Written Answers Nos. 732-747
732. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the reason a person (details supplied) who made a submission under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 on 20 June 2016 has not had a definitive final reply to their submission after over two years; when such a reply will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31932/18]
View answerThe matters raised in the submission in question made under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 are of a serious nature and have been treated accordingly in my Department. While my Department's assessment of both the submission and the relevant local authority's response to that submission may have taken longer than initially envisaged, it has now concluded.
As I informed the individual concerned in writing on 18 May 2018, the legal advice of the Office of the Attorney General in relation to my Department’s assessment is being sought with a view to informing the appropriate next steps.
My Department will be in contact with the individual concerned once the outcome of that process is complete.
733. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the allocation for the serviced site fund in 2018; the targeted number of affordable units in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31943/18]
View answer734. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the average site subsidy for the serviced site fund in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31944/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 733 and 734 together.
I refer to my reply to Question No. 945 of 10 July 2018 which broadly sets out the position in relation to the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF).
In addition, given that the State investment under the SSF needs to assist as many households as possible to access an affordable home, funding will be capped at €30,000 Exchequer contribution per affordable home to be delivered. When combined with the local authority contribution of at least 25% of the cost of the infrastructure bid, this will bring the per-unit grant to €40,000 minimum.
A total of €15 million Exchequer funding has been allocated for 2018, to which the local authority minimum contribution of €5 million will be added. This should enable the provision of infrastructure for around 500 affordable homes through this €20m fund, based on a level of €40,000 per unit.
735. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the average site subsidy under the 1999 affordable housing scheme from 1999-2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31945/18]
View answerThe 1999 Affordable Housing Scheme provided for the building of new houses on land owned or purchased by local authorities and the purchase of turnkey developments by local authorities for sale. These house were subsided through a site subsidy and were provided at less than market value.
In instances where the local authority was building on their own sites or purchased land, they were able to apply to my Department for a site subsidy. The site subsidy payable for Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway and certain district electoral divisions in the Kildare, Meath and Wicklow areas was up to €50,000. The site subsidy for areas other than those set out above was up to €31,800.
736. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the units to be provided under the affordable housing scheme from 2018 to 2023 per annum in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31946/18]
View answer755. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the target date for the commencement of an affordable housing scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32365/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 736 and 755 together.
As Minister, I have been clear that we need to address issues of housing affordability, recognising the pressures that exist for low- to middle-income households, particularly in Dublin and certain other of our main urban centres. The delivery of targeted affordable housing, for purchase and rent, was a priority topic at the recent Summit with local authority Chief Executives. It also featured prominently at a post-Housing Summit meeting with local authority Housing Directors of Service this week.
A three-pronged, targeted approach to affordable housing is being pursued. Firstly, in terms of affordable housing for purchase, I have now commenced the relevant provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, to place the new scheme for affordable purchase on a statutory footing. This Scheme will be delivered by local authorities developing their sites in key locations. The Scheme will be complementary to other Government Schemes which help first-time buyers to buy a home, such as the Help to Buy Scheme and the new local authority home loan scheme.
Secondly, I am also determined that cost rental homes become a major part of our rental landscape in the future. There is a gap between social housing and the rental market that needs to be filled, making a sustainable impact on housing affordability, national competitiveness, and the attractiveness of our main urban centres as places to live and work. Cost rental is an important component of progressive housing systems around Europe.
The Housing Agency, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and a number of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) have been working with my Department to get our first cost rental pilot, at Enniskerry Road, ready for tenders to issue shortly. In parallel, Dublin City Council, my Department and the National Development Finance Agency are undertaking detailed modelling and financial appraisal on a major site, at St. Michael’s Estate in Inchicore, to assess its suitability for a significant cost rental development. The work of that multi-disciplinary team is progressing well and should be concluded very shortly. Once we have proven the concept through our pilot projects, I plan to roll out cost rental across other suitable sites.
Finally, in order to support local authorities to get their sites ready for affordable housing, I am providing additional funding for enabling infrastructure via the Serviced Sites Fund. Given that housing-related infrastructure will now be able to avail of funding under the €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, I am re-directing the €50 million planned funding for Phase 2 of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund to the Serviced Sites Fund, increasing the scale of the fund from the previously announced €25 million to €75 million. When local authority co-funding is included, an overall minimum investment of €100 million will be provided to those sites that require infrastructural investment in order for them to be brought into use for affordable housing. The call for proposals under the Serviced Site Fund issued last month.
Based on initial estimates, the local authorities in Dublin, the Greater Dublin Area, Cork and Galway, have lands with the potential to deliver some 4,000 new affordable homes. My Department is continuing to work with the key local authorities and the Housing Agency to identify sites for at least 10,000 new affordable homes, and that analysis is progressing well.
737. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the details of the €70 million rolling Housing Agency fund by county; the number of units delivered in the past 12 months; the average cost for each unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31947/18]
View answerUnder Actions 1.1, 2.5 and 5.6 of Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Housing Agency is actively engaged with banks and investment companies in relation to its acquisitions programme. An Acquisitions Fund of €70m, which is a revolving fund, has been established with the objective of acquiring some 1,600 units over the period to 2020 for social housing use.
Since the Fund was established, the Agency has had bids accepted on 645 properties. Contracts have been signed for 454 units and 404 of these purchases have closed at a value of €72m. The process of selling properties on to Approved Housing Bodies is underway. Since the Fund was established, the Agency has signed purchase option agreements for 238 properties with Approved Housing Bodies and these units are now under Caretaker Leases. To date, the onward sales of 132 units to AHBs have been completed in full and the Agency has received €27.7m from AHBs for these units. The average cost per unit of the units purchased to date is approximately €178,652. The number of units purchased to date since the establishment of the Fund and the average cost for each unit broken down by county is set out in the table.
|
Local Authority |
Purchase Complete |
Average Cost |
|
Carlow |
2 |
€97,500 |
|
Cavan |
4 |
€96,250 |
|
Clare |
4 |
€112,500 |
|
Cork City |
4 |
€150,000 |
|
Cork County |
19 |
€151,895 |
|
Donegal |
8 |
€82,375 |
|
Dublin City |
60 |
€253,871 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown |
4 |
€276,250 |
|
Fingal |
74 |
€196,858 |
|
Galway City |
5 |
€231,400 |
|
Galway County |
17 |
€160,588 |
|
Kerry |
14 |
€157,357 |
|
Kildare |
37 |
€213,351 |
|
Kilkenny |
5 |
€113,000 |
|
Laois |
12 |
€106,667 |
|
Leitrim |
4 |
€89,250 |
|
Limerick |
5 |
€109,000 |
|
Longford |
2 |
€105,000 |
|
Louth |
6 |
€165,000 |
|
Mayo |
3 |
€113,333 |
|
Meath |
18 |
€177,333 |
|
Monaghan |
3 |
€133,333 |
|
Offaly |
5 |
€107,000 |
|
Roscommon |
1 |
€115,000 |
|
Sligo |
2 |
€109,000 |
|
South Dublin |
36 |
€197,208 |
|
Tipperary |
16 |
€104,500 |
|
Waterford |
10 |
€112,900 |
|
Westmeath |
6 |
€118,000 |
|
Wexford |
12 |
€112,000 |
|
Wicklow |
6 |
€235,333 |
|
Total: |
404 |
€178,652 |
738. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the legislative framework for local authority decisions on setting and reviewing differential rents; his plans to enact the provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 amending the mechanisms for local authorities setting and reviewing differential rents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31948/18]
View answerAt present the making of rent schemes and the setting of rent levels is a matter for each local authority under the provisions of the Housing Act 1966.
Section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which has not been commenced to date, provides that Regulations may be made for the matters to be included in a rent scheme to be made by a housing authority, including:
- the manner in which the financial circumstances of households and their ability to pay rent shall be taken into account in determining rent, including the level, type and sources of household income that may be assessed for the purpose of determining rents;
- the manner in which adjustments may be made to the rent in respect of any obligations imposed on the tenant under the tenancy agreement relating to the maintenance of the dwelling;
- the amount, or method of calculation, of any allowances in respect of rent which may be made for dependents;
- the procedure for rent review including rent increases during the period of the tenancy having regard to any changes in household circumstances or income levels.
The section also empowers housing authorities to include charges in the rent relating to the costs of works and services provided to dwellings under the Housing Acts.
Considerable work has been carried out by my Department in developing a draft national differential rents framework under section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. Such a framework had as its main aim the facilitation of a significant harmonisation in local authority rents, including a set of standardised income disregards, whilst retaining the general principle of rents related to household income.
This work is now being examined further in the light of the broader commitment given in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, to review the disparate systems of differential rent for social housing in place across local authorities. The overall objective is to ensure that housing supports are fair and sustainable, prioritise those on lowest incomes and avoid creating social welfare traps that may prevent people from either returning to work or to the private housing market.
I expect that the review will be completed in the near future, after which the position in relation to Section 31 of the 2009 Act will be considered further.
739. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will consider extending rent pressure zones throughout County Louth to combat high rent increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31952/18]
View answerSection 24A of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004, as amended, provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered as a Rent Pressure Zone. Following receipt of such a proposal, the Minister requests the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to conduct an assessment of the area to establish whether or not it meets the criteria for designation and to report to the Minister on whether the area should be designated as a Rent Pressure Zone. For the purpose of the Act, ‘area’ is defined as either the administrative area of a housing authority or a local electoral area within the meaning of section 2 of the Local Government Act 2001. There is no provision for any other type of area to be designated as a Rent Pressure Zone.
For an area to be designated as a Rent Pressure Zone, it must satisfy the following criteria set out in section 24A(4) of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as inserted by section 36 of the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016):
(i) The annual rate of rent inflation in the area must have been 7% or more in four of the last six quarters; and
(ii) The average rent for tenancies registered in the area with the RTB in the last quarter must be above the average national rent (the National Standardised Rent in the RTB’s Rent Index Report) in the last quarter (€1,060 per month in Q1 2018).
On 13 June 2018, the RTB published its Rent Index Report in relation to Quarter 1 2018, which includes a summary of the data used as the criteria for designating Rent Pressure Zones in relation to all Local Electoral Areas in the country. This allows all interested parties to see exactly where their area stands in relation to average rent levels and increases and possible designation.
There are four local electoral areas in County Louth - Drogheda, Dundalk Carlingford, Dundalk South and Ardee. Drogheda was designated as a Rent Pressure Zone on 20 September 2017.
The data from the Rent Index Report Q1 2018 relating to the 3 local electoral areas in County Louth which have not been designated as Rent Pressure Zones is detailed in the table:
|
Local Electoral Area |
Quarters >7% |
Average 2018 Q1 (€) |
|
Dundalk Carlingford |
5 |
843.08 |
|
Dundalk South |
5 |
987.18 |
|
Ardee |
4 |
886.11 |
In each of the three (not yet designated) County Louth Electoral Areas, the average monthly rent is below the national standardised rent of €1,060 per month. Therefore, none of these Local Electoral Areas meet the criteria for designation at present.
The Housing Agency will continue to monitor the rental market and may recommend further areas for designation. Where, following the procedures set out in the Act, it is found at a future date that additional areas meet the criteria, they will be designated as Rent Pressure Zones.
740. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the funding provided towards capital projects in counties Meath and Louth in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018, by project name, location and cost, in tabular form. [31993/18]
View answer741. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the applications submitted for funding and projects from Meath and Louth County Councils in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018 for projects decided upon or in progress, in tabular form. [32009/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 740 and 741 together.
My Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, covering a broad range of functions, including local authority housing, voluntary housing, homeless services, estate regeneration, energy efficiency retrofitting, housing grants, rural water schemes, urban renewal/regeneration, and fire services. In order to achieve its business objectives, the Department allocates significant resources to an extensive range of organisations, including local authorities, dedicated agencies, and other bodies; some allocations, depending on the programmes concerned, are made on a national or other non-county basis. In these circumstances, the information requested is not readily available in my Department and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. If the Deputy is interested in a more specific issue concerning funding from my Department, and tables a Parliamentary Question in that regard, I will endeavour to provide the information sought.
742. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the data on evictions for reasons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32039/18]
View answerMy Department does not hold or collate the data referred to by the Deputy in relation to private rental properties.
The Clerk of the Dáil requested that arrangements be put in place to facilitate the provision of information by State Bodies to members of the Oireachtas. Following the issue of Circular LG (P)05/16 on 20 September 2016 from my Department, the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) set up a dedicated email address for this purpose, at OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie.
743. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the powers he has available to him under water legislation to compel owners of private buildings to fix water leaks on their property if they are unwilling to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32040/18]
View answerConservation of water supplies is a key policy imperative. Safe, reliable and high quality drinking water is expensive to produce and is a precious resource.
Section 54 of the Water Services Act 2007 (as amended) places a statutory duty on the owner of a property to maintain, repair and renew the internal water services system at their premises in such condition as to ensure that water intended for human consumption meets the prescribed quality requirements and that water does not leak from the system. Section 8 of the Act of 2007 gives a water services authority the power to prosecute offences under the Act, including an offence under section 54. Irish Water became the water services authority in respect of premises connected to the public water system with effect from 1 January 2014.
While enforcement and the threat of prosecution undoubtedly has a place in circumstances where persistent and willful waste of water by individual households or businesses is apparent, the real challenges in conservation terms lie in reducing per capita demands for water, eliminating leakages and wastage as far as practicable and effective management of water resources and service capacity.
On this basis I published the Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025 on 21 May 2018 following its approval by Government. The Policy Statement sets out a series of high-level policy objectives across the three thematic areas of Quality, Conservation, and Future Proofing, which must be pursued when planning capital investment and framing current spending plans. The Policy Statement is available on my Department's website at the following weblink:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/water_services_policy_statement_2018-2025_0.pdf.
The Policy Statement supports the promotion of water conservation and water resource management as an important element of water services policy that is to be reflected in strategic investment planning by Irish Water. For the period of the Policy Statement, this will involve the prioritisation of multifaceted programmes around leak detection and repair, network improvements, cost effective metering, public awareness campaigns and funding to fix customer side leaks. The National Leakage Reduction Programme in particular includes investment of some €250 million over the next four years under the Find and Fix repair scheme and the Water Mains Rehabilitation programme.
My Department continues to work with Irish Water and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities to ensure that effective water conservation arrangements as set out in the Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025 are reflected in ongoing investment plans and connection policies. The Policy Statement also extends to rural and privately provided water services where conservation is also placed firmly at the heart of policy matters which will be reflected in the current Review of Rural Water Services and in ongoing investment decisions under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme.
744. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the review of commercial rates in order to introduce a more equitable system in which businesses will be charged based on their affordability to pay will commence. [32086/18]
View answerLocal authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes, in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The Commissioner of Valuation has responsibility for valuation matters. The Annual Rate on Valuation (ARV), which is applied to the valuation of each property determined by the Valuation Office to obtain the amount payable in rates, is decided by the elected members of each local authority in the annual budget and its determination is a reserved function.
Rates income is a very important contribution to the cost of services provided by local authorities such as roads, public lighting, development control, parks and open spaces. Locally elected members adopt the annual rate on valuation they consider necessary in order to provide the required services.
My Department has in recent years requested local authorities to exercise restraint in setting ARVs and they have responded positively in this regard. The national average ARV has not changed significantly in recent years. The national average ARV decreased slightly each year from 2010 to 2015 and has increased slightly each year from 2016 to 2018.
As provided for under section 66 of the Local Government Act 2001, local authorities may decide to offer assistance or money in kind in order to promote the interests of the local community, which includes, inter alia, the economic or general development of the administrative area (or part of it) of the local authority concerned. Also, local authorities work closely with ratepayers experiencing difficulty in the payment of commercial rates. In this regard, local authorities facilitate the payment of commercial rates by instalments, and work with businesses to put in place flexible payment options that reflect capacity to pay.
The principle of local authorities levying rates based on an independent valuation is well established, and I have no plans to change this. However, the legislative basis for the levying of rates is spread over a number of enactments, some dating back to the 19th century. My Department has developed legislative proposals to modernise and consolidate the legislation governing commercial rates, and last year the Government approved the drafting of a Rates Bill. Among the measures included in the General Scheme of the Bill are provisions to allow a local authority to introduce rates alleviation schemes to support the implementation of policy objectives, including: local economic and community plans; objectives contained in Development Plans and Local Area Plans; and national planning policies. The Bill is with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel for drafting, with a view to it being published later this month.
745. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the review of income eligibility limits for social housing will be finalised and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32147/18]
View answer746. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to improve the income eligibility limits for social housing in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32148/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 745 and 746 together.
The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy.
The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were 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. It is important to note that the limits introduced at that time also reflected 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, both promoting sustainable communities and also providing a degree of future-proofing.
As part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports has commenced. The Housing Agency is carrying out the detailed statistical work which will underpin this review on behalf of my Department.
I expect the results of the review to be available for publication later in the summer.
747. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to reduce the 10% deposit required to avail of a local authority housing loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32149/18]
View answerThe new Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is designed to enable credit-worthy first-time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range. The scheme is targeted at first-time buyers who have access to an adequate deposit and have the capacity to repay a mortgage, but who are unable to access a mortgage sufficient for them to purchase their first home.
Regarding the minimum deposit required under the scheme, in order to support prudential lending and consistency of treatment for borrowers, a Loan to Value ratio of 90% applies to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan as per the Central Bank's prudential lending guidelines. Therefore, in order to avail of the loan, applicants must have a deposit equivalent to 10% of the market value of the property, and I have no plans to change what I believe is a financially prudent measure.
Applicants must provide bank or similar statements (such as post office, credit union etc.) for a 12-month period immediately prior to making an application, clearly showing a credible and consistent track record of savings. The cash savings of the applicant should be no less than 3% of the market value of the property. Gifts are permissible up to 7% of the market value of the property, where their source is verified.
The Housing Agency assesses applications for loans on behalf of the local authorities. However 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 Regulations establishing the scheme, the statutory credit policy issued under the Regulations and have regard to the recommendations of the Housing Agency, in order to ensure consistency of treatment for all applicants.
