Written Answers Nos. 236-255
236. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in County Tipperary in receipt of the farm assist payment in each of the years 2014 to 2018 and to date in 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18009/19]
View answerThe number of persons in County Tipperary in receipt of the farm assist payment in each of the years 2014 to 2018 and to date in 2019.
|
Year |
No. of recipients |
|
December 2014 |
336 |
|
December 2015 |
300 |
|
December 2016 |
269 |
|
December 2017 |
252 |
|
December 2018 |
223 |
|
March 2019 |
220 |
237. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of arrears in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18024/19]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 28 June 2017. The first payment was made by her chosen payment method on 3 April 2019.
Arrears of payment due have been calculated taking account of overlapping payments and have issued to the person concerned on 12 April 2019.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
238. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18049/19]
View answerI can confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from this gentleman on 12 February 2019.
On 12 April 2019 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on his eligibility. On receipt of this information a decision will be made on his DA application and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
239. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the impact of a sizeable capital expenditure on the building of local authority houses as required nationally including affordable houses for sale to eligible families as opposed to the various modes of assistance available through rent support, HAP or other interim measures which have an annual impact as opposed to a once off capital investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18040/19]
View answerOver the course of the 6-year Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan, the Government is committed to meeting the housing needs of over 138,000 households. This will be achieved through blended delivery, involving increasing the social housing stock by 50,000 homes, through build, acquisition and leasing programmes, and supporting some 88,000 further households through the Housing Assistance Payment and the Rental Accommodation Scheme.
Over the period 2016-2018, the housing needs of some 90,000 households were supported under current programmes, including the HAP and RAS schemes. This figure includes continuing to provide support to those already in homes supported under the programmes concerned, and also the additional tenancies established during that period. If the funding provided for these 90,000 households had been transferred to capital expenditure, to support building or buying homes, it would have secured some 5,500 homes, leaving no resources available to support the other 85,500 households. Looking at it another way, it would take almost €20 billion to provide a new build local authority home for those 90,000 households.
Rebuilding lreland is working, with annual delivery targets exceeded in 2017 and again in 2018. By end 2018, over 72,000 additional social housing supports had already been provided under the Plan. I am confident that the actions, targets and resources available under Rebuilding Ireland provide a strong platform for delivering homes for those on social housing waiting lists.
240. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the average time it takes for each local authority to relet council homes after they become vacant in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17875/19]
View answerThe management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, responsive repairs and implementing planned maintenance programmes, is a matter for each individual local authority, in line with Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities return vacant properties to use through their own resources but my Department also continues to provide exchequer support to local authorities under the voids programme to support the timely re-tenanting of social homes that become vacant and require significant investment prior to re-letting.
Local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock, as the turnover of stock is continuous. All local authorities, however, are actively encouraged to ensure all vacant properties in their stock are brought back into use as expeditiously as possible. Local authorities have been well supported by my Department in this regard, as well as utilising their own resources to make social homes available to new tenants as soon as possible.
On an ongoing basis, the National Oversight & Audit Commission (NOAC) reviews the social housing stock level in local authorities every year, including the number of vacant local authority houses at a particular point in time. NOAC’s activities in this regard are summarised in its Annual Performance Indicator Reports for the years 2014-2017; the most recent data on a local authority basis are set out in the 2017 report which is available on the NOAC website, at the following link.
241. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of HAP tenancies paying a top-up to the HAP payment out of all HAP and homeless HAP payments; the value of those top-ups; and the number of these tenants paying a top-up in receipt of a social welfare payment by local authority area. [17956/19]
View answerAt the end of March 2019, there were 45,423 active tenancies being supported under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. Collection of data in relation to the number of households making a top-up payment to their landlord does not form part of the standard reporting process of my Department. However, the information available to the HAP Shared Service Centre operated by Limerick City and County Council indicates that approximately three quarters of all HAP tenancies are fully supported.
In the case of other tenancies, it should be noted that there is no legislative provision precluding HAP supported households contributing towards the monthly rent to their landlord. This reflects the fact that, unlike Rent Supplement, where payment ceases in certain circumstances, HAP support can continue to be paid where a household’s income increases, including for reasons of the tenant taking up full-time employment. In those cases, it would therefore be expected that some tenants would consider rental options, which they source themselves in the private rental market, that would involve them paying an element of rent beyond the HAP rent limits, enabled to do so by their improved income position.
It should be noted that local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that tenancies are sustainable and are advised not to provide HAP support to tenancies where they are not satisfied that the household would not be in a position to meet the rental costs being sought.
My Department does not collect information in relation to social welfare payments; however, a local authority will take into consideration all relevant income when assessing a HAP application.
242. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the reason an application from Louth County Council for grant aid under the urban regeneration and development fund for the development of the Drogheda northern port access route was recently refused by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17988/19]
View answerThe Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was launched as part of Project Ireland 2040, to support the compact growth and sustainable development of Ireland’s five cities, regional drivers and other large urban centres. I initiated the first call for proposals under the Fund in July 2018 and the deadline for submission of applications was 28 September. A total of 189 applications were submitted to my Department and, on 26 November, I announced the successful applicants for funding, details of which are available on my Department's website at the following link.
There were two categories of submission; Category A for projects that were 'ready to go' and Category B to support the initial development of projects (Master-planning/Feasibility) to ensure a pipeline of projects into the future as the URDF is a rolling fund, with €2 billion available to 2027.
The project in question was amongst the group of unsuccessful proposals that were deemed not eligible or were not recommended due to the following general reasons:
- The proposal did not respond to core assessment criteria of the fund or the quality of the proposal was low;
- The proposal was a routine capital project more related to other capital funding sources available from another department or agency;
- The proposal was already commercially viable and would be better supported by market response; and
- The proposal was not in compliance with state aid or the additionality factor/wider leveraging of the project was in question (Value for Money).
However, in accordance with the terms of the first call for proposals Louth County Council sought a review of that decision. That review is presently in train and the outcome, which is expected shortly, will be communicated to the County Council as soon as possible.
243. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the rationale for setting a 35% of net income threshold in his draft affordable housing regulations; and the way in which this relates to the 22% of net income threshold when determining Rebuilding Ireland home loan mortgages. [17990/19]
View answerPart 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 was commenced in 2018, and provides the statutory basis for the provision of affordable housing for purchase.
In March 2019, I signed the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 (Part 5) Regulations 2019, which primarily deal with the order of priority for the allocation of affordable homes within a Scheme of Priority. These regulations do not contain a reference to a 35% of net income threshold.
Section 84 (2) of the 2009 Act provides that where a household applies to a housing authority to purchase an affordable dwelling under an affordable dwelling purchase arrangement, the housing authority shall carry out an assessment of the household's eligibility. This assessment will take into account a range of factors, including the provisions of section 84 (2)(b), which provides that the assessment will have regard as to whether the income of the household is adequate to meet the repayments on a mortgage, i.e. that payments should not exceed 35% of the household's annual income, net of income tax and PSRI.
In relation to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, this is another measure which seeks to address issues of affordability. Rather than a Loan to Income (LTI) limit of the nature suggested, a maximum permissible Net Disposable Income (NDI) ratio of 35% is used in respect of the loan. This reflects more accurately the benefit to the individual of the low fixed rate available for the full life of the loan.
244. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will amend the eligibility criteria of his draft affordable housing regulations to ensure that applicants who have been forced to live outside the local authority area in which their centre of interest is due to high housing costs will not be excluded from applying for affordable housing in that local authority due to the fact that at the time of application they are not resident in that county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17991/19]
View answerPart 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 was commenced on 18 June 2018 and provides the statutory basis for the provision of affordable housing for purchase.
On 12 March 2019, I signed the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 (Part 5) Regulations 2019. These regulations deal with the order of priority for the allocation of affordable homes and the preparation of a 'Scheme of Priority' by each local authority.
People who are not residing in a local authority area are not excluded from making an application for an affordable home in that local authority area. It is open to all eligible persons to apply under the affordable housing scheme on the basis of need.
However, in accordance with what is laid down in the aforementioned regulations, where at any point in time, the local demand for affordable housing units may exceed supply, a system of prioritisation is required. In such situations, the regulations seek to provide a transparent and balanced framework for the allocation of available affordable housing units. As such, the framework prioritises applicants in a number of ways. This includes those who have been residing in the administrative area for a period of up to 12 months preceding an application, where an applicant or any member of their household is attending school, college or university in the administrative area, and where an applicant or any member of their household is working in the administrative area.
Within a Scheme of Priority, it is a reserved function of each local authority to specify their own distance requirements in relation to the places of education and employment for applicants and members of their households.
245. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the AHB special purpose vehicle being set up for the purpose of accessing credit union finance will be operational; and the efforts he is making to assist the AHB sector in setting up this vehicle. [17992/19]
View answerConsiderable work has been ongoing between the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH), a number of larger Tier 3 Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and their financial advisors on the development of a vehicle for delivering private financing for AHBs providing social housing in line with ambitions set out in the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness. The Department provided funding for this project under the Innovation Fund.
The ICSH work is being undertaken in three phases, the first two of which have been completed, those being the phases designed to test the market interest in investing in social housing and the appetite among AHBs for private finance. While the ICSH had hoped to have completed the final phase of the work by now, focused on the structuring of special purpose vehicles, this important work remains ongoing.
One of the issues which has given rise to the delay in concluding the work is the need to take account of other private finance arrangements/vehicles that certain AHBs have put in place in parallel. The decision by Eurostat to reclassify AHBs has also influenced the progression of this final phase of work. Alongside this project, three individual AHBs have been successful in accessing private finance from financial institutions to deliver new social housing, with each financial institution having their own specific requirements for lending and investing.
While the completion of the outstanding phase of work is primarily a matter for the ICSH, it is hoped that they will be in a position to bring it to finality as soon as possible.
246. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the average annual cost per unit of the availability agreement payment to AHBs for each category of such availability agreement for each year since these agreements have been in place; and the number of such units and total costs of such units for each year each category of availability agreement has been in operation in tabular form. [17993/19]
View answerPayment and Availability (P&A) funding to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) was introduced by my Department for leased properties, secured by AHBs, in 2009. It was subsequently extended to the acquisition and construction of properties by AHBs and facilitates delivery under the Capital Advance Loan Facility (CALF), the Mortgage to Rent Scheme (MTR), the Housing Agency Acquisitions Fund (HAA) and the Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS). All P&A funding is underpinned by a P&A agreement, which is a template contractual arrangement between an AHB and a local authority setting out the terms under which AHBs make properties available to local authorities for the purpose of providing social housing support.
The average cost of P&A agreements varies having regard to the level of discount on market rent applicable to each specific funding scheme, together with variations in market rents across different geographical areas and property types. The average annual cost per unit of each category of P&A agreement, and the total number of operational units supported each year, is set out in Table 1. A breakdown of the data by the categories sought is not available before 2014. As has been clarified separately for the Deputy, P&A costs are not comparable to the payments arising under Social Housing PPP contracts.
The total P&A spend for 2018 is set out in Table 2. The total cost of such units, broken down by the categories sought, in not available before 2018. The data below is based on local authority claims for operational P&A agreements recorded on the Department’s SHCEP financial management system. Any variations in data between operational figures and total output across build, acquisition and leasing delivery streams is due to the time lag in the submission of claims to the Department in respect of new units after delivery.
Table 1: Average Annual P&A Cost and Total Operational Units under P&A 2014 - 2018
|
|
2014 |
2014 |
2015 |
2015 |
2016 |
2016 |
|
P&A Type |
Total Units |
Average Annual Cost |
Total Units |
Average Annual Cost |
Total Units |
Average Annual Cost |
|
CALF (incl. HAA) |
661 |
€9,456 |
1,053 |
€9,480 |
1,528 |
€9,876 |
|
MTR |
49 |
€7,932 |
107 |
€8,388 |
178 |
€8,508 |
|
Leasing (incl. NARPS) |
510 |
€7,260 |
975 |
€8,052 |
1,176 |
€8,340 |
|
RLS |
0 |
€0 |
0 |
€0 |
0 |
€0 |
|
Total |
1,220 |
€8,364 |
2,135 |
€8,724 |
2,882 |
€9,108 |
|
|
2017 |
2017 |
2018 |
2018 |
|
P&A Type |
Total Units |
Average Annual Cost |
Total Units |
Average Annual Cost |
|
CALF (incl. HAA) |
2,575 |
€10,572 |
3,816 |
€11,292 |
|
MTR |
264 |
€8,772 |
379 |
€9,000 |
|
Leasing (incl. NARPS) |
1,725 |
€9,300 |
1,838 |
€9,228 |
|
RLS |
0 |
€0 |
1 |
€7,200 |
|
Total |
4,564 |
€9,984 |
6,034 |
€10,512 |
Table 2: Total Cost P&A agreements 2018
|
P&A Type |
Cost 2018 |
|
CALF (incl. HAA) |
€42,831,138 |
|
MTR |
€3,481,410 |
|
Leasing (incl. NARPS) |
€16,714,251 |
|
RLS |
€4,303 |
|
Total |
€63,031,102 |
247. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the locations by local authority of the ten affordable purchase scheme sites approved to date; the estimated completion times of each; the anticipated cost per unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18061/19]
View answerUnder the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF), the Government has committed €310 million over the three years 2019 to 2021, to provide infrastructure supports for the delivery of 6,200 affordable homes to purchase or rent. In December 2018, an initial 10 projects, with the potential for 1,400 affordable homes, were approved with an allocation of €43 million under the first call for proposals, details of which are set out in the following table.
|
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 |
1,410 |
The overall cost and the timing of delivery for these projects is contingent upon the completion of planning and procurement in the first instance, and local authorities are working to achieve delivery as quickly as possible. It is expected that the first tranche of affordable homes will be delivered next year.
I recently issued a second call for applications under the Serviced Sites Fund. As a result, 19 local authorities who carried out economic assessments, which identified affordability issues in their areas, will be in a position to make applications for funding in respect of additional sites earmarked for affordable housing.
Furthermore, approximately 2,350 affordable homes are in the process of being delivered on mainly publicly owned lands supported through the €200 million Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF). An additional 5,600 homes will benefit from a LIHAF-related cost reduction, some of which are already coming to market. Details of these schemes and their locations are available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at http://rebuildingireland.ie/lihaf/.
248. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the timeframe for the delivery of affordable units under the local infrastructure housing activation fund; the locations of each unit by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18062/19]
View answer249. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the estimated average price reduction per unit under units provided under the local infrastructure housing activation fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18063/19]
View answer250. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the drawdown of funding under the LIHAF to date by project; the number of units delivered by project to date; the number projected by project; the number of affordable units to be provided by project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18064/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 248 to 250, inclusive, together.
As a key initiative of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is primarily designed to fund the provision of public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages and enable housing developments to be built on key sites at scale.
Funding of €200 million was provided under LIHAF, of which €150 million was made available via the Exchequer with local authorities matching up to €50 million. 30 projects received final approval with an overall budget of €195.7m, of which €146.8m will be Exchequer funded, with the remainder funded via local authorities.
Approximately 2,350 affordable homes are in the process of being delivered on mainly publicly owned lands supported through LIHAF. An additional 5,600 homes will benefit from a LIHAF-related cost reduction, some of which are already coming to market. Details on all of the LIHAF projects by local authority area, budget allocation, project timeframe and description and housing delivery are available at www.rebuildingireland.ie/LIHAF .
In terms of LIHAF funding drawdown, thus far, most projects have been at the design and planning stages, with the bulk of expenditure arising during the construction phase, and this is reflected in the level of expenditure to date. As the projects progress further through construction, site activity and drawdowns will significantly escalate. Currently, approximately one third of the projects are at the finish tender and construction phase and it is expected that the remaining projects will follow later in the year. The following table details the funding drawn down up to end of Q1 2019.
|
Local Authority |
Project name |
Drawdown of LIHAF funding to end of Q1 2019 (€) |
|
Clare |
Claureen, Ennis |
86,009 |
|
Cork City |
Old Whitechurch Road |
3,308,511 |
|
Cork City |
South Docks |
564,225 |
|
Cork County |
Midleton (Water-rock) |
241,917 |
|
Cork County |
Carrigaline |
53,152 |
|
Cork County |
Glanmire |
129,051 |
|
Dublin City |
Dodder Bridge |
126,464 |
|
Dublin City |
Belmayne and Clongriffin |
11,108 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown |
Cherrywood |
333,504 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown |
Woodbrook Shanganagh |
0 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown |
Clay Farm |
0 |
|
Fingal |
Donabate Distributor Road |
5,051,489 |
|
Fingal |
Oldtown Mooretown |
0 |
|
Fingal |
Baldoyle Stapolin |
274,561 |
|
Kildare |
Naas |
237,563 |
|
Kildare |
Maynooth |
156,697 |
|
Kildare |
Sallins |
654,584 |
|
Kilkenny |
Ferrybank |
18,626 |
|
Kilkenny |
Western Environs |
378,826 |
|
Limerick |
Mungret |
1,168,859 |
|
Louth |
Newtown Drogheda |
44,867 |
|
Louth |
Mount Avenue Dundalk |
46,854 |
|
Meath |
Ratoath |
151,596 |
|
Meath |
Farganstown, Navan |
277,318 |
|
South Dublin |
Kilcarbery/Corkagh Grange |
226,345 |
|
South Dublin |
Clonburris SDZ |
10,680 |
|
South Dublin |
Adamstown |
50,290 |
|
Waterford City and County Council |
Gracedieu |
52,234 |
|
Waterford City and County Council |
Kilbarry |
94,590 |
|
Westmeath |
Brawny Road, Athlone |
52,500 |
In terms of homes delivered, the following table details the number of completed homes up to Q1 2019.
|
Local Authority |
Project Name |
Homes Delivered to end Q1 2019 |
|
Cork County |
Carrigaline |
100 |
|
Fingal |
Oldtown/ Mooretown |
144 |
|
Kildare |
Naas |
163 |
|
Meath |
Ratoath |
82 |
|
South Dublin |
Adamstown SDZ |
325 |
251. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of housing projects approved under the urban regeneration and development fund and-or the rural regeneration and development fund to date; the anticipated number of units; the number of affordable units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18065/19]
View answerProject Ireland 2040, as launched by the Government in February 2018, is the overarching policy and planning framework for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland. It includes a detailed capital investment plan for the period 2018 to 2027, the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2027, and the 20-year National Planning Framework (NPF).
The NPF sets a new long-term strategic planning and investment context for Ireland over the next 20 years, outlining at high-level a national vision for Ireland to 2040, which will establish the principles to manage future population and economic growth, catering for 1 million extra people, 600,000 extra jobs and over 500,000 extra homes. As part of this, the future housing needs of our growing population are of course among the key issues that will be addressed through the NPF.
The NDP established four new funds, with a combined allocation of €4 billion to 2027. The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), which is the fund operated by my Department, was launched last year and has an overall provision of €2 billion to 2027. €58m is available in 2019 to provide initial support to the 88 projects announced last November on foot of the first call for proposals. €550 million is included in the NDP to provide further support for these and other similar projects up to 2022.
The URDF was established to support applicant led projects that will contribute to regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the NPF and the NDP. The aim is to achieve more compact, sustainable and mixed use development, with a view to ensuring that more parts of our urban areas can become attractive and vibrant places in which people choose to live and work, as well as to invest and to visit. This will be done by supporting proposals that contribute to the re-development of key brownfield areas both by enabling infrastructure and new master-planned development proposals.
While the URDF is not intended to provide direct support for particular housing projects, some of the projects it is currently supporting will enable a significant proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and towns.
The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund falls within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development.
252. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to unique or valuable artefacts discovered at various locations nationally over the past ten years; the location in which they are now stored or displayed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17914/19]
View answerI am aware that the rich history of Ireland gives rise to archaeological finds on a regular basis. The most significant recent find was the Tullydonnell hoard of gold objects in Co Donegal.
The National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997 sets out the responsibilities and procedures for archaeological finds in the State.
All discoveries are to be notified to the National Museum of Ireland and those items may be retained by the Museum for the national collections.
Arrangements for display or loan of discovered artefacts are considered by the National Museum of Ireland, having regard to curatorial responsibilities and public interest.
253. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the substantial number of seagulls recorded after use of the 2018.19 derogation in Balbriggan and the effect on homes, schools and businesses including premises in which human food is prepared, sold and consumed; the relevance of a study (details supplied) to her policy obligations to avail of derogations in the interests of public health and safety and in respect of the declarations due on 1 May 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17947/19]
View answer254. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to a statement in an article by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17948/19]
View answer255. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason the consultative committee will not be tasked with enumerating the extent of the seagull infestation problem in Balbriggan (details supplied); and if clarification on same will be provided. [17949/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 253 to 255, inclusive, together.
A review of the derogation process under Article 9 of the EU Birds Directive was completed by ANIAR Ecology last year. The consultants in their report made a number of recommendations in relation to seagulls including the setting up of a group to agree a programme of action in relation to the seagull situation in the certain urban areas. In line with the recommendations in the consultant’s report I have agreed to the formation of a Consultative Committee, with an independent chair, whose membership will include representatives of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department, Fingal County Council, local community representatives and a conservation group.
The remit of the Consultative Committee is not confined to one particular urban area given the widespread range of seagulls. I understand that arrangements are in hand to convene the first meeting of the Committee shortly after the Easter holiday period. I am aware of the study commissioned by the local authority concerned on the population of nesting gulls in Balbriggan, Skerries and Howth in County Dublin and I expect that this will be a matter for discussion by the Consultative Committee.
The Deputy refers to an article in a national newspaper and I will be happy to have this brought to the attention of the Consultative Committee.
