Written Answers Nos. 126-140
126. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of capital funding his Department has provided to Co-operative Housing Ireland, CHI, since quarter 4 of 2014 to date by quarter in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10725/21]
View answerThere are a range of funding and delivery mechanisms available to local authorities to deliver social housing supports in partnership with Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). The funding is provided by my Department directly to local authorities, who in turn, advance the funding to the AHBs, as appropriate.
The organisation detailed by the Deputy is an Approved Housing Body and details of the capital funding provided annually over the period 2015 to 2020 is set out in the table below. The data is not readily available on a quarterly basis.
|
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
0 |
€4.3m |
€12.1m |
€9.1m |
€2.5m |
€29.5m |
127. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will engage with a local authority (details supplied) to increase the loan amount administered as part of the Rebuilding Ireland home loan considering the current house prices in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10733/21]
View answerMy Department operates the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, which is targeted at first time buyers who wish to own their own home, have access to an adequate deposit and have the capacity to repay a mortgage, but who are unable to access a mortgage sufficient for them to purchase their first home.
With a Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan you can borrow up to 90% of the market value of a residential property. Maximum market values of the property that can be purchased or self-built are:
- €320,000 in the counties Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow, and
- €250,000 in the rest of the country.
This limits the amount that can be borrowed to no more than €288,000 in the counties Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow and no more than €225,000 in the rest of the country. There are no plans at present to change these limits.
The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future contains a commitment to expand the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan.
128. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authority voids returned to stock in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021; the number of voids in each local authority; the location of these voids within each local authority; the cost per unit of bringing each unit back in stock in the same period; the average turnaround time per year of bringing each unit back in stock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10754/21]
View answerUnder the Voids Programme funded by my Department, 13,769 vacant social housing homes were returned to productive use in the period 2015-2020. This figure does not include homes which were returned to productive use by local authorities using funding from their own resources.
Between 2015 and 2020, Exchequer funding of approximately €202.5m was provided supporting local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting.
The table below provides the full breakdown by local authority of the units funded by my Department during this time:
The average cost per unit in each of the years 2015 to 2020 is as follows:
|
Year |
Units |
Funding |
Average Cost Per Unit |
|
2015 |
2829 |
€33,538,680.00 |
€11,855.31 |
|
2016 |
2308 |
€34,790,434.00 |
€15,073.84 |
|
2017 |
1757 |
€24,699,067.00 |
€14,057.52 |
|
2018 |
1765 |
€26,259,113.00 |
€14,877.68 |
|
2019 |
1503 |
€26,667,805.00 |
€17,743.05 |
|
2020 |
3607 |
€56,453,481.00 |
€15,651.09 |
Figures and the breakdown of funding for the return of vacant units in relation to 2021 will not be known until the 2021 programme is rolled out. Work on the design of the 2021 programme is ongoing and a call for proposals will issue shortly.
Statistics in relation to the social housing stock are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in their Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including the average time taken to re-tenant a dwelling. The most recent report, relating to 2019, is available on the NOAC website at the following link: https://noac.ie/noac_publications/noac-performance-indicators-report-2019/
129. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the full-year revenue raised from the vacant sites levy from 2015 to 2020, by local authority in tabular form; the estimated full-year revenue from the vacant sites levy in 2021, by local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10755/21]
View answerI refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No. 116 of 11 February 2021 in relation to the collection of the vacant site levy. The position remains the same.
The specific information sought by the Deputy in relation to the amount of the levy that could be raised in 2021 is not currently available in my Department. My Department does not maintain a central register of vacant sites, as each local authority administers the vacant site register in respect of their own functional area. A recent review of the on-line vacant site registers across all local authority areas shows there are collectively over 320 individual sites currently on the local registers. Over 300 of these sites were entered on the local vacant site registers on 1 January 2020 and are therefore subject to the levy in 2021, unless development works were activated in the interim.
Based on the information from the recent review of the online registers which showed that there were sites with market valuations of €441.5m listed on local authority registers on 1 January 2020 and were liable to the levy in 2021, it is estimated that the levy proceeds nationally for 2021 could be of the order of €30.9m based on the application of a site market valuation rate of 7%.
The levy is not intended to be a revenue generating measure with the proceeds accruing to the relevant local authority rather than the Exchequer. The levy proceeds generated are specifically intended to be used by local authorities for the provision of housing and regeneration development in the local area in which vacant sites are located. No more than 10% of the levy monies received by planning authorities may be used on their administration costs in collecting the levy.
130. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the expenditure of his Department and An Bord Pleanála in respect of all legal services provided in all appeal and judicial review applications instituted against his Department and-or An Bord Pleanála by case in each of the years since January 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10756/21]
View answerMy Department seeks, where possible, to minimise its legal costs and avails of the services of the Chief State Solicitor's office, the Attorney General's Office and the State Claims Agency in terms of the provision of legal advice and representation of the Department in planning related judicial review court cases and any subsequent appeals. The costs involved are generally borne by the relevant State agencies. The cost of any additional legal services for planning related judicial review court cases and any subsequent appeals for the period requested, met directly by the Department, is as set out below.
|
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
|
Legal Services |
€7,803.41 |
0 |
0 |
€9,310.27 |
The legal expenses of An Bord Pleanála in relation to judicial review challenges against decisions taken by it is a matter for the Board. Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The contact email address for An Bord Pleanála in this regard is Oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie.
131. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps that will be taken to ensure that before projects are approved under the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, that all preparatory work is completed up to going to tender including land acquisition, planning permission, other statutory approvals, matching finance and so on in order that they will be ready to go to tender and start construction in the shortest time possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10775/21]
View answerThe Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was launched in 2018 to support more compact and sustainable development. The URDF is one of four funds established under the National Development Plan 2018-2027 and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has responsibility for its implementation.
The Fund is providing part-funding for applicant led projects that will enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns, while also ensuring that more parts of our urban areas can become attractive and vibrant places in which people choose to live and work, as well as to invest and to visit.
The URDF, as a key activator of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Project Ireland 2040, is supporting a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the NPF and PI2040.
The programme is applicant led and all applications for URDF support are assessed in terms of their alignment with the intended purpose of the URDF programme and also their viability before being considered for approval. In this regard it should be noted that responsibility for the advancement of URDF supported projects through the various stages of development and completion is, in the first instance, a matter for the relevant successful applicant.
Each project is unique as each is location specific, and many are of significant scale, complexity, and cost. As is normally the case, such projects must be carefully developed and managed in accordance with the normal conditions and practices that apply to public sector managed projects including exercising appropriate cost control and delivering each project as approved and in full compliance with the Public Spending Code.
132. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social houses delivered through the buy and renew scheme, the repair and leasing scheme and the Housing Agency €70 million rolling fund since these schemes were introduced to the most recent date for which data is available; the breakdown by year and by local authority; and the cost of each scheme to date and in each year these schemes were in operation. [10792/21]
View answerMy Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity. Delivery statistics to the end of Quarter 3 2020 are published on my Department’s website, at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/. Statistics for Quarter 4 are being collated and will be published in the coming weeks.
The Buys and Renew Scheme facilitates local authorities in acquiring and remediating vacant properties that may be suitable for social housing. The delivery and total capital drawn down by each local authority to the end of 2020 is set out in the table attached.
The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) was developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or approved housing bodies to harness the accommodation potential that exists in vacant dwellings. Data to the end of Q3 2020 in relation to dwellings delivered by each local authority under RLS is available on my Department's website at the link above. Total capital funding drawn down by each local authority under RLS for the period 2017-2020 is set out on the table attached.
The Housing Agency Acquisition Fund has enabled the Housing Agency to actively engage with banks and investment companies in relation to the acquisitions of properties and the delivery and funding drawn down by each local authority is set out in the table attached.
133. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of formal and informal Council of the European Union meetings that have been held since 27 June 2020 under the remit of his Department; and the number of formal and informal meetings, respectively, held virtually. [10819/21]
View answerNo formal or informal Council of the European Union meetings have been held under the remit of my Department in the period under question.
Matters in relation to the environment that fall to my Department, e.g. biodiversity or water quality, generally arise at Environment Council and there have been three meetings of that Council configuration since June 2020, as follows:
|
Meeting Name |
Status |
Date |
Location |
|
Informal Meeting of Environment Ministers |
Informal |
30/09/2020 |
VC |
|
Environment Council |
Formal |
23/10/2020 |
Luxembourg |
|
Environment Council |
Formal |
17/12/2020 |
Brussels |
The Government is generally represented at Environment Council by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications. My Department provides briefing for agenda items under its remit, as required.
134. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the type of risk analysis that has been undertaken in relation to the planned shared equity scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10856/21]
View answerBroadly, the objectives of an Affordable Purchase Shared Equity scheme are to improve access and affordability of new homes for First Time Buyers, stimulate an increase in supply by improving confidence as to the viability of future housing developments to meet increased realisable demand, and support economic recovery from COVID-19 by encouraging employment in the construction and related sectors.
It is intended that the scheme will be targeted at first-time buyers who are seeking to buy a new home, but who cannot quite secure the full mortgage amount to do so at the present time. It will help eligible purchasers to secure their own home by bridging the gap between the mortgage available to them and the price of the home that is suitable to meet their needs. There is no borrowing requirement beyond that already permitted under the Central Bank’s macro-prudential rules.
Work on the detailed design of the proposed scheme is ongoing and at an advanced stage, involving detailed consideration of all aspects of the Scheme taking on board feedback and in consultation with stakeholders.
It is my intention to launch later this year and, once operational, it will target Exchequer resources to simultaneously address the key challenges of affordability and supply. It is anticipated that the Scheme will be supported and operated in partnership with the retail banks. Depending on the final design, this would allow support for in the region of 1,500 to 2,000 households to buy new homes in the first year.
More broadly, the Affordable Housing Bill, which I published earlier this year, will facilitate affordable housing delivery by local authorities, approved housing bodies, the Land Development Agency and on the open market. This is a major step forward in providing much needed affordable housing to buy and rent to squeezed middle income earners in Ireland.
135. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number and value of procurement contracts for Covid-19-related spending in 2020 and 2021 that took place via negotiated procedure without prior publication in his Department. [11183/21]
View answer136. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown of procurement contracts for Covid-19-related spending in 2020 and 2021 that took place via negotiated procedure without prior publication by his Department, by goods and service type in tabular form. [11213/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 136 together.
In accordance with Circular 40/2002, issued by the Department of Finance, my Department completes an annual return in respect of contracts above a €25,000 threshold which have been awarded without a competitive process. These returns are submitted annually to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General as part of the Appropriation Account process.
The return for 2020 is currently being compiled and is not yet finalised. The provisional outturn, however, identifies four contracts in the period under question where Covid-19 related spending took place via a negotiated procedure without prior publication. The attached table provides details of these contracts.
|
Year |
Details of Contract |
Goods/Service |
Value € (ex VAT) |
|
2020 |
Temporary Mortuary Facilities |
Service |
82,139 |
|
2020 |
Printing of the (2.2m) National Community Call leaflet for nationwide delivery (English) |
Service |
86,115 |
|
2020 |
Printing of the (2.2m) National Community Call leaflet for nationwide delivery (Irish) |
Service |
56,600 |
|
2020 |
Purchase of IT equipment |
Goods |
28,602 |
137. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when processing of passports will resume; when a person (details supplied) can expect to receive his passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10770/21]
View answerThe Passport Service has paused processing of routine applications while Ireland is at Level 5 of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. Passport Service staff have been temporarily reassigned to provide consular assistance for Irish citizens overseas.
The Passport Service continues to provide an emergency passport service for Irish citizens at home and abroad. The service is available for those who are required to travel due to the death or serious illness of a family member or because the applicant requires emergency medical treatment.
Applicants who require a passport for emergency purposes, or to travel for urgent reasons, should contact the Passport Service via our Customer Service Hub Webchat function on our website.
The Passport Service is processing all renewals for work-related travel where evidence is provided. Where it is a first time application, the application will be assessed where the applicant has no other citizenship. Adult first time applications require a very high level of verification to protect the integrity of the Irish passport.
The Passport Service has a comprehensive plan in place to resume all services, in line with the National Framework for Living with COVID-19. When operations resume at Level 4, all applications received via Passport Online will be processed. The Passport Service is confident that any backlog will be cleared quickly. When the Passport Service resumed operations in June 2020, the backlog was cleared in four weeks. It was similar in December 2020 with the majority of the backlog cleared within three weeks.
The Passport Service plans to resume processing of routine paper based applications such as Passport Express, Northern Ireland Passport Express and applications for Foreign Birth Registrations at Level 3 of the framework.
With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, an official from the Passport Service was in contact with the applicant on 22 February to advise of the general information about processing a passport renewal for work-related travel.
138. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 90 of 25 November 2020, if further details on the introduction of solar panel energy to a number of embassies abroad with further projects planned and the introduction of product specifications for the purchase of hybrid motor vehicles will be provided; the nature of these contract works; the year of these contract works; the value of these contracts; and the social clause and consideration used therein in tabular form. [10784/21]
View answerThe Department of Foreign Affairs is committed to mainstreaming sustainability across its 12 headquarters buildings and 90 diplomatic Missions, with a view to achieving the status nationally and internationally as a Foreign Ministry with strong green credentials.
In July 2019 I launched the Department’s Green Foreign Ministry initiative, following which a Green Committee was established comprising representatives of all relevant HQ Divisions and a number of Missions. The Green Committee oversaw the preparation of a detailed Action Plan that lists almost 60 sustainability measures under six separate headings that the Department began implementing in late 2019.
Among the Department’s undertakings is to invest across the Mission network in cost-effective sustainability upgrades such as solar panels, additional insulation, thermal glazing, LED lighting and other appropriate energy-efficiency infrastructure. In 2020, solar energy technology was installed at premises owned by the Irish State in Dar-es-Salaam, Lilongwe and Mexico City. In the case of Lilongwe, for example, the project has almost completely removed the need to use the diesel-powered back-up generator that the Embassy had relied on during regular local power outages. Further solar energy projects will be undertaken in future years, including this year at premises also owned by the State in The Hague and Lusaka. Details of costs to date are provided in table 1 below.
The Department purchases motor vehicles in order to facilitate the functioning and operations of its HQ units and Missions. It is committed to procuring vehicles with a reduced environmental impact throughout their life-cycle. Under the Department’s official vehicle management policy, and in line with our Green Foreign Ministry initiative, vehicle purchases must comply with the Department’s policy of minimising its carbon footprint. Factors such as pollutant emissions, fuel efficiency and noise levels are taken into account in our vehicle specifications, which therefore favour electric and hybrid vehicles. However, it should be noted that some our Missions operate in difficult environments, where security and health and safety can be deciding factors. Details of vehicle purchases and costs in 2020 are provided in table 2 below.
Table 1 – solar energy systems installed in 2020
|
Location |
Premises |
Year |
Cost in Euro |
|
Dar-es-Salaam |
Chancery |
2020 |
56,650 |
|
Lilongwe |
Official Residence plus a mobile unit for a rented premises |
2020 |
42,203 |
|
Mexico |
Official Residence |
2020 |
9,502 |
Table 2 – vehicle purchases in 2020
|
Mission |
Type |
Make & Model |
Costs in euro (precise net costs to be finalised in some cases) |
|
Berlin |
Hybrid |
Mercedes E300e |
19,317 |
|
Los Angeles |
Hybrid |
Lexus NX300H |
38,078 |
|
Austin |
Hybrid |
Toyota Highlander H |
40,738 |
|
Jordan |
Hybrid |
Toyota Corolla |
18,995 |
|
Jakarta |
Hybrid |
Toyota CHR |
25,674 |
|
Brasilia |
Hybrid |
BMW X3 3e |
35,432 |
|
Abu Dhabi |
Hybrid |
Lexus ES300H |
39,090 |
|
Berne |
Hybrid |
BMW 530e |
34,438 |
139. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government response to the recent events and discrimination regarding the LGBTQ+ community in Turkey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10724/21]
View answerI am seriously concerned at the developments in Turkey relating to the student protests at Bogaziçi University. Our Embassy in Ankara has been closely monitoring the situation and is collaborating closely with other EU and like-minded Embassies, including in monitoring the ongoing trial of other LGTBQ+ students arrested for seeking to organise a pride parade in 2019. The branding of the student protesters as ‘terrorists’ and the arrests of over 500 students and protesters for exercising their rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly is unacceptable. Turkey needs to respect its national and international obligations and to release all of those arbitrarily detained for exercising their right to peaceful assembly over the past few weeks.
I equally condemn the rhetoric of senior Turkish officials against LGBTQI+ groups and the closing down of Bogaziçi University’s LGBTQI+ Association. This is unfortunately part of a wider pattern in Turkey, with LGBTQI+ NGOs facing restrictions on their freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, as well as facing smear campaigns and hate speech from senior officials.
The actions against the students and the targeting of LGBTQI+ groups also run counter to Turkey’s stated commitment of pursuing a closer relationship with the EU. The EU is built on adherence to fundamental values, including defence of human rights, freedom of expression, and strict respect for the rule of law. For any meaningful progress on Turkey’s relationship with the EU to occur, Turkey needs to change course and show sustained commitment to the rule of law.
Ireland ascribes the greatest importance to the principles of equality and non-discrimination, and advancing human rights is central to Ireland’s foreign policy. We are committed to promoting the rights of LGBTQI+ people, who continue to suffer disproportionate levels of violence and discrimination around the world. Ireland continues to support initiatives in the EU and other international fora which promote and protect the rights of LGBTQI+ people, and which condemn violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
140. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of formal and informal Council of the European Union meetings that have been held since 27 June 2020 under the remit of his Department; and the number of formal and informal meetings, respectively held virtually. [10816/21]
View answerThe Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) and the General Affairs Council (GAC) fall under the remit of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Under the Foreign Affairs Council configuration, there have been 6 physical FAC meetings – 13 July 2020, 21 September 2020, 12 October 2020, 7 December 2020, 25 January 2021 and 22 February 2021. All took place in Brussels, with the exception of the October FAC which was held in Luxembourg. Two informal video conferences of Foreign Affairs Ministers were also held, on 14 August 2020 and 19 November 2020.
In addition, there were two meetings of EU Development Ministers, styled as meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council (Development). These meetings were held on 29 September 2020 and 23 November 2020. Both meetings were informal and held by video conference.
Under the General Affairs Council configuration, there were 5 informal video conferences of the Ministers of European Affairs. These were held on 15 July 2020, 17 November 2020, 8 December 2020, 18 January 2021 and 23 February 2021. There were two physical GAC meetings held, on 22 September 2020 in Brussels and on 13 October 2020 in Luxembourg. In addition, the German Presidency hosted an informal meeting of European Affairs Ministers, by video conference, on 1 December 2020.
