Written Answers Nos. 72-90
72. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the date on which the final report on councillor's pay and conditions will be published; and if the recommendations in the report will be adopted regardless of the outcome. [1424/19]
View answerOn 21 June 2018, I announced that, with the agreement of the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, I was commissioning a review of the role and remuneration of local authority elected members and published the terms of reference for same. I appointed Ms. Sara Moorhead SC to conduct the independent review.
In accordance with the terms of reference, Ms Moorhead submitted an interim report at the end of November 2018, which is published on my Department's website at the following link: https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/20181205_interim_report_-_review_of_the_role_and_remuneration_of_councillors.pdf.
The interim report details the range of actions undertaken and sets out the further complex work necessary to complete the review. This work is proceeding and Ms Moorhead's intention is that her final report will be ready for submission by the end of quarter 1, 2019.
When the review is complete, its findings will be the subject of discussion between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. It will be submitted thereafter for the consideration of the Government. Details of the outcome will be announced following the conclusion of this process.
73. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will report on the housing announcement he attended recently. [49137/18]
View answerI assume the question refers to my visit to the Dolphin House Regeneration Project, which I attended with An Taoiseach. Details of this visit are available on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/regeneration-scheme/taoiseach-and-minister-eoghan-murphy-visit-phase-1.
Phase 1 of this project, which provides 100 social housing homes, was supported by funding of €26 million from my Department, and involved the refurbishment of 63 existing homes and the construction of 37 new homes.
Over the lifetime of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness , some €211 million is being made available under the National Regeneration Programme to support the delivery of over 1,000 new social housing homes. Together with providing a significant number of new homes the projects seek to address the causes of disadvantage in these communities through a holistic programme of physical, social and economic regeneration. A programme of large-scale regeneration projects in Dublin, Cork and Limerick and smaller projects in Tralee, Sligo and Dundalk, are being supported.
74. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to address the housing crisis in County Wexford; if he will consider establishing Gorey as a rent pressure zone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1409/19]
View answerOver the course of the 6-year Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan, the Government is committed to meeting the housing needs of over 137,000 households. The implementation of Rebuilding Ireland is well underway and making significant progress. Annual delivery targets were exceeded in 2016 and again in 2017. By end September 2018, over 63,700 additional social housing solutions had already been provided under the plan. The level of progress being made is reflected in social housing waiting lists, which have reduced by 22% nationally, from 91,600 households to 71,858, between 2016 and 2018. In Wexford, the number of households on waiting lists has reduced by 15% in one year alone, falling from 2,577 in 2017 to 2,177 in 2018.
In relation to social housing construction activity, my Department publishes comprehensive status reports on a quarterly basis of all social housing construction schemes for all local authority areas. The most recent of these reports covers the period up to the end of quarter 3 2018 and contains information on the progress of over 17,536 new social housing homes, which are currently approved and progressing through planning, design and construction, as well as homes delivered to end quarter 3 2018.
The report shows that Wexford County Council, and the Approved Housing Bodies it is working with, have a social housing construction programme of 54 projects already complete or at planning, design, tender or construction stage, which will deliver 591 homes when complete.
Local authorities have also been undertaking targeted acquisitions with a particular focus on vacant properties in order to avoid increasing pressure and competition in local property markets.
My Department continues to engage actively with all local authorities, including Wexford County Council, to deliver social housing through all available avenues, with a particular emphasis on additional construction projects.
In relation to the rental sector, section 24A of the Residential Tenancies Act 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 for designation 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.
For an area to be designated 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 (€1,122 per month in Q3 2018).
The RTB Rent Index Report includes a summary in Table 9 of the data used to establish whether each Local Electoral Area fulfils the criteria for designation as a Rent Pressure Zone. This ensures transparency in relation to the position of individual areas in terms of average rent levels and increases.
Further information on Rent Pressure Zones and designations is available on my Department's website at https://www.housing.gov.ie/PUBLICATIONS, by searching 'rent pressure zones - information'.
The data from the Rent Index Report for Q3 2018 relating to the local electoral area of Gorey, County Wexford is detailed in the table.
|
Local Electoral Area |
Quarters > 7% |
Average 2018 Q3 |
|
Gorey |
5 |
€853.81 |
In Gorey, while more than 4 of the last 6 quarters have seen rent inflation of 7% or greater, the average monthly rent is below the national standardised rent of €1,122 per month. Therefore, the Local Electoral Area of Gorey does not meet the criteria for designation at this time.
The Housing Agency continues 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.
75. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the expected number of affordable houses to be provided under the scheme following the announcement in budget 2019 of funding of €310 million for affordable housing in each of the years 2019 to 2021; the number of these houses which will be in the Dublin area; the price range he expects them to sell for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1438/19]
View answerIn order to support the affordable housing programmes of local authorities, the Government has committed €310 million, over the three years 2019 to 2021, under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) announced as part of Budget 2019. The funding is available for key facilitating infrastructure, on public lands, to support the provision of affordable homes to purchase or rent. I envisage a maximum amount of SSF funding of €50,000 per affordable home and on this basis, at least 6,200 affordable homes could be facilitated.
On 11 December 2018, I issued approval in principle for ten infrastructure projects across five local authority areas, in Dublin and Cork, under the first call for proposals. The first tranche of funding of €43 million will enable delivery of 1,400 affordable homes on local authority lands. I expect infrastructure works on these projects to begin as soon as possible in 2019 and delivery of affordable homes from early 2020 onwards. Details of the projects are set out in the table below. There are five further projects under active consideration by my Department, with the potential to facilitate the delivery of an additional 230 affordable homes. A second call for proposals will issue shortly.
As regards the price range within which the homes will be made available to eligible households, the cost of constructing new affordable homes is dependent on a range of variables, such as the location, the scale of the development and the size and type of the homes involved. However, in preparing their bids for funding under the SSF, local authorities were advised to be guided by the Unit Cost Ceilings (UCCs) for social housing in determining the cost of the affordable homes to be delivered under this programme.
These UCCs are based on the analysis of returned data from tendered social housing schemes over an extended period, and market tender index information. Construction cost is reflective of building costs (including VAT) and also includes normal site works and site development. All-in cost includes cost of construction, land cost, professional fees, utility connections, site investigations/surveys, archaeology where appropriate, VAT and contribution to public art. Abnormal costs are excluded from these figures.
The relevant UCC data for the Dublin local authorities is set out in the tables below.
An important factor in the allocation of funding under the SSF is the capacity to translate that funding into a discount on the affordable homes. In addition, local authorities must consider the market price of similar homes on sale in the equivalent private market and the level of discount on market price envisaged, which will be required under the Affordable Purchase Scheme terms. The objective is to maximise the benefits from public money by funding the best value for money proposals possible.
Table 1: List of projects that have received approval in principle under the SSF first call for proposals
|
Local Authority |
Project/Location |
Total Provisional Cost of Proposal€ |
Provisional Exchequer Grant Amount € |
Provisional Local Authority Contribution€ |
Affordable Housing Potential |
|
Cork County |
Glanmire |
€1,500,000 |
€1,335,000 |
€165,000 |
20 |
|
Cork City |
Boherboy Road |
€4,968,366 |
€4,421,846 |
€546,520 |
103 |
|
Cork City |
Kilmore Road, Churchfield |
€1,410,551 |
€1,255,390 |
€155,160 |
21 |
|
Dublin City |
Cherry Orchard |
€7,645,415 |
€6,804,419 |
€840,996 |
183 |
|
Dublin City |
Balbutcher, Ballymun |
€4,135,351 |
€3,680,462 |
€454,889 |
74 |
|
Dublin City |
Sillogue, Ballymun |
€3,975,000 |
€3,537,750 |
€437,250 |
83 |
|
DLR |
Enniskerry Road |
€4,537,576 |
€4,038,443 |
€499,133 |
50 |
|
Fingal |
Church Fields, Mulhuddart |
€11,000,000 |
€9,790,000 |
€1,210,000 |
753 |
|
Fingal |
Dun Emer, Lusk |
€1,500,000 |
€1,335,000 |
€165,000 |
74 |
|
Fingal |
Hackettstown, Skerries |
€2,198,667 |
€1,956,814 |
€241,853 |
49 |
|
Total |
€42,870,926 |
€38,155,124 |
€4,715,801 |
1410 |
Table 2: Houses, average costs (2017 Unit Cost Ceilings)
|
1 bed |
1 bed |
2 bed (1 storey) |
2 bed (1 storey) |
2 bed (2 storey) |
2 bed (2 storey) |
3 bed |
3 bed |
4 bed |
4 bed |
|
|
Construct |
All-in |
Construct |
All-in |
Construct |
All-in |
Construct |
All-in |
Construct |
All-in |
|
|
DCC |
216,800 |
275,900 |
223,200 |
283,600 |
232,200 |
293,800 |
242,300 |
305,300 |
252,800 |
316,900 |
|
DLR |
182,000 |
234,500 |
187,800 |
240,300 |
195,900 |
249,600 |
205,300 |
260,100 |
214,600 |
270,600 |
|
Fingal |
166,800 |
217,000 |
172,600 |
224,000 |
180,800 |
232,100 |
190,100 |
242,600 |
199,500 |
253,200 |
|
SDCC |
182,000 |
234,500 |
187,800 |
240,300 |
195,900 |
249,600 |
205,300 |
260,100 |
214,600 |
270,600 |
Table 3: Apartments, average costs (2017 Unit Cost Ceilings)
|
1 bed |
1 bed |
2 bed |
2 bed |
3 bed |
3 bed |
|
|
Construct |
All-in |
Construct |
All-in |
Construct |
All-in |
|
|
DCC |
227,700 |
289,600 |
234,400 |
297,800 |
256,100 |
324,000 |
|
DLR |
191,100 |
246,200 |
197,200 |
252,300 |
216,000 |
275,200 |
|
Fingal |
175,100 |
227,800 |
181,200 |
235,200 |
199,300 |
255,900 |
|
SDCC |
191,100 |
246,200 |
197,200 |
252,300 |
216,000 |
275,200 |
76. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to publish legislation to provide for local area committees for towns and cities in which expansion into neighbouring counties requires planning across county boundaries; his plans to set up these committees in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54555/18]
View answerIt is my intention, in the coming months, to publish legislation to place local authority cross boundary cooperation on a statutory basis in certain circumstances where urban settlements have extended beyond county boundaries.
These provisions envisage the establishment of urban area committees where the results of a population census show that at least 1,500 persons or 10% of the area's population are living in the administrative area of another local authority. This will apply to urban areas with a population between 1,500 and 100,000, thereby encompassing Athlone, Bray, Carlow, Carrick-on-Shannon, Drogheda, Limerick, Portarlington and Waterford. It is envisaged that urban area committees will perform local area planning functions for towns and their contiguous areas as determined by the committee, or failing that, as ordered by the Minister.
Membership of the committee would be equally drawn from both local authorities and would consist of councillors from the relevant local electoral areas as well as the Cathaoirleach of each of the local authorities. Provision for participation in a non voting capacity for experts in the areas of transport, infrastructure, housing or business is also envisaged.
The legislative proposals will be developed further to enable wider consultation ahead of their ultimate publication.
77. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to continue the social intervention fund as part of the Limerick regeneration project beyond 2022 in view of the high number of local organisations that depend on the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1280/19]
View answer1170. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the supports that will be put in place to help organisations create an exit strategy for self-funding that will be required as part of applications for funding from the social intervention fund from 2020 onwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1306/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 1170 together.
The Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan (LRFIP), launched in September 2013, provides a roadmap for the regeneration of Limerick over a 10 year period, integrating measures relating to the physical, social and economic environment. Good progress has been made to date on implementation, as demonstrated in the review of the LRFIP published in 2016.
The Social Intervention Fund is a valuable part of the overall approach under regeneration and helps to leverage additional mainstream funding for the benefit of the areas. As the Limerick regeneration programme moves forward, I expect that Limerick City & County Council will continue to monitor the impact of all the measures, including the Social Intervention Fund. It will be important that evidence of these impacts is gathered and assessed to best identify ways to reinforce and sustain the benefits that are being achieved through the regeneration programme. Until those evaluations are made, it would be premature to decide what form future supports will take. However, the Government is committed to working with the Council and the other Agencies, as well as community groups, to sustain the benefits being achieved.
78. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of his amendments to the 35th Amendment of the Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) Bill 2016; and if a referendum on this issue will be held in 2019. [1435/19]
View answer1153. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when it is planned to hold a referendum on the ownership of Irish Water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1117/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 1153 together.
It will be a matter for the Oireachtas to decide on the holding of a referendum on the ownership of public water services and the wording to be put to the people.
The Government is firmly committed to public water services remaining in public ownership and this is reflected in the Water Services Acts and in the Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025 approved by Government in May 2018. There is widespread support for this view, as recognised in the Oireachtas approval of the Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services in April 2017 which supports the concept of a referendum on the issue of water services continuing in public ownership. The Committee recommended that the wording of this amendment must be carefully scrutinised to ensure that it does not impact upon the status of Group Water Schemes and individual domestic water supplies.
The matter of the holding of a referendum is addressed in the Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) (No. 2) Bill 2016 , a Private Member's Bill initiated by Deputy Joan Collins. The Bill is currently at Dáil committee stage. Detailed examination of the wording of this Bill as it stands which I have undertaken with the Attorney General indicates that it would give rise to unacceptable risks. Reflecting upon the advices that I have received, I have articulated these concerns in my correspondence and engagement on the Bill with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government to date. The Office of the Parliamentary Legal Adviser has separately and independently advised the Committee in relation to the Bill.
In November 2018, I received Government approval for the priority drafting of proposed amendments to the Private Member's Bill to provide for a constitutional amendment which will focus on retaining the entity charged with the provision of public water services in public ownership. My intention is that the draft wording, once finalised, will be brought back to Government for approval and can then be brought forward as a proposed amendment to the existing Bill.
Reflecting this position, and the work that needs to be completed, the referendum was not included amongst those identified by Government to be held in May 2019. The development of the wording is currently being given priority attention by the Office of the Attorney General. I will continue to keep the Joint Oireachtas Committee updated on progress in the matter.
79. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the annual growth of local authority housing lists has been accurately established with a view to ensuring the provision of an adequate number of local authority direct build houses on an annual basis thereby ensuring waiting lists do not expand further; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1422/19]
View answerDetails on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA), which has been carried out on an annual basis since 2016.
The 2018 assessment shows that 71,858 households were assessed as qualified and being in need of social housing support. This represents a decrease of 13,941 households or 16.2% on the last assessment in June 2017. Indeed, since the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan was launched in 2016, the numbers have decreased from 91,600 to 71,858, a reduction of 22%.
It should be noted that the SSHA is a point in time exercise and does not necessarily reflect the dynamic nature of entry to and exit from the list. It is also important to note that social housing is a demand led service and for that reason it is difficult to predict the degree to which housing lists will decrease or increase over the next 12 months. The number of homes delivered by local authorities in a given time period does not necessarily equate to the ‘net need’ for social housing support reducing by an equivalent number. The nature of the list is dynamic in that, as households are added to it, the needs of others are met and further households will leave the list for various reasons including the households themselves indicating that they no longer require State support.
Over the course of the 6-year Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan, the Government is committed to meeting the housing needs of over 137,000 households through the provision of social housing supports. The implementation of Rebuilding Ireland is well underway and significant progress has been made. Annual delivery targets were exceeded in 2016 and again in 2017. By end September 2018, over 63,700 of the 137,000 additional social housing solutions envisaged under the plan had already been provided.
The latest data in relation to social housing delivery to end Q3 2018 is published on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
Data in relation to Q4 2018 outputs is currently being compiled and will be published shortly.
80. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of children who spent Christmas night in hotel rooms or hubs; the type of emergency accommodation they were in in each case; the number aged zero to five, six to ten, 11 to 15 and 15 to 18 years of age, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54381/18]
View answerMy Department currently publishes data on a monthly basis outlining the number of homeless persons accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by housing authorities. These reports are based on data provided by housing authorities, produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). The reports are collated on a regional basis and are published on my Department's website. The most recent figures currently available are for November 2018. These figures show that 6,157 adults and 3,811 associated dependents accessed emergency accommodation nationwide during the relevant count week. The corresponding figures for December 2018 will be published later this month.
While these monthly reports include a breakdown of adults by accommodation type, details in relation to dependents (typically children but may include dependent adults) are not available in my Department and are a matter for the relevant housing authorities. My Department is currently reviewing its homeless data reporting methodology.
81. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the progress that has been made on the development of a policy for the taking-in-charge of estates with developer-led waste water infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1467/19]
View answer1143. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the review of the taking-in-charge initiative measure two will be published; the level of funding that will be available in measure two; when it will reopen for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54546/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 1143 together.
Findings and recommendations on the National Taking-in-Charge Initiative, which my Department launched in April 2016 to trial new approaches and working methods in supporting and accelerating overall national and local action on the taking-in-charge process of housing estates (including estates with developer-provided water services infrastructure), were included in a report that my Department published on 17 December 2018. The report is available on my Department's website at the following link -
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/national_taking_in_charge_initiative_report_dec2018.pdf.
The publication of the report is of value in applying the lessons from the trial initiative in a more general roll-out of a streamlined approach to taking-in-charge, including through coordination with capital works by Irish Water. In this regard, the National Development Plan includes provision of €31 million for the period 2018-2021 for taking-in-charge of developer-provided infrastructure, demonstrating the Government's commitment to transition from the pilot phase to a programme phase.
My Department is finalising plans for the introduction of this programme phase for taking in charge of developer-provided infrastructure and an announcement will be made in this regard shortly.
82. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if his Department has conducted an activity audit of approved housing bodies in the provision of social homes for 2017 and 2018; the details of the budget provided to each AHB; the number of units provided by each body in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1362/19]
View answerUnder Rebuilding Ireland, there are a number of mechanisms used to monitor and provide details on social housing activity, including activity delivered through the Approved Housing Bodies (AHB) sector. Examples include the Social Housing Construction Status Report and the Social Housing Data on a Council-by-Council Basis report, which are published on a quarterly basis.
My Department collates detailed social housing data in relation to each local authority area from each local authority. The Social Housing Data on a Council-by-Council basis Report provides details on the numbers on the social housing list, social housing targets, social housing delivery (broken down by build, acquisition, leasing, HAP / RAS and including both local authority and AHB delivery) and the social housing construction pipeline; the most recently published reports are available at http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/quarter-3-council-by-council-social-housing-update-published/.
The number of social housing solutions delivered in 2017 and for Q1-Q3 2018, by local authority area, are available at https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision. Details for Quarter 4 2018 are being compiled and will be published as soon as possible.
Funding under the relevant schemes is provided by my Department directly to local authorities, which in turn advance the funding to AHBs, as appropriate, with robust arrangements and agreements in place in order to ensure value for money and quality delivery. Funding provided to AHBs is project specific; my Department does not provide annual operating budgets to AHBs.
In 2017, my Department provided funding of just over €228 million for the relevant funding schemes available to the AHB sector and, in 2018, some €337 million was provided.
In terms of regulation, a voluntary regulatory system is in place for the AHB sector, ahead of the introduction of a statutory regulatory regime, which will be put in place under new legislation which is at an advanced stage of drafting.
83. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he has met or is considering meeting NAMA to discuss the part it can play in the delivery of social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1387/19]
View answerIn 2011, my Department, the Housing Agency and NAMA commenced a process of engagement to determine whether properties from NAMA’s loan portfolio could be delivered for social housing. A Steering Group with representatives from each of the three stakeholders was established in 2012 for the purpose of managing the flow of information between NAMA, local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).
The Steering Group established a co-ordinated process, which enabled NAMA to match the residential stock of its debtors and receivers with housing requirements of local authorities. Once demand was confirmed, NAMA facilitated delivery, through its debtors or receivers, by way of either direct sale or lease to local authorities or AHBs.
Local authorities, together with the Housing Agency and my Department, have worked systematically through the full list of properties identified by NAMA as potentially available, to determine if there is a social housing demand for the homes involved. This process is ongoing and demand has been confirmed by the local authorities for 2,718 homes to end September 2018. To date, a total of 2,475 of these properties have been delivered for social housing.
In order to expedite delivery, NAMA also established a special purpose vehicle, National Asset Residential Property Services DAC (NARPS), in July 2012, which operated by purchasing properties from NAMA’s debtors and receivers and making them immediately available to local authorities or AHBs through a standardised long term lease. Since 2012 NARPS has delivered/contracted over 1,300 properties for lease to local authorities and approved housing bodies. These properties are included in the 2,475 figure referred to earlier.
I am advised that as NAMA is now well advanced on its deleveraging programme, there is no longer any suitable stock available for purchase from debtors and receivers and accordingly there is no scope to expand the NARPS portfolio further.
84. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the details of the most recent statistics on residential landlord profits here. [1456/19]
View answerThe information requested is not available in my Department.
87. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of Housing First tenancies created in each of the years 2016, 2017 and 2018; the target for 2019; and the rationale for the regional targets for 2019. [1436/19]
View answerHousing First enables people who may have been homeless and who have high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive supports to help them maintain their tenancies. The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September, is designed to provide this response, by delivering permanent housing solutions and associated supports for rough sleepers and long-term users of emergency accommodation. The plan contains targets for each local authority, with an overall national target of 663 tenancies to be delivered by 2021. 221 of these are targeted for 2019.
Regional targets were agreed by local authorities based on a review of homelessness data and a national survey of the support needs of homeless individuals conducted with service providers. The survey results, national targets, and regional targets are available in the Housing First National Implementation Plan document.
The Housing First programme has been operating in the Dublin region since 2014, following a successful pilot. A total of 290 tenancies have been created to date in the Dublin region, with 34 of these created in 2014, 33 in 2015, 34 in 2016, 106 in 2017, and 83 in 2018.
88. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of social housing units completed in 2018 nationally; the number constructed under the aegis of local authorities; the number of voids refurbished and re-allocated in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54556/18]
View answer106. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of new homes completed in 2018; the number of social housing units completed; the number of market housing units completed during 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1091/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 106 together.
During the 9 months to the end of September 2018, data published by the CSO indicates that new dwellings completed totaled 12,582, representing a 28% increase on data for the first 9 months of 2017. These figures do not include homes reconnected, houses completed in unfinished housing estates, or new student dwellings. Data for the fourth quarter of 2018 is expected to be published shortly.
Over the course of the 6-year Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan, the Government is committed to meeting the housing needs of over 137,000 households. The implementation of Rebuilding Ireland is well underway and significant progress has been made. Annual delivery targets were exceeded in 2016 and again in 2017. By end September 2018, over 63,700 of the 137,000 additional social housing solutions envisaged under the Plan had already been provided.
The latest data in relation to social housing delivery to end Q3 2018 is published on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
Some 18,781 additional housing solutions were provided across all local authorities in the first 9 months of 2018. This is 74% of the target for 2018 and an increase of 6,423 on the position at end Q2.
Looking specifically at build, the cumulative output to end Q3 2018 was 2,369 homes, or 48% of the target for 2018. It should be noted that new build output over the first three quarters of 2018 was up significantly on the same period in 2017. The 2,369 homes comprised 1,764 new build homes, including 833 local authority build, 582 approved housing body build and 349 Part V homes. In addition, 605 homes were delivered under the Department funded voids programme, which provides exchequer funding to support local authorities in remediating vacant houses. The voids figure does not reflect the number of vacant properties or the full extent of vacant properties repaired or refurbished as local authorities undertake significant activity in those areas from their own resources. The tenanting of social housing homes is a matter for individual local authorities.
Social housing delivery data in relation to Q4 2018 is currently being compiled and will be published shortly.
89. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on the recommendation of an institute (details supplied) that rent pressure zones should be extended nationwide; his plans to remove the exemption for new properties and those that have not been let for two years; and if the zones will be extended when the deadline arrives at the end of 2019. [1437/19]
View answer1139. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to extend the date of expiration for rent pressure zones which are due to expire in December 2019; the period of time he plans to extend the zones for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54507/18]
View answer1185. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans for rent pressure zones on the expiration of the three year period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1557/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 89, 1139 and 1185 together.
Section 24A of the Residential Tenancies Acts provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to me, as 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. The Housing Agency continues to monitor the rental market.
For an area to be designated a Rent Pressure Zone, it must satisfy the following criteria set out in section 24A(4) of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended:
(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 (€1,122 per month in Q3 2018).
The RTB Rent Index Report also 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 full visibility regarding exactly where individual areas stand in relation to average rent levels and increases.
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.
The Housing Agency continues 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.
The RTB publishes its quarterly Rent Index and advises my Department on the residential rental market on a continuous basis. This and wider ongoing careful analysis of the rental market will inform future policy decisions in relation to the rental sector, including decisions regarding the future of RPZ designations and exemptions from the RPZ regime.
