Written Answers Nos. 47-68
47. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on the potential for high rise zones within Dublin city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33113/17]
View answerMy Department regularly monitors the planning process and acts to ensure that it facilitates appropriate multi-unit housing developments to meet the broader housing requirements of society.
My Department’s 2009 Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas encourage local authorities to bring about high quality and sustainable urban development, using their development planning and management functions to deliver quality homes and neighbourhoods where people want to live, work and raise families. In particular, the Guidelines outline a range of densities appropriate to different location types, from lower densities at the edges of smaller towns through to densities in the range of a minimum of 50 dwellings per hectare in larger urban areas along public transport corridors.
However, the Guidelines do not set out specific policy advice in relation to height of buildings alone, in isolation from broader location, design and layout considerations nor would it be appropriate to do so, given variability in urban contexts and the inappropriateness of a “one size fits all” height policy for very diverse urban areas. Rather, it is a matter for local authorities to ensure the appropriate application of the Guidelines in their statutory development plan and development management processes.
Permissible building heights in different parts of the Dublin City Council Area are set out in Chapter 16 of the Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022, available at the following link: http://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content/Planning/DublinCityDevelopmentPlan/Written%20Statement%20-%20Interim%20Publication%20-%20Volume%201sml.pdf.
My Department is currently at an advanced stage of completing a residential development cost review, which is due to be finalised later this month. This review is examining the key aspects of viability issues, including building height limitations, and will inform my approach to further policy development on the matters involved.
48. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the status of the tenant purchase scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33105/17]
View answerThe new Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme for existing local authority houses 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, have been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year and have been allocated a house under a local authority allocation scheme.
The requirement to pay water charges is a condition under the scheme and is reflected in legislation. Section 3(A)(9) of the Water Services Act 2014 (inserted by Section 48 of the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015) provides that a person who is a tenant of a dwelling let to him/her under the Housing Acts 1966 to 2014 and who proposes to purchase the dwelling shall before completion of the sale provide the local authority concerned with a certificate of discharge from Irish Water confirming that any charge under section 21 of the No. 2 Act 2013 in respect of the dwelling owed to Irish Water has been paid. The sale of the dwelling cannot proceed until a certificate of discharge in respect of the dwelling has been received from Irish Water.
The Oireachtas has approved the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services and I am committed to legislating on the recommendations. My Department is working on legislative proposals, in line with the recommendations of the report, including in relation to the position of those who have paid and also those who have not paid water charges.
In line with the commitment given in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, a review of the first 12 months of the Tenant Purchase Scheme’s operation has been undertaken. The review is now complete and a full report setting out findings and recommendations has been prepared. Following consultation with relevant Departments on implementation arrangements, I expect that definitive proposals will be submitted to me very shortly.
49. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to implement a redress scheme to help those homeowners affected by mica; the timeframe for such a scheme to be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33120/17]
View answer54. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to help homeowners affected by the mica issue; his further plans to set up a redress scheme; the timeline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33104/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 54 together.
The Expert Panel on concrete blocks was established by my Department in 2016, to investigate problems that have emerged in the concrete blockwork of certain dwellings in Counties Donegal and Mayo.
The panel had the following terms of reference:
(i) To identify, insofar as it is possible, the numbers of private dwellings which appear to be affected by defects in the blockwork in the Counties of Donegal and Mayo;
(ii) To carry out a desktop study, which would include a consultation process with affected homeowners, public representatives, local authorities, product manufacturers, building professionals, testing laboratories, industry stakeholders and other relevant parties, to establish the nature of the problem in the affected dwellings;
(iii) To outline a range of technical options for remediation and the means by which those technical options could be applied; and
(iv) To submit a report within six months.
On 13 June 2017, the report of the Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks was published and included eight recommendations, which my Department are now advancing.
My Department has already taken action to implement recommendations 1 and 2 as priorities. With regard to Recommendation 1, the Department met with the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) recently to discuss the establishment of a Technical Committee to scope and fast track the development of a standardised protocol.
With regard to Recommendation 2, my Department has been in contact with Engineers Ireland in regard to the establishment of a register of competent engineers for homeowner/affected parties’ reference. Engineers Ireland provided assurance that they will collaborate with the Department, the NSAI and others on measures to establish such a register.
In addition and in light of the information contained in the report, I am currently considering what further actions may be required to assist the parties directly involved in reaching a satisfactory resolution to the problems that have emerged in the two counties.
50. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when he will publish the draft national planning framework; if interested stakeholders will get a further opportunity to make submissions, observations and so on; when the NPF will be put on a statutory basis; and if a budget will be allocated to deliver same. [33436/17]
View answerAn initial draft of the National Planning Framework (NPF), Ireland 2040 – Our Plan, is at an advanced stage of preparation. The intention is that the draft Plan, accompanied by an Environmental Report as required under the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive, will be published for consultation, allowing for input from stakeholders and the general public.
Moreover, the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016 provides for the implementation of a number of planning related recommendations of the Mahon Tribunal, one of which establishes a legislatively defined approach to the development of the National Planning Framework. Specific provision is included in the Bill for obtaining Oireachtas approval of the NPF or any revised framework. This Bill is currently at Dáil Report Stage and I would hope to see the Bill progressing to enactment as soon as possible after the Summer recess.
The NPF covers a broad range of issues in relation to planning for Ireland’s future over the period to 2040. While public expenditure allocations are a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are working closely together to ensure an effective alignment between the National Planning Framework and the mid-term review of the Capital Plan and longer-term infrastructure planning, with a view to ensuring that long-term planning objectives shape Ireland's investment and infrastructural development approach into the future.
51. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to reform the local infrastructure housing activation fund to ensure that affordable housing is provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33432/17]
View answerThe aim of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is to relieve critical infrastructural blockages in order to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in urban areas with high demand for housing. Dublin, in particular, is suffering from a significant deficit in supply of new homes.
This Fund is key to getting sites moving which would otherwise be inaccessible due to lack of necessary public infrastructure. It is estimated that the targeted investment of €226m will stimulate the early supply of 23,000 new dwellings by 2021 with potential for up to 69,000 units in the longer term, as the sites are fully built out. Funds are being provided to local authorities to build roads, bridges and public amenities such as parks through a public procurement process, and this infrastructure will remain in public ownership and ultimately be for the benefit of housholds living in the vicinity of the infrastructure.
The Fund has been allocated to over 34 projects of varying cost and scale, ranging from €0.7m to build a road which will facilitate 200 houses to be built on one site in Co. Tipperary, to €20m to build road and parks infrastructure in Adamstown, South Dublin, to get 1,000 houses started.
Affordability was a factor in the criteria for the selection of the 34 projects which were approved but it was only one of a number of very important criteria such as strategic fit and the early release of significant scale of new homes. In the vast majority of these projects, such as Adamstown, Kilkenny western environs, Mount Avenue, Dundalk, or Mungret, Limerick, it is anticipated that the housing facilitated by the infrastructure delivery will be pitched at affordable prices and a 10% social housing dividend under Part V will also be secured from each project. Furthermore, State-owned lands will be used in 12 of the projects to facilitate additional social housing, or homes for particular vulnerable groups, such as older people, in accordance with the needs of the individual areas concerned.
Across the Dublin sites, the prices are likely to be higher than the national average, due to market factors such as the land costs and construction costs. However, even in these cases, we have ensured that the State gets a return on its investment by requiring a cost reduction to benefit the private buyer, as well as accelerating large-scale supply which is urgently required. Conversely, setting unrealistic affordability requirements would likely impact on the commercial viability and fundability of the developments, and could delay or stall the developments which the Fund had been created to facilitate.
I am also considering further initiatives and actions to address the issue of affordability in the context of the targeted review of Rebuilding Ireland which my Department has now commenced.
55. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if the persons to be housed in the new rapid build units will be taken from the local authority waiting list; if other criteria will apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33383/17]
View answerUnder Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations, the allocation of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for the local authority concerned. As Minister, I am precluded from intervening in relation to the procedures followed, or decisions made, by housing authorities in the allocation of particular dwellings.
In relation to the Deputy's query regarding the allocation of new rapid build units, I understand that local authorities are currently allocating new rapid build units to qualified households in accordance with their allocation schemes. This includes allocating units to homeless families living in emergency accommodation, as well as to other households on their housing lists.
56. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the status of the ongoing review of the nitrates directive; the measures his Department can take as part of this review to provide greater flexibility, reduced penalties and more workable regulations for farmers under this directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33391/17]
View answerIn accordance with the Nitrates Directive, Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme is due for review this year. Negotiations with the European Commission with a view to having a revised Nitrates Action Programme in place by the end of 2017 have commenced.
As part of the review, a full public consultation process was undertaken and this closed on 3 May 2017. All submissions received on foot of this consultation are currently being given full consideration by an expert group comprising officials from my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc and the Environmental Protection Agency.
It would be inappropriate to anticipate any outcomes of the review process in advance of its conclusion.
57. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the status of the commitment given on page 53 of Rebuilding Ireland that a special purpose vehicle would be established with support from organisations (details supplied). [33143/17]
View answerThe Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness emphasises the need to look at new ways of funding social housing delivery, in particular the need to provide structural, funding and policy supports to increase delivery of social housing by Approved Housing Bodies. In that context, it states that support will be provided to an Irish Council for Social Housing/sector-led new special purpose vehicle, involving investors which could potentially include the organisation referred to.
Funding for the Irish Council for Social Housing totalling some €49,000 to support this initiative was announced on 15 May 2017. The funding is being made available to the Council to establish a sector-led financial vehicle to allow AHBs to expand and facilitate the delivery of additional housing units. This funding was approved under the AHB Innovation Fund and was part of total amount of €104,043 that was allocated across a number of AHBs. The Innovation Fund was established, in line with the commitment made in Rebuilding Ireland, to provide AHBs with the means to test innovative ideas on new funding structures and to build capacity.
58. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his proposals for reducing the costs of constructing new multi-unit developments. [33406/17]
View answerUnder the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Government is committed to a broad range of measures to tackle, among other things, some of the costs associated with the provision of housing. This includes undertaking a detailed analysis, in conjunction with the construction sector, to benchmark housing delivery input costs in Ireland, in order to facilitate an increased level of housing output into the future.
A working group, chaired by my Department, has been established and has met on a number of occasions since December 2016. While it is intended that the working group will concentrate on the domestic market, the Housing Agency is currently advancing an analysis of delivery costs and international comparisons.
Both of these reports are being finalised at present and I will consider them without delay once submitted to me.
60. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on further sanctions and disincentives against land hoarding and speculation in development land, such as some form of site value tax; his further views on whether the vacant site tax is unlikely to be effective. [33407/17]
View answerThe Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 introduced a new measure, the vacant site levy, which is aimed at incentivising the development of vacant, under-utilised sites in urban areas. Under the Act, planning authorities are required to establish a register of vacant sites in their areas, beginning on 1 January 2017, and to issue annual notices to owners of vacant sites by 1 June 2018 in respect of vacant sites on the register on 1 January 2018. The levy will be applied by planning authorities, commencing on 1 January 2019 in respect of sites which were vacant and on the vacant site register during the year 2018 and will subsequently be applied on an annual basis thereafter, as long as a site remains on the vacant site register in the preceding year.
Planning authorities are empowered to apply an annual vacant site levy of 3% of the market value of vacant sites which exceed 0.5 hectares in area - with reduced or zero rates of levy applying in specific circumstances – and which, in the planning authority’s opinion, were vacant or idle in the preceding year, in areas identified by the planning authority in its development plan or local area plan for residential or regeneration development. The 3% rate of vacant site levy is consistent with the rate applied to derelict sites under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 and is considered reasonable, without being over-punitive, for the purposes of incentivising the activation of such sites for residential or regeneration purposes.
All levies due on an individual site will remain a charge on the land concerned until all outstanding levies due are paid. Accordingly, under the vacant site levy provisions, there will be a cumulative effect associated with not activating a site for development purposes for each year that a site remains vacant or idle.
In addition, with regard to addressing the issue of the hoarding of residentially zoned land, a number of amendments to the provisions relating to the extension of duration of planning permissions have been tabled in the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016, which is currently at Dáil Report Stage. The amendments proposed are collectively aimed at tightening up the provisions in relation to the extension of duration of planning permissions and ensuring that extensions of duration, without commencing substantial development, will no longer be facilitated.
As the Deputy will be aware, I have initiated a focused review of Rebuilding Ireland, which I will be aiming to conclude in September. The purpose of the review is to identify any further measures that may be necessary to build on the progress already made and underpin momentum in the months and years ahead.
Taxation issues are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance.
61. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will initiate a fire safety audit on all multi-storey residential buildings constructed since 1992; and if he will confirm compliance with fire safety building regulations for all multi storey residential developments already undertaken. [33381/17]
View answerMy Department has overall responsibility for the statutory regulatory framework governing both Building Control and Fire Services. Inspection and enforcement are a matter for local authorities who, under the relevant legislation, are designated as Building Control and Fire Authorities in their respective functional areas and have extensive statutory powers of inspection and enforcement. Section 8(4) of the Building Control Act 1990 provides that a Building Control Authority may serve an Enforcement Notice requiring that such steps as are necessary to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations, including Part B – Fire Safety, be taken within a specified period. An Enforcement Notice may be served at any time up to five years from the completion of the Building Works.
Under the Fire Services Acts of 1981 and 2003 local authorities are designated as fire authorities in their respective functional areas and have extensive statutory powers of inspection and enforcement. Section 20 of the Act provides that the appropriate fire authority may serve a Fire Safety Notice on the owner or occupier of any building which appears to the authority to be a potentially dangerous building. Section 20 of the Act provides that a Fire Safety Notice in relation to a building may prohibit the use of the building, or a specified part of the building, unless or until specified precautions are taken to the satisfaction of the fire authority.
In response to the tragic fire in Grenfell Tower, the immediate focus of attention has been on life safety issues. In that context, I requested that each local authority, as a matter of urgency, review their multi-storey social housing units to ensure that all early warning systems, including alarm and detection systems and means of escape including corridors, stairways and emergency exits are in place and fully functional.
In order to raise awareness amongst private landlords, including landlords of households in receipt of social housing supports and rental assistance, the Residential Tenancies Board has been asked to remind all landlords of their statutory responsibilities and obligations as landlords to ensure that their properties fully comply with fire safety requirements. The RTB placed a notice to this effect on its website and is writing individually to all registered landlords providing detailed information.
A Building Control Management System (BCMS) alert was issued to all registered users of the BCMS to remind those involved in works to existing or new buildings of the need to remain vigilant in relation to compliance with the Building Regulations and in particular to Part B Fire Safety. The 57,000 registered users include builders, assigned certifiers, designers and owners.
I have also tasked the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management with co-ordinating a high-level Task Force to lead Ireland’s re-appraisal of fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. The actions involved include the following:
- The preliminary survey of the use of cladding products on residential buildings over 18m (6 storeys) being undertaken by fire services in Dublin is to be extended to the rest of the country and to cover buildings in all categories over 18m in height. The results to be reported to my Department by 19 July in relation to residential buildings, and by 2 August in relation to other buildings.
- My Department is to meet with the local authority Chief Fire Officers in the coming weeks to review current activities and to plan for further fire safety initiatives in prioritised areas of action.
- Responsibility for fire safety in buildings of all kinds (other than dwellings) is placed by Section 18 (2) of the Fire Services Act 1981 on the ‘person having control’ of each building. In order to assist those in both the public and private sector who hold this responsibility, consideration is being given to the publication of a guide on undertaking Fire Safety Assessments as provided for in Section 18 (6)(a) of the Act. This will facilitate persons having control of buildings to demonstrate that they are complying with their statutory responsibilities.
The Task Force will be the main vehicle to monitor the situation and arrange necessary steps. This will include considering further information that emerges from the United Kingdom on factors contributing to the Grenfell Tower fire, which will inform regulatory arrangements for ensuring effective and balanced fire safety standards and approaches in this country.
62. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans for the administrative boundary between counties Waterford and Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33116/17]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 20 of 25th May 2017 which sets out the position in this matter.
63. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will rescind the ministerial order for the SDZ in Clonmagadden, Navan, County Meath, in view of the fact that the scheme is no longer fit for purpose in its current guise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33107/17]
View answerA 38-hectare site at Clonmagadden in Navan, County Meath was designated as a Strategic Development Zone by Government Order in 2001. The lands were designated for the purpose of strategic housing development, together with the necessary supporting social and physical infrastructure. A Planning Scheme was subsequently prepared for a total of 1,400 housing units to be developed on the site. This Planning Scheme was approved by An Bord Pleanála in 2004 and this remains in force as the development framework for the subject site.
While the lands have not been developed to date, this largely reflects the downturn in economic conditions since 2007 which impacted on housebuilding nationally.
While section 169(6) of the Planning & Development Act 2000 (as amended) provides that ‘The Government may revoke or amend an order ’ in relation to the designation of an SDZ, the suitability of the subject lands for new housing remains valid and accords with the development of Navan as an important regional growth centre and county town. I understand that Meath County Council are pursuing the development of the lands in question, as the designated Development Agency, with the objective of securing construction of the identified housing over a number of phases.
In relation to the appropriateness of the current provisions of the adopted Planning Scheme for Clonmagadden, relevant changes to the SDZ legislation were made in the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2015. These changes specifically facilitate a streamlined procedure in relation to the making of amendments to a SDZ Planning Scheme, where they are considered necessary. The procedure is intended to enable the adaptation of approved Planning Schemes to respond to changed context and circumstances prevailing.
In view of this, I have no plans to rescind the Government Order.
64. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when the recently issued guidelines for wind farms will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29816/17]
View answerMy predecessor as Minister, in conjunction with my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, announced last month an emerging "preferred draft approach" to the review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. A copy of the announcement is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/guidelines/wind-energy/coveney-and-naughten-announce-key-development-review-wind-energy-development-guidelines.
As part of the overall review, a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) will be undertaken on the "proposed draft approach" to the revised Guidelines before they come into effect. This is in accordance with the requirements of EU Directive 2001/24/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment, the SEA Directive. SEA is a process by which environmental considerations are required to be fully integrated into the preparation of plans and programmes which act as frameworks for development consent, prior to their final adoption, with public consultation as part of that process.
It is envisaged that the SEA process will take approximately 9 months. In light of the SEA requirements, it is expected that the Guidelines will be finalised and come into effect in Q1 2018. In the meantime, the current Guidelines remain in force.
When finalised, the revised Guidelines will be issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. Planning authorities, and, where applicable, An Bord Pleanála must have regard to guidelines issued under Section 28 in the performance of their functions generally under the Planning Acts.
65. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the way in which his Department defines affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33433/17]
View answerThe Government remains committed to meeting the overarching policy objective, outlined in Rebuilding Ireland, of ensuring that all of our people have access to quality and affordable housing, either through their own endeavours or with the support of the State.
In terms of social housing, the need is well understood and the latest estimate from the Social Housing Needs Assessment puts the total net household need at 91,600, as at 21 September 2016. ‘Net Household Need’ for the purposes of this assessment is defined as the total number of households qualifying for social housing support whose social housing need is not being met. The maximum net income eligibility thresholds range from €25,000 for a single person to €42,000 for a 3 adult, 4 child household. The figures vary, within that overall range, depending on the local authority area concerned.
Households currently living in local authority rented accommodation, voluntary/ co-operative accommodation or accommodation provided under current expenditure programmes (such as the Housing Assistance Payments Scheme) are not included in the total number. It is important to note that households that are in receipt of Rent Supplement are included in the figure, as this is not classified as a housing support.
Under Rebuilding Ireland, €5.35 billion has been committed with the target of 47,000 units for delivery over the period to 2021. In addition, over 80,000 households are targeted to be accommodated in the private housing market under the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme. This will ensure that those households facing the greatest challenge in meeting their housing needs are supported.
The cost of housing, and its affordability for a particular household, is a key issue and one that has become increasingly significant. There has been a considerable amount of research undertaken in Ireland, the UK and further afield on this topic and, while there is no universally ideal price/rent to income ratio or minimum residual income requirement, there is broad agreement that ideally households should be spending no more than a third of their income on housing costs over the longer term.
I have initiated a targeted review of Rebuilding Ireland , with an emphasis on strengthening the measures already in place and identifying new initiatives that add value and raise ambition. As part of this review process, which I intend to conclude by September, I have asked my Department to focus in particular on the broad issue of housing affordability.
66. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the direction he has given to local authorities to ensure that homes built for private sale on publicly owned land are sold at affordable prices; if he will consider introducing an appropriate national affordable housing scheme for this purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33379/17]
View answerOn 27 April, details of some 1,700 hectares of land in local authority and Housing Agency ownership were published on the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Land Map, with the potential to deliver 42,500 homes nationally. All local authorities have been requested to prepare Strategic Development and Management Plans by 30 September 2017 for the earliest possible development of their lands.
As set out in the Strategy for the Rental Sector , published in December 2016, the commitment to develop an affordable rental model is now being progressed by local authorities in Rent Pressure Zones, through leveraging the value of their land.
In this regard, Dublin City Council and the Housing Agency, in partnership with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, have developed detailed proposals for specific sites that they control in Dublin. My Department is currently working through those proposals with the project sponsors.
The final model for bringing forward public lands for housing, including an affordable rental element where appropriate, will be informed by the work on the initial pathfinder sites in the two local authority areas. In parallel, as part of the targeted review of Rebuilding Ireland, my Department is examining the broader issue of housing affordability, including the need for a national framework or guidance on affordable housing. Again, the specific proposals in Dublin City Council and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council will be factored into that review process and my Department will also be consulting more broadly with local authorities as part of the review.
68. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when the next review of rent pressure zones will be carried out; if the general review of Rebuilding Ireland will include more substantial changes to the legislation which defined qualification as a rent pressure zone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33378/17]
View answerThe Housing Agency continues to monitor the rental market and may recommend further areas for designation as Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs). Following the procedures set out in the Act, where it is found at a future date that additional areas meet the criteria, they will be designated as RPZs.
My Department has initiated a review of the Rent Predictability Measure. At this stage, the measures have been in place for 6 months and data from the Residential Tenancies Board’s Rent Index Report for Quarter 1 2017 is also available. Using this latest data, it will be possible to ascertain the effectiveness of the Rent Predictability Measure.
As part of the review, my Department conducted a public consultation which has allowed members of the public and interested parties to provide their opinions and suggestions on the functioning of the measure. A total of 69 submissions were received during the consultation process, which concluded on 30 June. These submissions will feed into the review of the measure.
The extent of any legislative amendments, if required, will be determined when the report of the review is finalised.
