Written Answers Nos. 254-267
254. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities have the discretion to allocate a fixed price for the replacement of windows or doors under the housing aid grant; if this figure is set by his Department given that the total figure for a grant is €8,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27585/21]
View answerLocal authorities are responsible for the detailed administration of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme, including the assessment, approval and payment of grants to applicants under the various measures.
Guidance issued by my Department recommends local authorities assemble a schedule of standard costs for each element of works available for funding under the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme, including the replacement of windows and doors. It is also recommended that local authorities should review their schedule of standardised cost on a twice yearly basis using the services of a Quantity Surveyor. The standardisation of costs is intended to improve consistency and have a cost stabilisation effect on grant levels in each local authority area. Recognising however that homes differ local authorities can, up to the €8,000 overall grant cap, approve a grant in excess of their own standard costings if the local authority feels a higher cost is justified.
255. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of leases that Kildare County Council has entered into for the provision of housing in the county over the past three years; the number of houses these leases involved; the location of each within the county; the cost of these leases.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27586/21]
View answer256. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of leases that Kildare County Council has signed up for social housing that are not yet occupied; the location of these leases; the number of houses; the cost of these houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27587/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 255 and 256 together.
My Department publishes comprehensive statistics on a quarterly basis on all social housing delivery activity, including leasing delivery statistics by local authority. These statistics are published on my Department's website and are available at the following link - www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/
Funding for leasing projects is provided for under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP). This Programme supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the long term leasing of houses and apartments from private owners and Approved Housing Bodies.
At end 2020, a total of 273 leased properties were supported under SHCEP across all leasing delivery programmes in Kildare County Council. A breakdown of the total number of leased dwellings by lease type for each year 2018 to 2020 is set out in Table 1 below.
Details of the annual cost of each lease type in each year from 2018 to 2020 is set out in Table 2 below.
Data relating to the tenanting and allocations of dwellings is not held by my Department and is a matter for the local authority.
Table 1: Kildare County Council, Leasing Year End Figures 2018 to 2020.
Table 2: Kildare County Council, Leasing Spend - 2018 to 2020.
|
Scheme |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
AHB MTR |
€213,891 |
€354,325 |
€416,876 |
|
AHB Private Lease |
€1,092,000 |
€1,257,571 |
€1,176,831 |
|
LA Direct |
€102,296 |
€184,102 |
€437,804 |
|
Private MTR |
€0 |
€0 |
€16,213 |
|
RLS |
€0 |
€8,159 |
€5,760 |
|
Unsold Affordables |
€168,528 |
€160,964 |
€160,524 |
|
Total |
€1,576,715 |
€1,965,121 |
€2,214,008 |
All data is based on local authority claims for operational agreements recorded on the Department's SHCEP financial management system. Any variations in data between operational figures and total output under leasing delivery streams may be due to the time lag in the submission of claims to my Department in respect of new claims after delivery.
257. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to introduce online voter registration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27612/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government - Our Shared Future commits to a broad range of electoral reforms including a commitment to the modernisation of voter registration. The modernisation includes the introduction of rolling registration; the simplification of forms and processes; the gradual roll-out of an online option for registration; a single, national database within which Local Authorities would continue to maintain their own registers; and the use of PPSNs in the registration process. Together, these reforms will simplify and streamline the process of registration, making it easier for people to register to vote and update their details.
As part of the commitment in relation to the gradual roll out of optional online registration, Voter.ie, the on-line platform being piloted in the four Dublin local authority areas, is under assessment for suitability as a national system. The evaluation is focused in particular on security and scalability and my Department has established a governance structure, bringing together central and local government experts, to consider the further development of Voter.ie.
The Government has recently approved the drafting of an Electoral Reform Bill to underpin the electoral registration reforms, among other things. The general scheme of the bill is currently the subject of pre-legislative scrutiny by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage and is available on my Department’s website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/34cf6-general-scheme-of-the-electoral-reform-bill-2020/.
258. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of outdoor staff employed by each local authority in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27613/21]
View answerMy Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end, my Department gathers aggregate quarterly data on staff numbers in each local authority on a whole time equivalent basis.
However, granular data, in terms of the detailed breakdown of the number of outdoor staff employed by local authorities, is not collected and consequently is not available in my Department. The relevant information would be available from individual local authorities.
259. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current average wait time to be accepted on to the housing list in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27614/21]
View answer260. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current expected wait time on the housing list in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27615/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 259 and 260 together.
Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA).
The most recent summary, conducted in November 2020, shows that 61,880 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support. This represents a decrease of 6,813 households or 9.9% on the last assessment in June 2019. Since 2016, the numbers have decreased from 91,600 to 61,880, a reduction of 32.4%.
Below is the link to the summary report for 2020 which includes breakdowns by each local authority across a range of categories.
With respect to the expected wait time on the housing list in each county, my Department does not hold that information. However, Figure 2.8 and Table A1.8 provide details on the length of time households have been on the record of qualified households (the Waiting List).
In relation to the question posed by the Deputy regarding the current average wait time to be accepted on to the housing list in each county, information of this specific type is not held by my Department. However, Regulation 12 of the 2011 Regulations prescribes the timescales for the processing of applications by local authorities and provides that, subject to conditions, a local authority shall deal with an application within a period of 12 weeks. Local authorities will prioritise housing needs assessments for those in greatest need and ensure that such applications are dealt with within timeframes that are significantly shorter that the statutory maximum. Different timescales may apply where the local authority requires additional information from the applicant within the relevant period, as defined in the Regulations, thus leading to possible extensions to the 12 week deadline in terms of completing the application process.
2020 Report
www.gov.ie/en/publication/970ea-summary-of-social-housing-assessments-2020-key-findings/
261. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the particular challenges in relation to accessing housing that those whose marriage or long term relationship has ended are experiencing; his plans to address these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27616/21]
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.
Under Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and Regulation 22(1) of the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, a household shall be ineligible for social housing support if it has alternative accommodation that the household could reasonably be expected to use to meet its housing need, either by occupying it or by selling the accommodation and using the proceeds to secure suitable accommodation suitable for the household’s adequate housing.
However, Regulation 22(2) of the 2011 Regulations provides that this ineligibility does not apply where an applicant for social housing support owns accommodation that is occupied by his or her spouse, from whom he or she is formally separated or divorced. Under the enactment, a deed of separation is sufficient to set aside this ineligibility ground and it is not necessary to await judicial separation or divorce to get a decision on social housing support in these cases. The rationale for this exception is that the terms of a formal separation or divorce will provide for the future ownership and occupation of the family home and it will be clear whether the household that has left the family home can return to live there.
In order to provide more flexibility to housing authorities to deal with cases where the ownership of the family home had not yet been finalised, the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 amended section 20 of the 2009 Act. Housing authorities may now provide such households with social housing support under the Rental Accommodation Scheme or the Housing Assistance Payment scheme until ownership of the family home is resolved in a formal separation or divorce settlement.
The 2014 Act amendment provides that support in these circumstances will be reviewed by the local authority at prescribed intervals and the household will not be able to transfer to other forms of social housing support while ownership of the family home remains to be determined. However, where the household ultimately qualifies for the full range of social housing supports, the length of time the household was supported under RAS or HAP will be reckonable for the purposes of determining the household’s relative priority for a transfer.
262. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons on the housing list for County Kildare approved for HAP but not in receipt of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27617/21]
View answerHAP is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. In order for a household to qualify for HAP, they must first be assessed as eligible for social housing support by their local authority. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP and those households must source their own accommodation in the private rental sector. At the end of Q4 2020, Kildare had 2,398 households in receipt of HAP.
Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). Full details in relation to the 2020 assessment are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/. The SSHA 2020 shows that there were 3,104 households on the Kildare County Council social housing waiting list at 2 November 2020.
Legislation provides that HAP is considered to be a form of social housing support. Households in receipt of HAP are therefore, not eligible to remain on the main housing waiting list. However, acknowledging that some households on the waiting list, who avail of HAP, have expectations that they would receive a more traditional form of social housing support, recipients can avail of a move to other forms of social housing through a transfer list.
For those households on a housing waiting list, the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 requires that all housing authorities make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support and to households approved for a transfer.
The practical operation of transfer lists is a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of their own scheme of letting priorities, and the number of persons on the housing transfer list is also a matter for each individual local authority.
263. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports his Department will provide to non-homeless persons that may be approved for HAP but are unable to find accommodation that will accept same or that is within the threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27618/21]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP and those households must source their own accommodation in the private rental sector.
A landlord or an agent acting on behalf of a landlord is not legally obliged to enter into a tenancy agreement specifically with a HAP recipient. However, on 1 January 2016, the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015 introduced “housing assistance” as a new discriminatory ground. This means that discrimination in the provision of accommodation, or related service and amenities, against people in receipt of rent supplement, HAP or other social welfare payments is prohibited. Further information is available at www.ihrec.ie/your-rights/i-have-an-issue-with-a-service/i-have-an-issue-about-accommodation/
If a person feels that he or she has been discriminated against by a landlord or agent, he or she can make a complaint under the Equal Status Acts to the Workplace Relations Commission; further information is available on the Commission's website, www.workplacerelations.ie.
Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to a maximum of 20% above the prescribed maximum rent limit in circumstances where it is necessary, because of local rental market conditions, to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it. It is a matter for the local authority to determine if the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis.
Under HAP, households at risk of homelessness may be eligible for additional supports. To qualify for specific additional supports available to homeless households, a household must have been determined by the relevant local authority to be homeless within the meaning of section 2 of the Housing Act 1988. The operation of local homeless services, including the Place Finder Service, is a matter for each local authority.
While there is no legislative provision precluding HAP supported households contributing towards the monthly rent required by a landlord, local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that tenancies are sustainable and that households in HAP are in a position to meet the rental costs involved.
The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that HAP levels are adequate to support vulnerable households, while we increase the supply of social housing. My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review and it is a key mechanism in meeting housing need across the Country.
264. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of housing assistance payments that have been paid out to private landlords in County Kildare since the payment was introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27619/21]
View answer265. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of rental accommodation scheme payments that have been paid out to private landlords in County Kildare since the payment was introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27620/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 264 and 265 together.
The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. At end Q4 2020 there were nearly 60,000 households in receipt of HAP and over 33,520 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the scheme.
In respect of the provision of HAP funding, Limerick City and County Council provides a highly effective HAP transactional shared service on behalf of all local authorities. This HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages all HAP related rental transactions for the tenant, local authority and landlord. Accordingly, my Department does not recoup individual local authorities in respect of HAP rental payments in their administrative areas but, rather, recoups all landlord costs via the HAP SSC.
Data in relation to the funding provided by the State in 2019 and 2020, broken down by local authority area, can be found on my Department's website at this link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#housing-assistance-payment
This funding represents the portion paid by my Department after receipt of the differential rent which is paid by the tenant to the local authority. It does not include administration costs related to the Scheme.
The overall cost of supporting the HAP Scheme to the Exchequer for the period 2015-2020 is outlined in the table below:
|
Year |
Additional Households supported at end of year |
No. of LAs operating HAP Scheme |
Outturn €M |
|
2015 |
5,680 |
18 |
15.64 |
|
2016 |
12,075 |
28 |
57.69 |
|
2017 |
17,916 |
31 |
152.69 |
|
2018 |
17,926 |
31 |
276.6 |
|
2019 |
17,025 |
31 |
382.4 |
|
2020 |
15,885 |
31 |
464.6 |
The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) has been an important contributor to social housing supply since its introduction on a pilot basis in 2005 and has placed responsibility on local authorities to meet the accommodation needs of people in receipt of Rent Supplement for 18 months or longer, and who are assessed as having a long-term housing need. RAS has provided a more structured, accommodation-based approach to the use of the private rented sector to meet long-term housing need, thereby eliminating dependence on temporary income support payments through Rent Supplement. The scheme is delivered by local authorities who source accommodation from the private market and Approved Housing Bodies. Expenditure under the scheme covers recoupment made to local authorities for contracted rents due to private landlords and Approved Housing Bodies, administration costs and deposits on newly acquired accommodation.
While data for individual counties for the years prior to 2011 is not available, details for the period from 2011 to 2020 on the number and cost to the exchequer of tenancies funded under the RAS scheme in County Kildare, is available on my Department's website, titled RAS Current Expenditure Housing Programmes 2011 to 2020, at the following link: gov.ie - Overall social housing provision (www.gov.ie).
The RAS and HAP schemes continue to be effective and secure forms of social housing support and remain a significant part of the suite of social housing options currently available across the country.
266. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will extend the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme to include previous homeowners whose relationship or marriage has broken down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27622/21]
View answerThe Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme enables credit-worthy first-time buyers to access sustainable mortgage lending to purchase new or second-hand properties in a suitable price range, where they cannot obtain sufficient mortgage finance from a commercial lender.
As with the previous local authority loan offerings, the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is available to first-time buyers only. This is set out in the regulations governing the Scheme and ensures the effective targeting of limited resources.
However, applicants who are separated or divorced may be treated as first-time buyers, in accordance with the regulations, if they meet certain conditions, including:
- they are separated or divorced under a court order or by a separation agreement;
- the property being purchased is the first property since leaving the family home;
- they have left the family home and retain no interest in it; or
- the other party has remained in the family home.
In meeting the conditions as set out above, in particular that the other party has remained in the family home and that the potential applicant has relinquished any rights they had over that property, no financial gain should have been made by the potential applicant in exchange for relinquishing their rights to the property in this manner. Were the individual to have made a financial gain in releasing their rights to the property, such as being bought out by the other party who remains resident in it, they would be deemed to have been compensated for their interest in the property, and therefore would not be eligible as a first-time buyer.
The final decision on loan approval is a matter for the relevant local authority and its credit committee on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the Regulations establishing the scheme and the credit policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure prudence and consistency in approaches in the best interests of both borrowers and the lending local authorities.
267. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons registered as homeless over the past ten-year period from 2011 to 2021, in tabular form. [27658/21]
View answerMy Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. The Reports are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/80ea8-homelessness-data/
The more recent reports from January 2020 to date are also published on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's open data portal at: data.gov.ie/
Reporting on homelessness began in its current format with the introduction of the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS) in 2014. My Department does not hold the details sought by the Deputy prior to this date.
