Written Answers Nos. 28-47
35. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to provide more affordable housing options in the Dublin area and put affordability at the heart of the housing system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27750/20]
View answerThis Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing is available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government.
This is a key priority of mine and since taking Office I have reviewed the situation on the ground in terms of supply, progress to date across the affordability measures and options for the expansion and acceleration of affordable housing delivery.
Based on this work, I intend to build on the existing measures such as the Serviced Sites Fund of €310 million to support local authorities in providing infrastructure to support the delivery of affordable homes on their lands. With a maximum €50,000 available per home, 6,200 new homes can be facilitated. From the overall approved funding of €127m some €74 million has been approved for 14 projects across Dublin, and the 4 local authorities have indicated an intention to deliver almost 2,200 affordable homes.
The Government is also committed to driving forward on Cost Rental. I will ensure that the three key projects at Enniskerry Road in Stepaside, Emmet Road, Inchicore and Shanganagh Castle, Shankill, are accelerated and that further projects are brought forward. In parallel, we will finalise the cost rental scheme working with key delivery partners.
The Land Development Agency is working with stakeholders in assembling key strategic sites in Dublin and other areas. The LDA has a strong development pipeline for social and affordable homes.
In terms of affordable housing generally, I have confirmed an intention to outline further detailed plans in the autumn.
42. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the start date for the construction of the new fire station in New Ross, County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26426/20]
View answerThe provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for equipment and priority infrastructural projects.
In February 2016, my Department announced a five-year Fire Services Capital Programme with an allocation of €40 million, based on an annual €8 million allocation, to be used for the purchase of fire appliances and specialist equipment, building or upgrading of prioritised Fire Stations, an upgrade of the Communications and Mobilisation system and improvements to Training Centres.
The five-year programme proposed the construction/refurbishment of twenty six fire stations. This included sixteen new builds and ten upgrade/refurbishment projects. The programme included a new fire station at New Ross.
Indeed, Wexford County Council has indicated that New Ross is their number one fire station priority. The Council completed a tender process in December 2019, and in March 2020 my Department received the tender report and cost plan, along with further detail in May 2020. My Department is engaging intensively with Wexford County Council on this project and I expect a decision to be made in the next month that will allow the Council to progress this important project to construction.
43. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the capital advance leasing facility rules will be amended to allow approved housing bodies to provide both social and affordable homes particularly when acquiring turnkeys from the private sector. [28371/20]
View answerCapital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) provides capital funding to approved housing bodies (of up to 30%) in order to facilitate the construction, refurbishment and acquisition of new social housing homes.
The homes are subsequently provided to local authorities for social housing use under long-term lease arrangements known as Payment and Availability Agreements.
In relation to the query raised by the Deputy, there is no consideration at present being given to amending CALF to incorporate affordable homes. This funding stream is for delivery of social housing homes. I would like to make it clear that any funding models that may be advanced for the purposes of measures such as affordable purchase or cost rental, would be distinct from, and additional to, the CALF facility which will remain ring-fenced for social housing purposes.
With regards to affordable housing, this 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 Programme commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system through the progression of State-backed affordable housing, and I will outline further plans in terms of affordable housing later in the autumn.
44. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has considered a scheme to encourage the turning of over-the-shop premises into housing as a way to revitalise rural communities. [28435/20]
View answerMy Department has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging and facilitating the provision of residential accommodation above existing retail units.
In December 2018, the Report of the Working Group on the Reuse of Existing Buildings and the Bringing Back Homes Manual for the Reuse of Existing Buildings were published. The Manual is available to download from my Department's website. The relevant weblink is below.
https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/home-ownership/vacant-homes/vacant-homes
The Manual is aimed at property owners, members of the public, local authorities and stakeholders in the construction industry who are interested in developing spaces within vacant buildings and bringing them into use for residential purposes.
The manual complements new planning regulations - the Planning and Development (Amendment)(No.2) Regulations 2018 - which came into effect on 8 February 2018 and allow for the change of use of certain vacant commercial buildings to domestic use without having to go through the planning process. A copy of the Regulations is available on the Irish Statute Book and the relevant weblink is below.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2018/si/30/made/en/pdf
A Vacant Homes Unit was established in my Department to drive and co-ordinate actions at central and local government levels in addressing vacancy and to support local authorities in their actions.
The Vacant Homes Unit provides support to the Vacant Homes Officers in each of the 31 local authorities who have been mandated to quickly identify vacancy hotspots, particularly in areas where there is a high demand for homes, and to engage with property owners in terms of advising them of the opportunities available, including through the Repair and Leasing Scheme and the Buy and Renew Scheme, to assist in bringing vacant properties into productive use for housing purposes.
I am satisfied that there are a range of measures and supports available to encourage and facilitate the provision of residential accommodation including the conversion of vacant commercial spaces over retail units for residential use, and I continue to keep this under review.
45. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is satisfied with the way in which the management plan for SPA and SAC the Gearagh, County Cork, is progressing; the next stage regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27425/20]
View answerMy Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) completed and published detailed site-specific conservation objectives for the Gearagh SAC (000108) in September 2016.
A management plan scoping exercise was undertaken by ESB International on behalf of the ESB (who are the main landowner) in 2016/2017. The NPWS took part in the stakeholder group that contributed to the report produced as a result of that exercise.
Under the Habitats Directive, Ireland reports to the EU on the conservation status of all habitats and species of European Community interest, as listed in Annexes to the Directive. Such scientific assessment is carried out on a range of representative sites, both within and outside SACs, over a 6–year cycle. The most recent report was submitted to the EU in 2019 and is available on the NPWS website.
Two of the listed habitats were surveyed in recent times at the Gearagh.
The priority habitat “Alluvial forests with Alder and Ash” is one of the qualifying interests of the Gearagh SAC and a monitoring site for this habitat is located within the SAC. It was most recently surveyed during the 2017-2018 monitoring period. The area, structure and functions, and future prospects of the SAC were all assessed as favourable. No significant negative impacts on the Alluvial forests habitat were recorded. The overall conservation status of the site was assessed as favourable.
This contrasts with the national conservation status of the Alluvial forests habitat in Ireland, which is considered to be bad, and deteriorating.
The Gearagh SAC is also listed for the habitat “Rivers with muddy banks” which has certain characteristic vegetation. The Gearagh was surveyed in 2018 and in addition to the survey, results of a 2018 botanical survey of the Gearagh were made available to the NPWS by the ESB.
The habitat was assessed as favourable in the Gearagh and at national level.
There is one invasive plant species (Tall Flatsedge) that requires monitoring at the Gearagh, but there is no clear evidence that the species is negatively impacting on the habitat.
These positive findings from scientific survey are indicators of a good management regime.
