Skip to main content
Normal View

Tuesday, 24 Apr 2018

Written Answers Nos. 589-606

Disability Allowance Appeals

Questions (589)

Willie O'Dea

Question:

589. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when an appeal payment will issue to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17962/18]

View answer

Written answers

Based 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 June 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. As there was a change in circumstance, this lady’s file was forwarded to her local Social Welfare Inspector (SWI). The SWI will arrange to meet with the person in question as soon as possible.

A decision on her 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.

Social Welfare Offices

Questions (590)

Seán Fleming

Question:

590. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of new contracts for social welfare office branch managers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18038/18]

View answer

Written answers

The Department currently has 58 Branch Offices at various locations throughout the country. Each Branch Office is operated and managed, under a contract for services, by a Branch Manager who is required to act as an agent for the Department in the area served by the office. Branch Office managers operate on a contract for service and are independent contractors.

Services are provided through the Branch Offices network in areas which are not directly served by a Department operated Intreo centre. The Department wishes to ensure that the services provided by the Department’s Intreo Centres and Branch Offices are aligned so that all customers nationwide are provided with broadly similar services.

On foot of this, officials from my Department engaged in discussions with the Branch Managers Association (BMA), a representative group of Branch Managers who presented the views of its members under the chairmanship of an agreed facilitator regarding the Department’s proposals for a new service delivery model.

Talks between the Department and the BMA concluded on 29th March. Non-binding recommendations were issued by the facilitator to both parties on 4th April and I am happy to report that both sides have agreed to accept these recommendations.

These recommendations, together with previous recommendations from the facilitator in December 2017 on the revised remuneration model, provide a framework within which Branch Office services will be delivered on behalf of the Department by Branch Managers.

It considered that the new service delivery model for Branch Offices can be achieved under the current contract arrangements with Branch Managers and that there is therefore no requirement to conclude new contracts with existing branch managers.

Letters to each individual Branch Manager are currently being drafted by my officials outlining the proposed remuneration and service delivery proposals and will be issued shortly.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Public Services Card

Questions (591)

John Curran

Question:

591. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to make the public services card available to be used as identification with the Central Bank; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18098/18]

View answer

Written answers

At present, a Public Services Card (PSC) cannot be requested by any public or private body or person not included as a specified body in Schedule 5 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended). The Central Bank is not prescribed as a Specified Body under Schedule 5 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, so therefore cannot ask for or accept the Public Services Card as a proof of identification. The PSC can only be used by public bodies specified in the legislation in the context of conducting a public transaction with the person concerned. At this time there are no immediate plans to expand the range of specified bodies. Any increase in the number of specified bodies would have to be provided for in legislation and consequently would have to undergo Oireachtas scrutiny prior to enactment.

However, one of the provisions set out in Section 5 of the Social Welfare, Pensions, and Civil Registration Bill 2017 would, if enacted, enable customers to volunteer their PSC where they wish to use it as a form of proof of identity and/or age. However, it is important to note that a non-specified body could not request or demand the production of a PSC.

The proposed legislation would not change the number of specified bodies that can request the PSC. It would simply give individuals the option to use their PSC if they wished, as proof of identity and/or age, in transactions with non-specified bodies.

As the law currently stands, even if a card holder volunteers their PSC, a non-Specified Body such as a private sector organisation would be committing an offence by accepting it. Customer feedback is that they should be allowed to volunteer the card to non-Specified Bodies if it suits them to do so, for the purposes of ID verification such as when signing up to a utility company contract or opening an account with a financial institution. Customers often report that private companies insist on a State-issued photographic ID such as a Passport or Driver’s License which they might not have and which are costly. In contrast, the PSC is free of charge. Furthermore, and for the sake of absolute clarity - this proposal in no way allows a private sector body to access the customer data on the card chip or on any government database - simply to view/accept the card as a form of identity and to stop it being an offence for them to accept it. This measure would be beneficial to holders of the PSC, most especially those who do not hold a driving licence or a passport.

Additionally, this alternative approach would give power to the individual to control access to and use of their PSC rather than the organisation that they are dealing with.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Wastewater Treatment

Questions (592)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

592. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount in fines levied against Ireland for breach of the urban wastewater treatment directive. [17417/18]

View answer

Written answers

The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive mandates EU member states to collect and treat urban waste water in towns and cities to protect public health and avoid pollution of rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Member states had until the end of December 2000 to ensure appropriate treatment for large agglomerations (with a population equivalent of more than 15,000), and until the end of December 2005 for agglomerations with a population equivalent of more than 2,000 which discharge to freshwaters and estuaries.

To date, no fines have been levied against Ireland for breach of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.

Property Registration Authority

Questions (593)

Peter Burke

Question:

593. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will examine the delays in the land registry system (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17664/18]

View answer

Written answers

The Property Registration Authority (PRA) is the State organisation responsible for the registration of property transactions in Ireland. The PRA manages and controls the Land Registry and the Registry of Deeds and has a current staff complement of 504 full time equivalents. The PRA expects to complete in excess of 220,000 Land Registry transactions in 2018.

There is considerable variation in the length of time taken to complete a case. Factors that may impact on the completion times include investigation of title requirements, the completeness of the documentation presented, the need to raise additional queries and mapping requirements. Applications submitted to the PRA that are fully in order for registration and that do not result in the raising of queries are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner. Figures available in respect of Land Registry applications for 2017 show that 63% of applications lodged, in order for registration and not requiring any changes to the map, are completed within 10 working days or less.

The process in respect of all applications to the PRA is subject to ongoing business process improvement review to ensure that it is undertaken as efficiently as possible. I am further advised that the PRA continues to expedite urgent cases on request.

Approved Housing Bodies

Questions (594)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

594. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the proposed working group examining the impact of the EUROSTAT reclassification of tier 3 AHBs to become part of the local government subsector has been established and met; his plans to engage with the AHB sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17858/18]

View answer

Written answers

As the Deputy will be aware, last week the Minister for Finance published the Draft Stability Programme Update for 2018. This included an analysis of the financial impact of the Eurostat decision to reclassify Tier 3 Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) as part of the local government sector. This was an important first step in the Government's assessment as to the impact of the Eurostat decision.

Following the completion of this analysis, which has defined the scope of the financial implications of this decision for the Exchequer, officials from my Department will be engaging closely with my colleague, Minister Donohue's Departments to ensure that AHBs can continue to fulfil their full potential in the delivery of the targets set out in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan.

I expect a further meeting of officials from the three Departments to take place in the coming weeks. Discussions with representatives of the AHB sector will also continue on this and other matters related to the ongoing delivery of new homes within the Government's housing programmes.

As I have previously noted, the Government still sees a central role for the voluntary housing sector in contributing to delivery of social housing under Rebuilding Ireland. It intends to press ahead with the ambitious plans to use all mechanisms and schemes, including through the AHB sector, to ensure that we maintain our planned momentum towards meeting the 50,000 social housing target.

Building Regulations

Questions (595)

Eamon Ryan

Question:

595. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he is satisfied that 67% of all new housing being built has fossil fuel-based heating systems; and the measures he will take to reduce this in view of the Paris climate commitments. [18101/18]

View answer

Written answers

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 sets out the national objective of transitioning to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy in the period up to 2050. It requires the publication of a national low carbon transition and mitigation plan every five years and my Department is required to identify and develop sectoral mitigation measures for the built environment.

Ireland’s National Mitigation Plan published in 2017 takes account of measures to be implemented in the buildings sector required to meet the EU's energy related targets. These measures take into account European and International climate change targets, including the Paris climate commitments referred to.

My Department has lead responsibility for implementing the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. This Directive sets the requirements at an EU level for Member States to improve the energy performance of buildings and to make an important contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Article 9(1) of the Directive requires Member States to ensure that by 31 December 2020, all new buildings are nearly zero-energy buildings.

The Directive defines a Nearly Zero Energy Building, or “NZEB”, as a building that has a very high energy performance and that the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required should be covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby. This definition was incorporated in the Building Regulations 1997 – 2017 last year through the Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 2017.

My Department has progressively updated Part L of the Building Regulations, relating to the Conservation of Fuel and Energy in Dwellings, over the last decade in order to improve the energy and carbon dioxide emissions performance of all new dwellings to achieve these “NZEB” performance levels. These incremental improvements have effectively eased the transition and minimized the additional effort required to achieve the NZEB performance for dwellings.

In 2007, Part L was revised to achieve a 40% improvement in the energy and carbon dioxide emissions performance over 2005 performance levels for new dwellings and, in addition, a mandatory renewables requirement for new dwellings was also introduced. This review also introduced a requirement that new and replacement fossil fuel boilers should be energy efficient condensing boilers, where practical.

In 2011, Part L of the Building Regulations was further revised to achieve an improvement of 60% in the energy and carbon dioxide emissions performance over 2005 standard for all new dwellings.

In addition, I have recently published a public consultation on further improvements to Part L of the Building Regulations to achieve the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive NZEB performance requirements. This review when implemented will represent an improvement of 70% in energy and carbon dioxide emissions performance over 2005 standards for all new dwellings commencing construction from early 2019, subject to transition arrangements.

Currently 98% of all new dwellings are built to an A3 standard based on Building Energy Rating (BER) data as reported by SEAI in their recent “Energy in the Residential Sector” 2018 report.

The new Part L performance requirement will equate to a typical new dwelling having a Building Energy Rating or BER of A2. The amended Part L Building Regulations will stipulate that new dwellings can achieve the new standards by making provision for: -

- A 70% improvement in energy efficiency for new dwellings (relative to 2005 base year standards).

- A 70% reduction in CO2 emissions (again relative to the 2005 base year standards).

- Providing for 20% renewables as a percentage of total building energy use.

These requirements make it more attractive for builders and homeowners to further incorporate renewable technologies and move away from traditional fossil fuels.

It is estimated that the cumulative improvements to regulations mean that a dwelling built to the 2011 regulations would require 90% less energy than the equivalent dwelling built in 1978 to deliver the same standards of heat, hot water and light. Very significant progress has, therefore, been made in this area, even before the new initiatives outlined above.

The move from fossil fuels to renewable energy for space heating is expected to continue as a result of the further improvements to Part L currently at public consultation, contributing significantly to meeting Ireland's climate change commitments.

Planning Issues

Questions (596)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

596. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the number of unauthorised developments local authorities are dealing with are monitored by his Department; if so, the details of same by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17416/18]

View answer

Written answers

While planning statistics are compiled by each planning authority on an annual basis for collation and publication on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/statistics/planning-statistics-1, these statistics do not include planning enforcement and unauthorised development related information.

The Deputy may wish to get in touch with the relevant local authorities in relation to the status of their planning enforcement activities.

Tenant Purchase Scheme Applications

Questions (597)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

597. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of applications for the tenant purchase scheme received by Tipperary County Council in 2016 and 2017; the number of transactions completed in the years concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17460/18]

View answer

Written answers

The operation of the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme 2016 is a matter for individual local authorities, in line with relevant legislation, including the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015. Local authorities are by law (Section 63(1) of the Local Government Act 2001) independent in the performance of their functions.

My Department does however publish information on the sale of local authority houses each year which can be found on my Department's website at the following link:

http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/social-and-affordble/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics.

I expect to be in a position to publish data in relation to sales for 2017 in the coming weeks.

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 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. This includes data on sales and applications to purchase during the calendar year 2016. In finalising the report some further inter-Departmental consultation was necessary and due consideration had to be given to possible implementation arrangements. These matters are now almost completed and I expect to be in a position to publish the outcome of the review shortly.

Local Authority Housing Data

Questions (598, 600, 602)

John Curran

Question:

598. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the 3,800 housing units to be completed construction in 2018, by scheme and local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17491/18]

View answer

John Curran

Question:

600. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of social houses he expects to have completed and occupied in 2018, 2019 and 2020 by each local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17493/18]

View answer

John Curran

Question:

602. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of social houses that have completed construction and are occupied for each local authority during the first quarter of 2018, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17495/18]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 598, 600 and 602 together.

Details of Local Authority Social Housing Targets, broken down by Local Authority, for 2018 and for the period 2018-2021 are now available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-social-housing-delivery-targets-for-local-authorities-2018-2021/.

The overall 2018 Build target is for the delivery of 4,969 additional social homes including 3,819 local authority and Approved Housing Body (AHB) build units. The Quarter 4 Construction Status Report, available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the link below, provides project detail on the existing pipeline in place, which will support the delivery against this target. The report is based on activity up to end 2017 and, over the course of the first quarter of 2018, further projects will have been moving through from approval to on-site, with additional projects also being added to the pipeline. These will be reflected in the next quarterly report. http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-social-housing-construction-status-report-q4-2017/.

Completions for Q1 2018 will be published on my Department's website in due course.

Local Authorities, AHBs and all other stakeholders are fully mobilised towards meeting the Build target for 2018. My Department will be continuing to work with Local Authorities to maximise delivery and harness any additional appropriate opportunities to deliver on the additional build units in 2018, including through turn-key schemes.

Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund

Questions (599)

John Curran

Question:

599. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount of LIHAF funding drawn down to date by project in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17492/18]

View answer

Written answers

As a key initiative of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is designed to fund the provision of public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages and enable housing developments to be built on key sites at scale. Funding of €200 million was originally provided under LIHAF, of which €150 million is funded by the Exchequer and local authorities fund €50 million. Further funding was made available as part of Budget 2018, bringing the total fund to €266 million and there will be a second call for proposals in order to allocate the additional funds.

To date, I have given final approval for 30 projects under LIHAF, which will activate supply of almost 20,000 housing units and grant agreements in respect of those projects have been signed. The cost of these projects is €195.7 million, of which €146.7 million will be funded by my Department and €49 million will be funded by local authorities.

Funding of €1.6 million was drawn down in respect of LIHAF projects in 2017, which was mainly in respect of design costs. A breakdown of this expenditure by LIHAF project is detailed in the following table.

It is expected that expenditure will increase substantially in 2018 as projects move to the construction stage.

Local Authority

Project name

Drawdown of LIHAF Grants to date

Clare

Claureen, Ennis

3,587.72

Cork City

South Docks

240,725.00

Dublin City

Dodder Bridge

116,815.00

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown

Cherrywood

9,040.00

Fingal

Donabate Distributor Road

512,458.62

Fingal

Baldoyle Stapolin

29,064.99

Kildare

Sallins

654,584.00

Limerick

Mungret

6,549.02

Meath

Ratoath

26,901.71

Meath

Farganstown, Navan

3,995.44

Total

1,603,721.50

Question No. 600 answered with Question No. 598.

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Questions (601)

John Curran

Question:

601. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of affordable homes under construction by local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17494/18]

View answer

Written answers

I refer the Deputy to the reply to Question No. 348 of 19 April 2018 which sets out the position in relation to this matter.

Question No. 602 answered with Question No. 598.

Local Authority Housing Eligibility

Questions (603)

Peter Burke

Question:

603. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the next review of local authority social housing income threshold bands will take place; if the special treatment of the working family payment will be considered when calculating thresholds; if the number of children in a family will play more of a role in respect of income thresholds; his views on a particular case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17497/18]

View answer

Written answers

As part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports has commenced, with the detailed statistical work underpinning the review being carried out by the Housing Agency. I expect the results of this review to be available for publication in late Summer 2018.

The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for eligibility for social housing support for each local authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy, published by my Department. 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.

Under the Household Means Policy, which applies in all local authorities, net income for social housing assessment is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI and the universal social charge. Most payments received from the Department of Social Protection are assessable. The policy provides for a range of income that can be disregarded in terms of housing assessment and local authorities have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once off in nature.

Homeless Persons Data

Questions (604)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

604. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of households that have exited section 10 funded homeless accommodation in 2017; and the housing tenures to which they have exited. [17532/18]

View answer

Written answers

Quarterly performance reports from local authorities on a regional basis show that 4,729 individuals exited homelessness into independent tenancies during 2017. This included 3,983 families who exited homelessness into independent tenancies during 2017 as follows: 802 local authority tenancies, 795 tenancies with an approved housing body, and 2,386 tenancies in the private rental sector. The local authority performance reports are available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.

Housing Assistance Payment Data

Questions (605)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

605. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of homeless HAP tenancies created in 2017; the number of these used to prevent homelessness; and the number used to support persons and families to exit section 10 funded homeless accommodation. [17531/18]

View answer

Written answers

The Homeless HAP Place Finder Service operating in the Dublin local authorities, and in Cork City Council, is a targeted support for homeless households who are finding it difficult to secure HAP tenancies. The Place Finder Service has been successfully utilised by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) across the Dublin local authorities since February 2015, with more than 2,000 households currently being supported by the Homeless HAP scheme. A similar service began operating in Cork City in 2017.

In order to further assist homeless households in exiting emergency accommodation, since January 2018, the Homeless HAP Place Finder Service can now be made available in each of the 31 local authority areas. All local authorities are now being provided with the options to pay deposits and advance rental payments for any households in emergency homeless accommodation, in order to secure accommodation via the HAP scheme.

To qualify for these specific additional supports available to homeless households, a household must have been determined by the relevant local authority to be homeless within the meaning of section 2 of the Housing Act 1988. The operation of local homeless services, including the Place Finder Service, is a matter for each local authority.

My Department collates quarterly regional performance reports from lead local authorities. These reports show that 1,997 individuals exited homelessness through Homeless HAP tenancies in 2017; of these, 1,171 secured their tenancies prior to entering emergency accommodation, and are therefore classified as preventative interventions, with the remaining 528 related to households exiting emergency accommodation.

Local Authority Housing

Questions (606)

Willie O'Dea

Question:

606. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if funding for a proposed new development (details supplied) in County Limerick has been agreed in view of statistics; his views on whether this constitutes sustainable development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17577/18]

View answer

Written answers

It is a matter for local authorities, working in co-operation with approved housing bodies (AHBs), to bring forward proposals for new social housing delivery in their areas of responsibility. Funding for the project in question was approved in principle by my Department and it is now a matter for the local authority and the AHB involved to advance as appropriate. My Department does not prescribe the exact number of social homes that can be developed in a particular area as it is for the local authority, in the first instance, to determine such matters based on the precise circumstances locally.

Top
Share