Written Answers Nos. 218-237
218. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason the constant pain and wearing of a bandage resulting in difficulty finding employment has been disregarded in the claim for disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3900/18]
View answerThe person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 28 July 2017. Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that they were substantially restricted in taking up employment.
The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 23 November 2017 and was also notified of their right to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). No request for an appeal or review has been received.
If they do not wish to seek a review or to appeal the decision, they may re-apply for disability allowance.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
219. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when payment, including arrears of disability allowance, will be made in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3918/18]
View answerBased on the evidence supplied in support of their application for disability allowance (DA), this person’s application was disallowed on the grounds that the medical qualifying condition was not satisfied. They were notified in writing of this decision on 27 March 2017.
The person concerned requested an appeal of the decision and submitted additional medical evidence for consideration. The Social Welfare Appeals Office decided, based on this additional evidence, that the medical qualifying condition was satisfied.
DA is a means-tested payment. On 17 November 2017 the person concerned was asked to supply supporting documentation in relation to their means. This information is required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on their eligibility. The required information was not provided and his file was therefore forwarded to his local Social Welfare Inspector (SWI). The SWI will arrange to meet with the person in question as soon as possible.
A decision on his entitlement to DA will be made on receipt of the Social Welfare Inspector’s report and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
220. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) qualifies for further support in view of the fact that they only receive €224 per week; if they will qualify for an invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3919/18]
View answerIllness Benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. For illness benefit claims made in 2017 the governing PRSI contribution year is 2015. The rate of payment depends on the person’s level of earnings in the governing contribution year. Where the average weekly earnings are €300 or more, the personal rate of payment is €193. A graduated rate applies where the average weekly earnings are less than €300.
The person concerned made a claim to illness benefit which was registered in my Department on 1 December 2017. Based on their earnings in the governing year, 2015, the person concerned qualified for a graduated rate of illness benefit of €151.20. The person concerned was also due an increase of €83.00 in their payment in respect of their spouse/partner. Invalidity Pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. To qualify for IP a claimant must have at least 260 (5 years) paid reckonable PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last complete contribution year before the date of their claim. Only PRSI classes A, E, H or S contributions are reckonable for IP purposes.
The person concerned should complete an Invalidity Pension application form. Disability Allowance is a means tested payment for persons who have a disability which is expected to last for at least twelve months. The person concerned has made an application for assistance under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme. Any person who is in receipt of a reduced rate illness benefit payment and where their income is insufficient to meet their needs, may be eligible for a top-up under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme. The person concerned will be notified when a decision has been made on this matter.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
221. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when child benifit and child dependant allowance will be restored in respect of their second child in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3920/18]
View answerThe person concerned was in receipt of child benefit for 2 children until October 2017. Child benefit ceased for her older child from November 2017 as the child had reached his 18th birthday and this benefit is not payable to a child over age 18.
In relation to child dependent allowance, the person concerned was in receipt of full rate child dependant allowance on her disability allowance claim in respect of her son until his 18th birthday. This payment ceased on 31 October 2017. The Department has not received any request to have this allowance reviewed or confirmation of the child’s attendance in full time education. It is open to the person concerned to provide this information and have her entitlement reviewed.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
222. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the way in which it is possible for a business (detail supplied) to operate without planning permission unimpeded by his Department or the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3797/18]
View answerMy role, as Minister, in relation to the planning system is mainly to provide and update the legislative and policy guidance framework. The legislative framework comprises the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) and the Planning and Development Regulations, 2001-2017.
With regard to policy guidance, my Department has issued a significant number of planning guidelines (available on the Department’s website, www.housing.gov.ie) under section 28 of the Act which planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála are obliged to have regard to in the performance of their planning functions. The day-to-day operation of the planning system is, however, a matter for the planning authorities.
Under section 30 of the Act, as Minister, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case, including an enforcement issue, with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be concerned.
Under the planning legislation, enforcement of planning control is a matter for the local planning authority concerned which can take action if a development does not have the required permission, or where any conditions attached to a permission have not been complied with.
There are extensive enforcement provisions provided for in Part VIII of the Act, with a view to ensuring that works pertaining to permitted developments are carried out in accordance with the planning permission granted and any associated conditions, and that no unauthorised development takes place. If a person is of the view that any development works undertaken, or being undertaken, are not in compliance with the permission granted or are unauthorised, s/he may make a written complaint to the relevant planning authority which is required to investigate the matter and take any appropriate enforcement action, including the issuing of an enforcement notice as necessary.
If an enforcement notice is not complied with, the planning authority may itself take specified steps to ensure compliance with the permission and any conditions attached to it, and recover any reasonable costs incurred in doing so. A planning authority may also seek a court order under section 160 of the Act, requiring that development is carried out in conformity with the planning permission and any condition attached to that permission, as well as requiring any particular action to be done or not to be done. Complaints about lack of planning enforcement should be addressed to the Director of Planning Services in the local authority concerned.
Legislative responsibility in relation the control of dogs, including the operation of dog breeding establishments, is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development.
223. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if grant assistance is available for a facility (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3710/18]
View answerCapital funding is provided by my Department to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), via the local authorities, for the construction costs of eligible sheltered housing projects under the Capital Assistance Scheme. The AHB receives rental income and, thereafter, the costs of operating the housing, including provision of necessary services, is a matter for the AHB. My Department does not fund the type of services referred to by the Deputy.
224. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to reintroduce an affordable housing scheme; when he expects to announce the details of this scheme; the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3726/18]
View answer234. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the steps he is taking to provide affordable housing for persons with joint income earning between €75,000 and €100,000 per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3778/18]
View answer242. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the income criteria and expected number of houses per annum of the recently announced affordable homes scheme. [3864/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 224, 234 and 242 together.
The Government acknowledges the affordability pressures faced by households with low to moderate incomes in particular parts of the country. It is precisely for that reason that the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness has prioritised the supply of new homes to meet current and pent-up demand, as well as helping to moderate house prices and rents, on both public and private lands.
Recognising that initiatives introduced to date are having an impact and will have a greater impact in time, on 22 January, I announced a package of initiatives, to help alleviate affordability pressures faced by households, particularly in areas of high housing demand and high accommodation costs. Further details on the suite of initiatives announced earlier this week can be found at http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/min-murphys-statement-on-affordable-homes/.
With regard to the new Affordable Purchase Scheme, the purpose of which is to enable eligible households to acquire a home of their own, supported by and in partnership with the State, these homes will be built initially on local authority land.
The scheme will be governed on the basis of the relevant provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which will be commenced shortly. Once the relevant provisions are commenced, I will develop, in consultation with the Housing Agency and local authorities, detailed Regulations covering the operation of the Scheme, including eligibility criteria. Based on the agreed criteria, the elected members of each local authority are then responsible for determining the order of priority to be accorded to eligible households, in relation to the sale of affordable dwellings.
Once the regulatory framework is in place, local authorities will have more options for the development of their land bank for affordable housing. Currently, Dublin City Council has three major ready-to-go sites being advanced through procurement. The elected members of the City Council have determined that 20% of the homes on these sites - at Infirmary Road, Emmett Road, and Oscar Traynor Road - will be affordable.
I anticipate that there is significant potential for the delivery of affordable homes on local authority lands. Following on from the Housing Summit on 22 January, I have asked local authority Chief Executives to submit, by mid-February, an outline of their respective affordable housing programmes, with a particular emphasis on Dublin, Galway, and Cork, where there is the greatest affordability gap.
Finally, with regard to households who do not meet income eligibility criteria for the new Affordable Purchase Scheme, the Help-to-Buy initiative which was retained in Budget 2018 should help alleviate some of the specific challenges faced by those first-time buyers in accessing the housing market. The initiative has been designed to provide immediate and targeted support for first-time buyers in meeting their deposit requirements and encouraging the construction of new housing units.
225. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of an appeal for a housing adaptation grant by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3728/18]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 663 of 23 January 2018.
226. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when negotiations will be concluded regarding the provision of housing at a site (details supplied) previously used to temporarily accommodate a school; when construction will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3734/18]
View answerI understand that negotiations between Meath County Council and the Department of Education and Skills regarding the transfer of the site to facilitate housing development in the Ashbourne area, are at an advanced stage.
My Department recently wrote to the Department of Education and Skills, to highlight the potential value of this site to support housing delivery under Rebuilding Ireland.
I look forward to this being advanced, as soon as possible.
227. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount spent, and the number of additional housing units delivered, from July 2016 to the end of 2017, in each category. [3749/18]
View answerMy Department makes funding available to all local authorities to deliver additional social housing stock through new construction projects, the acquisition of new and previously owned houses/apartments and through working with approved housing bodies under a range of delivery options.
A breakdown of the units delivered in 2016 and up to the end of quarter 3 of 2017 is published and available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
I also publish separate details on the outputs under Part V arrangements and these are also available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/affordable-housing/affordable-housing-and-part-v-statistics. Information on Part V arrangements in respect of 2017 is currently being finalised and will then be published.
In relation to full year outputs for 2017, provisional details on the number of units delivered were published on 15 January 2018 and are available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/rebuilding-ireland/social-housing-delivery-2017-ministers-statement.
A breakdown of these numbers across all local authorities areas for 2017 will be published on my Department's website, following completion of the necessary validation process.
The expenditure details for the 15 month period from 1 July 2016 to 30 September 2017 under the categories requested is set out in the table below:
|
Housing Category |
Expenditure - 1 July 2016 to 30 September 2017€m |
|
Local Authority Build & Acquisitions Programme |
447 |
|
Approved Housing Body Build & Acquisitions Programme |
127 |
|
Part V Delivery |
9 |
228. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when a new tenant purchase scheme will be implemented; when the new scheme will purchase affordable sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3767/18]
View answer246. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the new tenant purchase scheme will be launched; the mortgage approval process for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3868/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 246 together.
The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year.
The financing of any house sold under the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is a separate matter from the eligibility criteria for the scheme. If the tenant is deemed eligible under the scheme, he or she may fund the purchase of a house from one, or a combination, of his / her own resources or a mortgage provided by a financial institution or a local authority house purchase loan.
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 has incorporated analysis of comprehensive data received from local authorities regarding the operation of the scheme during 2016 and a wide-ranging public consultation process which took place in 2017 and saw submissions received from individuals, elected representatives and organisations.
The review is now complete and a full report setting out findings and recommendations has been prepared. I expect to be in a position to publish the outcome of the review shortly.
229. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to increase European Investment Bank investment in special development zones such as Adamstown Hansfield and Cherrywood to provide additional affordable rental properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3773/18]
View answer237. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the engagement he has had with the European Investment Bank regarding investment in a national affordable rental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3781/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 237 together.
The Government is committed to working with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to secure long-term, low-interest funds for major infrastructure works, including housing development. Potential mechanisms for investment in social and affordable housing were the focus of a high-level event, jointly organised by my Department and the EIB, which took place on 22 March 2017. Since then, officials from my Department and I have met with the EIB on a number of occasions to discuss the potential for EIB funding as an additional investment source for the delivery of social and affordable housing.
I welcome the fact that the EIB is actively engaging with local authorities. Fingal County Council recently signed a €70 million Framework Loan Agreement with the EIB which will trigger a €180 million investment in strategic infrastructure projects within the county’s Capital Development Plan. The funding will be invested in capital projects, including housing land activation. The agreement represents the first EIB support for county-wide investment, in partnership with an Irish local authority, for more than a decade.
This Framework signals the start of new funding streams for local authorities, which is a very positive development. Other local authorities can learn from these negotiations and are being encouraged to consider EIB funding sources for housing, including affordable rental and land activation projects, at appropriate sites and Strategic Development Zones.
230. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans for additional special development zones at brownfield sites in the greater Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3774/18]
View answer231. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to co-ordinate the redevelopment of brownfield sites with the three Dublin local authorities that have boundaries with Dublin city to ensure cohesive community centred development; his views on whether there is potential for residential development at these locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3775/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 230 and 231 together.
The National Planning Framework (NPF), which is currently in the process of being finalised, will set out an ambitious vision for what our country should and can look like in 2040. The Framework advances national policy around both brownfield policy and infill areas by providing targets as part of a wider strategy for managing and planning for growth in urban areas.
The finalisation of the NPF and the 10-year Capital Investment Plan will be followed through by tasking our three Regional Assemblies to bring forward complementary Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs), linking strategic national planning and investment with regional scale physical planning and the local economic and community development functions of local authorities.
Formulation of the RSESs has commenced, a key component of which is the preparation of initial metropolitan area strategic plans. In this regard, the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, working with the relevant local authorities across the Greater Dublin Area, will co-ordinate a strategic metropolitan plan for the Dublin area. Engagement with each of the four Dublin local authorities will be undertaken as part of preparing the Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP), through the RSES process.
The MASPs will inform each local authority development plan, focusing on high-level issues that affect each city as a whole across local authority boundaries, as well as setting investment priorities, ranging from planning for transport, housing and economic development to major regeneration areas and projects.
This process will provide for the identification of key development sites across the Dublin metropolitan area, particularly infill including brownfield in line with NPF policy objectives. Where appropriate proposals are brought forward for designating new strategic development zones, particularly in our key urban areas, I will positively consider them for Government designation.
In addition, taking account of the potential to breathe new life into existing but underutilised parts of our cities and towns, there is an intention to support the brownfield objectives of the NPF through a potential ‘Smart Growth Initiative’ under the forthcoming Capital Investment Plan. The purpose of this will be to bring different sectoral investment streams together to achieve compact, sustainable growth in Ireland’s five cities and other urban centres. In particular, the aim will be to regenerate underutilised or derelict areas, improve the liveability of urban areas, encourage economic development and ensure a shift towards more sustainable patterns of transport and energy consumption.
232. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the reform of local government in the greater Dublin area in particular the provision of a directly elected mayor for Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3776/18]
View answerThe Programme for Partnership Government includes a commitment to consider directly elected mayors in cities as part of a broader range of local government reform measures aimed at strengthening local democracy. In response to this commitment, a policy discussion report on metropolitan governance for Ireland's cities is at an advanced stage of preparation. It will be submitted to Government in the near future and presented to the Oireachtas thereafter for consideration.
The main issues to be examined in this policy discussion report include the geographic definition of metropolitan areas, the range of functions which could be assigned to a metropolitan governance structure, and options for such a structure's governance and political leadership, including by direct election.
233. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his Department has responsibility for the updating of the boundaries of district electoral divisions; his views on whether this is necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3777/18]
View answerI have no proposals at present to make adjustments to the boundaries of electoral divisions, which were formerly known as district electoral divisions. However, I established two Local Electoral Area Boundary Committees on 13 December 2017 to review and make recommendations on local electoral areas. They are tasked with reporting to me within six months. The review is being undertaken having regard to the results of Census 2016 and the commitment to consider reducing the size of territorially large local electoral areas in A Programme for Partnership Government, published in May 2016.
The Committees are independent in the performance of their functions. However, I understand that the Committees have invited submissions and the closing date for making a submission is 19 February 2018. Further information is available at www.boundarycommittee.ie and any queries can be directed to boundarycommittee@housing.gov.ie.
235. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to increase affordable housing provision in developments other than those on State or public land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3779/18]
View answerThe Government acknowledges the affordability pressures faced by households with low to moderate incomes in particular parts of the country. It is precisely for that reason that the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness has prioritised the supply of new homes to meet current and pent-up demand, as well as helping to moderate house prices and rents, on both public and private lands.
The Government has already implemented a number of measures to facilitate the delivery of homes at more affordable price points, to buy or rent, on private lands. These include:
- a new fast-track planning process for large developments and apartments to speed up decisions and provide greater certainty;
- funding of some €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;
- planning reforms and guidelines to provide flexibility and certainty in delivering viable housing schemes and apartment developments in the right locations; and
- the establishment of Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI,) a new State funded bank to provide competitive loans for builders, keeping their costs low.
A range of other measures are also being implemented under Rebuilding Ireland to ensure that private land is brought forward for development, without delay, including the removal of the Capital Gains Tax incentive to hold on to residential land, escalating penalties for land hoarding under the Vacant Site Levy and a second phase of LIHAF.
Recognising that measures introduced to date are having an impact and will have a greater impact in time, on 22 January, I announced a further package of initiatives to help alleviate affordability pressures faced by households, particularly in areas of high housing demand and high accommodation costs. Following the Housing Summit with local authority Chief Executives on 22 January, I have asked each Chief Executive to furnish a report to me by mid-February setting out their plans for the delivery of social and affordable homes from their respective land banks.
Further details on the suite of affordability initiatives announced on 22 January can be found at http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/min-murphys-statement-on-affordable-homes/.
236. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to provide affordable rental properties in Dublin, Cork and Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3780/18]
View answer244. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the details of the pilot project on affordable rental schemes. [3866/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 244 together.
The Government recognises the housing affordability pressures in certain areas and is determined to see increases in the supply of high quality social and affordable homes, to buy or rent, as quickly as possible, particularly in the major urban areas such as Dublin, Cork and Galway.
The Government has already introduced a number of measures to help to bring rents down to more affordable levels, including the:
- Introduction of Rent Pressure Zones,
- Introduction of new ‘Build to Rent’ and "shared accommodation" guidelines to encourage development and investment in more rental accommodation at more affordable rents, and
- progressing measures to bring as many vacant and underutilised properties as possible back into use.
Recognising that initiatives introduced to date are having an impact and will have a greater impact in time, on 22 January, I announced a package of initiatives to help alleviate affordability pressures faced by households, particularly in areas of high housing demand and high accommodation costs. This includes a new affordable rental scheme, to be based on a cost rental model. Further details on the suite of initiatives announced earlier this week can be found at http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/min-murphys-statement-on-affordable-homes/.
This cost rental model provides that the rent paid covers the cost of building the property, together with on-going management and maintenance charges, but with a minimal profit margin included. This provides greater certainty around the rent, regardless of what is happening in the market. A pilot cost rental project is currently being progressed by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, in conjunction with the Housing Agency, and an Approved Housing Body, using land owned by the Agency. I expect this pilot to go to the market later this year to secure a development partner and the best value for the State and prospective renters.
I am eager to see local authorities realise further social and affordable homes from their lands without delay, and in this regard, following the Housing Summit on 22 January, I have asked each Chief Executive to furnish a report to me by mid-February, setting out their plans for delivery. I expect further affordable rental proposals to be put forward by local authorities, especially those in the main urban centres, as part of this process.
Finally, in tandem with initiatives announced, my Department will lead an expert group to examine the issues and provide advice on the most appropriate way forward in delivering a more sustainable rental sector in Ireland. I am currently considering the terms of reference, formation and composition of the Group with a view to establishing it later this quarter.
