Written Answers Nos. 359-375
359. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures he has taken to date and the proposed timeframe for the development and establishment of the electoral commission as committed to in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28665/20]
View answerThe establishment of an Electoral Commission is a key commitment in the Programme for Government - Our Shared Future, with the aim of a Commission being in place by the end of 2021. An Electoral Commission will bring together several electoral functions in an independent, dedicated public body.
The Electoral Commission’s establishment is guided by a number of recent reports and public consultation processes, including:
- the 2016 report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht on the Consultation on the Proposed Electoral Commission; and
- the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) and public consultation concerning the establishment of an Electoral Commission, which was completed my Department in 2019.
My Department is currently preparing the General Scheme of a Bill which will give effect to the commitment to establish an electoral commission and I intend to bring proposals to Government shortly in this regard.
360. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason Tipperary County Council has been refused funding under the multi-annual funding programme to proceed with the taking-in-charge of estates; the funding that has been provided to Tipperary County Council for the taking-in-charge of estates; the reason this funding has been refused for 2020; the number of estates with applications to be taken-in-charge by Tipperary County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28702/20]
View answerOn 21 September, I announced allocations under the new multi-annual capital investment programme for the progressive resolution of housing estates with “developer provided water services infrastructure”, to enable the taking in charge of these estates. The announcement followed an independent Expert Panel review of all valid bids. The Panel’s recommendations are based on criteria set out in the Framework document issued to local authorities when requesting bid proposals.
The focus of the first multi-annual programme is on estates in towns and villages where the resolution is to connect their water services to the public networks. The programme will also support a number of pilot projects where connection is not feasible in the immediate future. These pilot projects, together with a major study to be under taken by Irish Water, will inform future policy on resolving sub-standard developer provided infrastructure with sustainable solutions in such areas.
All local authorities that submitted bids were informed about the outcome of their bids in a circular which included a copy of the Expert Panel report on the bids process. The report provides the commentary of the Panel on their evaluation in the case of unsuccessful bids and guidance for the local authority in making future bids in upcoming programmes. The circular and report addresses all of the items raised in the question.
The circular is available on my Department's website at the link under:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/water/water-services/circular-ldpi01-2020-approval-projects-residential-estates-under-developer
362. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason he has extended the pyrite mediation scheme to County Limerick while refusing to do the same for homeowners affected by pyrite in County Clare. [28751/20]
View answerThe Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency.
The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive pyrite in the subfloor hardcore material and not to damage arising in any other circumstance, e.g. such as pyrite in concrete blocks.
The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” for affected homeowners who have no other practical option to obtain redress and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website, www.pyriteboard.ie.
The scheme is applicable to dwellings, which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave established, in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2017 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol. In this regard, it is a condition of eligibility under the scheme that an application to the Board must be accompanied by a Building Condition Assessment with a Damage Condition Rating of 2. Dwellings which do not have a Damage Condition Rating of 2 are not eligible to apply under the scheme. This ensures that, having regard to the available resources, the focus of the scheme is on dwellings which are most severely damaged by pyritic heave. There are no proposals to provide for further financial assistance outside of the scheme.
Any proposal to amend the scheme is, in the first instance, a matter for the Pyrite Resolution Board and any such proposal would require detailed consideration of the evidence. The recommendations of the Pyrite Panel, which informed the establishment of the pyrite remediation scheme, were premised on a number of pertinent factors.
As a minimum, in order to consider the appropriateness or otherwise of amending the scheme, I understand that the Board would require a report addressing the following information: -
- the extent and severity of damage to dwellings in the local authority area caused by pyritic heave in the subfloor hardcore;
- verification, if available, that the damage has been caused by pyrite;
- the background to the occurrence of the damage;
- details of any structural warranty policies for the dwellings;
- the history of the estate’s construction, numbers, type of dwellings etc;
- the source of the hardcore supplied to dwellings in the estate; and
- any supporting geological assessments.
In addition to the above, the Board may also make such further enquiries as it considers necessary in order to assist it in considering the matter. In this regard, it would be advisable for the residents to confirm the nature of the pyrite problems in the area and that any problems identified stem from reactive pyrite in the subfloor hardcore material which is giving rise to pyritic heave and consequential significant pyritic damage.
I understand that the Pyrite Resolution Board received such a report in respect of pyrite in the hardcore in a number of dwellings in Limerick. The Board, in accordance with section 13 of the Act, subsequently submitted a proposal to include Limerick City and County Council area in the Pyrite Remediation Scheme to me, as Minister. Following consideration of the matter, I extended the pyrite remediation scheme to include the administrative area of Limerick City and County Council, which will see homeowners of dwellings with significant damage attributable to pyritic heave in County Limerick eligible to apply for remediation works under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme.
As I understand it, no such report has been received by the Board in respect of pyrite in the hardcore in dwellings in County Clare.
I would encourage the relevant parties to fully engage with the Board as early as possible to facilitate this process. The Board may be contacted by phone at Lo call 1890 252842 or by email to: info@pyriteboard.ie , or alternatively at: oireachtasinfo@pyriteboard.ie.
I will consider any amendments or extensions which the Pyrite Resolution Board consider are required to the Scheme once submitted to me in accordance with the requirements of the Act. I fully intend on ensuring that ultimately all eligible homeowners of dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave can have their homes remediated under the scheme.
363. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of properties that have been secured to purchase arising from his call for housing; a breakdown of the number of houses secured by local authority type and number of bedrooms. [28752/20]
View answerThe “Call for Housing 2020” was launched on 21 July 2020 as a short-term intervention to stimulate interest in social housing delivery, through acquisitions and leasing from opportunities arising in the property market. The campaign is being run on behalf of my Department by the Housing Agency, in consultation with the local authorities.
Up to 30 September 2020, the total number of properties that have been submitted to the Housing Agency was 400. Of those 400 properties, 244 are being actively pursued.
364. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding required to deliver an integrated constructed wetland as a treatment system for the village of Glen, County Donegal as applied for under the rural water programme in 2019. [28776/20]
View answerA bid was made by Glen Village Community Association, to deliver an integrated constructed wetland as a treatment system for the village of Glen, under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme 2019-2021. However, this bid was not considered a valid bid by the Expert Panel as it was outside the scope of the programme.
365. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will identify the precise number of affordable local authority houses he expects to provide by county based on the number of housing applicants in each local authority area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28796/20]
View answer369. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his proposals for direct and rapid build housing as required in each local authority area nationally with a view to making provisions to avoid homelessness in the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28800/20]
View answer370. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the various locations throughout County Kildare earmarked for local authority or affordable housing by way of purchase or direct build in the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28801/20]
View answer371. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of families on Kildare County Council housing list; when he expects them to be accommodated through the various proposals before him via the private sector or the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28802/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 369 to 371, inclusive, together.
A key commitment of the Programme for Government "Our Shared Future" is ensuring that affordable, quality homes are available to everyone in Irish society.
The 2019 Summary of Social Housing Assessments shows that 3,386 households were qualified for social housing support from Kildare County Council, which represents a decrease of 39% since 2016. While allocation of individual homes is a matter for the Council, my Department has been working with all stakeholders to ensure the supply of social housing can be increased using a broad range of programmes under Build, Acquisition, Lease, the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme.
My Department has assisted in the delivery of over 1,850 social housing homes in Co. Kildare under Build, Acquisition and Leasing since 2016. At end June 2020, there were 2,320 households actively in receipt of HAP support in County Kildare, with additional tenancies being supported week on week
The pipeline for future delivery in Kildare is strong with approximately 1,450 homes due for delivery before the end of 2021, with more being added to that pipeline regularly.
A detailed Social Housing Construction Status Report is published each quarter which provides scheme level detail on new build activity under Rebuilding Ireland. The most recent publication covers the period up to the end of Q4 2019 and is available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link:
https://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-social-housing-construction-status-report-for-q4-2019-2/
The Q1/Q2 2020 Construction status report will be published soon. The construction status report gives a list of the individual projects that make up the new Build programme and is sorted by local authority.
The construction status report gives information on a range of Build programmes including Direct and Design-Build (Rapid Build Housing) projects. My Department is working closely with all local authorities in relation to increasing and accelerating the delivery of a range of social housing programmes and supports, including through the use of design-build rapid delivery methodologies. Local authorities have been advised that design-build rapid delivery approaches should increasingly become the norm in terms of delivering social housing projects on local authority-owned land.
Regarding affordable housing, €310 million has already been allocated under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) to fund infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable homes on local authority lands. With a maximum of €50,000 funding available per home, at least 6,200 more affordable homes, to buy or rent, can be facilitated. To date, Serviced Sites Funding of €127 million has been approved in principle in support of 35 projects in 14 local authority areas, which will assist in the delivery of almost 3,200 affordable homes.
Details of all SSF projects that have received approval in principle to date can be found at the following links:
https://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-gives-the-go-ahead-for-ten-local-authority-sites-for-affordable-housing-under-the-serviced-sites-fund/, and
https://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-approves-funding-of-e84m-to-support-delivery-of-1770-affordable-homes-under-the-ssf/.
It is anticipated that a further SSF call to local authorities will be made later this year.
The Programme for Government also commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system through the progression of State-backed affordable housing.
I will outline further plans in terms of affordable housing later in the Autumn, taking account of the progress made under the SSF, as well as the development of the Affordable Purchase scheme and Cost Rental scheme.
366. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans for the development of private sites as a means of ameliorating the housing shortage by county taking into account the specific needs of each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28797/20]
View answerThis Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government "Our Shared Future".
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 private sites at scale. LIHAF is designed to specifically address the issue of housing supply, which is a crucial factor in terms of moderating house prices.
Thirty projects received final LIHAF approval, in late 2017 and early 2018, with an overall budget of €195.7m, of which €146.8m will be Exchequer funded, with the remainder funded via local authorities. Details of the approvals by local authority area, budget allocation, project description and projected housing delivery are available at www.rebuildingireland.ie/LIHAF.
My colleague, the Minister for Finance established the Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI) as a commercial entity in January 2019. Its function is to assist in the delivery of new homes by providing funding for residential development projects throughout the country. For the period up to July 2020, €340 million has been approved to support the delivery of 1,477 new homes, 66% of which will be private housing units. Full details are contained in the HBFI annual report published in July 2020, which includes the locations of all approved projects, and which is available at: https://www.hbfi.ie/
In terms of the specific housing needs of each county, National Policy Objective 37 of the National Planning Framework refers to local authorities undertaking a ‘Housing Needs and Demand Assessment’ (HNDA) for their area. The undertaking of such an assessment will inform the making of the local authority Housing Strategy which in turn feeds into the Development Plan for their county and will frame the requirement for housing development overall across tenure types. My Department is currently working on the development of a HNDA tool and framework which will assist local authorities to accurately and consistently project future housing demand in their own area.
367. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which he expects to ensure the availability of adequate resources through the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme or alternative with a view to addressing the housing shortage directly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28798/20]
View answerMeasures such as the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan and the Help to Buy Scheme are available to eligible purchasers nationally to support home ownership.
The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage which is for first-time-buyers nationwide to purchase a new or second-hand home or to self-build. This scheme offers loans on competitive terms to those who are unable to secure a commercial bank loan.
When the RIHL was initially being developed, it was estimated that the drawdown of loans under the scheme would be approximately €200 million over three years. The RIHL proved to be more successful than initially anticipated and following discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, an increase in funding of €363.6 million for 2018-2019 was communicated to all 31 local authorities on 15 August 2019. Following further engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, additional funding for new RIHL lending of up to €210 million has been secured for 2020.
Full details of the scheme are available at http://rebuildingirelandhomeloan.ie.
The Help to Buy Scheme, which is the policy responsibility of the Minister of Finance, is also available to eligible purchasers nationally to support home ownership. The Help-to-Buy scheme currently allows first-time buyers purchasing a newly-built home – or building one themselves – to claim back up to €30,000 in income tax paid and DIRT on bank deposit interest over the last four years. Full details of the Help to Buy initiative are available at https://www.revenue.ie/en/property/help-to-buy-incentive/index.aspx.
In terms of affordable home ownership more generally, I will outline my detailed plans in the near future.
368. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which he expects local authorities to refurbish void houses in the coming year thereby alleviating the threat of homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28799/20]
View answerThe management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.
Since 2014, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to supplement local authority spending in this area. . One of the key objectives of the Voids Programme is to provide local authorities with funding to help minimise the turnaround and re-let time of vacant units.
As announced in the July Stimulus Programme, additional funding of €40m has been made available in relation to Voids for 2020 which will see an additional 2,500 vacant properties remediated and allocated this year. This funding has been provided in recognition of the very challenging financial circumstances which local authorities are experiencing and the very real risk that the vacant homes, which would normally be refurbished by local authorities using their own resources, would be significantly impacted in 2020. In order to ensure quick turnaround of these properties the work schedules being funded relate primarily to those works required to ensure compliance with the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2019.
The specific allocation for the Voids programme in 2021 will be determined in the context of the ongoing Budget discussions
372. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the degree to which he remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of the sewerage treatment works in County Kildare to meet domestic and industrial demands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28803/20]
View answerSince 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels, including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure, while the local authorities remain responsible for private water supplies.
Given the legacy of underinvestment in water services infrastructure in Ireland, the scale of remedial work necessary in our water system will take a number years and investment cycles to fully resolve. The Government has committed to ambitious funding of Irish Water’s capital investment plans for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure on a multi-annual basis. The Government plans to deliver the €8.5 billion funding package committed to in Project Ireland 2040.
The Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025 gives clear direction to strategic planning and decision making on water and wastewater services in Ireland. 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 link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/water_services_policy_statement_2018-2025_0.pdf.
Irish Water’s Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP) published in 2015 sets out the strategic objectives for its delivery of water services over 25 years up to 2040 in order to ensure the provision of clean safe drinking water, effective management of wastewater, environmental protection and support for social and economic development. The Irish Water Business Plan, Transforming Water Services in Ireland to 2021 (also published in 2015), sets out its short to medium term planning in implementing the first phase of the Water Services Strategic Plan.
Irish Water’s Capital Investment Plan for the five year period from 2020 to 2024 will set out the financial plan for capital investments to support Irish Water’s strategic objectives, as set out in the WSSP and in its Business Plan, to deliver improvements to water services where they are needed most. Irish Water will also take account of developing subsidiary programmes within its investment plan to assist in implementing the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan including the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies as well as ongoing reviews of local authority statutory land use plans. It is in that context that investment decisions in relation to individual projects will be made.
For specific project and proposals, including in relation to County Kildare, it may be helpful to note that Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
373. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which he proposes to support, fund and-or develop specific heritage projects throughout County Kildare with particular reference to houses or sites of an historic nature; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28805/20]
View answer374. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans for the continued protection of heritage houses or sites nationally with particular reference to those threatened or likely to be threatened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28806/20]
View answer375. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his proposals to protect, preserve and promote various houses, buildings sites or locations of an historic nature throughout County Kildare with potential use for tourism and education in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28807/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 373 to 375, inclusive, together
My role with regard to the protection and management of our archaeological and architectural heritage is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, including the Planning Acts and the National Monuments Acts, as are the roles of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners.
My Department provides financial support for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF). It was announced in June 2020 that 450 heritage projects across every county in the country will benefit from a combined sum of over €4.3m under these schemes. Kildare County Council was allocated a total of €134,000 in respect of 9 heritage projects. Details of projects funded in Co Kildare are set out in the following tables.
Built Heritage Investment Scheme - 2020 Kildare (7 Projects)
|
Name and Address of Structure |
Grant |
|
Thatch Cottage, Stickens, Carragh, Naas |
€5,448 |
|
Thatched Cottage Thomastown, Caragh, Naas |
€7,300 |
|
Carbury Church, Carbury |
€10,252 |
|
Cock Bridge Thatched Cottage, Donore, Caragh, Naas |
€11,000 |
|
Curley's Thatch Cottage, Downings, Prosperous, Naas |
€15,000 |
|
No. 7 Canning Place, Newbridge |
€15,000 |
|
Mausoleum, Maudlings burial grounds, Dublin Road, Naas |
€15,000 |
|
Total |
€79,000 |
Historic Structures Fund - 2020 Kildare
|
Name and Address of Structure |
Grant |
|
Newbridge College (Junior House Wing), Newbridge |
€15,000 |
|
Donadea Castle Tower House |
€40,000 |
July Jobs Stimulus Package - 2020 Kildare
|
Name and Address of Structure |
Grant |
|
Carbury Church, Carbury (addition BHIS) |
€4,478 |
In addition we announced a further €1m under the Government's July Jobs Stimulus Package to expand existing built heritage funding schemes in response to significant demand from communities, to progress actions under Climate Change Action Plan in relation to the built heritage estate and to ensure completion of projects interrupted by the Covid lockdown.
As Minister, I am also the owner or guardian under the National Monuments Acts of approximately 1,000 national monuments located at approximately 750 sites. The Acts allow me to make a preservation order where I consider a national monument to be at risk. Responsibility for management and maintenance historical buildings and sites in State ownership, and management of related visitor facilities, rests with the Office of Public Works (OPW) which also maintains a significant ongoing programme of conservation works. This year, my Department has allocated €350,000 to the OPW for the maintenance of historic buildings and sites.
My Department recently announced a call for projects under the Community Monuments Fund (CMF), for investment in our archaeological heritage, which is being funded under the July Jobs Stimulus Package. Part of this funding is prioritised for local authorities, private owners and custodians and community groups for the care, maintenance, protection and promotion of local monuments and historic sites and the provision of any required measures to ensure safe access during the Covid-19 pandemic. Total funding available nationally for projects in 2020 is €900,000. The closing date for receipt of applications was 22 September 2020 and approved projects will be announced shortly.
While I have no functions, as Minister, in relation to education or tourism, the Heritage Council, which my Department funds, plays a role, including through the Heritage in Schools programme, the Adopt a Monument Scheme and National Heritage Week, all of which have been operating successfully for a number of years. Full details of all Heritage Council schemes can be found on their website www.heritagecouncil.ie.
