Written Answers Nos. 233-247
233. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will publish the terms of reference for her Departmental working group on the live entertainment sector; and the reason this group is not considering live Covid-19 testing at live music and cultural events as is currently taking place in other jurisdictions. [25362/21]
View answerThe Government’s COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 - The Path Ahead plan sets out the Government’s objectives for the full recovery of social life, public services and the economy. The plan committed to the development of sectorial guidance for very large purpose built event facilities, for example: stadia, auditoriums, conference or event centres.
I established a Return to Live Entertainment Working Group in order to facilitate stakeholder consultation and develop COVID-19 Guidelines for the Live Entertainment sector. The Group includes stakeholders from across the live entertainment sector as well and those with appropriate technical knowledge in the planning, management and delivery of events including the, City and County Managers Association (CCMA), the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Theatre Forum, Fáilte Ireland, Events Industry Alliance, Eamonn O'Boyle and Associates, Live Venue Collective, Events Industry Association Ireland, Independent Producers Forum, EPIC, Arts Council, Venue Operators Forum and officials from my Department. The core objective of the Group is to produce a high level principles set of guidance that all venue promoters can adopt for their specific purposes. The first meeting of this group was held on the 21 April 2021.
The draft Terms of Reference for the Working Group, which are due to be agreed at the group's next meeting, are to develop overarching Covid-19 sectorial guidance for the Live Entertainment sector, and to ensure that the Guidance provides for:
- Consistency of approach across all live performance venues;
- A set of overarching guiding principles which all venue promotors can adapt for their specific purposes;
- Alignment with the Government’s Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021 – The Path Ahead;
- Alignment with the Government’s Stay Safe Guidelines;
- Alignment with the Government’s Work Safely Protocols.
It is hoped to begin hosting a limited number of pilot live events for sport and live entertainment, both indoor and outdoor commencing in June, depending on the epidemiological situation at the time and subject to the rollout of the vaccination programme. Every option for the safe roll out of these events will be considered. The work of the group will inform these events.
234. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans to protect employment in Gaeltacht regions in order to encourage native speakers to continue living and working in those regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25378/21]
View answerÚdarás na Gaeltachta has just completed the implementation of its three year strategy for the 2018 - 2020 period and is about to formally launch its new five year strategy for the period 2021 – 2025.
The Strategy will outline the organisation's key objectives and projects which will be advanced over its 5 year lifespan, encompassing the organisation’s primary area of responsibility; the promotion of the Irish language as a community language and the economic and social development of the Gaeltacht.
All of this is being undertaken against the backdrop of the ongoing implementation on the part of Údarás na Gaeltachta of the relevant actions set out in the Government's Action Plan for the Irish Language and the overarching 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 which represents Government policy in relation to the Irish language and Gaeltacht regions.
The ongoing and successful implementation of the Language Planning Process across all of the 26 Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, Gaeltacht Service Towns and Irish Language Networks forms a key part of the ongoing advances being made in support of the language both within Gaeltacht regions and nationally.
In relation to Údarás na Gaeltachta specifically, the Deputy will also be aware that in order to further enable the organisation to discharge its functions in support of Gaeltacht regions, additional exchequer funding to the value of €8.132m was provided to Údarás under Budget 2021.
An increase of €4.454m over the original 2020 provision was provided for the organisation's capital budget, ensuring that it has a capital allocation of €14.454m in 2021.
The organisation’s current budget also saw a €2.978 million increase which will assist in further enabling the organisation to better support the implementation of its work programme for 2021 and into the future.
An additional €700,000 was also provided under Budget 2021 over the original 2020 provision for Gaeltacht community development which equates to an overall allocation of €4.75m in 2021.
Údarás na Gaeltachta - with the ongoing support of my Department and incrementally increasing exchequer funding, has pioneered the concept of remote working in rural Gaeltacht areas and its gteic Digital Network consists of 20 Digital hubs with 10 more in development. It is also progressing a range of strategic capital projects across the Gaeltacht. These include Coláiste Íosagáin in Baile Bhuirne, Sean Ospidéal an Daingin, Áras Scéalta an Atlantaigh in Eachléim, Teach Solais Cheann Fhánada, Drioglann Chroithlí, and Páirc na Mara in Cill Chiaráin as well as a range of strategic projects based on the green economy and renewable energy sector.
The Deputy will be aware of the impact of COVID-19 on our society and economy over the past 12 months. Notwithstanding these significant and ongoing challenges, 427 new jobs were created in Gaeltacht companies during 2020. There were 7,363 full-time and 437 part-time jobs in companies supported by Údarás na Gaeltachta at the end of 2020. Employment remained stable in 68% of client companies while the medical device sector saw a 4% increase in employment during 2020, with over 700 people now employed in the sector in the Gaeltacht.
Údarás na Gaeltachta continues to work in conjunction with my Department and other state agencies such as Enterprise Ireland to ensure that Gaeltacht enterprises also have access to the broad range of targeted national and sectorial measures put in place by Government since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, the Board of Údarás na Gaeltachta has approved over €7.4m of supports to date for over 435 Gaeltacht companies to address financial and supply difficulties, ensure cash-flow and enhance their ability to access global online sales markets.
In addition, many Gaeltacht companies operating in the tourism and hospitality sectors have accessed the range of supports for those sectors and for businesses in general which are being provided by Government since the onset of the pandemic.
235. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans to support Irish summer colleges, mná and fir tí given Gaeltacht courses will not go ahead for summer 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25379/21]
View answerOn Friday last, I announced the outcome of the extensive consultation process undertaken with the Irish Language Summer Colleges sector over the past few weeks.
During the consultation process, a representative group of Gaeltacht households who provide accommodation for students, as well as course operators expressed significant concerns around health and safety, due to COVID-19, were courses to proceed.
On foot of the feedback received and the concerns expressed, a decision has been taken not to proceed with recognised Irish courses this summer.
I understand that this will be disappointing for many young people who were looking forward to attending this year.
I am also conscious of the economic consequences of the decision for Gaeltacht communities. For this reason, officials from my Department will continue to engage with the sector over the coming weeks with a view to progressing an appropriate stabilisation package, thus ensuring that the sector is put on a sound footing for a full and safe return in 2022 and beyond.
236. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the details of the information her Department collates as per circular 20/2019 (details supplied); the date this report was issued; the location on her Departmental website on which it can be found; and the progress in relation to green procurement that has been made to date. [25441/21]
View answerMy Department strives to ensure that there is an appropriate focus on best procurement practice at all times and that procedures are in place to ensure compliance with all relevant guidelines to the greatest extent possible.
With specific reference to Circular 20/2019: Promoting the use of Environmental and Social Considerations in Public Procurement, my Department has engaged with the Environmental Protection Agency as the national co-ordinating body and supplied them with details of all green public procurement during 2020 with a value of €25,000 or over. As required under the Circular, these details will also be included in my Department’s 2020 Annual Report due to be published later this year.
My Department has, and will continue to engage with the Office of Government Procurement on all matters procurement related, including measures to ensure that Green Public Procurement becomes part of the mainstream public procurement processes across the Department. Staff involved in the procurement oversight function within my Department have attended dedicated training in relation to Green Public Procurement and the Department’s Procurement Oversight Procedures have been adjusted to include specific provision in relation to Green Procurement considerations and responsibilities. These revised arrangements have been circulated to all staff along with Circular 20/2019 and all other relevant material – this information is also available on my Department’s Intranet which is available to all staff.
Procurement within the bodies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for which the bodies themselves are responsible.
237. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the current position in regard to capital sports grants to include swimming pools; when an announcement will be made in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25461/21]
View answerThe Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country.
The 2020 round of the SCEP closed for applications on Monday 1 March. By the closing date, 3,106 applications were submitted seeking over €200m in funding. This is the highest number of applications ever received.
The scoring system and assessment manual for the 2020 round has now been finalised and is available at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie . Given the record number of applications and the detailed information contained in each application, the assessment process will take a number of months to complete. It is envisaged that allocations to applications for equipment- only will be made first during the Summer with allocations to other capital projects announced before the end of the year.
The Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP) provides grant aid towards the capital costs of new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools. To date 52 pools have been completed and three swimming pool projects (Lucan, Buncrana and Edenderry) remain in the programme.
Exchequer support for any new swimming pool projects is now being provided under the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The LSSIF was launched in 2018 to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects including swimming pools with at least €100m being made available over the period to 2027. Provisional grants to 8 swimming pool projects under the LSSIF were awarded in January 2020. Those projects are now at various stages of a due diligence process. While it is not proposed to open the LSSIF for new applications at present, my Department is undertaking a review of the LSSIF Programme which is expected to be complete in the coming months. This review will consider, inter alia, progress on all existing grants and whether any additional grants should be awarded. The timing of any new call for proposals will also be considered and will be dependent also on the availability of additional funding.
238. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if music will be permitted at wedding receptions from 7 June 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25490/21]
View answerCOVID-19 is a highly infectious disease, which spreads when individuals and groups come into close contact with one another, enabling the virus to move from one person to another. In certain settings, such as weddings, higher noise levels due to music, can force people into close proximity, requiring them to raise their voices or shout to communicate thus increasing the risk of spreading virus to others. Such activities present a higher risk of transmission of COVID-19. Accordingly the existing Government decision remains in place that no live or loud music is permitted at weddings receptions. As the Deputy is aware, Government will be reviewing Covid restrictions at the end of the month and again in July.
In the meantime, it is hoped to begin hosting a limited number of pilot live events for live entertainment, both indoor and outdoor commencing in June, depending on the epidemiological situation at the time and subject to the rollout of the vaccination programme. Every option for the safe roll out of these events will be considered.
239. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if it was a function of any official in the national monuments section of her Department to advocate on behalf of a private entity in relation to proposals regarding the Moore Street Battlefield in Dublin or to encourage members of the Moore Street Advisory Group to take a specific position or other; and her views on same. [25497/21]
View answerI am advised that the National Monuments Service comes under the remit of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
240. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if State agencies such as the Land Registry can supply or sell clients' information to private companies; if this is the case, if such bodies seek the permission of persons before passing their information on. [25310/21]
View answerThe Property Registration Authority (PRA) maintains and operates a public register of property ownership, subject to relevant legislation. Details of properties can be viewed through the PRA’s online service (landdirect.ie). Further information is available on the payment of a prescribed fee. As a public register, that information is available to all. Under the same principles and in line with legislation, data may be applied for and provided in bulk. The PRA does not operate on a commercial basis.
All the State bodies under the aegis of my Department operate in accordance with relevant data protection legislation, including, in particular, the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation. This Regulation imposes a wide range of obligations in respect of the processing of personal data, including that such processing must be lawful, fair and transparent to the data subject.
241. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the National Monument in 14-17 Moore Street, Dublin is under full State control as the Moore Street Advisory Group requested in its report on 6 May 2021 given that it has emerged that there is a private in-perpetuity lease on at least No. 16 which could hamper any future use by the State as a museum or tribute to the Volunteers of the 1916 Rising and would be dependent on agreement with a private individual or individuals; if such a lease exists, if the attention of the National Monuments Service was drawn to such a lease or claim of such a lease; and if his attention was drawn to establishing the Moore Street Advisory Committee. [25493/21]
View answer242. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the sequence involved in the purchase by the State of 14-18 Moore Street, Dublin 1; if NAMA or the State made the approach; when the first approach was made; the officials from the State bodies NAMA, National Monuments Service, his Department, the OPW and so on involved in the purchase; the cost of the purchase; when the purchase was made; the legal firms involved; and if a full Land Registry search was carried out to ascertain whether there were outstanding liabilities, claims or leases against the properties. [25494/21]
View answer243. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the OPW or the national monuments section of his Department will publish its plans in relation to the National Monument, 14-17 Moore Street Dublin, Dublin 1. [25496/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 241, 242 and 243 together.
I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 368, 369 and 370 on 11 May 2021 which clarified that, in a legal transaction and conveyancing managed by the Chief State Solicitor’s Office, the freehold ownership of these buildings was acquired by the State from the previous owner in 2015. It was also clarified that the acquisition and conveyance of freehold title had not been subject to any encumbrance, leasehold interest or title burden and that no lease of any description had been entered into in the meantime. The acquisition was facilitated by NAMA and the consideration involved amounted to €4m. This has long been a matter of public record.
Any transaction of this scale involving State bodies, by definition, engages a significant number of officials including the Minister and senior officials. It would not accord with parliamentary convention and practice to name the many personnel involved in this transaction in the Chief State Solicitor's Office, the Attorney General's Office, the then Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and NAMA.
In its recently completed final report, the Moore Street Advisory Group (MSAG) has, as one its key recommendations, endorsed the proposals put forward by the Irish Heritage Trust for the conservation and presentation of the national monument buildings and the creation of new visitor and reception facilities to the rear. These proposals, which will be fully considered by my Department and the Office of Public Works in determining the best solution for the national monument, are to be published on the Department’s website, along with the MSAG report itself.
244. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will make contact with a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25235/21]
View answerOfficials from my Department have previously both corresponded with and met representatives from the company in question. My Department subsequently received e-mail correspondence from that organisation, to which a response will be issued directly.
245. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the sanctions that can and are being directed and applied to HAP landlords who fail or refuse to carry out necessary works on their properties or in the necessary time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25236/21]
View answerThe minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. 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 HAP scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. Under section 41 of the 2014 Act, local authorities are required to commence the inspection process within 8 months of HAP support being provided in relation to a particular dwelling, if the dwelling was not already inspected within the previous 12 months. Local authorities carry out HAP inspections as part of their overall private rented inspections programme.
The HAP legislation provides a very structured, time bound system where serious lack of compliance exists and can result in termination of HAP payment.
Failure to comply with the minimum standards can result in penalties and prosecution. Local authorities can issue Improvement Notices and Prohibition Notices to landlords who breach the minimum standards regulations. An Improvement Notice sets out the works that the landlord must carry out to remedy a breach of the regulations.
In the case of a Prohibition Notice being enforced, a local authority may provide, or continue to provide, HAP in respect of that property for a period of 13 weeks, to enable the household to find an alternative dwelling.
Local authorities report to my Department on numbers of overall inspections carried out and enforcement actions undertaken on a quarterly basis. The most recent data received in respect of the number of inspections of all private rental properties and those with HAP tenancies is set out in the table below:
|
HAP Inspections carried out in 2019 |
Total Inspections carried out in 2019 |
HAP On-site Inspections carried out in 2020 |
Total On-site Inspections carried out in 2020 |
HAP Virtual Inspections carried out in 2020 |
Total Virtual Inspections carried out in 2020 |
|
23,424 |
40,728 |
12,031 |
24,315 |
991 |
1,388 |
Given the need for inspectors to enter tenants’ homes, Covid-19 pandemic restrictions have impacted on the inspection of all rented dwellings – not just those with HAP tenancies. The City and County Management Association’s Local Authority Resilience and Recovery Plan for living with Covid-19 (October 2020) and its subsequent Local Authority Services Framework for Future Covid-19 Pandemic Response (January 2021) do not permit rental inspections in Levels 4 and 5. This is in order to protect tenants, landlords and rental inspectors.
In response to the difficulties caused by pandemic restrictions, some local authorities have been piloting virtual inspections. Dublin City Council have led this initiative which entails landlords receiving a checklist for self-assessment and being required to submit photographic/video evidence by email, tenants being invited to raise any non-compliance issues they are aware of and being asked to confirm that any remedial works requested by the local authority have been completed, and the Council reserving the right to conduct a physical on-site inspection when it is safe to so.
While virtual inspection systems present certain challenges and limitations, they do offer a way of improving the standard of rental accommodation despite the pandemic. I support these initiatives and my Department is encouraging local authorities not involved in the pilots to consider adopting them. I have committed to providing Exchequer funding for those that do.
Comprehensive data in respect of the number of inspections of all private rental properties, Improvement Letters and Improvement Notices issued, and the legal actions initiated by local authorities in the period 2005 to 2020 is available on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/da3fe-private-housing-market-statistics/
246. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans for the development of derelict sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25249/21]
View answerLocal authorities have been provided with a number of powers and measures to deal with the issue of derelict properties, both in larger urban conglomerations and in smaller rural towns and villages. There also exists a framework of overarching policy and capital funding which provides support to development, including urban regeneration.
The Derelict Sites Act 1990 imposes a general duty on every owner and occupier of land to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the land does not become, or continue to be, a derelict site. The Act also imposes a duty on local authorities to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does not become, or continue to be, a derelict site.
Local authority powers include requiring owners or occupiers to take appropriate measures on derelict sites, acquiring derelict sites by agreement, or compulsorily, and applying a derelict sites levy on derelict sites. It is a matter for local authorities to determine the most appropriate use of the legislation within their respective functional areas.
Under the Act, local authorities are required to maintain a derelict sites register, which includes the name and address of each owner and occupier, where these can be ascertained by reasonable enquiry, of any land which, in the opinion of the local authority, is a derelict site. Under section 8(5) of the Act, a copy of the derelict sites register for any local authority can be inspected at the offices of that authority during office hours. Members of the public can engage with their local authority in relation to addressing individual derelict sites in their local areas.
Under the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2018, both the Derelict Site Levy and the Vacant Site Levy increased from 3% to 7% of the market valuation of relevant sites with effect from January 2020. These levies are applied annually for as long as relevant sites remain derelict or vacant. This change in the rate of the levies is intended to ensure that the levies have more meaningful impact and that the powers of local authorities in tackling dereliction and vacancy are strengthened for the purpose of bringing relevant sites into productive use, thereby facilitating urban regeneration and development in designated areas while also combatting land hoarding.
There is a number of other measures which have been introduced over recent years to assist in addressing dereliction and vacancy. The Repair and Leasing Scheme was introduced to assist property owners in bringing vacant properties back into use for social housing purposes. The scheme is particularly targeted at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their properties up to the required standard for rental properties.
Subject to the suitability of the property for social housing, and the agreement of the property owner, the cost of the necessary repairs is met upfront with a capital loan from the local authority or an approved housing body (AHB) up to a maximum of €60,000. This allows the property owner to sign-up to a lease arrangement with a local authority or an AHB for a period of time that is linked to the value of the repairs, subject to a minimum lease period of 5 years. Up to end 2020, a total of 234 homes had been brought back into use under the scheme.
A similar measure entitled the Buy and Renew Scheme supports local authorities in purchasing and renewing housing units in need of repair which can then be made available for social housing use. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the suitability of a property for social housing. Important considerations in this regard include the location of a property in relation to housing need and demand; the design, scale and suitability of a property for social housing use; and the costs and practicality of acquiring and remediating a property.
The Buy and Renew Scheme particularly focuses on older vacant homes to help tackle the problem of dereliction and improve the appearance of the community. As a complementary initiative to the Repair and Leasing Scheme, it provides the option for suitable properties to be purchased rather than leased, if that is the preference of the owners of the properties concerned. To date, local authorities delivered approximately 670 new social homes under the scheme. Activity in this regard is largely delegated to local authorities so they can respond flexibly to all opportunities to provide new social housing.
In respect of social housing, my Department can provide full funding to local authorities for sites on which they bring forward suitable new social housing construction projects, including sites acquired by compulsory purchase order under the Derelict Sites Act. I am keen to see our local authorities expand their ownership of suitable sites for new social housing and with the record funding levels we have secured for new social housing delivery in 2021, we are in a position to support new projects including the associated site costs. It would be important for local authorities to engage with my Department directly and through the Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office in this connection.
247. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to transform commercial property on main streets into housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25250/21]
View answerThe Planning and Development (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2018, which came into operation on 8 February 2018, provide for an exemption from the requirement to obtain planning permission in respect of the change of use of certain vacant commercial premises, including vacant areas above ground floor premises, to residential use.
This measure is aimed at facilitating the productive re-use of qualifying vacant commercial buildings as homes, while also facilitating urban renewal and the bringing on stream of increased housing supply.
The Regulations operate for a limited period until 31 December 2021, which has now been extended to 25 February 2022 arising from the Covid-related shutdown of the planning system for 8 weeks during the period March to May 2020, which extended all planning timelines by 8 weeks.
The planning exemptions provided for in the Planning Regulations are kept under regular review.
Action 60 of the recently launched Our Rural Future – Rural Development Policy 2021 to 2025 commits to reviewing and extending the regulations which exempt certain vacant commercial premises, such as “over the shop” type spaces, from requiring planning permission for change of use for residential purposes in accordance with housing activation and Town Centre First policies.
The regulations will be reviewed before their expiry and I will bring forward any legislative amendments considered appropriate. Under section 262(4) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, legislative proposals in relation to exempted development require the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas before they can be signed into law.
