Written Answers Nos. 608-627
608. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which participants for JobPath are selected; if there has been a change in this regard; if it is a random selection or a screening process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14165/18]
View answerThe Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. These supports include the JobPath service.
For the purposes of the JobPath service all long-term unemployed jobseekers on the Live Register, aged between 18 and 61 years old inclusive, are categorised into groups based on their duration of unemployment (e.g. 1- 2 years, 2 – 3 years etc.). Selection for referral to receive employment activation services from a JobPath provider is by means of system based stratified random sampling using these groupings; the objective being to ensure equity in selection and also that people referred to JobPath are a representative of the long term cohort on the Live Register.
The duration of a person's Jobseekers claim is recorded in terms of days of unemployment. Jobseeker Allowance claims is made up of continuous periods of unemployment. Any two such periods not separated by more than 52 weeks are considered to be the same continuous period of unemployment - this is known as linking the claims. Long-term jobseekers that may have left the live register to go into employment for less than a year are still considered to be long-term if they reopen their claim within that 52 week period. They retain certain entitlements (for example no waiting days and other supplemental benefits) and are also available for selection for activation services including JobPath.
Protocols for referral currently preclude the selection of anyone who has already completed 52 weeks on the JobPath programme within the previous 4 months although in practice it is generally 6 months.. A person who has completed a year with the JobPath service; continues to meet the criteria for long term unemployment and is not engaged in other activation supports and services becomes eligible for selection for a second period of activation with the JobPath service after 4 to 6 months.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
609. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the expenditure on JobPath, Tús, the rural social scheme and community employment schemes in each of the years 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14166/18]
View answerThe table shows the expenditure on JobPath, Tús, Rural Social Scheme and Community Employment schemes in each of the years 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018 in tabular form.
|
- |
2015 Outturn |
2016 Outturn |
2017 Outturn (Provisional) |
2018 YTD end Feb 2018 |
|
JobPath |
€1.24m |
€25.19m |
€57.42m |
€12.47m |
|
Community Employment |
€364.98m |
€356.34m |
€350.48m |
€52.60m |
|
Tús |
€124.57m |
€118.60m |
€109.39m |
€18.24m |
|
Rural Social Scheme |
€44.10m |
€42.39m |
€44.40m |
€8.16m |
610. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the percentage of participants in each year who have entered full-time employment after participating in JobPath since the scheme commenced, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14167/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is a service that supports people who are long-term unemployed to obtain and sustain paid employment. The service was launched in 2015 on a ‘rolling basis’ with referral numbers gradually increasing over time.
There are two phases to the service. During the first phase, of 12 months duration, a personal advisor (PA) provides practical assistance in searching, preparing for, securing and sustaining employment. The second phase starts if the jobseeker is successful in finding work. During this phase the PA continues to work with the jobseeker for a further period of at least three months, and up to 12 months. In addition to the two phases jobseekers may also undertake training while with the service and this may extend the period the jobseeker is supported through the service for up to a further 6 months.
The total number of clients who commenced an employment each year since service was launched is shown in the following table –
|
Year |
Commenced Full-time Employment |
Commenced Part-time Employment |
Total Clients commencing Employment |
|
2015 |
1,371 |
289 |
1,660 |
|
2016 |
11,839 |
2,235 |
14,074 |
|
2017 |
13,609 |
1,321 |
14,930 |
|
2018 |
216 |
17 |
233 |
|
Total |
27,035 |
3,862 |
30,897 |
*2018 figures are up to end of February.
To facilitate the Deputy in gaining an overview of the service I would call her attention to the published results for the service covering those referred between July 2015 and June 2016. These published reports provide information on customers who not only commenced employment but sustained employment. The Department was careful in designing the service to ensure that payments to contractors are conditional on Jobseekers not just finding a job but finding and sustaining their employment. The companies are, for example, only paid a job outcome fee for each 13 week period of sustained employment of at least 30 hours per week.
It should also be noted that jobseekers are supported by the service for up to 30 months and as such the duration of the client journey necessitates the requirement of a cohort based approach to reporting in order to produce accurate outcome data. For this reason, the number of clients entering employment is expected to increase in time.
The Department is undertaking an econometric review of this strand of its activation services. Completion of the review is provisionally scheduled for the end of the third quarter 2018, following which more detailed and robust statistics will be available.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
612. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of years or length of time participants can spend on community employment, the rural social scheme, Tús and JobPath; the length of time a person has to wait before he or she can reapply for the same scheme; and if the Minister will make a statement on the matter. [14169/18]
View answerFollowing the publication in April 2017 of my Department’s report entitled ‘An Analysis of the Community Employment Programme’, the Government approved a number of changes to the terms and conditions around participation on Community Employment (CE). The main purpose of these changes was to broaden the availability of CE to a greater number of people on the live register and to standardise other conditions around the length of time a person can participate on the programme.
The changes for those on the live register see the general qualifying age for CE reduced from 25 to 21 years and are effective from 3rd July 2017. It will also be easier for previous participants who have exhausted their CE entitlement to requalify as participation prior to the year 2007 will be disregarded. While participants between 21 and 55 years can avail of one year on the programme, this can be extended on approval by the Department by up to 2 more years, if they are working towards a major award/industry recognised equivalent to support their progression to employment. CE participants aged 55 and over can now avail of up to 3 consecutive years on a scheme. An overall lifetime limit of 6 years will apply to CE participants (7 years if on a disability payment). A person may re-qualify for CE after 12 months of being in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment, provided they have not reached their 6 year limit. All CE places are now categorised into one of two strands, either activation, with a target progression of 50%, or social inclusion, with a target progression of 20%.
The rural social scheme (RSS) provides opportunities for farmers and fishermen/women who are currently in receipt of specified social welfare payments to work to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. Communities benefit from the skills and talents of local farmers and fishermen and participants have the opportunity to improve existing skills, or develop new skills, while performing this valuable work in their local communities
Since 1st February 2017, all participants commencing on the RSS have to be over 25 years of age and a 6 year overall participation limit on the work scheme also applies. This new measure ensures that places become available to provide opportunities for other farmers and fishermen to take part in the scheme. RSS participants who commenced on the scheme prior to 1st February 2017 will remain on the scheme, as long as they continue to remain eligible for the scheme. To be eligible to participate on the RSS, an individual must satisfy the qualifying criteria for the scheme. This includes having an entitlement to one of the qualifying social welfare payments and maintaining an underlying entitlement to Farm/Fish Assist.
Tús provides part-time temporary work in the communities, as a stepping stone back to employment for people on a long term jobseeker’s payment. Tús participants work for an average of 19½ hours a week and placements last for maximum of 12 months. The twelve month duration of the Tús contract is set to reflect a number of inter-related elements. These include the need to ensure the benefit of participation on a work scheme is available to the widest possible number of jobseekers . After three years, a person can become eligible for a further 12 month placement on Tús.
JobPath providers arrange for the delivery of a broad range of education and training courses with a particular strong focus on upskilling the long term unemployed. In order to support JobPath providers to refer people to training and education, the Department will extend the initial 12 month JobPath referral period by the duration of any externally delivered approved training course. This can be up to an additional 26 weeks. The JobPath companies remain in contact with the clients while they are on such courses.
Participants on JobPath receive intensive individual support over a period of up to 12 months to help them tackle barriers to employment and to find jobs. If they are successful in securing employment the JobPath provider will continue to work with the client providing in-work support for a further period of up to 12 months.
A person who has completed a year with the JobPath service; continues to meet the criteria for long term unemployment and is not engaged in other activation supports and services becomes eligible for selection for a second period of activation with the JobPath service after a period of 4 to 6 months.
613. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position in relation to a review of an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that same was submitted some time ago; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14225/18]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care.
My department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 22 November 2016.
It is a condition for receipt of CA that every claimant shall furnish such certificates, documents, information and evidence as may be required for the purposes of deciding their claim.
The person was requested to provide bank statements and evidence pertaining to the cessation of his self-employment, but did not do so.
Accordingly a deciding officer decided that he was not entitled to CA.
The person concerned was notified on 3 May 2017 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal.
A review of this decision was requested on 22 May 2017. Although some documents were supplied on 25 July 2017, there were still bank statements which had been requested outstanding. As a result, the deciding officer decided not to revise the original decision.
The person concerned was notified on 4 October 2017 of the outcome of this review and of his right of appeal.
Further documents were received on 11 January 2018 and 16 February 2018. However, specific bank statements pertaining to the business account of the person concerned for the period from October 2016 to the closure of this account are still outstanding.
On receipt of these, the case will be reviewed once more and, if necessary, the case will be referred again to the Social Welfare Inspector.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
614. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to prevent a company (details supplied), whose appeal against An Bord Pleanála's ruling that this company must now must carry out environmental impact assessments, EIAs, in order to secure planning permission for extracting and milling peat was rejected by the High Court last month, from the ongoing and illegal extraction of lorry loads of peat from the bog in Clonsura, County Westmeath. [14188/18]
View answer615. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that An Bord Pleanála ruled in 2013 that the peat extraction at a location (details supplied) is unauthorised and that the High Court recently confirmed that finding in a case taken by the peat extraction company against An Bord Pleanála; and the steps his Department will now take under the development control frameworks to ensure that the unauthorised peat extraction, which has caused and continues to cause the loss of archaeological heritage, is ceased. [14345/18]
View answer631. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the European Union (Licensing of Large-scale Extraction of Peat) Regulations 2016 will be signed into law; the status of interactions to date between his Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and the Office of the Attorney General in relation to these regulations; the outstanding issues which are delaying matters; if stakeholders have been briefed on delays on enacting these regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13884/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 614, 615 and 631 together.
My Department is continuing to actively progress draft European Union (Licensing of Large-Scale Extraction of Peat) Regulations that, when signed into law, will establish a revised regulatory regime in respect of large-scale peat extraction, requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out an environmental impact assessment as part of its examination of applications for licences for peat extraction on sites of 30 hectares or more, and exempting such activity from the requirement to obtain planning permission.
The draft Regulations have been the subject of focused stakeholder input from relevant Government Departments and State bodies, industry representatives and environmental groups and are currently under review, following further consultations with the Environmental Protection Agency, with a view to finalising the Regulations for signature as speedily as possible.
It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the continuing High Court proceedings referred to in the Questions because neither I, as Minister, nor the State is a party to the case concerned. In this regard, it should be noted that section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 specifically precludes me from exercising any power or control in relation to any case (including a planning enforcement case), with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be concerned.
616. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the compensation paid to businesses affected by the flooding of 28 June 2012 in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13567/18]
View answerMy Department has no role or function in the operation of any scheme of assistance for businesses affected by flooding and did not provide any compensation to businesses affected by flooding of 28 June 2012 in Cork County.
Following on from severe flooding events in 2015/16, the Government established a humanitarian scheme that would support small businesses, community, voluntary and sporting bodies who, through no fault of their own, could not obtain flood insurance, but subsequently experienced flood damage to their premises. The scheme was funded by the Department of Defence and administered by the Irish Red Cross. The scheme has been reactivated on a number of occasions since then, to provide support to businesses impacted by flooding in August 2017 in County Donegal, flooding in Laois in November 2017, and flooding arising from Storm Eleanor between 1 January and 5 January 2018.
617. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of a foreshore licensing application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13570/18]
View answerMy Department is currently in contact with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in an effort to provide a viable final resolution to the complex issues relating to this matter, and will continue to work to conclude the matter as quickly as possible.
618. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the foreshore lease renewal by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13589/18]
View answerThe development in question was the subject of a 10 year lease granted to a third party in 1993 and which is expired since 31 October 2003. My Department will undertake a full inspection and report on the development in the coming weeks, following which contact will be made with the individual concerned with respect to his request to occupy and operate the originally leased area.
619. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the variances that can exist between the Rebuilding Ireland calculator tool on a website (details supplied) and the actual response from a local authority to a paper-based application; the way in which the variance can be up to 20% of the loan amount; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13606/18]
View answerFollowing a review of the two existing local authority home loan schemes, the House Purchase Loan and the Home Choice Loan, a new loan offering, known as the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, was introduced on 1 February 2018.
As with the previous local authority home loan offerings, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is a local authority product and loan applications are made directly to the local authority in whose area the property proposed for purchase is situated.
The Home Loan calculator on www.rebuildingirelandhomeloan.ie gives an indication of how much you can borrow over the maximum term allowable and what the estimated repayments would be. A shorter term will reduce the amount you can borrow. All indicative repayment amounts are exclusive of Mortgage Protection Insurance (MPI) which is a requirement of borrowing. Please note that this calculator gives indicative results for illustrative and guidance purposes only and is not an offer of a loan.
The final decision on loan approval is a matter for each local authority and its Credit Committee on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the statutory credit policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure consistency of treatment for all applicants. Loan applicants who are dissatisfied with a loan application decision of a local authority Credit Committee may appeal that decision to the local authority. Details of the appeals process can be obtained from the relevant local authority.
620. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans for a redress scheme for purchasers of houses and apartments that were not properly constructed and that are non-compliant with building and fire regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13688/18]
View answer633. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of his plans to introduce measures to assist in financing management companies of pre-2014 multi-unit residential buildings that are found not to be in compliance with fire safety standards to undertake remedial building works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13889/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 620 and 633 together.
In general, building defects are matters for resolution between the contracting parties involved, the homeowner, the builder, the developer and/or their respective insurers, structural guarantee or warranty scheme. It is important to note that while my Department has overall responsibility for establishing and maintaining an effective regulatory framework for building standards and building control, it has no general statutory role in resolving defects in privately owned buildings, including dwellings, nor does it have a budget for such matters. In this regard, it is incumbent on the parties responsible for poor workmanship and/or the supply of defective materials to face up to their responsibilities and take appropriate action to provide remedies for the affected homeowners.
Under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014, primary responsibility for compliance of works with the requirements of the Building Regulations, including Part B (Fire Safety), rests with the owners, designers and builders of buildings. Enforcement of the Building Regulations is a matter for the 31 local building control authorities, who have extensive powers of inspection and enforcement under the Acts and who are independent in the use of their statutory powers.
In August 2017, I published a Framework for Enhancing Fire Safety in Dwellings, which is intended to be used as a guide by the owners and occupants of dwellings where fire safety deficiencies have been identified, or are a cause for concern. The Framework will also be of assistance to professional advisors both in developing strategies to improve fire safety and in developing strategies to enable continued occupation in advance of undertaking the necessary works to ensure compliance with the relevant Building Regulations.
It should be noted that in response to the many building failures that emerged in the last decade, my Department has been working on a building control reform agenda, including the following:
- the introduction of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, which require greater accountability in relation to compliance with Building Regulations in the form of statutory certification;
- working closely with the Local Government Management Agency on the oversight and governance of the local authority Building Control System to improve its effectiveness; and
- progressing primary legislation, the Building Control (Construction Industry Register Ireland) Bill 2017, to develop and promote a culture of competence, good practice and compliance with the building regulations in the construction sector.
621. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number and name of local authorities that have applied to his Department for permission to enter into contacts to directly construct houses; the number of houses involved; the number of local authorities and voluntary housing agencies that are seeking approval for house construction projects; the timeframe for making such decisions; if his Department has made a decision on the issue of cost rental; the number of applications submitted to his Department from Kilkenny County Council for house construction projects; if a housing project at a location (details supplied) will be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13734/18]
View answerThe Government's Rebuilding Ireland action plan is focused on accelerating the delivery of housing, with an investment of more than €6 billion to deliver 50,000 social housing units through build, refurbishment, acquisitions and leasing, over the period to 2021. The implementation of Rebuilding Ireland is well underway and making significant progress. This was evident in the Social Housing Output indicative figures published in January, showing nearly 26,000 households had their social housing need met in 2017. A breakdown of these numbers across all local authority areas, including Kilkenny County Council, will be made available following completion of the necessary validation process.
There are currently over 12,000 new social homes included in the Status Report on Social Housing Construction Projects, which is now published on a quarterly basis and includes projects that are recently completed, on site, or undergoing planning and design. This list is being added to on an on-going basis and the most recent version, covering the period to end Quarter 3 of 2017, is available at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/quarter-3-social-housing-construction-status-report/ .
The Status Report includes construction projects of various scale being advanced by all local authorities, including Kilkenny County Council, in conjunction with Approved Housing Bodies and these will be advanced as quickly as possible, as will further new projects brought forward by the local authorities. My Department currently has no proposal for the site at Margaretsfield, Kilkenny, but a new targeted timeline for social housing construction projects has been put in place that sets out the optimum timeframe from initial project concept through to design, planning, procurement and mobilisation of contractor on site. The programme puts an onus on all stakeholders to advance projects through the process in a timely manner.
Against the background of the affordability pressures which exist in the rental market, particularly in our cities and other major urban areas, the Government is determined to make cost rental a major part of the Irish housing system. To do this, we will offer more affordable long-term rental options, by leveraging the value of State land to reduce the cost of provision. Cost rental is new to Ireland and a number of pilot cost rental projects are currently being progressed in Dublin, for example, at Enniskerry Road and in Lusk. The projects are being delivered by Approved Housing Bodies, working with relevant local authorities, the Housing Agency and my Department. The pilot projects are providing very valuable learning in terms of the design and delivery of such a new rental model in Ireland. Working with these and other key stakeholders, my Department is considering the optimal operation of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, taking account of broader policy considerations on affordable housing.
I am confident that the actions, targets and resources available under Rebuilding Ireland provide a strong platform for meeting our challenges in the housing sector and I am satisfied that delivery of the Plan remains firmly on track.
622. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when he plans to publish the review of the local authority tenant purchase scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13739/18]
View answer623. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if local authority tenants in receipt of social welfare payment and who may have savings will be allowed the opportunity to purchase their home under the local authority tenant purchase scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13740/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 622 and 623 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 minimum reckonable income for eligibility under the scheme is determined by the relevant local authority in accordance with the detailed provisions of the Ministerial Direction issued under Sections 24(3) and (4) of the 2014 Act. In the determination of the minimum reckonable income, local authorities include income from a number of different sources and classes, such as from employment, private pensions, maintenance payments and certain social welfare payments, including pensions, where the social welfare payment is secondary to employment income.
In determining reckonable income, the income of all tenants of the house, including adult children that are joint tenants, is included, as is the income of the spouse, civil partner or other partner / co-habitant of a tenant who lives in the house with them, thus ensuring the appropriate level of discount is applied to the purchase price.
The minimum income criterion was introduced in order to ensure the sustainability of the scheme. Applicants must demonstrate that they have an income that is long-term and sustainable in nature. This ensures that the tenant purchasing the house is in a financial position, as the owner, to maintain and insure the property for the duration of the charged period, in compliance with the conditions of the order transferring the ownership of, and responsibility for, the house from the local authority to the tenant.
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 Rebuilding Ireland, 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 has been prepared setting out findings and recommendations. In finalising the report due consideration had to be given to possible arrangements for the implementation of the review recommendations. This is now almost complete and I expect to be in a position to publish the outcome of the review shortly.
624. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the various works for which eligible persons are entitled to receive grant aid from their local authority under the housing aid for older people scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13800/18]
View answerThe Housing Aid for Older People Scheme provides grants of up to €8,000 to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out. Grant eligible works include structural repairs or improvements, re-wiring, drylining, repairs to/replacement of some/all windows and doors, provision of central heating, water and sanitary services, contract-cleaning, painting, radon remediation and any other repair or improvement works which are considered reasonably necessary to make the property habitable for the person.
625. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the practice of topping up among tenants availing of the housing assistance payment where tenants pay money to the landlord in addition to the rent level agreed between the landlord and the local authority; the prevalence of this practice and the scale of payments that households across the country are topping up to secure properties under the HAP and homeless HAP schemes; his views on the extent of this practice and its impact on low-income households; if this practice such as the similar practice that occurred in topping up of rent supplement payments is a breach of the provisions of the scheme and therefore illegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13822/18]
View answerUnder the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), a tenant sources their own accommodation. The tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and is covered by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as amended). The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on the household size and the rental market within that area.
HAP applicants are informed of the maximum rent limits for their local authority area; these elements of the scheme are stated in the HAP Tenant Information Booklet and on the dedicated HAP website, www.hap.ie , and local authority staff also explain them to each HAP applicant.
Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 20% above the prescribed maximum rent limit in circumstances where it is necessary, because of local rental market conditions, to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it. Greater enhanced support is also statutorily provided for in the Dublin Region for homeless households. It is a matter for the local authority to determine if the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis. Local authorities must also be cognisant of the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act when approving increases in HAP payments and advise tenants accordingly.
My Department is aware that some HAP recipients are making payments directly to their landlords, beyond the amount of HAP being paid on their behalf. There is no legislative provision precluding HAP supported households contributing towards the monthly rent to their landlord and my Department does not routinely collect data in relation to households in receipt of HAP who are making additional payments to their landlord beyond that of their HAP payment. Local Authorities have a responsibility to ensure that tenancies are sustainable and are advised not to provide HAP support to tenancies where the household would not be in a position to meet the rental costs being sought.
The data available to my Department indicates that the current rent limits and the flexibility to exceed those rent limits provide local authorities with sufficient capacity to assist households in securing rented accommodation that meets their needs.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review. I am satisfied with how the HAP scheme is operating and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme under Rebuilding Ireland.
626. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the steps that have been taken to examine buildings with cladding in the Dublin metropolitan area; the way in which such an examination was undertaken; and if it was on a drive-by basis or if it involved a detailed examination of the sub-cladding material. [13858/18]
View answer627. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the precise role of the chief fire officer with regard to house building here. [13859/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 626 and 627 together.
In response to the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy and in recognition of fears expressed for fire safety, I tasked my Department's National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management with coordinating a high-level Task Force to lead a reappraisal of fire safety in Ireland. The Task Force was requested to oversee and report on a number of initial steps, and to urgently consider any potential life safety issues and appropriate responses.
In addition to establishing the Fire Safety Task Force, I requested that a number of immediate initial actions be taken including, directing fire authorities to carry out a preliminary survey to identify buildings of more than six storeys, or more than 18m in height, fitted with external cladding or rain screen systems, with or without insulation and to revert to my Department with this information. Fire authorities were advised that a site visit would be required, to confirm information, including whether cladding to the buildings is present.
Where buildings of more than six storeys, or more than 18m in height, with cladding or cladding systems present, were identified, fire authorities were advised to consider whether use of section 18(6)(a) of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003 – to require the person having control over the premises to carry out a fire safety assessment of the premises, including the cladding system and concealed spaces (cavities) in the external wall construction – was warranted.
This initial work in relation to medium to high rise buildings has been carried out and all fire authorities, including the four Dublin fire authorities, have reported back to my Department as requested.
A number of medium to high rise buildings have been identified as having external cladding which gave rise to concerns and in these cases building owners have been required by fire authorities, using their powers under the Fire Services Acts, to undertake fire safety assessments in these specific buildings. The assessment process in individual buildings is ongoing.
With regard to the precise role of Chief Fire Officers, all arrangements in relation to staffing in each local authority are the responsibility of the relevant Chief Executive for that authority and queries relating to the roles of local authority staff should be referred to the relevant local authority. As Minister, I have no function in these matters.
