Written Answers Nos. 251-271
251. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of landowners issued with notices under the vacant sites levy by local authority; the number of landowners subject to the vacant site levy by local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26074/18]
View answerThe Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 introduced a new measure, the vacant site levy, which is aimed at incentivising the development of vacant, under-utilised sites in urban areas. Under the Act, planning authorities are required to establish a register of vacant sites in their areas, beginning on 1 January 2017. Planning authorities have issued notices to owners of vacant sites by 1 June this year in respect of vacant sites included on their respective registers on 1 January 2018, indicating that the levy will apply to those sites on 1 January 2019.
My Department does not maintain a central register of vacant sites as each local authority administers the vacant site register in respect of their functional area. As provided for under the Act, the register in respect of each local authority is available for inspection at its offices and online on its website.
On foot of a recent review of the on-line vacant site registers across all local authority areas, I understand that there are collectively approximately 230 individual sites currently on the local registers. Of these, just under 190 sites were entered on the local vacant site registers on 1 January 2018 and will therefore be subject to the levy in 2019, unless development works are activated in the interim.
My Department will continue to monitor implementation of the levy to ensure that it is being fully used, in line with its intended purpose of incentivising the development of vacant or under-utilised sites in urban areas and so that the full potential of the measure can be realised.
252. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of landowners issued notices under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 by local authority; the number of landowners subject to a derelict sites levy by local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26075/18]
View answerThe specific information sought regarding the number of landowners subject to the derelict sites levy by local authority is not readily available in my Department.
However, my Department collects details, on an annual basis in respect of the previous calendar year, which includes information regarding the number of notifications issued to owners of derelict sites, and the number of derelict sites levied in each local authority area. This information is available on the basis of each city and county council for the period 2013-2015; the details for 2016 are being compiled. Under section 8(5) of the Derelict Sites Act, a copy of the derelict sites register for any local authority can be inspected at the offices of that authority during office hours.
The position from 2013 to end of 2015 in respect of both 1) the number of notifications issued to owners, and 2) the number of derelict sites levied, as notified to my Department, is set out in the following table:
|
|
2013 |
2013 |
2014 |
2014 |
2015 |
2015 |
|
Local Authority |
Number of notifications issued to owners |
Number of Derelict Sites levied |
Number of notifications issued to owners |
Number of Derelict Sites levied |
Number of notifications issued to owners |
Number of Derelict Sites levied |
|
Carlow County Council |
10 |
13 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
|
Cavan County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Clare County Council |
24 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
|
Cork City Council |
0 |
19 |
0 |
19 |
0 |
17 |
|
Cork County Council |
6 * |
6 * |
16 |
14 |
14 |
2 |
|
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council |
12 |
15 |
7 |
13 |
7 |
15 |
|
Donegal County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Dublin City Council |
256 |
28 |
235 |
35 |
245 |
49 |
|
Fingal County Council |
22 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
|
Galway City Council |
7 |
1 |
26 |
3 |
25 |
2 |
|
Galway County Council |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kerry County Council |
7 |
35 |
8 |
20 |
0 |
4 |
|
Kildare County Council |
15 |
29 |
11 |
18 |
21 |
18 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
|
Laois County Council |
6 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
Limerick City and County Council |
1 |
14 |
1 |
19 |
9 |
0 |
|
Longford County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Louth County Council |
6 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
33 |
7 |
|
Mayo County Council |
8 |
27 |
1 |
22 |
9 |
24 |
|
Meath County Council |
0 |
8 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
8 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
|
Offaly County Council |
4 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
No data provided |
0 |
No data provided |
0 |
No data provided |
2 |
|
Sligo County Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
6 |
0 |
22 |
0 |
25 |
3 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
No data provided |
No data provided |
No data provided |
No data provided |
No data provided |
No data provided |
|
Waterford City and County Council |
5 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
1 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
4 |
50 |
3 |
67 |
3 |
49 |
|
Wexford County Council |
3 |
7 |
14 |
6 |
232 |
4 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total |
411 |
277 |
393 |
260 |
668 |
217 |
*Data for the entire functional area of Cork County Council is not available in my Department
253. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the proposed location of the headquarters of the regeneration and development agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26098/18]
View answer254. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of staff working within the regeneration and development agency; the anticipated number of staff by the end of 2018 and 2019, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26099/18]
View answer255. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount allocated to the 2018 budget for the regeneration and development agency; the anticipated budget for 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26100/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 253 to 255, inclusive, together.
Project Ireland 2040, published in February 2018, signals a significant policy shift towards securing more compact and sustainable urban and rural development, which requires significantly more effective land management in key development areas. Against that background, it is proposed to establish a National Regeneration and Development Agency to assist in ensuring a more effective approach to strategic land management, particularly in terms of publicly owned land.
The Agency will act as a national centre of expertise, working with and supporting local authorities, public bodies and other interests, to harness public lands as catalysts to stimulate regeneration and wider investment and to achieve compact, sustainable growth, with a particular emphasis on complex regeneration projects and the provision of affordable housing.
Detailed arrangements in relation to the functions, powers and mechanisms for the establishment of the Agency are currently being developed by my Department, in conjunction with the Department of An Taoiseach and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with a view to their early finalisation. These discussions will inform the designing of the functions, resource needs, budgetary requirements and location of the Agency, once it is established.
256. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the estimated number of units to be delivered in each of the pilot projects for a new cost rental scheme; the timeframe for their delivery; the criteria for their allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26102/18]
View answerAgainst the background of the affordability pressures which currently exist in the rental market, the Government is determined to make cost rental a major part of the Irish housing system, similar to the role it plays in many other European countries. Under this approach, rents are set at levels to recover the construction costs and to facilitate the management and administration of developments, but with only a minimal profit margin included.
A pilot project is currently being progressed by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, at Enniskerry Road in Sandyford, in conjunction with the Housing Agency and Approved Housing Bodies, using land owned by the Agency. Respond and Túath have been selected as development agents to bring the site forward for development, which will include the construction of 105 social housing and 50 cost rental homes. It is expected that construction on this site will commence before the end of the year.
Learning from the initial experience in the pilot scheme, my Department is working with the National Development Finance Agency, European Investment Bank, and other key stakeholders with a view to developing the large-scale cost rental projects, particularly in major urban areas, as well as a pipeline of further projects, to be developed and advanced by local authorities. Initial feasibility analysis is underway and I expect to be in a position to make an announcement on a major cost rental project to be advanced in Dublin city shortly.
I announced new measures in January of this year that are specifically targeted at delivering more affordable homes generally to households with maximum gross incomes of €50,000 for single applicants and €75,000 for joint applicants. The income criteria for access to a cost rental scheme will take into account the broader policy development on affordable housing.
257. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of affordable purchase schemes units provided to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26103/18]
View answerThe delivery of more affordable homes, to buy or rent, particularly in areas where people are facing the greatest affordability challenge, is a major priority for Government.
Of course, affordability and access to affordable housing are significantly influenced by the supply of new homes to buy and rent, and competition in the market. Therefore, the Government has taken significant action to increase housing supply through the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. This is having a significant impact, particularly for those on lowest incomes, with nearly 26,000 households having their social housing needs met in 2017.
More generally and in order to increase overall house-building at scale, a suite of actions is underway, including, for example, actions to fund infrastructure, streamline planning, and reduce building costs. There is evidence that these measures are working with housing planning permissions and commencements growing by 27% and 23% respectively, year on year as evidenced in the most recent Monthly Housing Activity Report, which can be accessed at the following link.
The Government is committed to ensuring that housing is affordable for households on low to moderate incomes. Recognising that people want a choice of affordable purchase and rental, depending on their stage of life and circumstances, we are progressing both through a range of initiatives.
I announced new measures in January specifically targeted at delivering more affordable homes to households generally with maximum income of €50,000 for single applicants and €75,000 for joint applicants. Based on initial estimates, the initiatives have the potential to deliver some 4,000 new affordable homes to buy or rent, with a target delivery of at least 10,000 new affordable homes in the medium to long term. The emphasis initially will be on delivering affordable homes from the public land bank, particularly in urban areas where affordability issues are greatest.
Already, proposals for a number of large mixed-tenure projects, that will include affordable homes, are progressing for local authority sites in Dublin, including Kilcarberry in Clondalkin, as well as O'Devaney Gardens and Oscar Traynor Road in the Dublin City Council area. These sites can accommodate 2,000 to 2,500 new homes. I also expect to announce a major cost rental project on a Dublin site shortly.
Finally, to support local authorities, I have secured additional funding for enabling infrastructure which will facilitate affordable housing provision, and I expect to issue a call for proposals for this funding to local authorities very shortly.
258. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of units covered by the enhanced leasing scheme by county; the anticipated costs per annum in 2018, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26104/18]
View answerA range of housing options are necessary to ensure a supply of accommodation to meet different types of social housing need. Harnessing the off-balance sheet potential of private investment in social housing is an important objective of the Government and the social housing targets set out in Rebuilding Ireland over the period to 2021 reflect the ambition in that regard.
Of the 50,000 social housing homes to be delivered under Rebuilding Ireland, 10,000 are targeted to be leased by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) under leasing arrangements from a range of different sources, including 3,500 homes targeted using the Repair and Lease Scheme (RLS), and 6,500 homes using a combination of the existing social housing leasing arrangements, and the new Enhanced Lease Scheme. All homes delivered under leasing arrangements, including a new Enhanced Leasing Scheme, will be funded under the Department’s Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP).
It is intended that up to 2,000 units will be leased by Local Authorities in 2018 through a combination of the existing Long Term Leasing arrangements, the Repair and Leasing Scheme and the new Enhanced Leasing Scheme.
The new Enhanced Leasing Scheme has been developed by my Department, together with the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), the Housing Agency and local authorities, in order to harness the potential of private sector interest in social housing delivery in a new set of long-term leasing arrangements, in a manner designed to leverage off-balance sheet funding opportunities in accordance with Rebuilding Ireland objectives. The new Scheme is targeted at new build or new to the market properties to be delivered at scale and will complement the existing long-term leasing arrangements, which will continue to be available. There are, however, a number of key differences between the existing long term lease and the enhanced lease, the purpose of which is to facilitate larger levels of private investment in social housing while ensuring that the capital investment is off balance sheet in respect of Government expenditure.
The scheme will be governed by my Department and operated by local authorities. The Housing Agency will manage and administer the scheme on behalf of my Department and will act as a national co-ordinator.
A call for proposals was launched on 31 January 2018 and the Housing Agency accepted submissions from interested parties until 12 April 2018. All proposals are subject to a range of criteria as set out in the “Calls for Proposals for Enhanced Long Term Social Housing Leasing Scheme” and the proposals will be assessed and marked in accordance with the terms set out therein. The Call for Proposals is available on the Housing Agency website at the following link.
A total of 33 submissions were received from interested parties which represents strong interest from the market. The Housing Agency is currently reviewing the proposals and will complete the initial review process in the coming weeks. Of those assessed, 14 proposals were returned on the grounds that they did not meet certain minimum qualifying criteria, 4 proposals did not pass suitability or appropriateness tests and 1 proposal has been deemed withdrawn. The remaining 14 proposals are still in the assessment process or awaiting further information.
Detailed information with respect to the numbers and locations of the units proposed for leasing under the Scheme will only be available once the individual proposals have been assessed, marked and accepted in accordance with the terms and methodology set out in the Calls for Proposals document and the respective Local Authorities have signed any Agreements for Lease arising.
259. Deputy Darragh O'Brien 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. [26105/18]
View answerUnder the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014, primary responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations, including Part B (Fire Safety), rests with the owners, designers and builders of buildings. As such, 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 the multi-unit residential buildings referred to, nor does it have a budget for such matters.
However, in August 2017, my Department 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.
Where apartment buildings that are non-compliant with building regulations or defective from a fire safety perspective come to the attention of the local authority fire services, they work with management companies and other stakeholders to ensure that appropriate levels of fire safety are achieved to minimise the probability of life loss. Actions are taken on a case by case fire safety assessment.
In addition, in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy and in recognition of fears expressed for fire safety, the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management in my Department was tasked with co-ordinating a high-level Task Force to lead a re-appraisal of fire safety in Ireland. The Task Force's report, which was published recently and is available at the following link.
It makes a number of recommendations in relation to fire safety in apartment buildings, including;
- the registration of fire stopping sub-contractors;
- the roles and responsibilities of Building Management Companies e.g. to review and maintain fire safety arrangements, to keep a Fire Safety Register, to advise residents on what to do in the event of a fire alarm (in particular the evacuation arrangements); and
- that local authority Fire Services should offer training to Building Management Companies on key life safety issues.
In addition, my Department has embarked on a three pronged Building Control Reform Agenda, including:
- Amendments to the Building Control Regulations;
- Establishment of a shared services National Building Control Management Project; and
-The development of new legislation through the Building Control (Construction Industry Register Ireland) Bill 2007.
These reforms have already brought and, through their full implementation, will continue to bring a new order and discipline to bear on construction projects, creating an enhanced culture of and focus on compliance with the Building Regulations.
260. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the local authorities' response and actions arising from the review of multi-storey units in the social housing sector requested by him in June 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26106/18]
View answerOn 27 June 2017, following the fire in London’s Grenfell Tower, and in recognition of concerns arising for fire safety in Ireland, I tasked my Department’s National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management with convening and coordinating a high-level Task Force to lead a re-appraisal of fire safety in Ireland.
In addition to this, and in the immediate aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, I instructed local authorities to undertake a review of fire safety in multi-storey, multi-unit social housing. I asked the Task Force to oversee and report on this initial action, as well as, among other things, reviewing existing arrangements and systems for fire safety and related issues which impact on fire safety in Ireland.
The work of the Task Force has now been completed and it has provided me with a full report, titled “Fire Safety in Ireland: Report of the Fire Safety Task Force ”, which describes its work, its conclusions on the state of fire safety in Ireland and its recommendations for moving forward.
With regard to the review of multi-storey, multi-unit social housing, local authorities were directed to examine fire detection and alarm systems, emergency lighting systems, common escape routes, including corridors, stairways and emergency exits, and to ensure that such systems were both in place and fully functional. The assessment by local authorities of the fire safety measures in their existing multi-storey, multi-unit social housing is considered to be a comprehensive exercise and provides considerable reassurance of the standard of fire safety within this profile of social housing stock. This local authority survey examined fire safety arrangements in 1,227 buildings with more than 16,000 residential units. Almost 95% of buildings covered by this review were found to have appropriate facilities, and the assessment process resulted in improvement works where necessary, underlining that local authorities are engaged fully on their fire safety responsibilities towards those who rely on social housing.
By identifying a small number of buildings where upgrade works were required to early warning systems and through engaging with Approved Housing Bodies and owners of private buildings leased in full by the local authority, the review process undertaken is seen to have had a positive effect and to have made contributions to both enhancing fire safety in multi-storey, multi-unit social housing and also raising fire safety awareness among owners/ landlords with statutory fire safety responsibilities.
However, the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower highlights the critical importance of fire safety in residential accommodation and the need for sustained vigilance in this regard. As such, it is considered appropriate by the Task Force that fire safety in these buildings would be subject to regular and consistent review and it has recommended that a review exercise of the type undertaken in 2017 should be undertaken and reported every five years.
I have accepted the Task Force’s recommendations and its report was brought to Government on 6 June 2018. I have now mandated the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management to oversee and report on the implementation of the relevant recommendations.
Copies of both the Report and the Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations are available on my Department’s website at the following links:
Fire Safety Task Force Report
Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations
261. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the new guidelines his Department is issuing in regard to local housing assessments needs in each local authority as outlined under the national planning framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26107/18]
View answerThe National Planning Framework (NPF), published by Government in February 2018 under Project Ireland 2040, provides for a Housing Need Demand Assessment (HNDA) to be developed by each local authority, in a co-ordinated fashion, to support the preparation of wider statutory housing and core strategies as part of the relevant local authority development plans.
To embed the HNDA approach in future planning and housing policy approaches, my Department intends to update existing statutory guidelines on development plans and local authority housing strategies later this year with the inclusion of a HNDA methodology, so that a strategic view is taken of a given local authority's housing requirements across all tenures and housing types.
The assessment will be undertaken by local authorities and co-ordinated by the Regional Assemblies, ensuring an effective response to the particular circumstances of metropolitan areas where city regions straddle two or more local authority areas.
Building on their past experience in developing housing strategies and core strategies, local authorities will develop the new HNDA approach, drawing upon information on demographic, affordability and wider economic trends, coupled to the profile of the existing housing stock and its management.
262. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding a company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26118/18]
View answerUnder Action 18 of the Strategy for the Rental Sector, my Department established a Working Group, involving representatives of all major public stakeholders with a policy interest in short-term lettings, to develop guidance in relation to planning applications, changes of use relating to short-term lettings and to examine the need for new regulatory arrangements.
The proposals considered by the Working Group, which has met on six occasions to date, have been aimed at facilitating short-term letting of accommodation within permanent residences, known as home-sharing, while protecting the existing stock of residential property in areas of high demand, safeguarding neighbourhood amenity and consumer protection, and generating revenue to address any negative externalities of short-term letting.
The Working Group completed guidance for local authorities on planning applications relating to short-term lettings and my Department issued a circular on the matter last October. The circular is available on my Department's website at the following link.
The Group has since been focused on developing proposals for an appropriate comprehensive regulatory approach for short-term tourism-related lettings as well as identifying amendments to relevant legislation as may be necessary to give effect to such a regulatory regime.
The report of the Working Group has now been submitted to my Department and I will complete my consideration of it, including the need for focused consultation, shortly.
263. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount Longford and Westmeath county councils spent on housing in terms of current expenditure in relation to the rental accommodation scheme, leasing, the housing assistance payment, HAP, and emergency accommodation; and the amount spent in terms of capital expenditure purchasers, voids brought back to use and construction of new dwellings by amount and number of houses in the past seven years, in tabular form. [26126/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, my Department provides funding to local authorities for the delivery of a range of housing programmes and supports. The details requested in respect of Longford County Council and Westmeath County Council are set out in the following table.
Longford County Council
|
- |
2011 €m |
2012 €m |
2013 €m |
2014 €m |
2015 €m |
2016 €m |
2017 €m |
|
Rental Accommodation Scheme |
1.76 |
1.44 |
1.16 |
0.89 |
0.84 |
0 |
0 |
|
Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme |
0.07 |
0.12 |
0.08 |
0.07 |
0.15 |
0.36 |
0.52 |
|
Housing Assistance Payment |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.009 |
|
LA Housing Capital Programme |
1.06 |
1.64 |
0.62 |
0.97 |
0.56 |
1.58 |
4.45 |
|
Voids |
0.08 |
0 |
0 |
0.31 |
0.43 |
0.51 |
0 |
Westmeath County Council
|
- |
2011 €m |
2012 €m |
2013 €m |
2014 €m |
2015 €m |
2016 €m |
2017 €m |
|
Rental Accommodation Scheme |
2.06 |
1.79 |
1.91 |
2 |
2.38 |
1.51 |
3.9 |
|
Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme |
0.45 |
0.78 |
1.06 |
1.32 |
1.13 |
2 |
1.71 |
|
Housing Assistance Payment |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.005 |
0.02 |
|
LA Housing Capital Programme |
2.3 |
2.96 |
0.55 |
2.18 |
1.11 |
4.31 |
5.23 |
|
Voids |
0.12 |
0 |
0 |
0.37 |
0.65 |
0.44 |
0.33 |
Detailed data in relation to social housing delivery across all schemes by each local authority, for the years 2011 to 2017, is available on my Department's website at the following link.
The Quarter 4 2017 Construction Status Report, available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the link below, provides project-level detail on the existing pipeline in place in all local authorities. The report is based on activity up to end 2017 and, over the course 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, as contained in the following link.
Exchequer funding under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988 is also provided to housing authorities on a regional basis towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services. Under the funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of services from their own resources. Housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure on homeless related services outside of the funding arrangements with my Department. Therefore, the exact amounts spent by housing authorities on homeless services, as well as the types of accommodation, are a matter for those authorities. Westmeath and Longford Counties are included in the Midlands region, along with Laois and Offaly, for the purposes of homelessness administration, with Westmeath County Council as the lead authority for the region. A breakdown of the funding recouped to the Midlands Region since 2013 is available and set out in the following table.
Funding under Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988 to the Midlands Region
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2013 |
€ 649,707 |
|
2014 |
€ 649,707 |
|
2015 |
€ 805,995 |
|
2016 |
€1,109,748 |
|
2017 |
€1,467,615 |
264. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will have their site inspected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25948/18]
View answerAn application for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has been received by my Department from the individual referred to in the Deputy’s Question. With respect to 36 raised bog natural heritage area sites, the qualifying criteria for the scheme are that:
- The applicant must have had a legal interest (ownership or a turbary right (right to cut turf)) in one of these sites on 25 May 2010 and must have had the right to cut and remove turf from the property on that date;
- The applicant must have been cutting turf on the land in question during the relevant five year period up to 14 January 2014;
- The turf resource on the site has not been exhausted; and
- No turf cutting or associated activity is ongoing on the property.
The applicant was paid for Year 1 of the scheme (2014) in September 2014. I am advised that a report on an inspection of the plot of bog relevant to the application has recently been received and the application has now been processed. Consequently, the application has now been approved for payment for Year 2 (2015), Year 3 (2016), Year 4 (2017) and Year 5 (2018) of the scheme. Payment will issue to the applicant's bank account shortly.
265. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of freedom of information, FOI, requests her Department has received since January 2018; the number that were appealed, refused and granted, respectively; the costs that were applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25959/18]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy in respect of Freedom of Information requests received by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to date in 2018 is set out in the following table.
Of the 125 requests received to date, there has been one request appealed to internal review and to the Office of the Information Commissioner.
With regard to costs applied, a total of €295 has been collected in respect of search and retrieval fees with a further charge of €30 applied in respect of the above mentioned internal review.
|
Number of FOI requests |
Granted |
Part Granted |
Refused |
Withdrawn |
Responded to outside FOI by agreement with Requester |
Transferred to another Department |
Live |
|
125 |
22 |
29 |
39 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
20 |
266. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 623 to 625, inclusive, of 20 February 2018, the extent to which the interim report referred to had a bearing on the 2018-2019 derogation declaration signed by her on 2 May 2018 (details supplied). [26052/18]
View answer267. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 623 to 625, inclusive, of 20 February 2018, if she will provide a copy of the interim report from the State-wide review. [26053/18]
View answer268. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide a copy of the submission and briefing notes submitted to her with regard to the State-wide derogations declaration for 2018 and 2019 signed by her on 2 May 2017 and posted on the National Parks and Wildlife Service's website (details supplied) and based on which she signed the 2018 and 2019 derogation. [26054/18]
View answer269. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she plans to act immediately on findings and recommendations in the final report from the State-wide review process; and if not, if she plans to wait until 1 May 2019 to publicly implement such recommendations as may arise in view of the annualised basis of the current derogation declaration whereby it is renewed circa 1 May each year. [26055/18]
View answer270. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the final report from the State-wide review makes pertinent recommendations in regard to urban gull issues, derogation licensing, common EU policy and operational practices on public health grounds; and if her Department will engage with local authorities for their 2019 planning and budgeting cycle, that is, by October 2018 at the latest. [26056/18]
View answer271. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the date on which the final report in regard to the State-wide review of the wild birds derogation process commissioned by her Department under external contract in January 2018 will be published. [26179/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 266 to 271, inclusive, together.
My Department is currently undertaking a review of the derogation process under Article 9 of the EU Birds Directive which will take account of all relevant factors, including perceived threats, distribution and population data available in respect of all the bird species in the derogations. ANIAR Ecology were appointed by my Department to undertake the review following a public tendering process. My Department is expecting a final report from the consultants shortly and following consideration of the draft report by my Department the final report will be published.
An interim report was received from the consultants in April this year which included recommendations in respect of the derogation process including in relation to the 2018/19 declarations.
I am arranging for a copy of the documents referred to by the Deputy in relation to the renewal of the declarations for the period commencing 1 May 2018 to be sent to her together with a copy of the consultants’ interim report which will also be published on the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department. Following consideration of the consultants' final report, my Department will engage with relevant stakeholders as necessary.
The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
