Written Answers Nos. 240-253
240. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of houses completed under the pyrite scheme; the average payment to date; the highest payment under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27466/21]
View answerThe pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of "last resort" applicable to dwellings, which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave. The full conditions for eligibility under the Scheme are available on the Pyrite Board’s website at www.pyriteboard.ie.
The latest figures available indicate that 2,854 applications have been received under Scheme and, so far, 2,397 dwellings have been included. A further 86 applications have been validated and referred to the Housing Agency for the Assessment and Verification Process, 114 applications are at the initial Application and Validation Process and 257 applications were not successful. Of the 2,397 dwellings included, the works in respect of 2,139 are complete with the rest at various stages of progress.
The highest all in cost of remediation under the Scheme to date was €234,000 in respect of one dwelling in 2018. However, the average all in cost of remediation of dwellings under the Scheme ranges from €65,000 to €70,000 per dwelling.
241. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if persons in residential addiction treatment are considered housed in terms of open social housing applications. [27518/21]
View answerApplications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.
Where a household is deemed to meet the eligibility criteria, only then is its housing need assessed under the criteria in Regulation 23 of the 2011 Regulations, having regard to its current accommodation.
If a household meets the eligibility and need criteria, it qualifies for the suite of social housing supports, as defined in Section 19 of the 2009 Act, and is placed on the housing list to be considered for the allocation of suitable tenancies in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme.
Decisions on the qualification of specific persons for social housing support and the allocation of that support are a matter solely for the local authority concerned. Each application must be considered on its own merits and the individual circumstances taken into account.
Generally, in the context of an open social housing application, a person in residential addiction treatment, which is considered transitional accommodation, would not be considered to be housed.
242. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if persons in residential addiction treatment can still avail of the HAP scheme for a property for the duration of their stay. [27519/21]
View answer243. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if HAP is stopped or paused for persons in residential addiction treatment. [27520/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 242 and 243 together.
The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. If a household has been deemed eligible for social housing support, it is a matter for the local authority to examine the suite of social housing supports available, including the HAP scheme, to determine the most appropriate form of social housing support for that household in the administrative area of that local authority.
HAP tenants are required to sign a rent contribution agreement to pay a weekly rental contribution to the relevant local authority, in line with the local authority’s differential rent scheme. As set out in the rent contribution agreement, this weekly rental contribution must be paid by them so that they remain eligible for the HAP scheme.
The rent contribution agreement states that “The HAP Claimant agrees to notify the local authority if the property will be vacant for a period of more than two weeks”. Local authorities should consider such notifications on a case by case basis, including where there is a need for the HAP tenant to go into hospital or into a treatment facility for addiction issues.
The day-to-day operation of the social housing system is a matter for the relevant local authority, and ultimately, it is the responsibility of the local authority, while taking a compassionate approach, to make a decision in each individual case.
245. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the advance planning by the LDA will be affected by the process of reviews of city and county development plans which are now under way and which are unlikely to be completed before 2023. [27563/21]
View answerThe Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Establishment Order made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, pending the up coming enactment of primary legislation when it will be established as a commercial state agency.
Following the adoption of the three Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSES) in January 2020, all local authorities have commenced, or are shortly to commence, the statutory review of their County or City Development Plan and this process will be ongoing in 2022.
The LDA will seek planning permission for any proposed developments via the appropriate procedures under the Planning and Development Acts. In making decisions in relation to proposed LDA developments, the relevant planning authority, or An Bord Pleanála, is required to determine these planning applications in accordance with, inter alia, the provisions of the relevant development plan, local area plan or strategic development zone in force for the subject development site.
A number of LDA developments have already been brought through the planning system to date including projects at Shanganagh Castle, Shankill, Co. Dublin and the former St, Kevin’s Hospital site in Cork City.
Additionally, all planning authorities provide access to pre-application consultations under the provisions of Section 247 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended), and the LDA may engage with the relevant planning authority to be advised on the particular aspects of the development plan that may influence the decision on a future planning application.
246. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the names of the members of the independent working group to examine the issue of defective housing; the qualifications of each; the remuneration they are to receive for their work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27564/21]
View answer247. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the dates on which the independent working group to examine the issue of defective housing has met to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27565/21]
View answer248. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the agenda for each of the meetings of the independent working group to examine the issue of defective housing that have taken place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27566/21]
View answer249. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the terms of reference of the independent working group to examine the issue of defective housing are to be signed off and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27567/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 246 to 249, inclusive, 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. In line with the fees payable to Chairpersons and Members of State Boards, a Category 3 fee of €11,970 per annum is payable to the Chairperson in the interest of value for money but taking account of the complexity of the work involved. The Chair will oversee the effective implementation of the group’s terms of reference which have recently been adopted and will be available in due course.
The membership of the working group includes representatives, with relevant expertise and experience, from Engineers Ireland (Mr Michael P. Lyons), the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (Mr Joe Kennedy), the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland (Mr Kevin Hollingsworth), the Public Sector (Mr John O’Connor), the Local Authority Sector (Mr Peter Finnegan and Mr Seamus Coughlan), the Legal Sector (Mr Christopher O’Toole), the Department of Finance (Mr Gary Hynds), Construction Defects Alliance (Ms Ciara Holland) and Apartment Owners Network (Mr Des McCabe).
The inaugural plenary working group meeting was held on 26 March 2021 and the working group also met on 23 April and 21 May.
To date the agenda of the plenary meetings have included the following:
- Welcome and overview from Chair
- Code of Business Conduct
- Notes of last meeting (where applicable)
- Terms of Reference
- Presentations
- Update from sub-groups (where applicable)
- Schedule of upcoming meetings
- AOB
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.
250. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the terms of reference of the independent working group to examine the issue of defective housing include a review of the current financial assistance scheme for the remediation of damaged dwellings due to defective concrete blocks, also known as the MICA redress scheme. [27568/21]
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".
The terms of reference of the working group to examine defects in housing does not include a review of the current financial assistance scheme for the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged due to the use of Defective Concrete Blocks.
251. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the resources available to local authorities to enforce short-term letting regulations; his plans to provide additional assistance in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27580/21]
View answerOn 4 June 2019, my Department wrote to planning authorities with Rent Pressure Zone designations (RPZs) - to which the short-term letting regulations apply - seeking estimated resource funding requirements for the implementation and enforcement of the new short-term letting provisions, to cover the period until the end of 2021. My Department wrote again to planning authorities on 2 July and 26 September of that year seeking new or revised estimates following the designation of additional RPZs in certain parts of the country, which extended the application of the short-term letting provisions to these areas. Details of the resource requirements sought primarily relate to the recruitment of additional enforcement staff, but also include, inter alia, associated legal, IT and other administrative costs.
Since then, further communication has taken place between my Department and all relevant planning authorities seeking clarification and refinement of the resourcing requests, as well as in relation to the practical implementation of the short-term letting provisions.
For 2020, €2.5m was made available by my Department to support planning authorities in the implementation and enforcement of the short-term letting legislation. Similarly, a further €2.5m has been made available in respect of 2021.
The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the level of enforcement and implementation of the short-term letting regulations by planning authorities and also the number of properties being made available for short-term letting purposes, with many - at least temporarily - now operating in the long-term letting sector. To date, based on funding requests received from planning authorities, a total of €1.44m has been drawn down by the relevant planning authorities for the purposes of implementing the short-term letting regulations. My Department will consider any further requests for additional assistance as it receives them.
252. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the examinations he has undertaken in relation to extending the right to vote to Irish citizens abroad in Presidential elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27581/21]
View answerIn response to the evolving needs of Irish society and its relationship with the wider Irish diaspora, the previous Government agreed in March 2017 to accept in principle the main recommendation in the Fifth Report of the Convention on the Constitution that Irish citizens resident outside the State, including citizens resident in Northern Ireland, should have the right to vote at presidential elections and that a referendum would be held to seek to amend the Constitution to give effect to this.
To inform public discourse on this significant policy change, an Options Paper was jointly published on 22 March 2017 by my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Options Paper sets out a broad range of options for the extension of voting rights, international comparisons, the estimated costs involved and related resource issues as well as many of the legal, policy, administrative and logistical challenges associated with extending voting rights to Irish citizens resident outside the State. The Options Paper is available on the Government's website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/ee8f0-voting-at-presidential-elections-by-citizens-resident-outside-the-state-options-paper-22-march-2017/.
My Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs have continued to work closely on this issue and, on 16 September 2019, the Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill 2019 was initiated in Dáil Éireann by the then Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to facilitate the holding of a referendum on this issue. The Bill provides for amendments to Article 12 of the Constitution which, if passed by the people in a referendum, would extend the right to vote for the office of President to all citizens, irrespective of where they may reside, for elections held on or after 1 January 2025, which would be the beginning of the year in which the next scheduled election for the office of President would fall due.
The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future - commits to holding a referendum on extending the franchise at presidential elections to Irish citizens resident outside of the State. While the Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill 2019 lapsed with the dissolution of the 32nd Dáil Éireann, in support of the Government commitment, the Bill has been restored to the Dáil Order Paper.
253. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the review into the housing adaption and housing aid local authority grants will be carried out; if the review will include the amounts local authorities can allocate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27584/21]
View answerMy Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People, which are 80% funded by my Department, with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. Local authorities receive an overall allocation, with the responsibility for the apportionment between the three schemes being a matter for each authority.
My Department will begin the review of the existing grant limits and income thresholds applicable to the grants this year with a view to finalisation as quickly as practicable.
