Written Answers Nos. 290-309
290. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the allocation and drawdown of housing adaptation grants in 2020 and to date in 2021; and the projected increase in funding for 2022 and 2023. [32891/21]
View answerFunding of €75 million is available nationally in 2021 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme, in respect of private houses. Local authorities fund 20% of the overall budget from their own resources with the balance of 80% funded by the exchequer. This funding has increased year on year since 2014. As part of the annual budgetary process, consideration will be given to this funding in future years in line with the Programme for Government commitments and the Policy Statement on Housing Options for Our Ageing Population, which is available on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/ea33c1-housing-options-for-our-ageing-population-policy-statement/
Funding allocations for 2020 and 2021 is publicly available on my Department’s website at the following links:
For 2020: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/0c0cf-minister-obrien-announces-over-73-million-for-housing-adaptation-grant/
For 2021: https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/0da3f-minister-obrien-minister-burke-announce-75m-fund-to-improve-homes-of-older-people-people-with-a-disability/
Details of the funding drawn down for the grants up to 2020, are available on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/social-and-affordble/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics.
The following table contains details of the 2021 exchequer funding drawn down by local authorities for housing adaptation grants up to 31 May 2021.
|
Local Authority |
Exchequer Drawdown to 31 May 2021 |
|
Carlow |
€393,396 |
|
Cavan |
€202,297 |
|
Clare |
€0 |
|
Cork |
€880,339 |
|
Cork City |
€319,178 |
|
Donegal |
€477,321 |
|
Dublin City |
€1,498,291 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown |
€403,404 |
|
Fingal |
€628,073 |
|
Galway |
€566,522 |
|
Galway City |
€330,061 |
|
Kerry |
€499,955 |
|
Kildare |
€290,465 |
|
Kilkenny |
€366,221 |
|
Laois |
€32,000 |
|
Leitrim |
€114,327 |
|
Limerick City & County |
€768,885 |
|
Longford |
€146,641 |
|
Louth |
€305,752 |
|
Mayo |
€708,470 |
|
Meath |
€662,227 |
|
Monaghan |
€356,269 |
|
Offaly |
€47,637 |
|
Roscommon |
€111,885 |
|
Sligo |
€261,705 |
|
South Dublin |
€782,844 |
|
Tipperary |
€880,688 |
|
Waterford City & County |
€80,724 |
|
Westmeath |
€177,422 |
|
Wexford |
€666,656 |
|
Wicklow |
€396,141 |
291. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the administrative costs of the National Parks and Wildlife Service head office in 2020. [32892/21]
View answerThe majority of the Heritage function, which encompasses both our built and natural heritage, and includes the National Parks and Wildlife Service, transferred to my Department last September from the former Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. A further transfer of a small number of remaining functions, which required supporting primary legislation that was recently enacted, is expected shortly.
The full year administrative costs of the National Parks and Wildlife Service Head Office in 2020 was €6.242m, broken down as €6.090m pay and €152k non-pay, the majority of which is made up of travel and training costs. These administrative costs do not include operational support costs such as ICT, facilities management or other business support services, which are dealt with as part of wider departmental budgets and are not possible to disaggregate accurately for a smaller subset of staff.
292. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of active rental accommodation scheme tenancies currently in place. [32893/21]
View answerAs of 31 March 2021, there were 17,608 active tenancies supported under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).
Details on the number of RAS tenancies is available on my Department's website, titled 'RAS Tenancies 2021 Quarterly Statistics', at the following link: gov.ie - Overall social housing provision (www.gov.ie)
293. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount allocated to each local authority for rental property inspections to date in 2021; and the projected increase in funding for this purpose for 2022 and 2023. [32894/21]
View answerThe Strategy for the Rental Sector sets out a series of measures to be introduced to ensure the quality of private rental accommodation by strengthening the applicable standards and improving the inspection and enforcement systems.
The Strategy recognises the need for additional resources to be provided to local authorities to aid increased inspections of properties and ensure greater compliance with the Regulations. Provision was made for €2.5 million to be made available to local authorities in 2018, increasing to €4.5 million in 2019 with corresponding inspection rate targets of 10% and 15% of tenancies respectively. This has enabled local authorities to build inspection capacity incrementally. Significant progress was made across the sector. The number of inspections more than doubled from 19,645 in 2017 to 40,728 in 2019.
The 2020 inspection rate target was 20% and €6 million of Exchequer funding was made available to local authorities. An increased budget of €10 million is being made available in 2021 to facilitate a targeted inspection rate of 25%. However, pandemic restrictions have severely impacted on inspection activity since March 2020. In response to the pandemic some local authorities have been piloting virtual inspections and my Department is encouraging and supporting this initiative by providing Exchequer funding to those that are participating.
The table below sets out the payments made to date in 2021 to each local authority which given that payments are made in arrears are in respect of inspections carried out in Q4 2020:
|
Local Authority |
Payments in 2021 to date |
|
Carlow County Council |
€3,600 |
|
Cavan County Council |
€1,850 |
|
Clare County Council |
€6,500 |
|
Cork City Council |
€4,500 |
|
Cork County Council |
€14,750 |
|
Donegal County Council |
€15,000 |
|
Dublin City Council |
€122,000 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council |
€22,600 |
|
Fingal County Council |
€93,000 |
|
Galway City Council |
€6,700 |
|
Galway County Council |
€22,650 |
|
Kerry County Council |
€36,350 |
|
Kildare County Council |
€21,550 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
€14,650 |
|
Laois County Council |
€17,850 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
€4,000 |
|
Limerick County Council |
€23,000 |
|
Longford County Council |
€6,900 |
|
Louth County Council |
€8,800 |
|
Mayo County Council |
€16,950 |
|
Meath County Council |
€34,950 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
€9,300 |
|
Offaly County Council |
€2,650 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
€16,900 |
|
Sligo County Council |
€13,850 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
€91,500 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
€11,400 |
|
Waterford County Council |
€7,000 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
€6,450 |
|
Wexford County Council |
€150 |
|
TOTAL |
€657,350 |
Inspection data in respect of Q1 2021 is currently being validated and payments in respect of this period will issue shortly. Future funding will be considered as part of the normal estimates budgeting process with the aim of maintaining my Department’s subvention to local authorities at levels which assist them in meeting their inspection targets.
294. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the delays in the processing of housing assistance payment applications; the steps he is taking to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32908/21]
View answerDespite the challenges faced throughout 2020 and into 2021 due to the Covid emergency measures, local authorities and the Housing Assistance Payment Shared Service Centre (HAP SSC) have continued to provide a critical service to all HAP customers.
Measures that were required to be taken in the context of Covid-19 did, however, have an impact on processing times for HAP applications. Data on processing times is set out below:
|
- |
Q1 2020 |
Q2 2020 |
Q3 2020 |
Q4 2020 |
Q1 2021 |
|
Average processing time |
35 |
40 |
38 |
38 |
35 |
|
Number of HAP tenancies processed (per quarter) |
3,942 |
3,883 |
4,062 |
3,998 |
3,914 |
My Department and the local authorities are aware of the importance of minimising HAP processing times and the critical need to keep this under review at a local level, in order to ensure times are minimised to the greatest extent possible. This has been communicated clearly to the County and City Management Association (CCMA), and my Department is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to do so over the coming months.
295. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the situation with regard to Ireland complying with its obligations under the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation (Regulation 1143/2014) to establish, implement and communicate under article 13 an action plan or plans concerning priority invasive alien species particularly in view of the announcement by the European Commission on 9 June 2021 that it was issuing Ireland a letter of formal notice over its ongoing failure to comply with its obligations in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32920/21]
View answerArticle 13 of the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation (1143/2014) refers to the obligation of Member States to establish action plans on the pathways of invasive alien species of Union concern and to communicate these plans to the European Commission.
Work is underway in my Department on three priority pathway action plans. Two of these plans - relating to angling and to boat users - are at an advanced draft stage. A third plan, relating to movement of soils and other materials that may act as a pathway for invasive species, is at an earlier stage.
My Department will respond to the Commission's Letter of Formal Notice within the two-month deadline, outlining progress that has been made on implementation of the Regulation and setting out a clear plan of action to meet Ireland's obligations under the EU IAS Regulation in the future.
296. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he will take to ensure homeowners (details supplied) in County Limerick with pyrite defective blocks are included in the pyrite remediation scheme which currently applies to concrete floor slabs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32927/21]
View answerThe Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo only, to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. The regulations came in to operation on 31 January 2020 and it has been open for applications since the end of June 2020. It is not a compensation scheme and is very much a scheme of last resort for homeowners who have no other practical options of redress.
The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme was informed by the report of an Expert Panel which was published in 2017 which involved extensive research, investigations and analysis. Any consideration of extension to the Defective Concrete Blocks Grants Scheme would, in the first instance, require the relevant local authority to conduct the same rigorous analysis as that carried out in Donegal and Mayo.
Such analysis would need to demonstrate that identified issues in Limerick were due to the presence of excessive amounts of deleterious materials (mica or pyrite) in the aggregate used to manufacture the concrete blocks. The relevant "I.S.465" protocol would need to be followed in this regard. The extent of the problem would also need to be quantified. Pending the receipt of and consideration of such analysis it would be premature to consider an extension of the scheme.
Any extension of the scheme would also have to be the subject of budgetary discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Separately, my Department has recently extended the pyrite remediation scheme to include the administrative area of Limerick City and County Council, which will see homeowners of dwellings with significant damage attributable to pyritic heave in County Limerick eligible to apply for remediation works under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme.
297. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a local authority can sell a portion of land zoned residential to a primary school to develop a children’s playground at below market value; the process this would require; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32957/21]
View answerIt is a matter for each individual local authority to decide on the utilisation of its assets, including its land bank. A local authority may propose to dispose of land no longer required by it for its statutory functions. This is a reserved function of the elected members.
Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides inter alia that a prior notice of any proposed land disposal be sent to each of the elected members of the local authority. Details must also be provided of the person or body to whom the land is to be sold and any conditions relating to the sale.
At the next relevant meeting of the Council the elected members may then decide whether or not the sale shall proceed and any conditions to be applied shall be set out in the members’ resolution.
Under section 211(2) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, my consent is required in cases where a local authority intends to proceed with a sale of land and the price is not the best reasonably obtainable.
298. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review correspondence (details supplied) and advise accordingly; if he will reply to same and provide a copy to this Deputy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32968/21]
View answerThe correspondence referred to in the question was received by my office on 14 June 2021 and a response will issue at the shortly.
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021 to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. A tenant or a landlord may refer a matter to the RTB for dispute resolution services, including non-payment of rent. Due to the quasi-judicial nature of work of the RTB, it would be inappropriate for me as Minister, or my Department to comment on, or to intervene in the specifics of any individual case.
The Residential Tenancies Acts regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. Under section 16(a) of the Residential Tenancies Acts tenants are obliged to pay rent. Section 34 of the Acts sets out clearly defined grounds for termination of a tenancy, one of which is the tenant has failed to comply with the obligation to pay rent under the tenancy.
Where a tenancy is to be terminated on grounds of rent arrears, enhanced protections and procedures apply for tenants and landlords under Part 3 (Residential Tenancies) of the Planning and Development, and Residential Tenancies, Act 2020 (the PDRTA). The PDRTA provides for temporary modifications to the operation of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to provide, subject to certain conditions, that during the period from 11 January to 12 July 2021 a 90 day (rather than the usual 28 days) termination notice period applies, where a tenant is in rent arrears due to Covid-19 and is at risk of losing their tenancy. The earliest termination date allowed in such circumstances is 13 July 2021. Rent increases are also prohibited for relevant tenancies until 13 July 2021.
The protections under the PDRTA do not apply to a tenant who owed an amount of rent equal to 5 or more months’ rent on 10 January 2021 or builds rent arrears to such an amount. The PDRTA provides for a number of scenarios, set out at the weblink below - in which a landlord can make a declaration to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and to the tenant with the effect that the PDRTA protections cease to apply in respect of the tenant - https://www.rtb.ie/emergency-measures-ended-new-protections-introduced-for-the-rental-sector/latest-rent-arrears-procedures-requirements-and-protections.
The Government has recently published the Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021, which includes the extension of the targeted protections of the PDRTA until 12 January 2022, to afford more time to the most vulnerable tenants to recover their financial stability.
The Residential Tenancies Board displays comprehensive information on its website - www.rtb.ie - including guidance and frequently asked questions documents relating to terminating tenancies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
299. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units his Department plans to build from 30 June 2021 to 30 June 2026; the amount of investment the State will make in these units in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32991/21]
View answerThis Government is absolutely focused on ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government, "Our Shared Future". The Programme commits to putting affordability at the heart of the housing system through the progression of State-backed affordable housing.
This commitment is reflected in Budget 2021, which provides for an overall investment of €3.3 billion for the delivery of housing programmes. This represents an increase of €641m or 24% on 2020 and the single biggest spend on housing by any Government to fund the largest build programme, in the history of the State.
Importantly, €110 million of this amount will be provided to deliver a new national Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme for first time buyers and a new funding model to accelerate the delivery of cost rental homes through the Approved Housing Body sector.
€75 million is allocated for the Affordable Purchase Shared Equity Scheme, aimed at first-time buyers buying new-build homes on private land. It will enable first-time buyers to buy a new home at a price they can afford, much sooner than would otherwise have been the case. The equity stake will fill the gap between the mortgage people can get, and the price of a new home. In so doing, it will build confidence in the construction sector to increase housing supply. The proposed price caps for the equity scheme are reflective of the median price of a new home bought by first-time buyers, and are targeted to address the affordability gap in different areas. It is anticipated that the Scheme will be supported and operated in partnership with the retail banks - depending on the final design, this will allow support for c.1,500 to 2,000 households to buy new homes in the first year.
The new Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) is the first dedicated funding stream for Cost Rental housing in Ireland. CREL will assist Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in developing or acquiring new homes for Cost Rental, to accelerate implementation of this new housing sector in the immediate term. The scheme harnesses the expertise and capacity of AHBs, amply demonstrated in the provision of social housing, and builds a foundation for further AHB involvement in Cost Rental.
Under the CREL scheme, the Housing Agency will make loans available to AHBs on very favourable terms to cover up to 30% of the development or acquisition costs of new homes for Cost Rental. The Budget allocation of €35 million is intended to assist the delivery and tenanting of c. 350 new homes this year, on top of the 50 new Cost Rental apartments scheduled for delivery later this year at Enniskerry Road, Stepaside.
To date, my Department has issued two broad-based Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) calls for proposals to local authorities. Funding of almost €200 million has been approved in principle in support of 40 infrastructure projects in 14 local authority areas across 9 counties, to assist in the delivery of almost 4,200 affordable homes for purchase or for rent.
Details of 35 SSF projects which received approval in principle under the two SSF calls to date are available on the Rebuilding Ireland website as follows:
Call 1 https://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-gives-the-go-ahead-for-ten-local-authority-sites-for-affordable-housing-under-the-serviced-sites-fund/.
Call 2 https://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-approves-funding-of-e84m-to-support-delivery-of-1770-affordable-homes-under-the-ssf/.
In addition to these projects, approval in principle has also been given to five further applications for SSF funding, namely, Dublin City Council’s projects in Emmet Road and Oscar Traynor Road, Fingal County Council’s projects in Ballymastone, Donabate, and Hayestown, Rush and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s project in Shanganagh.
In making an application for SSF, each local authority must demonstrate that an affordability issue exists in the area in question and that it is viable to deliver homes, for purchase or rent, with a price reduction of at least 10% below open market values.
In addition, the Land Development Agency is tasked with working with Government Departments, Local Authorities, state agencies, and other stakeholders to assemble strategic sites in urban areas and ensure the sustainable development of social and affordable homes for rent and purchase. On its establishment, the LDA had access to an initial portfolio of 8 sites that have near term delivery potential for approximately 3,400 new homes. Whilst the tenure mix for these homes has not been finalised, the LDA will have regard to Government policy, and all appropriate legislation, in considering the appropriate tenure mix for developments on public land, as well as the criteria for the operation of cost rental and affordable housing schemes. All these measures are designed to increase housing supply at a time when needed most.
Finally, the Government has also approved the drafting of amending provisions to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, for inclusion in the Affordable Housing Bill 2021 as Committee Stage amendments. This will see an increase in the current 10% social housing requirement related to all new housing developments to a mandatory 20% for social and affordable requirements.
Finally, the Government’s upcoming Housing strategy ‘Housing for All’ will detail an extensive range of measures and ambitious targets to underpin the delivery of affordable housing over the coming years.
300. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that houses in County Limerick are impacted by pyrite; if he will include County Limerick in the compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32994/21]
View answerThe Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo only, to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. The regulations came in to operation on 31 January 2020 and it has been open for applications since the end of June 2020. It is not a compensation scheme and is very much a scheme of last resort for homeowners who have no other practical options of redress.
The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme was informed by the report of an Expert Panel which was published in 2017 which involved extensive research, investigations and analysis. Any consideration of extension to the Defective Concrete Blocks Grants Scheme would, in the first instance, require the relevant local authority to conduct the same rigorous analysis as that carried out in Donegal and Mayo.
Such analysis would need to demonstrate that identified issues in Limerick were due to the presence of excessive amounts of deleterious materials (mica or pyrite) in the aggregate used to manufacture the concrete blocks. The relevant "I.S.465" protocol would need to be followed in this regard. The extent of the problem would also need to be quantified. Pending the receipt of and consideration of such analysis it would be premature to consider an extension of the scheme. Similar to what is happening in other counties seeking admittance to the scheme, it is suggested that the local authority would lead on the rigorous analysis required in accordance with the I.S. 465 protocol and on the estimation of quantum and make the appropriate submission to my Department. Any extension of the scheme would also have to be the subject of budgetary discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Separately, my Department has recently extended the pyrite remediation scheme to include the administrative area of Limerick City and County Council, which will see homeowners of dwellings with significant damage attributable to pyritic heave in County Limerick eligible to apply for remediation works under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme.
301. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown of the HAP payments being paid on a weekly basis by family dynamics and county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33014/21]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. At end Q1 2021 there were nearly 61,300 households in receipt of HAP and over 33,900 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.
HAP Exchequer funding recoups the HAP SSC the costs associated with the making of HAP payments, including Homeless HAP; the administration cost of local authorities in their operation of the scheme; and the costs associated with providing public access to general information on the HAP scheme. Actual outturn on HAP in 2020 was €464.6 million.
Data in relation to the funding provided by the State in 2020 and number of active tenancies, broken down by local authority area, can be found on my Department's website at this link:
https://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 table below shows the active HAP tenancies at Q1 2021 by household type.
|
Family Size/Type |
Total Active HAP Tenancies |
|
Couple |
2,405 |
|
Couple +1 |
4,697 |
|
Couple +2 |
5,623 |
|
Couple 3+ |
4,397 |
|
Couple Sharing |
125 |
|
Single |
14,476 |
|
Single +1 |
15,070 |
|
Single +2 |
7,957 |
|
Single 3+ |
3,555 |
|
Single Sharing |
3,007 |
|
Total |
61,312 |
The table below shows the active HAP tenancies at Q1 2021 by local authority.
|
Local Authority |
Total Active HAP Tenancies |
|
Carlow County Council |
734 |
|
Cavan County Council |
448 |
|
Clare County Council |
1,422 |
|
Cork City Council |
3,187 |
|
Cork County Council |
3,740 |
|
Donegal County Council |
1,855 |
|
Dublin City Council |
5,120 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council |
797 |
|
Fingal County Council |
2,188 |
|
Galway City Council |
1,989 |
|
Galway County Council |
1,477 |
|
Kerry County Council |
1,681 |
|
Kildare County Council |
2,375 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
852 |
|
Laois County Council |
986 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
305 |
|
Limerick City & County Council |
2,488 |
|
Longford County Council |
379 |
|
Louth County Council |
3,301 |
|
Mayo County Council |
1,374 |
|
Meath County Council |
2,287 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
615 |
|
Offaly County Council |
867 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
468 |
|
Sligo County Council |
843 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
2,977 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
1,878 |
|
Waterford City & County Council |
2,172 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
1,022 |
|
Wexford County Council |
1,633 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
1,686 |
|
Subtotal |
53,146 |
|
|
|
|
Dublin Regional Homeless Executive* |
8,166 |
|
Grand Total |
61,312 |
*The DRHE is operating the HAP Homeless Place Finder Service on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities.
302. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the revenue received under non-principal private residence charge introduced under the Local Government (Charges) Act 2009 as amended in each of the years 2016 to 2020, in tabular form; if this legislation is due to expire in March 2025; if so, his plans to renew or extend same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33019/21]
View answerThe Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended by the Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011, provides the legislative basis for the non-principal private residence (NPPR) charge. The NPPR charge, which has since been discontinued, applied in the years 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence. The self-assessed charge was set at €200 per annum.
2013 was the last year of operation of the NPPR charge, however, outstanding NPPR liabilities and payments remain payable to the local authority in whose area the property concerned is located. The amount of NPPR revenue collected by local authorities in the years 2016 to 2020 is set out in the table below.
|
Year |
Amount of NPPR Revenue |
|
2016 |
€35,743,635 |
|
2017 |
€37,949,042 |
|
2018 |
€49,120,453 |
|
2019 |
€32,680,380 |
|
2020 |
€26,127,689 |
NPPR charges, including late payment fees and the charge on a property, expire for all property owners after 12 years from the date of liability. This means that for NPPR liabilities incurred from 2009 to 2013 and remaining unpaid, the portion of the liability and charge on a property which relates to 2009 will expire in 2021 and so on until the liability and charge on a property relating to the final year of NPPR in 2013, expires after 31 March 2025. This expiry corresponds with the repeal of the whole Act, also on 31 March 2025.
The NPPR charge is expiring on a phased basis as intended under the 2009 Act. There is no intention to extend the 12 year liability period provided for in the 2009 Act, or to renew the NPPR charge which was discontinued in 2013.
303. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress of a proposed development of 42 public housing units at a location (details supplied) being developed by a cooperative and funded by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33020/21]
View answerApproved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are making an important contribution to social housing delivery, as envisaged under current Government policy. My Department operates a number of funding programmes that assist local authorities to work in partnership with AHBs to construct, purchase and lease new homes and make them available for social housing. One such programme, that AHBs progress construction projects through, is the Capital Advance Loan Facility (CALF).
CALF funding is capital support provided to AHBs by local authorities to facilitate the funding of construction, acquisition or refurbishment of new social housing units. This loan facility can support up to 30% of the eligible capital cost of the housing project, with the housing units provided to local authorities for social housing use under long-term lease arrangements known as Payment and Availability Agreements. A nominal interest rate of 2% fixed per annum is charged by the local authority on the initial capital amount. Repayments on either the capital or interest are not required during the term of the loan (between 10 and 30 years), although where an AHB chooses to, repayments can be made during the term. At the end of the term, the outstanding capital amount plus the interest accrued, is owed and repayable to the local authority. The local authority issues the CALF monies to the AHB and the local authority, in turn, recoups same from my Department.
My Department has provided funding through the CALF Scheme for 34 high-quality homes for social housing use at the location referred to. The project is being progressed by the AHB, Cooperative Housing Ireland, working in partnership with Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council. I can confirm that my Department issued a CALF approval for this construction project in January 2019. The latest update on the project from Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council is that the homes have an indicative site start date of Q2 2021 and an estimated completion date of Q3 2022. As with all construction projects in the current COVID 19 climate, delivery programmes and timelines are under constant review.
My Department publishes a quarterly Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report, which sets out the continuing progress being made in advancing the national local authority and AHB new-build pipeline. The latest report, setting out the position at end Q1 2021, can be accessed at the following weblink: https://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-obrien-publishes-social-housing-construction-status-report-for-q1-2021/
304. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the terms and conditions of the tenant purchase scheme to include income from the rural social scheme when purchasing a rural local authority house; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33054/21]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year.
The minimum reckonable income for eligibility under the scheme is determined by the relevant local authority in accordance with the detailed provisions of the Ministerial Direction issued under Sections 24(3) and (4) of the 2014 Act. In the determination of the minimum reckonable income, local authorities can include income from a number of different sources and classes, such as from employment, private pensions, maintenance payments and certain social welfare payments, including pensions, where the social welfare payment is secondary to employment income. A housing authority shall disregard income that is once-off, temporary or short-term in nature and that is outside the regular pattern of a person’s annual income, including the Rural Social Scheme.
In determining reckonable income, the income of all tenants of the house, including adult children that are joint tenants, is included, as is the income of the spouse, civil partner or other partner / co-habitant of a tenant who lives in the house with them, thus ensuring the appropriate level of discount is applied to the purchase price.
The minimum income criterion was introduced in order to ensuring the sustainability of the scheme. Applicants must demonstrate that they have an income that is long-term and sustainable in nature. This ensures that the tenant purchasing the house is in a financial position, as the owner, to maintain and insure the property for the duration of the charged period, in compliance with the conditions of the order transferring the ownership of, and responsibility for, the house from the local authority to the tenant.
A review of the first 12 months of the Scheme’s operation has been undertaken. In addition, the Programme for Government commits to maintaining the right of social housing tenants to purchase their own home with some changes to eligibility. The review and the commitments in the Programme for Government are being examined as part of the work on the broader social housing reform agenda. I expect to be in a position to publish the review and finalise changes to the Scheme once the work on these reform measures is complete.
305. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 317 of 1 June 2021, the meaning of developer provided wastewater infrastructure in this context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33080/21]
View answer306. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 317 of 1 June 2021, the reason the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Water Services Acts allow for the taking in charge of developer provided wastewater treatment infrastructure but the memorandum of understanding between Irish Water and local authorities does not allow the taking in charge of such infrastructure; if the memorandum of understanding will be revised in line with the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Water Services Acts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33086/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 305 and 306 together.
Developer provided water services infrastructure, or DPI, refers to stand alone water services Infrastructure, such as wells, water treatment plants and wastewater treatment plants and associated pumping stations, that have been provided by developers as part of housing developments and that are not connected to the public water and waste water networks for which Irish Water is responsible.
Circular Letter PL 5/2014 updated the arrangements in place to address matters related to the taking-in-charge of residential developments following the establishment of Irish Water. The Memorandum of Understanding between Irish Water and local authorities, as referenced in the question, is intended only to address the arrangements necessary for taking in charge of estates which are connected to the public water and waste water services networks run by Irish Water. It does not address housing developments which rely on DPI which must necessarily be considered separately on a case by case basis.
In this regard a multi-annual Waste Services DPI Resolution Programme was introduced in 2019 to facilitate the progressive resolution in a sustainable manner of the DPI element of water services in relevant estates with a view to supporting the taking-in-charge of the estates upon resolution.
Allocations for the first funding cycle covering the years 2019-2021 inclusive were announced in September 2020. This first funding cycle focussed on estates in towns and villages where the resolution is to connect their water services to the public networks. The programme will also support a number of pilot projects where connection is not feasible in the immediate future. These pilot projects, together with a major study currently being undertaken by Irish Water, will inform future policy considerations on resolving sub-standard DPI with sustainable solutions.
All local authorities that submitted bids were informed about the outcome of their bids in a circular which included a copy of an independent Expert Panel report on the bids process. The report provides the commentary of the Panel on their evaluation in the case of unsuccessful bids and guidance for the local authority in making future bids in upcoming programmes. The circular is available on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/water/water-services/circular-ldpi01-2020-approval-projects-residential-estates-under-developer
307. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the percentage of funding available for the rebuilding or restoration of a house effected by MICA or pyrite under the defective concrete blocks grant scheme; the percentage given for counties Limerick, Donegal and Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33113/21]
View answerThe Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo, to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. The regulations for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme came in to operation on 31 January 2020 and opened for applications at the end of June 2020.
The scheme outlines five remedial options ranging from demolition and rebuilding on existing foundations to replacing of external walls only. The maximum approved costs per dwelling under the scheme are significant and range from €55,000 to €275,000 depending on the remedial option. A grant of 90% of the approved costs associated with the necessary remediation works, subject to a maximum for each remedial option, or 90% of the actual cost of the remedial works, whichever is the lesser, is available under the scheme.
The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme currently applies to Donegal and Mayo only. Any consideration of an extension to scheme to other counties would, in the first instance, require the relevant local authority to carry out a rigorous analysis of the issues locally. Such analysis would need to demonstrate that identified issues are due to the presence of excessive amounts of deleterious materials (mica or pyrite) in the aggregate used to manufacture the concrete blocks. The relevant "I.S.465" protocol would need to be followed in this regard. The extent of the problem would also need to be quantified.
I am establishing a time bound working group with representatives from my Department, the relevant local authorities and homeowner representative groups, to review and address any outstanding issues in relation to the operation of the scheme, including issues such as grant caps, homeowner contributions, engineering, allowable costs recoupment etc. The recommendations of this working group will inform any potential changes or improvements to the scheme as may be required which I will bring forward to Government following collaboration with Ministerial colleagues and in particular the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Attorney General.
308. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the percentage of funding that was given for houses under the pyrite remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33114/21]
View answer309. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the percentage of funding that was given for houses under the pyrite remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33116/21]
View answer310. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the percentage of funding that was given for the rebuilding of a property under the pyrite remediation scheme; the percentage of funding that was provided to applicants for alternative accommodation while their property was being rebuilt; the percentage of funding that was provided for the storage costs of house contents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33117/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 308, 309 and 310 together.
The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency.
The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive pyrite in the subfloor hardcore material and not to damage arising in any other circumstance, e.g. such as pyrite in concrete blocks.
The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” for affected homeowners who have no other practical option to obtain redress and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website, www.pyriteboard.ie.
The scheme is applicable to dwellings, which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave established, in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2017 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol. In this regard, it is a condition of eligibility under the scheme that an application to the Board must be accompanied by a Building Condition Assessment with a Damage Condition Rating of 2. Dwellings which do not have a Damage Condition Rating of 2 are not eligible to apply under the scheme. This ensures that, having regard to the available resources, the focus of the scheme is on dwellings which are most severely damaged by pyritic heave. There are no proposals to provide for further financial assistance outside of the scheme.
Once a dwelling is included in the Scheme, the cost of testing, damage verification, professional services and remediation works are borne by the Scheme. A scheme participant may recoup the vouched cost of the Building Condition Assessment, subject to a maximum limit of €500 (including VAT). This may be recouped from the Housing Agency once the dwelling is approved for inclusion in the Scheme.
The vouched cost of the alternative accommodation, required for the dwelling occupants during the remediation works, can be recouped by the scheme participant. Recoupment of the vouched cost is subject to a monthly maximum limit of €1,500 (including VAT) and an overall limit of €4,500 (including VAT) per dwelling.
The vouched costs in relation to the removal, storage and return of the furniture in the dwelling, equipment and effects can be recouped by the scheme participant, subject to a maximum limit of €2,500 (including VAT) per dwelling.
Where the scheme participant satisfies the Housing Agency in advance that suitable rental accommodation cannot be obtained for €4,500 or less, the alternative accommodation and the removal and storage expenses may be combined, but are subject to an overall limit of €7,000 (including VAT).
The lastest figures indicate, in excess of 2,100 dwellings have been remediated. The average all in cost of remediation of dwellings under the Scheme ranges from €65,000 to €70,000 per dwelling.
