Written Answers Nos. 102-117
102. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the review by the County and City Management Association of local authority capacity and resources before the Planning and Development (Amendment) (LSRD) Bill 2021 is enacted to ensure local authorities are adequately resourced and appropriately staffed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54959/21]
View answerI am anxious to ensure that planning authorities are appropriately resourced to meet the demands of Housing for All, the National Development Plan and the Planning and Development (Amendment) (LSRD) Bill 2021. I recognise that there are changing work demands being placed on authorities from the strong terrestrial and marine planning legislation, and the monitoring required from development plans. For that reason, Housing for All, refers to the need in Action 24.1 to ensure that there is sufficient resourcing to meet the scale of ambition in the plan. In particular, reference is made to the need for planning resources to deliver an average of 33,000 units per annum, as well as the skills and resources necessary to deliver on urban regeneration and town centre first, which relate to both Planning and Economic Departments of local authorities.
This requirement was highlighted at a recent meeting with Chief Executives of local authorities, and I am committed to ensuring that the resourcing is made available through the workforce planning process. The issue goes beyond funding of posts, but also needs to deal with building new skills and increasing digitalisation of the planning service. We have received a submissions on this wider skills and resourcing issue of planning authorities from the Irish Planning Institute, and we will be giving this matter consideration in conjunction with work to be carried out by the County and City Management Association. I do not as yet have a timeframe for the conclusion of this work.
103. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if Ireland plans to use InvestEU funds to support investment in social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55002/21]
View answerMy Department has no specific plans in place to use InvestEU funds at this time to support investment in social housing.
The recently published National Development Plan 2021-2030 provides a Capital Investment framework for all investment under the responsibility of my Department. Between 2021 and 2025 some €17.5bn will be provided, and an average of €2.4Bn per annum of this will be for social and affordable housing. This will be complemented by LDA investment and Housing Finance Agency funding, bringing the total capital available for social and affordable housing to some €4Bn per annum on average.
104. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when it is anticipated that the figures under the affordable housing scheme for each county will be finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55024/21]
View answerThe Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system. Over €4 billion in funding is provided annually, representing the highest ever level of Government investment in building social and affordable housing.
A multi-faceted approach is being implemented to deliver 54,000 affordable homes interventions between now and 2030. This will be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency (LDA), as well as through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
Local authorities will be submitting their Housing Delivery Action Plans to me, to include social and affordable housing, before the end of December 2021. This will allow each Local Authority to determine any affordability constraint in their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment and plan the provision of affordable homes accordingly.
Delivery of affordable housing, in accordance with the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme established in Part 2 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021, will be underpinned by the preparation by each local authorities Housing Delivery Action Plan.
Part 4 of the Affordable Housing Act provides for the ‘First Home’ scheme to primarily support affordability-constrained first-time buyers to purchase privately developed new homes. This scheme will commence in 2022 and will be available at a national level.
Part 3 of the Affordable Housing Act provides for the establishment of a Cost Rental sector in Ireland, through the designation by the Minister of Cost Rental dwellings. Budget 2021 allocated €35 million to the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) scheme which enabled the first Cost Rental homes to be delivered this year by the Clúid AHB at Taylor Hill, Balbriggan. The tenanting processes for further Cost Rental homes at Enniskerry Road in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Barnhall, Leixlip, County Kildare, are currently underway. In total, 390 Cost Rental units will be delivered through this funding, with the initial focus being in the Greater Dublin Area and Cork. A further €75 million was allocated in Budget 2022 to help meet the Housing for All target of 750 Cost Rental homes in 2022.
The LDA will deliver both homes for affordable purchase and Cost Rental. The Housing for All strategy allocated €1 billion to the Land Development Agency through Project Tosaigh to unlock stalled developments and accelerate the delivery of affordable homes.
In addition the Help to Buy Scheme and the Local Authority Home loan scheme remain available nationally and make housing more affordable to purchasers.
105. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the funding to help increase the diversity of candidates running in local elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55025/21]
View answerMy Department has undertaken a range of funding initiatives through our key partners, local authorities and political parties with the objective of promoting a local government that is more reflective of the diverse communities that it represents.
In 2018, the Department engaged with the Immigrant Council of Ireland, where the Council outlined the very low level of migrant representation in local government. In order to begin to address this ongoing imbalance in the representation of migrants, in August 2019, funding of €7,950 was approved for the Council’s “Migrant Electoral Empowerment Project”, with a subsequent €24,090 issued in December 2020.
My Department's September 2021 call for funding to political parties directed applicants to submit proposals aimed at addressing the need for greater diversity as well as gender balance in local government. The call for funding also directed political parties to consult the Immigrant Council of Ireland’s research ‘The Experience of Migrant Candidates in the 2019 Local Election’ in making their applications. Proposals funded that specifically target minority groups include the recruitment of Diversity Officers, Diversity and Inclusion Officers, and running a party recruitment campaign targeting new members from migrant backgrounds, the travelling community and people with disabilities.
Similarly, for the past three years, my Department has issued an annual call for funding to all local authorities for projects that will help increase diversity in local government structures. Some of the projects funded this year that were aimed at minority groups include: “Workshops addressing a lack of knowledge and understanding about the political system amongst minority women to increase engagement in local politics” by South Dublin County Council and “An awareness campaign engaging with local women’s groups and groups representing people of diversity, highlighting the work of the council and the work of women councillors in particular” by Kerry County Council.
In addition, my Department provides funding to the organisation See Her Elected (SHE), which encourages women from different socio-economic, ethnic and religious backgrounds in the rural midlands and northwest to run for local election, and to Women for Election (WfE), which is a non-partisan organisation working towards increasing diversity and gender balance in Irish politics.
106. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when it is planned to increase the income eligibility limits for social housing in counties Cavan and Monaghan given existing limits are much too low at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54946/21]
View answer110. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase the income threshold for entry on to the local authority housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55085/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 110 together.
Applications 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.
The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The 2011 Regulations do not provide local authorities with any discretion to exceed the limits that apply to their administrative areas.
Under the Household Means Policy, which applies in all local authorities, net income for social housing assessment is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI, Universal Social Charge and Additional Superannuation Contribution. The Policy provides for a range of income disregards, and local authorities also have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once-off in nature.
The income bands are expressed in terms of a maximum net income threshold for a single-person household, with an allowance of 5% for each additional adult household member, subject to a maximum allowance under this category of 10% and separately a 2.5% allowance for each child.
The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country. It is important to note that the limits introduced in 2011 also reflected a blanket increase of €5,000 introduced prior to the new system coming into operation, in order to broaden the base from which social housing tenants are drawn, both promoting sustainable communities and also providing a degree of future-proofing.
Given the cost to the State of providing social housing, it is considered prudent and fair to direct resources to those most in need of social housing support. The current income eligibility requirements generally achieve this, providing for a fair and equitable system of identifying those households facing the greatest challenge in meeting their accommodation needs from their own resources.
As part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports in each local authority area is underway. As set out in Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland, the efficiency of the banding model and its application to local authorities will be considered. Equivalisation as between singles and families will also be considered. The review will also have regard to new initiatives being brought forward in terms of affordability and Cost Rental housing. I intend that the review will be completed this year.
107. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of new housing units that have been built in Santry, Dublin 9 in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55066/21]
View answerMy Department does not hold the details requested by the Deputy. The Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical office, compiles and makes available detailed data on a number of housing related issues including housing completions. Data on new dwelling completions for can be found on the CSO website at the following link: www.cso.ie/en/statistics/construction/newdwellingcompletions/
At the local authority level, my Department publishes details on social housing delivery for each local authority, across a range of delivery mechanisms, which are included in social housing statistics published by my Department. This data is available to the end of Quarter 2 2021 and is available on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
A detailed Social Housing Construction Status Report is also published each quarter which provides scheme level detail on new build activity. The most recent publication covers the period up to the end of Quarter 2 2021 and is available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/d7709-social-housing-construction-projects-status-report-q2-2021/. This data includes information for each local authority and includes a list of the individual projects that make up the new build programme for that local authority. A version of this file can be downloaded at the link below and used for analysis, including analyis of the location of projects.
data.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q2-2021?package_type=dataset
108. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the report into the tenant purchase scheme will be published; if the issues relating to income from social welfare and the purchase of properties by persons over 70 years of age will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55083/21]
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.
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, Housing for All, A New Housing Plan for Ireland, commits to maintain the right of social housing tenants to purchase their own home with some changes to eligibility. The review and the commitments in Housing for All are being examined as part of the work on the broader social housing reform agenda. I expect to be in a position to finalise changes to the Scheme once the work on these reform measures is complete.
109. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will establish a State register of development land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55084/21]
View answerIn support of the Zoned Land Tax and other measures included in "Housing for All - A New Housing Plan for Ireland", a register of lands zoned for housing development will be created in conjunction with the local authorities, based on the city and county development plan system. This will be compiled on a national basis to provide an accurate and current picture of the stock of zoned housing lands nationwide together with information on the servicing status of such lands to enable them to be developed.
The Land Development Agency is also currently compiling a Register of Relevant Public Lands for population centres over 10,000.
111. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of Kildare County Council’s return under the Derelict Sites Register pursuant to Circular Letter PL 09/2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55086/21]
View answerThe information requested is set out in the following table.
|
- |
DERELICT SITES ACT RETURN - 2020 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Local Authority: |
Kildare County Council |
|
|
Contact Name: |
Redacted |
|
|
Contact details |
Redacted |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notices |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q.1 |
No. of sites in respect of which a notice / demand under the Act issued |
12 |
|
|
|
|
|
Derelict Sites Register |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q.2 |
No. of Derelict Sites on Register at 1 January 2020 |
14 |
|
Q.3 |
No. of Derelict Sites entered onto Register during the year |
2 |
|
Q.4 |
No. of Derelict Sites removed from Register during the year |
0 |
|
Q.5 |
No. of Derelict Sites on Register at 31 December 2020 |
16 |
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q.6 |
No. of Derelict Sites acquired by agreement |
0 |
|
Q.7 |
No. of Derelict Sites acquired compulsorily |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Levy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q.8 |
No. of Derelict Sites levied during the year |
11 |
|
Q.9 |
Amount levied during the year |
€93,450.00 |
|
Q.10 |
Amount received in respect of sites levied during 2020 |
€0.00 |
|
Q.11 |
Cumulative amount of levies outstanding at 31 December 2020 |
€207,463.00 |
My Department continues to liaise with local authorities on the implementation of the Derelict Sites Act with a view to improving its effectiveness, and continues to keep the relevant provisions under review.
112. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Travellers represented 52% of homeless persons in County Clare in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55132/21]
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/ and via the Government’s Open Data Portal, at data.gov.ie/
The most recently published data is in respect of September 2021 and shows that there were 61 adults in emergency accommodation in Clare during the September count week, a reduction of 9% on the position one year previously. County Clare is part of the Mid West region for the purposes of homeless reporting, along with Limerick City and County Council. The combined Mid West region reported 32 families, with 52 dependants associated with these families, in emergency accommodation in September 2021.
My Department does not collate specific data relating to ethnicity for the purposes of provision of emergency accommodation for homeless households. However, I am aware that Travellers are notably represented amongst the homeless population and my Department is working closely with local authorities to address the needs of all those experiencing homelessness, including Traveller households.
Supporting all individuals and families experiencing homelessness is a key Government priority. 'Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland’, the Government’s strategic housing plan to 2030, sets an ambitious objective of working to eradicate homelessness by 2030 and outlines details on how the Government is approaching this challenge.
Through Housing for All, the Government is committed to taking action to prevent entries into homelessness in the first instance and to help those experiencing homelessness to exit into secure and sustained tenancies. It also provides for enhanced tenancy sustainment supports to help those who are long-term homeless exit homelessness and maintain their home. Housing for All recognises the importance of addressing Traveller accommodation needs as a priority and commits to working with local authorities to improve the quantity and quality of Traveller-specific accommodation.
113. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a matter regarding the deer population in Ireland (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55138/21]
View answerThere are three species of deer recorded as occurring in Ireland; these are red deer, fallow deer and sika deer. A fourth species, muntjac deer, has been reported from the wild on a number of occasions, but my Department does not have evidence that this invasive species of deer has established itself in the wild in Ireland.
No national census of deer populations has been carried out to date. However, my Department carries out localised annual deer counts on State lands such as National Parks and the indications are that all three deer species are increasing in range and numbers.
Although not a direct measure of deer population size, the licence returns from deer hunters also provide some indication of wild deer numbers. The number of deer reported shot during the hunting season rose steadily from c10,000 in 2000 to over 30,000 in 2010 and this figure has increased again in recent seasons, reaching 40,000 for the first time in the 2017/2018 season. This figure reached more than 44,000 in 2019 according to the latest available Section 29 returns.
114. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a matter regarding the culling of deer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55139/21]
View answer115. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the management of the deer population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55151/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 115 together.
While the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department does licence hunting of deer, and does actively manage deer on their property, NPWS does not own the deer population. Deer populations by their nature are mobile and have a home range that is not constrained by landownership boundaries. These home ranges are normally defined by physical landscape features such as mountains, lakes, rivers, built up areas and availability of suitable habitat within that home range.
Wild deer in the State are protected under the Wildlife Acts, national culls are not carried out and the only culling done is within the State National Parks.
However, deer on any lands can be controlled by the landowner once that control is in accordance with current legislation, in this case, the Wildlife Act. During the annual open season, deer can legally be shot under licence. The season operates generally from 1 September to the last day of February, depending on the species and gender of deer. My Department has received over 5,800 applications so far this season for deer hunting licences under Section 29 of the Wildlife Act.
In terms of on private property, landowners may apply to my Department for permission under section 42 of the Wildlife Acts to cull deer where this is deemed necessary outside the annual open seasons. These permissions offer a facility whereby a person can obtain a permit, on a case by case basis, to prevent serious damage caused by individual deer on specific lands. Applications are investigated by local staff to determine if serious damage is being caused and if so, the most practical method of stopping or controlling the problem. Permissions are only issued where there is evidence of such damage.
My colleague Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and I have been in communication in recent weeks in relation to the re-establishment of a version of the Irish Deer Management Forum, where it is planned that many topics in relation to deer management will be discussed. Our Officials are currently working together to establish the structures of such a forum and further details will be made available in due course.
The following statistics are the number of deer shot under licence under Section 29 and Section 42 of the Wildlife Act for each of the previous five years. The returns are made by licence holders on an annual basis.
Deer shot under licence under Section 29 and Section 42 of the Wildlife Act
|
Year |
Section 29 – Deer Hunting Licence |
Section 42 – Serious Damage Licence |
|
2016 |
32,901 |
2,435 |
|
2017 |
37,241 |
3,046 |
|
2018 |
41,184 |
5,416 |
|
2019 |
44,381 |
7,218 |
|
2020* |
35,134 |
4,648 |
*2020 figure is an ongoing figure as returns continue to be collected by the NPWS.
116. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the establishment of a wildlife crime unit. [55183/21]
View answerWhile the National Parks and Wildlife service (NPWS) of my Department has and continues to work to address wildlife crime, additional resources and personnel are being made available across the NPWS to support this work. Additional rangers, who are at the forefront of this work, are now operating in locations across the country. A dedicated unit is also established – the Wildlife Crime Unit - to further coordinate and support these efforts. The Unit’s role is to support the law enforcement work being done by the rangers and other colleagues throughout the country.
This will be done through delivery of training and disseminating best-practice guidance, and the provision of direct support to regional investigators. The Unit is and will continue to work closely with both An Garda Síochána and the Revenue Commissioners, who work to defend against international wildlife trafficking offences.
The nucleus of the new Wildlife Crime Unit has been put in place and work on securing additional staff is ongoing.
117. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking in response to the EPA Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2020 report finding that treatment at 12 large towns and cities failed to comply with EU standards set to protect the environment. [55184/21]
View answer118. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking in response to the EPA’s Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2020 report finding that treatment 34 towns and villages release untreated sewage into the environment every day due to the fact that they are not connected to treatment plants. [55185/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 118 together.
I welcome the report on Urban Waste Water from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showing that, while many challenges remain, Irish Water is continuing to make progress and is improving our waste water systems.
Irish Water has reduced the number of priority waste water sites listed by the EPA, and has increased the number of large towns and cities that now meet the required EU standards for waste water discharges. There has been a steady reduction in the number of areas failing to comply with the standards in recent years.
I note that the EPA appreciates that there is a long and complex programme of work ahead to deliver a waste water service that fully meets the required standards.
It will not be possible to fix all infrastructural deficits overnight and this work will require very significant and sustained capital investment. These are complex projects and must be carefully planned, designed and developed to fully meet our future needs.
The Programme for Government commits to funding Irish Water's capital investment plan for drinking water and waste water infrastructure on a multi-annual basis and delivery of the funding package committed to in Project Ireland 2040. The National Development Plan 2021-2030 (published on 4 October 2021) commits to almost €6bn capital investment to be undertaken by Irish Water in the period from 2021-2025 of which over €4.5 billion will be Voted Exchequer funded in respect of domestic water services also referenced under Housing for All. This substantial and sustained investment will build on improvements in recent years to deliver enhanced environment conditions in our rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastal waters.
As part of Budget 2022, I secured funding of over €1.57 billion to support water services. This includes €1.459 billion (Current €629m and Capital €830m) in respect of domestic water services provision by Irish Water. This funding is provided to Irish Water for its operational and capital costs relating to the provision of domestic water services having regard to the Third Revenue Control (RC3) period 2020-2024 set by Irish Water’s economic regulator the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.
The overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and waste water services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including rural Ireland, and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area. It is key to addressing Ireland's shortcomings in water and waste water infrastructure including compliance with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
