Written Answers Nos. 129-143
129. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans to allow creative technicians (details supplied) apply for Arts Council grants; the reason new applicants cannot apply for funding from the Arts Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30415/20]
View answerThe Arts Council is the statutory body charged with supporting and developing the arts in Ireland. It is statutorily independent in its funding decisions and I, as Minister, cannot intervene in this function. The council received an initial allocation of €80 million in 2020. This has been increased to €130 million in Budget 2021, to allow the council to address the crisis in the sector. Among the measures introduced by the council in 2020 are new and additional bursaries and commissions, including supports for freelance artists and those looking to develop projects on a collaborative basis.
In addition to these measures, funding under the July stimulus and Budget 2021 aim to create opportunities for professional artists and creatives, and their support staff, through increased support for the Arts Council, live production, live performance and specific measures targeted at musicians. A key objective of this funding is to provide enhanced support for freelance arts workers who have been impacted severely by the Covid-19 public health emergency.
130. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the supports being put in place for sport and sporting organisations, that is, national governing bodies, particularly in respect of women's sport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30427/20]
View answerI am acutely aware of the particular difficulties and challenges currently facing sport and sporting organisations. Measures introduced by the Government to date have benefitted the sport sector including the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the series of enterprise supports.
There has been extensive engagement with the sport sector over the past number of months which has highlighted the significant, adverse impact of COVID-19 at all levels of the Irish sporting landscape. A COVID-19 Sports Monitoring Group, chaired at Ministerial level, has been established to engage directly with the sporting bodies. An Expert Group on Return to Sport, chaired by an official of my Department, has also been established to provide advice and guidance to sporting bodies.
Sport Ireland is also directly engaging with the sporting bodies on an ongoing basis.
A funding package of up to €70 million has been put in place to support the sector. The funding package, which will be administered by Sport Ireland,includes;
- Funding of up to €40m for the three main field sports organisations – the FAI, the GAA and the IRFU.
- a Resilience Fund of up to €10m to support the National Governing Bodies of Sport,
- a Sports Club Resilience Fund of up to €15m to support clubs, and
- a Sports Restart and Renewal Fund of up to €5m.
The funding will be invested through new grant schemes with Sport Ireland’s recognised funding partners, including the National Governing Bodies of Sport, Local Sports Partnerships and other funded sporting organisations.
The closing date for applications to Sport Ireland under the COVID 19 grant schemes was September 14. I understand that a large number of applications was received. 39 National Governing Bodies applied on their own behalf or on behalf of their member clubs. Sport Ireland is currently processing and validating the applications. There is significant interest in each of the 4 strands of funding. The process will be complete by the end of October and an announcement on allocations will be made at that time.
In addition to this funding scheme, I announced a special fund of €2.5 million as part of the July Jobs Stimulus to support the reopening of publicly accessible swimming pools in recognition of the particular challenges pool operators face in reopening to the public. This funding will also be administered by Sport Ireland. Sport Ireland is currently finalising the grant scheme. Full details of the scheme and the application process will be announced shortly.
I was delighted to welcome an increase of €36 million in funding for Sport Ireland in the 2021 Estimates. This funding will ensure continued support for the sport sector over the coming year, including support for Team Ireland athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Dormant Accounts Funding for Sport Ireland programmes has also been increased from €8 million in 2020 to €10 million next year. This funding will support programmes aiming to increase participation in sport and physical activity by people with disabilities and disadvantaged communities.
In relation to women’s sport, the Government has demonstrated its commitment to women's sport over many years, and considerable Exchequer funding has been allocated to programmes aimed at encouraging women's active and social participation in sport. This will also be the case in 2021. I would highlight in this regard the Sport Ireland Women in Sport programme established in 2005, which has provided funding support to a broad range of programmes aimed at increasing participation by women and girls. Minister Chambers has already been in discussions on how the Government can do more to support this initiative.
I would like to assure the Deputy that the importance of women's sport is something I will be highlighting in all my contacts with national and international sporting bodies.
131. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the provisions of the Broadcasting Act 2009 could be extended to allow for Nations League matches to be shown live on terrestrial television as is the case for the European Championships and the World Cup. [30482/20]
View answerThe Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) provides that Member States may designate sporting and cultural events of major importance to society as free-to-air. At a national level, the Broadcasting Act 2009 sets out the statutory process for designating events as free-to-air.
Under the 2009 Act, I am obliged to review the list of designated events every three years. The purpose of the review is to consider the appropriateness of the current list of designated events and to examine whether to add any events of major importance to society.
The most recent review was finalised in 2017. Approval was received from the European Commission to designate the All Ireland Senior Ladies Football and Camogie Finals as events of major importance in May 2017 . In accordance with Section 173(2) of the Act, the next review is scheduled to commence shortly. My Department will be launching a public consultation seeking submissions on events that may be eligible for consideration.
The current list is as set out below.
Live:
- The All Ireland Senior Ladies Football Final
- The All Ireland Senior Camogie Final
- The Summer Olympics
- The All-Ireland Senior Inter-County Football & Hurling Finals
- Ireland’s home and away qualifying games in the European Football Championship and the FIFA World Cup Tournaments
- Ireland’s games in the European Football Championship Finals Tournament and the FIFA World Cup Finals Tournament
- Ireland’s games in the Rugby World Cup Finals Tournament
- The Irish Grand National and the Irish Derby
- The Nations Cup at the Dublin Horse Show
Deferred:
- Ireland’s games in the Six Nations Rugby Football Championship
132. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans to provide extra funding for municipal swimming pools to keep them open in view of the effect Covid-19 is having on their income and their importance socially and medically; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30527/20]
View answer133. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if all of the €2.5 million provided by her to support the reopening of swimming pools has been allocated; the organisations that were approved funding; the amount allocated to each one; the amount of funding expended to each to date; her plans to make further funding available to support swimming pools in view of the continued Covid-19 crisis and restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30538/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on Ireland's sport and leisure sector. I regret that the necessary public health restrictions have presented serious challenges for the operators of sports and recreation facilities. These facilities are hugely valuable to communities throughout the country and play a major role in supporting people's health and wellbeing. I am pleased that in Level 3 of the Resilience and Recovery Plan, all gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools are permitted to open. I hope that they will continue to serve their communities through the winter months.
As part of the July Jobs Stimulus, I announced a special fund of €2.5 million to support the reopening of publicly accessible swimming pools in recognition of the particular challenges pool operators face in reopening to the public. This funding will be administered by Sport Ireland. A grant scheme is currently being drafted. Full details of the scheme and the application process will be announced shortly.
134. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to alter the duration of planning permissions in view of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the effect it has had on the building industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30829/20]
View answer135. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the duration of all planning permissions, including cases in which the applicant has already benefited from an extension of time will be extended in view of the delays caused to construction projects by the Covid-19 pandemic; if this extension will be for a duration of at least 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30410/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 135 together.
In 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 has now been extended by a further 8 weeks.
Under section 42 of the Act, the holder of planning permission may apply to the planning authority for an extension to the period of permission, prior to the expiration of that permission. On application, the authority shall extend the appropriate period by such additional period not exceeding 5 years as the authority considers requisite to enable the development to which the permission relates to be completed, provided that, the development was commenced before the expiration of the permission, substantial works were carried out and the development will be completed within a reasonable time.
Provision is also made under section 42 to enable planning authorities to grant an extension to permission for instances were considerations of a commercial, economic or technical nature beyond the control of the applicant which substantially militated against either the commencement of development or the carrying out of substantial works pursuant to the planning permission.
If an extension to planning permission has been previously granted, 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 do not 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.
136. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the date on which legislation on directly elected mayors will be published. [30412/20]
View answer137. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the date on which the first election of a directly elected mayor of Limerick will take place. [30413/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 137 together.
The Programme for Government commits to passing legislation to allow the first directly elected mayor in Limerick to be elected in 2021.
The report of the Implementation Advisory Group, established in December 2019 to advise on how best to establish and shape the role of a directly elected mayor with executive functions in Limerick City and County Council, is nearing completion. I expect the Group's report to be presented to my colleague, the Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, Mr Peter Burke TD, this month.
This report, together with legislative proposals which will derive from it, will then be brought before Government and the Oireachtas in accordance with section 44 of the Local Government Act 2019. This will pave the way for the publication of draft legislation in time to meet the Programme for Government commitment for mayoral elections in Limerick in 2021, possibly in the Autumn.
138. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the date on which he plans to increase the eligible income limits in respect of social housing; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons whot are solely dependent on social welfare are being removed from the social housing waiting lists on income grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30433/20]
View answerApplications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.
The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The 2011 Regulations do not provide local authorities with any discretion to exceed the limits that apply to their administrative areas.
Under the Household Means Policy, which applies in all local authorities, net income for social housing assessment is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI, Universal Social Charge and Pension-Related Deductions within the meaning of Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009. The Policy provides for a range of income disregards, and local authorities also have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once-off in nature.
The oversight and management of the lists of qualified households awaiting accommodation, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with Sections 20 and 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Social Housing Assessment and Allocation Regulations, respectively. Under Regulation 28 of the Assessment Regulations, a household’s qualification for support may be reviewed at the discretion of a local authority and Regulation 29 provides that the household’s qualification for support shall be reassessed at the point of allocation of support.
The income bands are expressed in terms of a maximum net income threshold for a single-person household, with an allowance of 5% for each additional adult household member, subject to a maximum allowance under this category of 10%; and 2.5% for each child, subject to a maximum allowance under this category of 10%.
The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country. It is important to note that the limits introduced at that time also reflected a blanket increase of €5,000 introduced prior to the new system coming into operation, in order to broaden the base from which social housing tenants are drawn, both promoting sustainable communities and also providing a degree of future-proofing.
Given the cost to the State of providing social housing, it is considered prudent and fair to direct resources to those most in need of social housing support. The current income eligibility requirements generally achieve this, providing for a fair and equitable system of identifying those households facing the greatest challenge in meeting their accommodation needs from their own resources.
However, as part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports in each local authority area is underway. The review will also have regard to current initiatives being brought forward in terms of affordability and cost rental and will be completed when the impacts of these parallel initiatives have been considered.
139. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the defective concrete blocks scheme will be extended to County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30480/20]
View answerThe regulations for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme came in to operation on 31 January 2020. The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo only, to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks.
The scheme opened for applications at the end of June 2020. I have no plans currently to extend it to other local authority areas.
140. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps being taken to protect corncrakes and skylarks on the island of Inishturbot, County Galway, from the predation of rats in view of the fact these are rare and protected species; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30535/20]
View answerCorncrake is a species listed for special protection under Annex 1 of the EU Birds Directive. No Corncrake have been recorded on Inishturbot in the years 2018 to 2020, but the island habitat is suitable for Corncrake and other ground nesting birds, such as Skylark.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department recently secured EU LIFE funding for a five year project, LIFE Atlantic Crex, which focuses on improving the conservation status of Corncrake in Ireland. The project will work with a range of local stakeholders across the Corncrake SPA network and will undertake predation risk management at all of the project sites. Inishturbot in Co. Galway is a target area for habitat enhancement for Corncrake as part of the project. Predation risk management would include an investigation of any rat populations which may pose a threat to ground nesting birds- in particular Corncrake.
141. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to reconstitute the ministerial Moore Street advisory committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30536/20]
View answerThe recommendation of the outgoing Moore Street Advisory Group that it should be reconfigured to continue its work as a smaller, more focused body, was agreed and accepted by the Minister at the time, including the reappointment of the outgoing chair to lead the next phase. Membership nominations were also requested from constituent organisations, including relatives’ groups, street traders, Dublin City Council and from the Ceann Comhairle in the case the Oireachtas. The nomination process in the latter case was necessarily held in abeyance until government formation had been completed.
I would be keen to see the work of the Advisory Group moving forward as quickly as possible once the outstanding membership nominations are received. My Department has followed up with the representative groups whose nominations are still awaited and I would be hopeful that the first meeting of the new Advisory Group can take place relatively soon.
142. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of a project (details supplied); and when he met the local authority on this matter. [30541/20]
View answerThe Cork Event Centre is included as a commitment under Project Ireland 2040 and it underlines the Government’s objectives around urban regeneration, enhanced amenity and heritage, associated quality of life standards, balanced regional development, and the regeneration and development of Cork City Centre.
It was agreed in the context of Budget 2020 that responsibility at central Government level for making the grant aid support available for the project would transfer to my Department. In that context, funding was allocated to my Department in 2020 to support the project.
Responsibility for the advancement of proposals for the development of the Cork Event Centre remains, in the first instance, a matter for Cork City Council. I have not met with Cork City Council on this matter.
143. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason an organisation did not receive a licence (details supplied); if he will meet the organisation regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30548/20]
View answerMy Department issued the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) with licences on 16 September 2020 on behalf of its affiliated clubs to capture and tag hares for the 2020/2021 Coursing Season. While the holding of individual coursing meetings is a matter for the ICC, it is my understanding that the club in question will not be holding a meeting during the current season.
