Written Answers Nos. 157-174
157. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to change the HAP scheme; and his plans to change the level of support for each county to allow inter county HAP applications to be successful. [29812/20]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q2 2020, almost 79,000 HAP tenancies had been set-up since the scheme commenced, of which there were more than 56,500 households actively in receipt of HAP support and over 32,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the scheme.
The responsiveness and flexibility of HAP as a social housing support is one of the scheme's key characteristics and was one of the primary benefits envisaged at the outset of the scheme. With this in mind, guidelines on inter-authority movement were issued to local authorities to facilitate movement of HAP households from one local authority area to another in cases where a HAP tenant, currently on a local authority waiting list, wishes to access rented accommodation with HAP support in another local authority area. Inter authority movement is, however, subject to certain conditions, such as the Social Housing Income Eligibility Bands and confirmation that the applicant's income is below the threshold in the new local authority.
Given that such flexibility facilitates better utilisation of all private rental stock for social housing purposes and supports the maximum activation potential of HAP households by removing geographical barriers to employment, all local authorities have been requested to give appropriate consideration to these requests.
HAP tenants continue to be dealt with by their originating local authority. However, the rent limits will be those that apply in the local authority where the property is situated. The "originating" local authority will engage with the relevant "new" local authority to facilitate eligible requests for inter-authority movement.
At the end of Q2, 2020, over 7,200 HAP household’s had been facilitated via the agreed approach to inter-authority movement.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review and it is a key mechanism in meeting housing need across the Country.
158. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will publish a quarterly Traveller accommodation construction pipeline report similar to that currently produced for social housing to enable the Houses of the Oireachtas to track the progress in the delivery of Traveller accommodation under the new TAPs. [29869/20]
View answerMy Department publishes a quarterly Social Housing Construction Status Report, which provides information on the status of many of the various social housing new build projects underway nationally. The report includes details of schemes being progressed by the local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.
A dedicated budget is in place to fund the delivery of Traveller-specific accommodation, based on the requirements identified in the local Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs). The funding supports the delivery of various types of accommodation including group housing, halting sites and the refurbishment of existing units.
As you are aware, my Department is actively progressing the recommendations made in the report of Expert Group on Traveller Accommodation. The 32 recommendations in the Report, include proposals aimed at addressing reporting deficiencies, including how information is gathered and reported as well as strengthening governance arrangements.
I plan to establish a dedicated Programme Board led by my Department and including all the necessary representatives to drive implementation of the Report recommendations. The work will be informed by input from key stakeholders, including those representing Travellers. In the context of this work, my Department will review the progress reporting arrangements.
159. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will publish a quarterly serviced sites fund accommodation construction pipeline report similar to that currently produced for social housing to enable the Houses of the Oireachtas to track the progress in the delivery of affordable accommodation to rent and buy under the fund. [29870/20]
View answerThe Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) grant funds the cost of key enabling infrastructure requirements that will help unlock publicly-owned lands for the delivery thereafter of affordable homes to buy or rent.
Where an affordability challenge has been identified by a local authority together with a viability to deliver more affordable homes, the fund sub-vents the cost of facilitating infrastructure to a maximum amount of €50,000 per home. By leveraging the value of this funding and that of their land, local authorities can then develop homes and make them available to purchase or rent at below open market values.
To date, a total funding of €127 million from overall SSF of €310 million has been approved in principle to provide infrastructural work that will support 35 projects in 14 local authorities, and facilitate the delivery of in the region of 3,200 more affordable homes. It is my intention to issue an Open Call for proposals to local authorities under the SSF to all local authorities shortly.
My Department does not fund the construction cost of affordable housing or approve the contracting and scheduling processes. These responsibilities have been retained by each Local Authority. As such, it is not directly comparable to the existing process for quarterly reporting in respect of social housing. Notwithstanding this, my Department will ensure it maintains close co-operation with local authorities and will make available details regarding the delivery of more affordable homes as the scheme develops.
160. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he expects the delivery of the 20,000 homes including 8,000 discounted price homes assisted through the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund which was to see the delivery of these homes by the end of 2019; the status of the spreadsheet of each LIHAF funded project including the number of discounted units delivered to date; and the price of the discounted units. [29871/20]
View answerAs an initiative of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) was primarily designed to support housing supply by funding the provision of public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages and enable housing developments to be built on key sites at scale.
30 projects received final LIHAF approval with an overall budget of €195.7m, of which €146.8m will be Exchequer funded, with the remainder funded via local authorities. Of the 30 projects, Kildare County Council has confirmed that its project on the Naas Inner Relief Road will not now progress, although an element of the housing that was associated with the project has taken place.
Details of the approvals by local authority area, budget allocation, project description and projected housing delivery are available at www.rebuildingireland.ie/LIHAF.
Currently, 3 LIHAF projects have completed infrastructure construction. Of the remaining 26, up to the end of September (and excluding the Naas project), 14 projects have been approved to go to, or are already at, infrastructure construction stage. Of the remaining 12 projects, one is expected to have a tender approved in Q4 2020 and go to construction in Q1 2021.
Eleven are not yet ready to go to infrastructure tender stage which is required in order to receive approval to proceed to construction. Of these eleven, five are advancing through the detailed design and planning stage and the remaining six projects are currently under review. My Department while reviewing these projects will consider requests from local authorities for extensions to the funding agreements as and when they arise.
In terms of homes delivered, the table below details the number of completed homes up to Q4 2019. Figures in respect of 2020 delivery are currently being collated.
|
Local Authority |
Project Name |
Residential Units Delivered to Date |
Social/Part V |
Cost Reduced/More Affordable |
|
Cork County |
Carrigaline |
180 |
0 |
0 |
|
Fingal |
Oldtown/Mooretown |
379 |
8 |
211 |
|
Kildare |
Naas |
190 |
15 |
150 |
|
Meath |
Ratoath |
106 |
2 |
10 |
|
South Dublin |
Adamstown SDZ |
1,202 |
120 |
459 |
|
Cork City |
Glanmire |
13 |
0 |
3 |
|
Fingal |
Donabate |
66 |
0 |
66 |
|
Limerick |
Mungret |
26 |
0 |
26 |
|
- |
Total |
2,162 |
145 |
925 |
The individual sales price of homes that are delivered following the construction of the LIHAF facilitating infrastructure is not available in my Department. However, by way of example, in Adamstown South Dublin, over 1,500 LIHAF enabled homes are already completed or contracted and 500 more homes are under construction. Within the large-scale delivery of homes, there are 300 homes at, or below, a cost of €300,000 and a further 500 at or below €320,000. These have been delivered by leveraging the LIHAF funding and the average discount applied across all 800 discounted homes will be approx. €25,000 per unit.
Meath County Council has confirmed units at Ratoath will be at a discount of 10% to the relevant open market prices. In Cork, the LIHAF project at Glanmire will see 110 homes delivered with a discount of approx. €20,000 each on the open market price.
The construction of housing by developers on lands which benefit from LIHAF funding is separate from the local authority-led delivery of the infrastructure, both contractually and in terms of delivery schedules.
For the majority of LIHAF projects sites, housing construction is expected to commence after the construction of the infrastructure has begun, so the timelines for housing delivery are generally in 2021 and beyond.
161. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline his plans to publish new heads of a Bill for the Land Development Agency; and if he plans to consult with the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage before proceeding to finalisation of the legislation and publication of the final LDA Bill. [29872/20]
View answerIn September 2018, the Land Development Agency was established on an interim basis by statutory instrument under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, as amended.
A General Scheme of the Bill to establish the LDA as a commercial state body was approved by Government for publication, consideration for pre-legislative scrutiny and priority drafting in July 2019. The pre-legislative scrutiny process is now complete and the Committee's report has been received by my Department.
I intend updating the Government shortly on a number of policy matters which have informed the drafting process for the General Scheme, taking account of the pre-legislative scrutiny process and the Programme for Government commitments. In this context the General Scheme of the Bill has been updated and, subject to the approval of Government, I intend to publish this updated General Scheme for information.
There will be further engagement with the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage following the publication of the Bill.
162. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing first tenancies created in each of the years 2016 to 2019 and to date in 2020; and the breakdown for each local authority for each of the years and to date in 2020. [29873/20]
View answerHousing First enables homeless individuals with high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive housing and health supports to help them maintain their tenancies.
The National Implementation Plan for Housing First, published in September 2018, which puts the programme on a national footing, is designed to provide this response, by delivering permanent housing solutions and associated supports for rough sleepers and long-term users of emergency accommodation. It extends the delivery of Housing First nationally, with the introduction of targets for each local authority. The Plan includes an overall target of 663 tenancies in the period 2018-2021. The implementation of the Plan is a joint initiative of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Health, the HSE and the local authorities.
In line with the National Implementation Plan, Housing First is being delivered on a regional basis by the local authorities and the HSE. Contracts for the delivery of services have been put in place in each of the nine regions responsible for the delivery of homeless services with tenancies now in place in every region. The Housing First programme has been operating in the Dublin region since 2014, following a successful pilot.
The Programme for Government commits to an expansion of the Housing First targets. Research is being undertaken to carry out an assessment of need for the supports provided by Housing First.
The following table provides an details on the number of tenancies created since 2016.
|
Local Authority |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
To end Q2 2020 |
|
Dublin |
34 |
106 |
83 |
140 |
52 |
|
Kildare |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Meath |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
Wicklow |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Laois |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
Longford |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Offaly |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Westmeath |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Limerick City and County |
0 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
7 |
|
Clare |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Louth |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
|
Monaghan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Cavan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Donegal |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
Leitrim |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Sligo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
|
Carlow |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
|
Kilkenny |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
|
Tipperary |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
3 |
|
Waterford City and County |
0 |
0 |
9 |
7 |
4 |
|
Wexford |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
|
Cork City |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
5 |
|
Cork County |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kerry |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Galway City |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
8 |
|
Galway County |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mayo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Roscommon |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total |
34 |
106 |
92 |
189 |
119 |
163. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the recently published report into LGBTQ+ youth homelessness (details supplied); if he will implement the recommendations as set out in the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29879/20]
View answerSupporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. The Programme for Government "Our Shared Future" commits to reducing and preventing homelessness and provides detail on how the Government will approach this challenge.
Upon my appointment as Minister, I established a High Level Homelessness Taskforce, to provide a forum for engagement with key organisations working to address homelessness. The Taskforce will input on the implementation of the commitments on homelessness in the Programme for Government. The membership of the taskforce consists of the Chief Executives of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, Crosscare, Depaul, Focus Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust, Dublin Simon Community and Threshold. Youth homelessness is one of the issues which is being discussed by the Task Force. I will also be consulting with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on this matter and will announce further details on the development of a National Youth Homelessness Strategy in due course.
The report referred to is a report on LGBTQI+ Youth Homelessness in Ireland by Focus Ireland. My Department is currently undertaking a detailed examination of the report's recommendations.
164. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will issue guidance to local authorities to take prior breaches of building regulation into account under section 35 of the Planning and Development Act 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29882/20]
View answer165. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to planning applications that have been refused based on past failure to comply as provided for in Section 35 of the Planning and Development Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29883/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 164 and 165 together.
Section 35 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), which relates to refusal of planning permission for past failures, enables planning authorities to refuse an application for planning permission to those responsible for a previous development where it is satisfied that an applicant, a partnership of which the applicant is or was a member, or a registered society or company under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1893 to 2014, is not in compliance with a previous permission or with a condition to which a previous permission is subject, has carried out substantial unauthorised development, or has been convicted of an offence under the Act. Section 35 of the Act further provides that an application for planning permission may be refused in situations where a developer has previously left an estate unfinished under one company name and then re-applies for permission for a new development under a different company name.
Supplementary to the foregoing, section 34 of the Act, which relates to applications for development, provides that planning authorities shall, in the assessment and determination of planning applications, have specific regard to previous developments by a developer which have not been satisfactorily completed as well as any previous convictions against the developer for non-compliance with the Planning Act, the Building Control Act 2007 and the Fire Services Act 1981.
Under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014, primary responsibility for compliance of works with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests with the owners, designers and builders of buildings. Enforcement of the Building Regulations is a matter for the 31 local building control authorities, who have extensive powers of inspection and enforcement under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003, the Building Control Acts, the Housing Acts and the Planning and Development Acts and who are independent in the use of their statutory powers.
As the foregoing legislative provisions and powers are already available to local authorities, I have no plans to issue specific guidance in this matter.
166. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of investigations that have been carried out for breaches of rent pressure zones; the number of same that were initiated by the RTB without a complaint made by a tenant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29891/20]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2020, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.
Additional powers and functions were conferred on the RTB by provisions in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) 2019 Act. The introduction of these new powers of investigation and the related sanctions regime came into effect from 1st July 2019 and the key provisions of the Act make it a criminal offence for landlords to implement rent increases that contravene the law, that do not adhere to the new definition of a substantial change in the nature of the accommodation for the purpose of an exemption from the 4% p.a. rent increase restriction, or fail to cooperate with an RTB investigation, or fail to register and update tenancies with the RTB. The Act provides powers to the RTB to investigate and administratively sanction (up to €30,000) landlords who engage in improper conduct including non-compliance with the rent increase restriction in RPZs and allows the RTB to initiate an investigation without the need for a complaint to be made.
The Clerk of the Dáil requested that arrangements be put in place to facilitate the provision of information by State Bodies to members of the Oireachtas. Following the issue of Circular LG (P)05/16 on 20 September 2016 from my Department, the RTB set up a dedicated email address for this purpose. The RTB may be contacted at OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie in relation to the matters raised.
167. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if guidelines will be issued on the need for electric car charging points in new estates; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in some high density estates in which persons do not have driveways charging points and cannot be installed as they create a trip hazard; the retrospective steps that can be taken in such developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29892/20]
View answerThe EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2018/844/EU) requires Member States to ensure that appropriate infrastructure is installed in all new residential buildings and non-residential buildings, as well as those buildings with more than 10 parking spaces, for the purpose of enabling the installation at a later stage of charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) in such developments. It is intended that this EU requirement will be transposed into Irish law by end 2020.
With regard to existing developments, if a property owner or developer wishes to retrospectively install EV charging points, exemptions from planning permission for such infrastructure are available under Class 29A of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Regulations). This Class allows for the installation of EV charging points that do not exceed a volume of - (i) 0.5 cubic metres above ground on a public road, and (ii) 3 cubic metres above ground elsewhere.
If a hazard would be created by the installation of an EV charging point so as to endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard or obstruction of road users, including pedestrians, the planning exemption would be dis-applied under Article 9(1)(a)(iii) of the Regulations and the property owner or developer in question would be required to apply for planning permission.
With regard to the installation of EV charging points on roads, both public and private, this should be undertaken in accordance with the principles contained in the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS), which was jointly published in 2013 by my Department in association with the Department of Transport. Where the installation of an EV charging point is proposed specifically for public roads, the relevant local authority in its capacity as a Roads Authority under the Roads Act 1993, must be consulted and such installation may also require a road opening licence.
Where a developer or individual is unsure if planning permission is required for a proposed EV charging point, they can apply for a declaration under section 5 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, where each application is considered by the relevant planning authority on a case-by-case basis.
The technology behind EV charging points is evolving at a fast pace and my Department will keep the matter under review and make necessary legislative amendments or issue updated guidelines as the need arises.
168. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the Minister of State within his Department that is responsible for Traveller accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29894/20]
View answerMy colleague Peter Burke TD, Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, will be responsible for Traveller accommodation and the formal process to delegate the functions is underway.
169. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has formally notified An Gard Síochána of the demolition and removal of No. 40 Herbert Park, a protected structure and national monument, in breach of the Planning and Development Acts and national monument legislation. [30052/20]
View answer181. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he will take following the demolition of O'Rahilly House, 40 Herbert Park in Ballsbridge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30320/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 181 together.
I am aware of concerns in relation to the matter raised. This matter is now, I understand, the subject of planning enforcement action and legal proceedings by Dublin City Council and I am precluded from further comment on it.
With regard to the safeguarding of protected structures, Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000 gives primary responsibility to local authorities to identify and protect architectural heritage by including particular structures on their respective Records of Protected Structures (RPS). Inclusion on the RPS places a duty of care on the owners and occupiers of protected structures and also gives planning authorities powers to deal with any development proposals affecting them.
170. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of officials permanently assigned to the LIHAF section by grade in each of the years 2016 to 2019 and to date in 2020. [30130/20]
View answer171. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of officials permanently assigned to the capital infrastructure unit; and the breakdown of staff by grade in each of the years 2016 to 2019 and to date in 2020. [30131/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 171 together.
The Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) and the Capital Infrastructure and Affordability Unit fall within the Housing Delivery Division of my Department, which is one of the core business areas of my Department.
LIHAF has been administered within the Capital Infrastructure Unit of my Department since March 2019. It was previously managed under the Planning Programme Management Office section. Staff allocated to work on LIHAF also have other responsibilities beyond the management of the LIHAF programme alone.
There have been several reconfigurations of my Department's structure during the period 2016 to 2020 with a view to more efficient and effective delivery of key Housing programmes. This has seen responsibility for LIHAF move between units to where it currently sits as part of the Capital Infrastructure and Affordability team, which has 14 staff. As a result of the changes in Departmental structures over the period, it is not possible to give an exact breakdown of staff dealing specifically with LIHAF as these staff would have been assigned other Housing programmes and schemes and would not have worked solely on that programme. As well as the team in the LIHAF Unit, my Department's professional and technical staff and staff in the Planning Division would all input into the Unit and the LIHAF programme as and when necessary.
172. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are provisions in legislation for a second extension of duration for a planning application due to expire in December 2020 that has become necessary as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions since March 2020 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30162/20]
View answerIn light of the impacts of the Covid-19 emergency, the Government, on 29 March 2020, made an Order under section 251A of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), which resulted in the extension of time for a range of specified or appropriate periods and timelines in the Planning Acts and associated planning regulations. Further orders were signed on 16 April 2020 and 9 May 2020, the last of which expired on 23 May 2020. The three Orders had the combined effect of extending the relevant planning periods and timelines, including the duration of planning permissions, by an aggregate of 56 days/8 weeks during the time period in which they have effect. Accordingly, on foot of these Orders, the validity of a planning permission due to expire in December 2020 has now been extended by a further 8 weeks. Under section 42 of the Act, the only circumstance in which the holder of a planning permission may be granted a second extension of duration is in respect of a development that relates to 20 or more houses subject to the development being completed within 5 years of the originally extended permission or by 31 December 2021, whichever first occurs.
On 15 September 2020, the Government published its latest response to managing Covid-19 - Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for living with Covid-19. While I don't envisage any further actions will be required for the planning system in the context of this framework at this time, I continue to keep this matter under review.
173. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to extend the commercial rates waiver for the hospitality sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30201/20]
View answer183. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if additional funding will be provided to local authorities to enable them to suspend rates of payments for SMEs impacted by the Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30335/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 183 together.
Local authorities have a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes. An initial three-month waiver of rates for businesses forced to close business due to COVID-19, was announced in May. In order to enhance the supports available for enterprise, and in recognition of the fact that not only were many ratepayers forced to close business due to the public health requirements, but many that remained open suffered significant reductions in turnover, the waiver was extended to six months, running until 27 September 2020. The categories of eligible enterprise were also expanded somewhat. A 100% waiver was applied to all businesses with the exception of a small number of categories. The rationale for the exclusion of certain categories of ratepayers was that their operations were not as severely impacted by the pandemic, coupled with the need to direct resources appropriately. To support both the local government sector and the ratepayers impacted, €600m has been allocated by Government to fund the cost of the waiver, which took the form of a credit in lieu of rates.
By ensuring that the vast majority of businesses are eligible for the waiver, the measure supports the SME sector, including those companies that had to close and those businesses that remained open but were severely impacted by Covid-19 restrictions.
When the six-month waiver was announced, I agreed that the potential for the waiver to extend beyond end September should be kept under review, regarding the continuing impact of the pandemic on businesses and the reopening of society. The possible extension of the commercial rates waiver has been the subject of discussions between myself and the Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform in recent days. I am pleased to confirm that Government is extending the waiver for a further 3 months, to end December, an investment of a further €300m to ensure local authorities have resources available while simultaneously supporting businesses impacted by this pandemic. Further details will be available from my Department in the coming days.
174. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the pyrite mica scheme for counties Mayo and Donegal is more restrictive than the existing pyrite remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30206/20]
View answerThe Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme is underpinned by regulations made under Sections 2 and 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1979, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks.
The scheme outlines five remedial options ranging from rebuilding on existing foundations to replacing of external walls. The maximum approved costs per dwelling under the scheme are significant and range from €55,00 to €275,000 depending on the remedial option. A grant of 90% of the approved costs associated with the necessary remediation works, subject to a maximum for each remedial option, or 90% of the actual cost of the remedial works, whichever is the lesser, is available under the scheme. This is in line with how similar Government grant schemes operate or have operated in the past, where an applicant contribution to the costs is a key requirement.
Separately, the Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board (PRB), and for the making of a Pyrite Remediation Scheme, to be implemented by the PRB 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 or mica in concrete blocks. It is not a grant scheme. The average cost of remediation of a dwelling under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme is €70,000.
