo Ballina & Mayo West (29-2) |
39 |
63 |
54 |
65 |
46 |
75 |
|
Mayo Castlebar & Claremorris (29-3) |
76 |
26 |
116 |
52 |
105 |
46 |
|
Mayo Islands (29-1) |
1 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
|
|
Meath County (11-1) |
15 |
31 |
24 |
20 |
24 |
34 |
|
Monaghan County (34-1) |
46 |
33 |
52 |
36 |
48 |
52 |
|
Offaly County (12-1) |
68 |
112 |
98 |
139 |
47 |
68 |
|
Roscommon County (30-1) |
53 |
48 |
45 |
54 |
39 |
55 |
|
Sligo County (31-1) |
72 |
54 |
99 |
53 |
38 |
54 |
|
South Dublin County (3-1) |
255 |
91 |
215 |
164 |
120 |
155 |
|
Tipperary North (22-1) |
91 |
58 |
52 |
112 |
36 |
52 |
|
Tipperary South (23-2) |
61 |
77 |
48 |
110 |
39 |
55 |
|
Waterford City & County (24-1) |
303 |
127 |
203 |
163 |
84 |
116 |
|
Westmeath County (13-1) |
85 |
134 |
116 |
206 |
49 |
70 |
|
Wexford County (14-1) |
210 |
156 |
322 |
208 |
109 |
141 |
|
Wicklow Arklow, Wicklow & Baltinglass (15-2) |
48 |
31 |
74 |
52 |
38 |
49 |
|
Wicklow Bray & Greystones (15-1) |
58 |
54 |
77 |
67 |
46 |
60 |
|
Grand Total |
4,038 |
2,975 |
4,517 |
4,051 |
3,445 |
3,509 |
SICAP funding for Goals two and three in each Lot area is provided as follows:
|
Lot |
2015 Goal 2 |
2015 Goal 3 |
2016 Goal 2 |
2016 Goal 3 |
2017 Goal 2 Budget |
2017 Goal 3 Budget |
|
Carlow County (1-1) |
€114,308 |
€86,382 |
€126,880 |
€128,662 |
€127,076 |
€123,051 |
|
Cavan County (32-1) |
€142,615 |
€150,572 |
€195,066 |
€195,827 |
€194,566 |
€195,002 |
|
Clare County (16-1) |
€182,829 |
€163,582 |
€229,690 |
€225,752 |
€228,171 |
€215,844 |
|
Cork Bandon & Kinsale (18-6) |
€29,427 |
€29,591 |
€37,639 |
€40,958 |
€37,639 |
€40,720 |
|
Cork Charleville & Mitchelstown (18-2) |
€34,013 |
€27,768 |
€40,456 |
€45,826 |
€41,920 |
€38,272 |
|
Cork City (17-1) |
€259,270 |
€238,005 |
€336,277 |
€326,638 |
€330,443 |
€309,201 |
|
Cork Kanturk, Newmarket & Millstreet (18-1) |
€30,302 |
€28,060 |
€40,466 |
€37,910 |
€40,466 |
€37,910 |
|
Cork Mallow & Fermoy (18-3) |
€50,636 |
€53,218 |
€72,422 |
€70,196 |
€74,635 |
€72,566 |
|
Cork South & East Cork (18-4) |
€146,897 |
€168,208 |
€196,431 |
€224,001 |
€197,966 |
€220,435 |
|
Cork West Cork District (18-5) |
€60,072 |
€54,926 |
€83,018 |
€75,147 |
€80,018 |
€76,775 |
|
Cork West Cork Islands (18-7) |
€5,394 |
€5,395 |
€7,193 |
€7,194 |
€7,193 |
€7,194 |
|
Donegal (33-3) |
€163,706 |
€217,137 |
€256,496 |
€265,497 |
€256,077 |
€263,836 |
|
Donegal Gaeltacht (33-2) |
€60,903 |
€56,804 |
€94,254 |
€76,054 |
€94,103 |
€80,981 |
|
Donegal Inishowen (33-1) |
€105,695 |
€116,860 |
€140,399 |
€165,505 |
€144,392 |
€165,365 |
|
Dublin Ballyfermot & Chapelizod (2-1) |
€99,745 |
€108,694 |
€125,960 |
€149,920 |
€126,913 |
€148,722 |
|
Dublin Ballymun, Whitehall & Tolka (2-2) |
€316,781 |
€314,241 |
€399,368 |
€411,050 |
€406,456 |
€387,069 |
|
Dublin Canal, Rathmines & Pembroke (2-4) |
€255,878 |
€245,170 |
€343,604 |
€349,921 |
€359,154 |
€356,143 |
|
Dublin Inner City (2-5) |
€187,482 |
€205,490 |
€244,524 |
€280,067 |
€250,459 |
€268,840 |
|
Dublin Northside (2-3) |
€215,082 |
€233,655 |
€315,490 |
€284,809 |
€292,266 |
€309,953 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown (5-1) |
€173,774 |
€198,835 |
€220,197 |
€266,793 |
€218,176 |
€266,587 |
|
Fingal (4-1) |
€224,522 |
€250,637 |
€302,229 |
€329,959 |
€313,197 |
€301,154 |
|
Galway City (26-1) |
€107,021 |
€112,318 |
€155,159 |
€162,214 |
€143,561 |
€171,716 |
|
Galway County (27-1) |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
€401,737 |
€456,451 |
|
Kerry North East & West Kerry (19-1) |
€206,459 |
€194,095 |
€251,348 |
€288,770 |
€268,364 |
€280,472 |
|
Kerry Rathmore & Gneeveguilla (19-2) |
€10,859 |
€11,553 |
€14,526 |
€15,046 |
€14,526 |
€15,046 |
|
Kerry South Kerry & Killarney (19-3) |
€84,346 |
€108,713 |
€123,691 |
€142,905 |
€123,477 |
€144,194 |
|
Kildare County (6-1) |
€191,229 |
€215,664 |
€267,359 |
€278,028 |
€261,541 |
€273,854 |
|
Kilkenny County (7-1) |
€105,818 |
€123,118 |
€139,267 |
€168,158 |
€150,236 |
€155,488 |
|
Laois County (8-1) |
€96,304 |
€119,840 |
€133,103 |
€150,539 |
€131,864 |
€150,973 |
|
Leitrim County (28-1) |
€94,085 |
€90,864 |
€124,024 |
€134,352 |
€133,028 |
€124,988 |
|
Limerick East Rural (21-3) |
€73,847 |
€87,547 |
€113,267 |
€109,312 |
€103,865 |
€95,225 |
|
Limerick Urban (21-2) |
€231,086 |
€259,617 |
€273,629 |
€350,425 |
€303,728 |
€352,313 |
|
Limerick West Rural (21-1) |
€106,832 |
€88,706 |
€145,870 |
€134,396 |
€135,916 |
€143,909 |
|
Longford County (9-1) |
€110,557 |
€91,049 |
€149,291 |
€128,357 |
€148,879 |
€127,378 |
|
Louth County (10-1) |
€221,306 |
€224,125 |
€313,438 |
€362,498 |
€301,293 |
€365,819 |
|
Mayo Ballina & Mayo West (29-2) |
€128,499 |
€128,499 |
€178,364 |
€192,061 |
€178,742 |
€176,106 |
|
Mayo Castlebar & Claremorris (29-3) |
€95,011 |
€85,763 |
€130,135 |
€105,117 |
€131,013 |
€115,320 |
|
Mayo Islands (29-1) |
€8,601 |
€8,801 |
€10,918 |
€12,385 |
€9,911 |
€11,127 |
|
Meath County (11-1) |
€64,473 |
€51,666 |
€93,845 |
€79,783 |
€96,248 |
€80,343 |
|
Monaghan County (34-1) |
€121,268 |
€126,959 |
€173,224 |
€156,940 |
€166,725 |
€168,514 |
|
Offaly County (12-1) |
€141,340 |
€148,908 |
€185,826 |
€211,012 |
€183,230 |
€210,512 |
|
Roscommon County (30-1) |
€120,933 |
€110,416 |
€157,067 |
€160,208 |
€155,945 |
€159,759 |
|
Sligo County (31-1) |
€117,435 |
€110,840 |
€153,996 |
€160,801 |
€152,907 |
€142,858 |
|
South Dublin County (3-1) |
€407,968 |
€399,286 |
€549,140 |
€531,374 |
€535,994 |
€531,374 |
|
Tipperary North (22-1) |
€103,884 |
€95,676 |
€131,344 |
€131,370 |
€146,214 |
€124,421 |
|
Tipperary South (23-2) |
€113,788 |
€117,454 |
€149,717 |
€158,605 |
€153,659 |
€149,660 |
|
Waterford City & County (24-1) |
€210,078 |
€234,793 |
€258,179 |
€288,553 |
€255,772 |
€314,260 |
|
Westmeath County (13-1) |
€127,290 |
€160,144 |
€189,071 |
€189,437 |
€166,186 |
€216,141 |
|
Wexford County (14-1) |
€308,807 |
€357,806 |
€419,839 |
€483,021 |
€426,355 |
€463,618 |
|
Wicklow Arklow, Wicklow & Baltinglass (15-2) |
€114,032 |
€104,795 |
€150,076 |
€150,659 |
€147,187 |
€145,449 |
|
Wicklow Bray & Greystones (15-1) |
€135,188 |
€150,210 |
€193,056 |
€188,104 |
€193,056 |
€188,104 |
|
Grand Total |
€6,817,674 |
€7,072,455 |
€9,135,829 |
€9,582,118 |
€9,542,445 |
€9,941,013d of Take |
