Written Answers Nos. 432-450
432. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 288 of 3 February 2021, if a decision has been made with regard to a declaration of allowing for the control of certain wild bird species for the period 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2022. [21251/21]
View answer450. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he plans to sign derogations allowing the shooting of specified birds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21377/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 432 and 450 together.
I expect to make a decision on this matter shortly.
433. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if it is intended that the independent working group to examine defective housing will receive public submissions; when such public submissions will be sought; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21255/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of building defects and provides for an examination of defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing report, "Safe as Houses".
In this regard, my Department has been actively engaging with key stakeholders and I have had several meetings with stakeholder representative groups on this matter.
I appointed Mr Seamus Neely, former Chief Executive of Donegal County Council, to the position of Chair to the independent working group. The Chair will oversee the effective implementation of the group’s terms of reference, which are currently being finalised. The membership of the working group includes representatives, with relevant expertise and experience, from Engineers Ireland, the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland, the Public Sector, the Local Authority Sector, the Legal Sector, the Department of Finance, Construction Defects Alliance and Apartment Owners Network. The inaugural plenary working group meeting was held at the end of March and the working group met again last week.
In regard to the working group’s deliberations, the group will seek to engage with a range of interested parties, including homeowners, public representatives, local authorities, product manufacturers, building professionals and industry stakeholders, among others to examine the issue of defects in housing and report to me on the matter. Arrangements in regard to the consultation with relevant parties will be agreed by the working group in due course.
434. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason local authorities are not provided with discretion on eligibility for those marginally above the income threshold when applying for social housing or applying for HAP even when the applicant has a severe medical issue; if a review of income eligibility for social housing supports in each local authority area has been published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21274/21]
View answer470. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the discrepancy between social housing income limits in County Tipperary and neighbouring counties; and his plans to address this issue. [21585/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 434 and 470 together.
In order to be eligible for HAP support, a household must first qualify for social housing support and be placed on a housing list. Applications 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 Additional Superannuation Contribution. 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 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 separately a 2.5% allowance for each child subject to no maximum.
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 in 2011 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 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.
435. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the impacts of geophysical surveys for the Dublin array wind farm on local fishers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21275/21]
View answer448. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the granting of investigative foreshore licences has caused very significant disruption and costs for persons working in fishing; the action he will take to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21351/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 435 and 448 together.
A foreshore licence was granted under section 3 of the Foreshore Act 1933, as amended, to RWE Renewables Ireland Limited in January 2021 for the purpose of undertaking surveys to provide supplementary environmental information to inform the preliminary design for the proposed Dublin Array wind farm and ancillary infrastructure in the vicinity of the Kish and Bray Banks. (Application Reference Number FS007029). Similar licences have been recently granted to Codling and SSE (Braymore point) for site investigation works on the east coast. Full details of the licence applications and the material upon which decisions were based are available to view on my Department's website.
https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/f2196-foreshore-applications-and-determinations/
As part of the consideration of these foreshore licence applications, input was sought from a number of expert prescribed bodies such as such as the Marine Institute, Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine and Inland Fisheries Ireland, among several others. The observations of these bodies were considered as part of the overall assessment of the projects and they informed some of the specific conditions which were attached to the licences granted in these cases. The licence applications were also subjected to a thorough environmental assessment as well as a public interest test which considered the wider implications of allowing the site investigation works on the Foreshore to proceed.
In addition, a public consultation was held on the Foreshore licence applications which gave the public an opportunity to lodge any observations or objections they had to the proposed site investigation works. The submissions received from the public along with the responses to these from the applicants were fully considered in making a decision on the licence applications.
The Programme for Government established a 2030 ambition of 5GW from offshore renewable energy (ORE) sources for the East Coast area, which, at peak production, would be sufficient to meet the State’s current peak electrical demand, significantly contributing to our 2030 target of 70% renewable electricity. My Department is currently in the process of finalising the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) which provides a long-term framework for effective management of marine activities and more sustainable use of our marine resources. The NMPF is intended to enable Government to set a clear direction for managing our seas, clarify objectives and priorities, and direct decision makers, users and stakeholders towards more strategic, plan-led and efficient use of marine resources. Under this framework, proposals that assist the State in meeting the Government’s 2030 ORE targets and proposals that maximise the long-term shift from use of fossil fuels to renewable electricity, in line with decarbonisation targets, should be supported.
My Department is acutely aware of the issue of diverse levels and standards of communications between the fisheries and ORE industries, having first been raised by members of the fisheries community at a National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) public consultation meeting in Arklow held on 10 February 2020, which was one of a number of NMPF public consultation events held by the Marine Planning Policy and Legislation (MPPL) team across 2019 and early 2020. To address these concerns, and to promote constructive engagement and consultation between the fisheries community and the ORE industry, my Department intends to commence the formation of a Seafood and ORE working group, with the initial aim of agreeing a communications protocol between these two strategically important Marine sectors. Consultations on the draft terms of reference are ongoing between my Department, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and other relevant public sector bodies. These consultations are expected to be finalised shortly.
While the initial focus of the proposed group will be to formalise a consultation/engagement process between the two industries, it is the intention of my Department, that in the longer term, the Seafood/ORE group address a number of issues that impact fishers, including the impact of developments (including exploration of development sites) dislocation, and co-existence. My Department intends to commence the Seafood/ORE working group before the end of Q2 2021.
436. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of rented houses and apartments nationally; the number of these properties that are houses with multiple occupancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21293/21]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021, to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.
My Department does not collect the data sought, however 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 to establish the extent to which it may hold the information sought.
437. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of inspectors employed by the Residential Tenancies Board nationwide and by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21294/21]
View answer489. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of inspectors employed by local authority to inspect residential accommodation which is made available for letting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22056/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 437 and 489 together.
Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. These Regulations focus on tenant safety and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, safety of gas, oil and electrical supply and fire. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let and are available at
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2019/si/137/made/en/print
All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations. Responsibility for enforcement of the regulations rests with the relevant local authority. The Residential Tenancies Board has no role in the inspection of private rental accomodation under theses regulations. Staffing of this function is a matter for each local authority.
My Department does not hold or collate the information requested by the Deputies but information on the number of inspections carried out by each local authority between 2005 and 2020 is available on my Departmants website at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/da3fe-private-housing-market-statistics/.
438. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the work of the Independent Working Group to examine defective housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21309/21]
View answer439. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is considering a wider-reaching comprehensive redress scheme for those whose homes are affected by pyrite but do not qualify for previously existing schemes; if so, the timeline for such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21310/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 438 and 439 together.
The Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of building defects and provides for an examination of defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing report, "Safe as Houses".
In this regard, my Department has been actively engaging with key stakeholders and I have had several meetings with stakeholder representative groups on this matter.
I appointed Mr Seamus Neely, former Chief Executive of Donegal County Council, to the position of Chair to the independent working group. The Chair will oversee the effective implementation of the group’s terms of reference, which are currently being finalised. The membership of the working group includes representatives, with relevant expertise and experience, from Engineers Ireland, the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland, the Public Sector, the Local Authority Sector, the Legal Sector, the Department of Finance, Construction Defects Alliance and Apartment Owners Network. The inaugural plenary working group meeting was held at the end of March and the working group met again last week.
In regard to the working group’s deliberations, the group will seek to engage with a range of interested parties, including homeowners, public representatives, local authorities, product manufacturers, building professionals and industry stakeholders, among others to examine the issue of defects in housing and report to me on the matter. Arrangements in regard to the consultation with relevant parties will be agreed by the working group in due course.
In regard to pyrite, the pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” for affected homeowners who have no other practical option to obtain redress and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Pyrite Resolution Board’s website, www.pyriteboard.ie. There are no proposals to provide for further financial assistance outside of the scheme.
440. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the report into the deaths of persons experiencing homelessness. [21321/21]
View answer477. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of homeless persons that have died in Dublin to date in 2021. [21734/21]
View answer478. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons that have died while homeless in Dublin in each of the past five years. [21735/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 440, 477 and 478 together.
There have been a number of deaths, in recent months, of people who had been sleeping rough or accessing homeless services. Each of these deaths is a tragedy and I extend my sympathies to the families concerned. The deaths of people availing of homeless services are a concern and are being taken very seriously. It is important that we establish the facts concerning the circumstances involved, and that we base our response on the best knowledge and evidence available. In order to better understand the issue, two separate pieces of research are being undertaken, each with a different focus.
A review of homeless deaths is being undertaken on behalf of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) and the HSE by Dr. Austin O'Carroll, the Clinical Lead for Covid-19 and Homelessness in Dublin. This review is due for completion in the coming weeks and aims to analyse the data concerning deaths in homeless services for 2020 to identify learning for homeless and health services that could help tailor the provision of care to homeless people.
While my Department does not collate the data requested, a feasibility study on data collection of homeless deaths nationally is being undertaken by the Health Research Board on behalf of the Department of Health. This is due to be completed by the end of 2021. The research is applying the methodology used to compile the National Drug Related Deaths Index, which is a census of drug-related deaths and deaths among drug users and those who are alcohol dependent in Ireland. The data collection for 2019 deaths, including deaths among people who were homeless, is reviewing approximately 17,000 files from all Coroner districts.
441. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the spend to date by local authorities of the Traveller accommodation budget; and the breakdown of this spend on Covid-19 related work, refurbishment of existing work and new Traveller specific accommodation. [21322/21]
View answerThe 2021 Traveller Accommodation budget is €15.5m. To-date, €1.8m has been drawndown by local authorities. The following table shows the breakdown of this spend:
|
Covid-19 |
Halting Sites |
Group Housing |
Acquistions |
Totals |
|
€89,550 |
€1,153,606 |
€282,041 |
€299,002 |
€1,824,201 |
Of this, €214,221 represents drawdown in relation to new build Group Housing.
In 2020, the Traveller Accommodation Budget of €14.5m was expended as follows:
|
Covid-19 |
Halting Sites |
Group Housing |
Mobiles |
Acquistions |
Safety Works |
Totals |
|
€4,415,958 |
€2,597,409 |
€3,837,434 |
€37,986 |
€2,809,363 |
€799,503 |
€14,497,654 |
The Covid-19 spend in 2020 was incurred on improvement works on sites to minimise, limit or prevent the spread of Covid-19. The spend on halting sites and group housing schemes included ongoing and final account payments for new builds and major and minor refurbishment works.
442. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the up to date position regarding the ability of homeowners (details supplied) in County Kildare to purchase their own homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21327/21]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year.
The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, governing the Scheme provide the basis for the current Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme, which allows local authorities to sell local authority owned dwellings to existing social housing tenants. The Scheme does not extend to houses owned by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) as the ownership of these properties remains with the AHB concerned.
My Department cannot unilaterally make provision for the sale of AHB homes to their tenants as the ownership of these properties remains with the AHB. If an AHB is in receipt of funding under a scheme, they must comply with the terms and conditions of that scheme. Under such schemes, the AHB is required to make the property available for social renting for the duration of the mortgage or, as the case may be, the availability agreement.
Under the terms of the various funding schemes supporting the delivery of social housing by AHBs, AHBs are the legal owners of the properties and must make them available for social renting for the duration of the mortgage or, as the case may be, the availability agreement. On expiry of the mortgage period and subject to compliance with the terms of the funding agreement, the AHB becomes the owner of the property.
If a property is owned outright by an AHB and it is not subject to public funding, the AHB may choose to sell that property, once this is allowed for in their constitution. It should be noted that AHBs must have, as their primary objectives, the relief of housing needs, and the provision and management of housing included within their memorandum of association or registered rules, as the case may be.
443. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 317 of 24 February 2021 (details supplied), the progress that has been made by the National Parks and Wildlife Service in identifying the person or body responsible for removing this invasive species on the area covered under the habitats directive; if he will arrange for its removal as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21334/21]
View answerI understand that Fingal County Council has recently applied for funding through my Department's Local Authority Biodiversity Grant Scheme to address the sea buckthorn issue in the area.
My Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service is preparing a tender request for expertise to carry out a review of sea buckthorn in Ireland. This request is at an advanced stage and aims to:
1) review the ecology of sea buckthorn as an invasive species,
2) map the distribution and extent of sea buckthorn in Ireland and
3) review and recommend methods to control or eradicate sea buckthorn at sites where it occurs.
This project is intended to be advertised before the end of May 2021. Once underway, the project will inform measures to control or eliminate sea buckthorn at sites where it threatens coastal habitats nationally.
444. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the youth homelessness strategy; the person or body that will be tasked with drafting this strategy; when and the way consultation with relevant stakeholders will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21346/21]
View answer495. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the commitment in the Programme for Government to develop and implement a national youth homelessness strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22128/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 444 and 495 together.
Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commits to reducing and preventing homelessness. It sets out details on how the Government will approach this challenge, and includes a commitment to develop a National Youth Homelessness Strategy. Preparing this strategy will involve co-operation and co-ordination between myself and my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Key operational elements in the provision of supports to young people experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness, fall within the responsibility of a range of agencies and stakeholder bodies, and it will be important that their views can form part of the process in developing the Strategy.
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 is also inputting 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.
At its most recent recent meeting on 19 April 2021, I discussed the preparation of the Youth Homelessness Strategy and sought the views of members of the Task Force. Following from this my Department is engaged in further scoping activity in respect of the Strategy. I expect that the Strategy will develop through 2021, with broader stakeholder engagement.
445. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing units built in 2019 and 2020 that were one-bedroom units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21348/21]
View answer446. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of the social housing units built during 2020 that were one-bedroom units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21349/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 445 and 446 together.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on all social housing delivery activity. This data is available to the end of 2020 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/. Details on the size of the units delivered are not available in my Department. This information may be available from individual local authorities.
The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by 50,000 and to ensuring an appropriate mix of housing design types is provided. The Programme for Government also commits to the expansion of Housing First, with a focus on the construction and the acquisition of one-bed properties. The Government will be publishing a new housing strategy this year, which will set out details of social housing delivery for 2021-2025, including social housing targets for 2022 onwards.
447. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of the over 800 one-bedroom units, which according to the Housing First Implementation Plan were scheduled to be delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies over the period to 2021 that have been delivered to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21350/21]
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 my Department, 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. At the end of 2020, a total of 508 individuals were being housed under the Housing First programme including 392 individuals who have been housed since the publication of the National Implementation Plan.
The Programme for Government commits to the further expansion of Housing First. Research is currently being undertaken by the Housing Agency to carry out an assessment of need for the supports provided by Housing First. This will inform the expansion of the Programme which I expect to announce later this year, in advance of the expiration of the current National Implementation Plan.
449. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if it will be ensured that deer fences are fitted on the boundary fencing around national parks (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21361/21]
View answerIt should be noted that while the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department does licence hunting of Deer, my Department does not own the deer population. Wild deer in the State are protected under the Wildlife Acts. They roam freely throughout the countryside and are present in many parts of the country.
Deer, albeit larger, are like other wild animals in this country and it is not part of the remit of my Department, nor indeed would it be generally possible, to cordon them onto specific areas of land. Moreover, fencing the National Park would not be a viable solution and would not achieve the desired results for a number of reasons:
- The presence of deer is not confined to the National Parks and so fencing of these properties would serve no practical purpose in terms of wild deer control or management.
- Killarney National Park alone is over 10,000 ha in size, including some rugged terrain. Fencing this area would be an enormous task which is unlikely to result in the desired objective.
- Sika deer are capable of going under fencing that is 8 inches off the ground while Red deer are capable of knocking fences that are preventing them from reaching traditional feeding and shelter grounds.
- The erection of a fence this size could also impact on the sensitive habitats within the Park.
In the case deer on private property, landowners may apply to my Department for a permission under section 42 of the Wildlife Acts to cull deer where this is necessary outside the annual open seasons. These permissions offer a facility whereby a person can obtain a permit, on a case by case basis, to prevent serious damage caused by individual deer on specific lands. Permissions are only issued where there is evidence of such damage.
