Written Answers Nos. 1691-1713
1691. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to amend the Standards in Public Office, SIPO, law on foreign donations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55013/17]
View answerThe Electoral Act 1997 (as amended) provides the statutory framework for dealing with political donations and sets out the regulatory regime covering a wide range of issues such as the funding of political parties; the reimbursement of election expenses; the establishment of election expenditure limits; the disclosure of election expenditure; the setting of limits on permissible donations; the prohibition of certain donations; the disclosure of donations and the registration of third parties who accept donations given for political purposes which exceed €100. The Act also provides for the independent supervision of this regime by the Standards in Public Office Commission.
Under the Act, political donations given by foreign individuals or organisations are expressly prohibited irrespective of the amount of the donation.
I have no proposals to amend the Electoral Acts in relation to foreign donations at this point in time. However, electoral law, including the provisions of the Electoral Act 1997, is subject to ongoing review in order to ensure that a robust and modern legal framework is maintained as a cornerstone in support of the operation of our democratic system.
1692. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the models being considered in terms of extending voting rights in presidential elections to citizens abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1109/18]
View answer1693. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the expected date proposals to extend voting rights in presidential elections to citizens abroad will be finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1110/18]
View answer1694. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he has had meetings with his European and international counterparts to discuss the proposals to extend voting rights in presidential elections to citizens living abroad; if he has discussed with his European and international counterparts the way in which similar policies operate in their own countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1111/18]
View answer1695. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if proposals to extend voting rights in presidential elections to citizens living abroad, including citizens resident in Northern Ireland, will be fully costed, including the increased administrative cost and the cost of additional staff that may be required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1112/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1692 to 1695, inclusive, together.
In response to the evolving needs of Irish society and its relationship with the wider Irish diaspora, the Government agreed in March 2017 to accept in principle the main recommendation in the Fifth Report of the Convention on the Constitution that Irish citizens resident outside the State, including citizens resident in Northern Ireland, should have the right to vote at Presidential elections and that a referendum would be held to amend the Constitution to give effect to this.
In order to inform public discourse on this significant policy change, an Options Paper was published on 22 March 2017 by my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This Options Paper, which is available on my Department's website at http://www.housing.gov.ie/local-government/voting/presidential-elections/voting-presidential-elections-citizens-resident, sets out a broad range of options for the extension of voting rights, international comparisons, the estimated costs involved and related resource issues as well as many of the legal, policy and logistical challenges associated with extending voting rights to Irish citizens resident outside the State.
In particular, the Options Paper addresses:
- in section 2, the options for consideration in relation to the proposal that voting rights at presidential elections be extended to citizens resident outside the State;
- in section 6, the estimated costs and resource-related issues associated with extending the right to vote at presidential elections to citizens resident outside the State; and
- in appendix 1, the position in Europe and elsewhere with regard to voting for such citizens resident overseas.
In addition, the Options Paper provided a basis for the discussion on voting rights which took place at the second Global Irish Civic Forum in Dublin on 5 May 2017. This second Forum attracted significant attention with more than 220 individuals, representing over 150 organisations, attending over the two day period. The discussions at the Forum will inform the Government’s decision on a preferred option to be put to the people in a referendum.
The Government announced on 26 September 2017 that it has agreed indicative dates for the holding of referendums in 2018 and 2019, subject to the timely passage of Constitution Amendment Bills by each House of the Oireachtas. Included in the list is the proposed referendum on extending the franchise at presidential elections to Irish citizens resident outside the State which it is intended will be held on the date of the local and European elections in June 2019.
My Department will, in consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, bring forward an appropriate Constitution Amendment Bill on extending the franchise at Presidential elections to Irish citizens resident outside the State in good time for the holding of the referendum.
1696. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of planning permissions accepted or granted for waste recycling facilities without an environmental impact statement between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2017 in counties Mayo, Galway and Roscommon. [1533/18]
View answerPlanning statistics are compiled by each planning authority on an annual basis for collation and publication on my Department’s website. The statistics collected relate to the total numbers of:
- Invalid applications received,
- Applications received for outline permission and full permission,
- Decisions to grant/refuse permission,
- Decisions issued within the statutory eight-week period,
- Decisions deferred, and
- Percentages for grants/refusals, decisions made within eight weeks and decisions deferred.
However, these planning statistics are not broken down by the type of development involved and so the specific information sought in the Question is, therefore, not available in my Department.
1697. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the position regarding persons who were resident abroad but own a house here and are now selling the house and have been informed that they must pay the non-principal private residence charge, which is approximately €7,200 including penalties, in view of the fact that such persons never knew that such a charge existed due to the fact they did not live here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1720/18]
View answerThe Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provides the legislative basis for the Non Principal Private Residence (NPPR) Charge. The NPPR Charge, which has since been discontinued, applied in the years 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence.
A residential property that was not in use by an owner as his or her sole or main residence is liable for the Charge. This may not necessarily be a second home; a person may have vacated a property and have been living in rented accommodation elsewhere for work or other reasons, for example, and, in such a case, the property that the owner was no longer living in is liable for the Charge, even if it was the only residential property that person owned. It is a matter for an owner, whether resident in Ireland or elsewhere, to determine if he or she has a liability and, if so, to declare that liability and pay the Charge and any late payment fees applicable.
The self-assessed Charge is set at €200 per annum and liability for it falls, in the main, on owners of rental, holiday and vacant properties. Section 6 of the 2009 Act, as amended, provides that the owner of a liable property who fails to pay the charge, in addition to him or her being liable to pay the Charge, is liable to pay to the relevant local authority a €20 late payment fee in respect of each month or part of a month in which the Charge, any late payment fee, or any part of such Charge or fee, remains unpaid.
Part 12 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 also deals with the collection of un-discharged liabilities relating to the NPPR Charge. The Act provided for a period from 2 March 2014 to 31 August 2014 during which time no new late penalties were applied to existing liabilities. If payment was not made in full or if settlement terms were not agreed by the end of that period, an additional late payment fee of €120 per liability date applied on 1 September 2014. As the Charge applied in each of the years from 2009 to 2013, there were five liability dates – 31 July 2009 and 31 March for each of the years 2010 to 2013. In addition to this late payment fee to be applied per liability date, the entire NPPR liability is then increased by a factor of 50% and frozen.
Under the Act, it is a function of a local authority to collect NPPR charges and late payment fees due to it, and all charges and late payment fees imposed and payable to a local authority are under the care and management of the local authority concerned. In this regard, application of the legislation in particular circumstances is a matter for the relevant local authority.
A number of exemptions from the charge are set out in section 4 of the 2009 Act and section 4(6) provides for an exemption from the charge in a situation where a residential property is occupied rent-free as the sole or main residence of a relative of the owner and the sole or main residence of the owner is either on the same property or within two kilometres of it.
The NPPR Project Board, in conjunction with individual local authorities, undertook a media campaign in 2014 aimed at reminding non-compliant owners that additional late payment penalties applied after 31 August 2014. The extensive radio and print media campaign reminded non-compliant owners of their obligations to come forward to regularise their affairs and to take advantage of this once-off grace period. While it is a necessary principle of law that all citizens are required to be aware of relevant legal obligations and duties in respect of such charges, as is the case in other jurisdictions, it remains my view that reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that property owners have been aware of the Charge and liability dates.
Under section 77 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014, my Department issued guidance to local authorities concerning matters relating to arrears of the NPPR Charge and late payment fees to ensure that a consistent national approach is adopted. The guidelines, which are available at http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/LocalGovernment/Administration/FileDownLoad,37899,en.pdf, encourage local authorities to take a proactive approach to ensure that any outstanding NPPR liabilities are discharged in the most equitable, efficient and economically beneficial manner and include guidance in respect of dealing with hardship cases. It is expected, in the majority of cases, that local authorities will collect the full NPPR Charge liability from owners. In some cases, this may be by means of arrangement by instalment. All non-compliant owners or owners with queries should log on to www.nppr.ie or, alternatively, contact their local authority to discuss any matters they wish to clarify and to make any outstanding payments.
1698. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 261 of 13 December 2017, the status of the ongoing review. [1810/18]
View answerI refer to the reply to Questions Numbers 259, 260 and 261 of 13 December 2017. The position remains unchanged.
Question No. 1699 withdrawn.
1700. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to reinstate former borough councils in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54308/17]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government sets out a number of requirements in relation to local government reform. This involves the submission of a report to Government and the Oireachtas on potential measures to boost local government leadership and accountability, and to ensure that local government funding, structures and responsibilities strengthen local democracy.
The Programme also references some specific issues to be considered such as the concept of directly elected mayors in cities, devolution of new powers to local authorities, reducing the size of local electoral areas, and town council status.
The issue raised in the Question will be addressed in this report which will be submitted to Government shortly.
1701. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when he last met with Louth County Council regarding the delivery of social housing. [54309/17]
View answerMy Department is in regular contact with Louth County Council regarding the delivery of their social housing programme. I will be meeting with all Local Authority Chief Executives, including Louth County Council, at the Housing Summit on 22 January 2018. Furthermore, my Department will be meeting with all Local Authority Directors of Housing on 7 February 2018 in order to accelerate and progress the social housing delivery programme.
1702. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to introduce an affordable housing scheme in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54310/17]
View answer1731. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of affordable homes provided in County Louth in 2017; the anticipated number of affordable homes to be delivered in 2018 and 2019, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54781/17]
View answer1838. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when he plans to publish the details of the establishment of a new affordable housing scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2107/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1702, 1731 and 1838 together.
Recognising that housing affordability is a major issue for some households, several important initiatives have already been implemented under Rebuilding Ireland to stimulate housing supply at more affordable prices and rents. Such initiatives include:
- planning reforms to provide flexibility and certainty in delivering viable housing schemes and apartment developments in the right locations,
- funding of €226 million to open up housing lands through the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF), to deliver new homes that are more viable and more affordable than would otherwise be the case, including funding of over €4.5 million for two strategic projects in Newtown, Drogheda and Mount Avenue, Dundalk that collectively can deliver over 400 homes by 2021, and
- the introduction of Rent Pressures Zones to moderate the rise in rents in the parts of the country where rents are highest and rising. Drogheda was designated a Rent Pressure Zone in September 2017.
Other significant measures to promote the building of more homes, more quickly, and at more affordable prices, were also introduced in Budget 2018 through:
- Investing more in direct house-building by the State, with investment of €6 billion committed, to increase the overall delivery to 50,000 new social homes by 2021;
- Removing the Capital Gains Tax incentive to hold on to residential land;
- Escalating penalties for land hoarding;
- Providing a new, more affordable finance vehicle for builders through House Building Finance Ireland (HBFI);
- Changes to planning guidelines in relation to apartment development.
While these actions are having an impact and will have a greater impact in time, I consider that a further package of targeted measures focussed on addressing affordability is needed to enable low- to moderate-income households, that do not qualify for social housing supports, to purchase or rent homes, particularly in Dublin and other major urban areas. This will include, but will not be limited to, the deployment of €25 million Exchequer funding, over 2018 and 2019, to unlock local authority-owned lands specifically for affordable housing and further measures in relation to improving the viability of apartment development. I expect to make an announcement with regard to this further package of affordability measures in the very near future.
1703. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the way in which towns and regions will be selected for inclusion within the national planning framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54311/17]
View answerThe National Planning Framework (NPF) is intended to set a new long-term strategic planning and investment context for Ireland over the next 20 years. It will outline a high-level, national vision for Ireland for 2040, and will provide the framework and principles to manage future population and economic growth over the next 20 years (catering for 1 million extra people, 600,000 extra jobs and 500,000 extra homes).
As a national level document, the NPF will set out broad policies and proposals in relation to Ireland's major urban centres, the regions and rural areas that are essential to manage our country's strategic development over the next twenty years rather than selecting individual towns for development.
Moreover, the broad policies and proposals set out under the NPF will be further articulated at regional and local levels by the forthcoming Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs), the preparation of which has begun in each of the three regions (for completion by end-2018) and, ultimately, in City and County Development Plans.
The Regional Assemblies were established under the Local Government Act 2014 to co-ordinate the plans, including statutory development plans, and programmes of local authorities in the light of national policy and accordingly the new RSESs and the local authority statutory development plan processes will be the vehicles through which policies and proposals in relation to specific places will be elaborated in more detail.
1704. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the net income limits can be changed in the social housing assessment regulations to take into account the housing shortages across the country and the fact that many persons are now commuting longer distances for work (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54344/17]
View answer1728. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to revise the thresholds for inclusion on the social housing list as a matter of urgency in view of the fact that current thresholds are unrealistic (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54755/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1704 and 1728 together.
The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each housing authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy.
The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band are based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country. The limits also reflect a blanket increase of €5,000 introduced prior to the new system coming into operation, in order to broaden the base from which social housing tenants are drawn and thereby promote sustainable communities.
As part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of the income eligibility limits for social housing supports has commenced. I would expect the results of this review to be available for publication later this year.
1705. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the legal impediment prohibiting the removal of the obligation for commercial rates payment for private providers of early years child care services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54345/17]
View answer1717. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the commercial rates obligation for early child care providers can be removed; if consideration has been given to introducing an equalisation grant for private providers offsetting the cost of commercial rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54564/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1705 and 1717 together.
Local 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 Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The Commissioner of Valuation has responsibility for valuation matters, including determination of relevant property under the Acts for the purposes of rates. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority.
The Valuation Act 2001, as amended by the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015, provides that all buildings used or developed for any purpose, including constructions affixed thereto, are rateable unless expressly exempted under Schedule 4 of the Act. Such exempt buildings would principally include those used for public worship, education and health care provided on a not-for-profit basis, and charitable purposes. Included in the exemptions under Schedule 4 are properties occupied by parties that provide early childhood care and education on a not-for-profit basis, and properties that only provide the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme. In general, the Acts maintain the long-standing position that all properties of occupiers that operate with the intention of making a profit are rateable, including all private childcare facilities. There are no proposals under consideration for an equalisation grant in this regard.
The Acts are quite specific about the range of exemptions that can be allowed by the Commissioner of Valuation, who has no discretionary latitude to grant exemptions not covered by Schedule 4.
There are a number of avenues of redress for an occupier of rateable property who is dissatisfied with a determination of valuation made under the provisions of the Acts. Firstly, before a determination is made, there is a right to make representations to the Valuation Office in relation to a proposed valuation. If the occupier is still dissatisfied with the determination, there is a right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal, which is an independent body set up for the purpose of hearing appeals against determinations of the Valuation Office. Also, there is a right of appeal to the Courts on a point of law.
1706. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of mortgage-to-rent applications that were made in 2016 and 2017; the number that have been approved; the banks that were involved with the successful approvals; the number that were approved in cases in which local authority mortgages were in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54402/17]
View answerThe Housing Agency publishes, on a quarterly basis, detailed statistical information on the operation of the MTR scheme, including the number of completed transactions by lender. This information is available on the Agency's website at the following link:
https://www.housingagency.ie/our-services/housing-supply-services/mortgage-to-rent.aspx .
Following a Review of the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) Scheme, published on 8 February 2017, a range of amendments to the eligibility criteria and administration of the MTR scheme came into effect to enable more properties to qualify and to make the scheme more flexible and accessible to borrowers. The Review, available at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/changes-in-mortgage-to-rent-scheme/, explored the impediments to participation in the scheme and recommended a number of actions to make the scheme work better for borrowers.
My Department and the Housing Agency are working with all stakeholders to ensure that the actions set out in the Review are being effectively implemented to benefit a greater number of households. I am providing an additional €5m for the MTR scheme this year, which will support at least 250 additional MTR cases to be completed by Approved Housing Bodies working together with lenders using the existing MTR scheme.
The MTR Review also concluded that the current financial model of the MTR scheme may not, in its current configuration, be capable of delivering the scale of successful cases that could benefit from the scheme over time. In order to test the operability of alternative funding models for the scheme, the Housing Agency has been working with a number of financial entities who have expressed an interest in working with the MTR scheme to progress a number of alternative long-term lease arrangements. In advance of these pilots and to establish the operability of an alternative financing approach, a targeted market testing exercise has been undertaken by the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), to test the suitability of the proposed enhanced leasing arrangements to ascertain if they would be viable for a MTR cohort, taking account of the necessity to provide a long-term stable solution for eligible households.
The responses to the market testing exercise have been reviewed by the Housing Agency and my Department. A call for Expressions of Interest from bodies interested in pursuing pilot operating models was initiated by the Housing Agency on 26 October 2017. Once the Expressions of Interest process is concluded - the extended deadline for receipt of submissions is 31 January 2018 - the Housing Agency will make recommendations to my Department as to the make-up of the pilots, which can then be initiated.
Information in relation to the Local Authority Mortgage to Rent (LAMTR) Scheme for local authority borrowers is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/house-prices-loans-and-profile-borrowers/local-authority-loan-activity.
From the scheme's inception in 2013 to the end of 2017, a total of 370 households had benefitted from the LAMTR Scheme and all applications received by my Department from local authorities were processed.
1707. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if consideration has been given to applying a rent pressure zone to Dundalk (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54406/17]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2016 sets out the process through which Rent Pressure Zones can be designated. It provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered as a Rent Pressure Zone. Following receipt of such a proposal, the Minister requests the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to conduct an assessment of the area to establish whether or not it meets the criteria for designation and to report to the Minister on whether the area should be designated as a Rent Pressure Zone.
For an area to be designated a Rent Pressure Zone, it must satisfy the following criteria set out in section 24A(4) of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to 2016:
(i) The annual rate of rent inflation in the area must have been 7% or more in four of the last six quarters; and
(ii) The average rent for tenancies registered in the area with the RTB in the last quarter must be above the average national rent (the National Standardised Rent in the RTB’s Rent Index Report) in the last quarter (€1,056 per month).
On 20 December 2017, the RTB published the Rent Index Report in relation to Quarter 3 2017, which includes a summary of the data used as the criteria for designating Rent Pressure Zones in relation to all Local Electoral Areas in the country. This allows all interested parties to see exactly where their area stands in relation to average rent levels and increases and possible designation. The data from the Rent Index Report relating to Dundalk are detailed in the following table:
|
Local Electoral Area |
Quarters > 7% |
Average 2017 Q3 (€) |
|
Dundalk Carlingford |
5 |
723.91 |
|
Dundalk South |
5 |
881.17 |
While in 5 of the last 6 quarters rent inflation in Dundalk has been 7% or greater, the average monthly rent in the local electoral area of Dundalk Carlingford is €723.91 and in Dundalk South is €881.17, which are both below the average national standardised rent of €1,056 per month. Therefore, the Local Electoral Areas in Dundalk do not meet the criteria for designation at this time.
Under the Act, I have no further role or discretion in proposing areas for designation as Rent Pressure Zones or in deciding whether they should be designated. The designation process is independent and based on clear objective criteria and quantifiable evidence.
The Housing Agency will continue to monitor the rental market and may recommend further areas for designation. Where, following the procedures set out in the Act, it is found at a future date that additional areas meet the criteria, they will be designated as Rent Pressure Zones.
1708. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a person in a house with an identified leak must have a water meter installed to avail of the first fix repair under the policy of Irish Water known as first fix; and if so, his views on whether this is a fair system for Irish Water customers. [54420/17]
View answerWith effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for delivering public water services. Irish Water is also responsible for water services infrastructure including water supply pipes or drainage pipes extending from a waterworks or wastewater works to the curtilage of a private property.
Under sections 43 and 54 of the Water Services Act 2007, responsibility for maintenance and replacement of any water or wastewater pipes, connections or distribution systems that are located within the boundary of a private property rests with the owner. This was the position that pertained prior to the establishment of Irish Water, when individual local authorities held responsibility for public water services and infrastructure.
In line with broader water conservation policy objectives, Irish Water developed proposals for a First Fix Leak Repair scheme and these proposals were approved by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities or CRU (formerly known as the Commission for Energy Regulation) on 5 August 2015. The relevant policy document, Irish Water First Fix Leak Repair Scheme for Domestic Water Customers, was subsequently published by Irish Water and is available at the following weblink - https://www.water.ie/for-home/first-fix/first-fix-leak-repair-scheme.pdf.
I understand that to date the First Fix scheme has resulted in repairs capable of delivering savings equivalent to a combined total of 86 million litres of water a day. Under the scheme, Irish Water is assisting customers by notifying them when suspected leakage is occurring within the boundary of their property. I understand that utilising meter read data to identify the most significant leaks has proven to be key to efficient operation of the scheme. The “continuous flow alarms” generated by the water meters are the trigger to identify and initiate the First Fix repair scheme process and this allows the more significant leaks to be prioritised.
Conservation of water supplies in general continues to be a policy priority. The Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services (April 2017) recommended that the First Fix scheme remain in place and that further options or schemes be explored in order to address the issue of leaks within the boundaries of the users' property. In this regard, I understand that Irish Water will be engaging with the CRU early in 2018 to assess how the benefits of the First Fix scheme may be applied to leaks on the customer side of unmetered properties.
1709. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the monitoring plan under consideration in his Department in respect of an application to harvest seaweed in Bantry Bay; if his attention has been drawn to concerns of local residents about this harvesting plan; if he will meet with representatives of a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54476/17]
View answer1718. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the licensing of mechanical harvesting of seaweed and kelp in Bantry Bay; if he has approved the monitoring plan and associated baseline study; if so, the reason therefore; if he consulted and met with the relevant stakeholders before approving the baseline study; if this is the last remaining step before harvesting begins by the company in question; and if an environmental impact assessment was carried out regarding the proposed licence in question. [54571/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1709 and 1718 together.
The Foreshore licence in this case was approved in principle in 2011 by the then Minister. The legal documents giving effect to the licence were finalised in 2014 by the then Minister. This licence allows for the harvest of specific seaweeds in specific areas of Bantry Bay by mechanical means. In accordance with the conditions attaching to the licence in 2011, prior to the commencement of works, the licensee was required to submit a detailed monitoring plan for approval by my Department. The plan and associated baseline report were approved on 30th November last after taking into account the expert views of members of the Marine Licence Vetting Committee. Further detail of the monitoring plan and report can be found on my Department's website at http://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/foreshore/applications/bioatlantis-ltd. The company is now free to commence harvesting under the terms of the licence finalised in 2014.
With regard to the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (EIA), the EIA Directive applies to a wide range of public and private projects. It is a mandatory requirement for project types listed in Annex I of the Directive, e.g. the construction of motorways and airports or the construction of installations for the disposal of hazardous waste. For project types listed in Annex II, it is up to the consenting authority to determine if an EIS is required by carrying out EIA screening based on criteria set out in the Directive. Examples of Annex II projects include intensive fish farming, reclamation of land from the sea, extractive mining, fossil fuel storage or metal processing. An EIA may also be required where the thresholds set out in the Directive are not met (sub-threshold EIA) or where the project or activity is proposed to be carried out in a Natura 2000 site.
If the consenting authority determines that the EIA Directive applies to a project it requires that an applicant must prepare and submit an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), following which the consent authority would carry out EIA. In the case referred to, the proposed project is not within a Natura 2000 site, it is not of a class set out in Annex I of the Directive nor does it fall into Annex II; therefore, an EIS was not required. I should, however, point out that the Marine Licence Vetting Committee considered all material pertaining to the application and concluded that subject to compliance with specific conditions, the proposed harvesting was not likely to have a significant negative impact on the marine environment. In the case of this licence those conditions included a detailed monitoring report and an associated baseline study.
Representatives of the named group met with officials on 28th November 2017. They have requested a further meeting and I have agreed to meet with a delegation.
1710. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he has concluded his negotiations with a group (details supplied) on the issue of increasing the subventions to the schemes; and if so, his plans to include the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government in this discussion prior to finalising changes to the existing scheme. [54477/17]
View answerIn late 2017, my Department conducted a review of group water schemes' subsidies. The review involved discussions with the National Federation of Group Water Schemes, the representative body of the group water sector. Discussions concluded in December when I approved the revised subsidy levels. The new subsidy arrangements, endorsed by a special delegate conference of the Federation on 13 December 2017, came into effect on 1 January 2018.
The changes implement the recommendation contained in the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services, endorsed by both Houses of the Oireachtas in April 2017, that there be equity of treatment and equivalent financial support between households using public water services and those availing of private water services.
The revised subsidy levels are as follows:
1) For the annual subsidy towards the operation and maintenance costs of group water schemes providing a supply of water for domestic purposes (knows as ‘Subsidy A’):
The maximum subsidy per house in private group water schemes has increased from €140 per household to €231. An increased maximum subsidy of €281 per household is available for small schemes of less than 100 houses that are willing, in the interests of providing in the long-term a more sustainable water supply to their members, to progress towards rationalisation or amalgamation with other schemes.
The maximum subsidy per house for public group water schemes has increased from €70 per household to €115. These are schemes that supply their members with water that is provided by Irish Water.
The portion of costs than can be recouped by group water schemes has also increased. Typically up to 60% of costs have been covered by the subsidy payments. This has increased to 85%. There are also changes and simplifications to how these costs are assessed.
2) For the additional subsidy that is paid towards the costs of group water schemes that have long-term Operation and Maintenance Contracts (for example, as part of a Design Build Operate project) for the delivery of water (known as ‘Subsidy B)’:
There has been an increase in the level of volumetric costs incurred by group water schemes operating under these contracts that is recoupable, from 60% to 85%. This will allow for a greater portion of costs to be included within the subsidy payment.
1711. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of determination orders made by the Residential Tenancies Board in the past five years on registered tenancies; the figures on determination orders for tenancies in County Mayo for the past five years; the number of determination orders made for overholding and rental arrears for the country and County Mayo, respectively, in the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54504/17]
View answer1712. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the average waiting times for the processing of a dispute from the initial submission to an adjudication of the dispute and from the adjudication to the issuing of a determination order for the past five years; the number of appeals that have been made to adjudication orders in the past five years for the country and County Mayo, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54505/17]
View answer1713. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of requests for the Residential Tenancies Board to pursue enforcement orders; the number of enforcement orders that were pursued by the board in the past five years; the average wait time for a decision by the board undertaking to seek an enforcement order; the criteria considered by the board in determining whether to seek an enforcement order in a matter; the budget allocated to cover the costs to the board of seeking such enforcement orders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54506/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1711 to 1713, inclusive, together.
Details of determination orders, dispute processing times, appeals and requests for enforcement to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) over the past five years, are not held by my Department.
Each year, the RTB publishes information on its activities in its annual report, including disputes and enforcement related activities. Full details of expenditure incurred by the RTB in the performance of its activities are also contained in its annual accounts. The RTB annual reports are available on the Board's website at
http://www.rtb.ie/media-research/publications/annual-reports.
Insofar as the remaining information requested by the Deputy is available from the RTB, the Clerk of the Dáil has requested that arrangements be put in place to facilitate the provision of information by State Bodies to members of the Oireachtas. Following the issue of Circular LG (P) 05/16 on 20 September 2016 from my Department, Members of the Oireachtas seeking information relating to the RTB can email their queries to the dedicated email address of the RTB, at OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie.
