Written Answers Nos. 263-278
263. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of properties that have been registered on a website (details supplied) in each year since it was established by county; the number of these properties that have been brought back into use in each of these years by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25398/21]
View answer264. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the local authorities that have put in place a vacant homes action plan as required by circular PL7/2017; if he has received feedback on the effectiveness or otherwise of these action plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25405/21]
View answer265. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the additional supports that his Department has made available to the respective local authorities to enable them to appoint vacant home officers; the number of such officers appointed by each local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25407/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 263, 264 and 265 together.
The National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy, which was published by my Department in 2018, strives to provide a targeted, effective and co-ordinated approach to identifying and tackling vacancy across Ireland. To assist local authorities in achieving this objective, my Department has, since 2018, provided funding to each local authority of €50,000 per annum. This funding is to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office, including a Vacant Homes Officer for each local authority.
The provision of central funding provides for focus to be given to the role of the Office and reinforces the capacity of the Department’s Vacant Homes Unit to liaise with and seek information/statistics from a dedicated contact point within each local authority. All 31 local authorities have claimed their funding up to June 2021 and this funding has been secured up to June 2022.Table 1 below lists the number of Vacant Homes Officers in each local authority on a full or part-time basis:
Table 1
|
Local Authority |
No. of Vacant Homes Officers |
Full-time |
Part-time |
|
Carlow |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Cavan |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Clare |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Cork City |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Cork County |
2 |
2 |
|
|
Donegal |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Dublin City |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
Dun Laoghaire |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Fingal |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Galway City |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Galway County |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Kerry |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Kildare |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Kilkenny |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Laois |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Leitrim |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Limerick |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Longford |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Louth |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Mayo |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Meath |
2 |
2 |
|
|
Monaghan |
2 |
2 |
|
|
Offaly |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Roscommon |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Sligo |
2 |
2 |
|
|
South Dublin |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Tipperary |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Waterford |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Westmeath |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Wexford |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Wicklow |
1 |
1 |
Each of the 31 local authorities have prepared a Vacant Homes Action Plan for their administrative area. The Vacant Home Action Plan identifies the scale of vacant homes in a local authority’s jurisdiction and sets ambitious but realistic targets of the number of vacant homes that can ultimately be brought back into use.
As emphasised in the National Vacant Housing Reuse Strategy, securing improved data and analysis on vacancy allows for more robust monitoring of vacancy at a national level and improved outputs at local level. To help record levels of vacancy, the vacanthomes.ie website has been developed by Mayo County Council on behalf of the local government sector. This provides a central portal for individuals to anonymously log possible vacant properties and alert local authorities to those properties. As appropriate, Vacant Homes Officers can then follow up with the owners to see whether the house can be re-used quickly.
The latest statistics from vacanthomes.ie indicate that 5,210 properties have been recorded on the website since 2017.
Table 2 below indicates the number of properties registered on vacanthomes.ie by year and county:
Table 2 Vacant Homes Logged
|
Local Authority |
Dec 2017 |
Dec 2018 |
Dec 2019 |
Dec 2020 |
11 May 2021 |
|
Leinster |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carlow |
18 |
19 |
29 |
41 |
44 |
|
Dublin City |
247 |
350 |
436 |
499 |
542 |
|
DLR |
60 |
60 |
102 |
124 |
130 |
|
Fingal |
49 |
60 |
82 |
104 |
122 |
|
Kildare |
58 |
90 |
161 |
198 |
208 |
|
Kilkenny |
27 |
35 |
46 |
60 |
75 |
|
Laois |
12 |
21 |
38 |
52 |
56 |
|
Longford |
14 |
17 |
29 |
34 |
40 |
|
Louth |
60 |
97 |
151 |
169 |
178 |
|
Meath |
37 |
103 |
140 |
153 |
163 |
|
Offaly |
26 |
3 |
38 |
84 |
92 |
|
SDCC |
75 |
98 |
143 |
177 |
211 |
|
Westmeath |
58 |
69 |
87 |
105 |
108 |
|
Wexford |
35 |
63 |
91 |
105 |
114 |
|
Wicklow |
34 |
54 |
73 |
84 |
90 |
|
Total |
810 |
1139 |
1646 |
1989 |
2173 |
|
Munster |
|||||
|
Clare |
23 |
21 |
63 |
123 |
150 |
|
Cork City |
73 |
113 |
136 |
166 |
178 |
|
Cork County |
177 |
362 |
588 |
667 |
1072 |
|
Kerry |
43 |
45 |
49 |
61 |
66 |
|
Limerick City |
8 |
18 |
38 |
45 |
49 |
|
Limerick County |
23 |
46 |
112 |
138 |
147 |
|
Tipperary |
34 |
44 |
75 |
93 |
107 |
|
Waterford City |
8 |
28 |
42 |
51 |
58 |
|
Waterford County |
16 |
57 |
83 |
104 |
124 |
|
Total |
405 |
734 |
1186 |
144 |
1951 |
|
Connacht |
|||||
|
Galway City |
27 |
55 |
102 |
124 |
129 |
|
Galway County |
64 |
92 |
107 |
129 |
137 |
|
Leitrim |
9 |
16 |
41 |
43 |
44 |
|
Mayo |
62 |
76 |
177 |
205 |
221 |
|
Roscommon |
19 |
28 |
55 |
76 |
84 |
|
Sligo |
16 |
24 |
39 |
45 |
47 |
|
Total |
197 |
291 |
521 |
662 |
662 |
|
Ulster |
|||||
|
Cavan |
9 |
15 |
49 |
272 |
319 |
|
Donegal |
21 |
34 |
54 |
67 |
85 |
|
Monaghan |
15 |
17 |
22 |
16 |
20 |
|
Total |
45 |
66 |
125 |
355 |
424 |
|
Grand Total |
1457 |
2230 |
3478 |
4414 |
5210 |
Table 3 in the excel spreadsheet attached provides the number of properties brought back into use by year and county under the Repair and Lease Scheme, the Housing Agency Acquisitions Fund and the Buy and Renew Scheme. These are the three key supports available from my Department to owners to bring vacant housing stock back into use as social housing.
266. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of the information his Department collates as per circular 20/2019 (details supplied); the date this report was issued; the location on his Departmental website on which it can be found; and the progress in relation to green procurement that has been made to date.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25435/21]
View answerIn accordance with the requirements of Circular 20/2019, my Department collates information on the basis of a reporting template provided by the Environmental Protection Agency. This includes information on the total number and total value of contracts over €25,000 which have incorporated green public procurement, across a range of given priority sectors (e.g. transport, energy and IT equipment).
The information will be included in the Department's Annual Report 2020, which is currently being compiled and will be subsequently published on the Department's website at the link below.
https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/f9a38-annual-reports/
267. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to allocate funding to an organisation (details supplied) in 2021 and 2022 in view of the recent announcement by the UK Government that it plans to implement an approximate 85% funding cut to the programme in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25194/21]
View answer268. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to increase Ireland's core contribution to an organisation (details supplied) in 2021 and 2022 in view of the recent announcement by the UK Government that it will cut £12 million from its core operating funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25195/21]
View answer269. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the recent decision by the UK Government to implement devastating funding cuts to an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25196/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 267, 268 and 269 together.
The Government's policy on international development, A Better World, attaches a high priority to gender equality. That is why Ireland is the 14th largest core contributor to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the 24th largest contributor overall - supporting UNFPA's vital work in promoting universal access to health services, strengthening health systems globally, and preventing and responding to gender based violence.
My Department is aware of recent cuts in funding to UNFPA and other UN development agencies. We are working with our partners to assess the impact of these cuts and to ensure the continuation of their essential work. The upcoming (June 2021) meeting of UNFPA’s Executive Board, of which Ireland is currently an observer, provides an opportunity for further discussions.
Our funding to UN agencies is reviewed periodically, in the light of allocations to the official development assistance budget, and in view of agencies’ performance and the wider range of international development priorities to which Ireland seeks to respond. A €3.5 million core contribution to UNFPA has been made in 2021, in line with contributions in 2020 and 2019 and compared to €2.8 million in 2018.
In addition to the annual core contribution, Ireland also provides funding to UNFPA through bilateral programmes managed by our Embassies, which varies from year to year. In 2020, this additional funding to UNFPA amounted to €1.8 million. Ireland does not provide direct funding to the UNFPA Supplies Programme.
Ireland also contributes to UNFPA through the EU. Collectively the EU and its Member States are the single largest financial contributor to the UN system, providing 25% of contributions to UN agencies. The European Commission provided US$43 million to UNFPA in 2019.
270. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if assistance will be provided in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25225/21]
View answerAll passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008. The Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to him/her. In order to meet this requirement, each person must demonstrate an entitlement to Irish citizenship by providing acceptable documentary evidence of this entitlement.
This is complex case. I have asked my officials to look into the details and I advise that the applicant contact the Passport Service directly to discuss this case at Osal.Kelly@dfa.ie.
271. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the processing of applications for working holiday authorisations from the USA to Ireland has recommenced; if not, when the processing of such applications will recommence; if applications are currently being accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25283/21]
View answerWorking Holiday Authorisations (WHAs) play an important role in building Ireland’s bilateral relations with a number of non-European countries and regions by encouraging people-to-people contacts. The Department of Foreign Affairs administers nine such programmes with Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and the United States. The WHAs facilitate young people or recent graduates from these locations to experience Ireland’s culture and way of life during a working holiday here while, reciprocally, Irish people can enjoy similar experiences abroad.
The processing of Working Holiday applications by our Missions abroad has been temporarily suspended since the pandemic restrictions were introduced. Our Missions in the United States continue to accept applications, and these will remain on file until the processing of applications resumes.
During the pandemic, our primary concern in this regard has been the health, welfare and wellbeing of our citizens currently on working holidays abroad and of those from other countries in Ireland under WHAs. Throughout the pandemic, our Missions abroad have provided assistance in repatriating many of these Irish citizens, and our Missions continue to assist those who remained abroad.
We continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation here and in the relevant locations abroad, in terms particularly of public health advice, travel restrictions, job opportunities and the availability of short-term accommodation. We will instruct our Missions abroad to resume the processing of applications and issuance of authorisations once circumstances allow young people to benefit from a working holiday here and to fully experience Ireland’s culture and way of life safely.
272. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the details of the information his Department collates as per circular 20/2019 (details supplied); the date this report was issued; the location on his Departmental website on which it can be found; and the progress in relation to green procurement that has been made to date. [25432/21]
View answerThe Department of Foreign Affairs ensures that there is an appropriate focus on good practice in procurement and that procedures are in place to ensure compliance with all relevant procurement guidelines. Procurement takes place in compliance with Directive 2014/24/EU and supported by procurement guidelines published by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP).
Under DPER Circular 20/2019, beginning with the 2020 Annual Report, each Department is required to report annually on progress in relation to Green Public Procurement in Ireland. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in co-operation with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) and the OGP, developed the template to be used by Government Departments to meet the reporting requirement. The template includes the eight priority sectors listed in the EPA’s 2014 Green Procurement Guidance for the Public Sector .
The Department recognises the environmental benefits of Green Public Procurement, however, the majority of the Department’s procurement contracts in Ireland are with small firms or individuals providing professional, consultancy and general services.
The Department submitted its 2020 GPP Report to the EPA on the 31 March 2021 (see tables below) and it will be published in due course in the Department’s Annual Report 2020 in line with the Circular’s provisions.
Department of Foreign Affairs – Green Public Procurement Report 2020
Table 1. Priority Sectors
|
Reference year 2020 |
A. Total number of contracts issued over €25,000 by priority sector |
B. Total value of contracts issued over €25,000 by priority sector |
C. Total number of contracts issued over €25,000 by priority sector which have incorporated GPP |
D. Total value of contracts issued over €25,000 by priority sector which have incorporated GPP |
|
Transport |
0 |
€0 |
0 |
€0 |
|
Construction |
0 |
€0 |
0 |
€0 |
|
Energy |
1 |
€350,000 |
0 |
€0 |
|
Food & Catering Services |
0 |
€0 |
0 |
€0 |
|
Cleaning Products & Services |
0 |
€0 |
0 |
€0 |
|
Textiles |
0 |
€0 |
0 |
€0 |
|
IT Equipment |
0 |
€0 |
0 |
€0 |
|
Paper |
0 |
€0 |
0 |
€0 |
|
Totals |
1 |
€350,000 |
0 |
€0 |
Table 2. Other Sectors
|
Reference year 2020 |
A. Total number of contracts issued over €25,000 |
B. Total value of contracts issued over €25,000 |
C. Total number of contracts issued over €25,000 which have incorporated GPP |
D. Total value of contracts issued over €25,000 which have incorporated GPP |
|
Consultancy/Advisory |
9 |
€836,957 |
0 |
€0 |
|
General Services |
11 |
€13,930,100 |
0 |
€0 |
|
Totals |
20 |
€14,767,057 |
0 |
€0 |
273. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has conveyed to the British Government the absolute need to honour the commitments made in the Good Friday Agreement and in successor agreements taking into consideration recent commentary in Great Britain that persons involved in very serious crimes in Northern Ireland would be given an amnesty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25492/21]
View answerThe full implementation and effective operation of the Good Friday Agreement and all subsequent agreements is an utmost priority for this Government. In engaging with the British Government, we have taken every opportunity to reaffirm the critical importance of our roles as co-guarantors of the Agreement, to work for its protection and in support of its institutions.
The position of the Government on the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland has also been clear and consistent. The Stormont House Agreement is the way forward on these issues. It was agreed in 2014 by both Governments and the political parties after intensive negotiations, and it should be implemented. Where the UK Government are proposing significant changes to that framework, we have made clear that these must be discussed and agreed by both Governments and the parties to the Northern Ireland Executive. In March of last year, the UK Government issued a Written Ministerial Statement that proposed significantly departing from the SHA. Since then, I have spoken regularly with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to express our strong concerns and to reiterate the importance of a collective approach consistent with the Stormont House Agreement, and with international human rights obligations. I reaffirmed those critical principles to the Secretary of State when we met last week in Dublin, and strongly advised against any unilateral action on these sensitive issues.Media reports last week of possible plans on to introduce a statute of limitations have of course caused significant upset, shock and concern. It is essential that we make progress on dealing with the legacy of the past, but as the Stormont House Agreement sets out, there is a need to take a comprehensive view of how to achieve progress and reconciliation for society as a whole, and the needs of victims and families must be at the heart of the process.We have strongly communicated our position on this issue to the UK Government and will continue to do so, and to caution in the clearest terms against any unilateral action. The Government remains ready to engage and work with the UK Government and the parties to the Northern Ireland Executive, with a view to reaffirming a collective approach that is consistent with the Stormont House Agreement.
274. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence if he plans to examine the current accommodation requirements of the Defence Forces given that An Garda Síochána are recruiting a head of estate management. [25171/21]
View answerThe Defence Forces Built Infrastructural Programme 2020-2025 was published in January 2020. This Programme, which is a 5 year plan, provides a blueprint for investment in the Defence Forces built infrastructure over a multi annual timeframe. It is expected that some €145m will be expended on implementng the Plan. In addition, the Deputy may wish to note that my Department has allocated €10m this year to the Defence Forces for the maintenance, repair and upkeep of its building stock . This is a devolved budget and the individual prioritisation of specific projects is solely a matter for the Defence Forces in keeping the delegated nature of this budget. I am satisfied that the current approach towards building maintenance together with the implementation of the 5 year Plan will ensure the modernisation of the building stock.
275. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence if he will establish a commission to consider gender quotas and equality of opportunity within the Defence Forces. [25172/21]
View answerIt is Government policy to increase female participation rates at all levels of the Defence Forces in order to increase capability and to better reflect the society from which the Defence Forces are drawn and serve.
I am committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women throughout the Defence Forces and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities. This commitment is exemplified in the Defence Forces Equality Policy and the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan.
As of 31 March 2021, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) stood at 8,524 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) personnel. Of this some 598 personnel or 7.02% were female, broken down as follows:
- Army: 493 Female Personnel
- Air Corps: 40 Female Personnel
- Naval Service: 65 Female Personnel
In line with current policies and commitments, a number of initiatives are in place to increase the level of female participation in the Permanent Defence Force. For example:
- Special consideration is paid to women as a target group for recruitment within the general recruitment framework in that current campaigns reach out to females via a variety of channels, including social media, sporting organisations and schools.
- A Gender Equality and Diversity Officer has been appointed to promote gender equality policies and training within the Defence Forces. In addition, a gender-equality perspective is applied in the planning and execution of operations both at home and overseas and in all policies and regulations. Gender Advisors are available to all Brigades and Services and trained Gender Focal Points are deployed with all overseas units and ships in order to promote the gender perspective in operations.
- A Defence Forces Women's Network is established with the aim of increasing the participation of female personnel at all levels of the organisation.
Over the lifetime of the White Paper on Defence, a number of projects will be progressed to ensure the development and promotion of strategies that continue to support increased female participation in the Defence Forces.
In addition, a review of recruitment practices and processes in the PDF, tasked under the High Level Implementation Plan arising from the Public Service Pay Commission report, has additionally examined all aspects of the recruitment process, including diversity, as part of its work. It is anticipated that this report will be finalised shortly.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Commission on the Defence Forces, as part of its terms of reference, will set out a strategic perspective on all HR policies, and associated strategies in light of the prevailing dynamics of the labour market, while remaining consistent with public sector pay and personnel policy
The Commission is due to issue its report at the end of the year. There are currently no plans to establish a commission to consider gender quotas and equality of opportunity within the Defence Forces.
277. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which the strength of the Defence Forces has been augmented with a view to maintaining optimum strength; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4470/21]
View answer290. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the degree to which the optimum strength of the Defence Forces is being met to date or is likely to be in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25471/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 277 and 290 together.
The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (whole time equivalent), as at 31st March 2021 (the latest data available), was 8,524 personnel comprised of:
- Army 6,885
- Air Corps 739
- Naval Service 900
The Government remains committed to returning to, and maintaining the agreed strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel as set out in the White Paper on Defence (2015). However, there are a number of factors, some of which are hard to predict, which will impact on the timeframe within which this will be achieved
In order to achieve this target, as well as a broad range of retention measures, there is significant on-going recruitment. This will continue throughout the year and includes General Service Recruits, Cadets, Aircraft Apprentice Technicians and Direct Entry Specialists. As of 30th April 2021, 149 personnel have been inducted.
278. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Defence if he will report on the implementation of the White Paper on Defence. [24906/21]
View answerThe White Paper on Defence sets the defence policy agenda over a ten year planning horizon and covers all aspects of defence within overall security policy. Since publication of the White Paper, a total of 95 separate projects have been identified for completion over a ten-year period. To provide flexibility, projects may be sub-divided or merged, changing the top-line number. Project and Programme Management Governance arrangements were put in place to monitor the ongoing status of individual projects and to review the scope of projects within the programme.
Following on from the White Paper Update 2019 and the Government’s High Level Plan to implement the Report of the Public Service Pay Commission, senior civil and military management have concluded a review of the projects which has resulted in reprioritisation of certain projects. This takes account of work that is progressing across the organisation which has been contributing to implementation of the White Paper.
The review of progress on all projects has led to the approval of an updated White Paper Programme Implementation Roadmap. Of the initial 95 projects, 47 are now formally completed and closed with an additional 3 in the closing process. A further 14 projects related to the Defence Forces Reserve will be considered post-Commission on the Defence Forces. 12 projects are currently active with a further 4 due to be initiated during 2021 and the remaining 15 projects to be initiated during 2022 and 2023.
Work in certain areas will in its nature continue beyond 2025 in order to ensure that changes, improvements and actions envisaged in the White Paper are fully implemented and are embedded in the day to day business of the Defence Organisation. Implementation of all of the projects is being carried out on a phased basis through the use of a project management framework with each being managed by a joint Civil-Military Project Team. The overall process is being kept under on-going review and will be subject to change as issues arise and other business dictates.
