Written Answers Nos. 141-160
141. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on discussions or plans that have taken place since meetings (details supplied) in relation to the key strategic Urban Regeneration and Development Fund Port Access Northern Cross Route project for Drogheda; and his views on the matter. [11799/22]
View answerThe Port Access Northern Cross Route (PANCR) proposal was unsuccessful under both Call 1 and Call 2 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF).
My officials have explained to officials of Louth County Council that the main focus of Call 2 of the URDF was on supporting integrated development proposals that targeted regeneration and redevelopment within the existing footprint of the urban area in question. My officials further explained that while there was no issue with the quality of the application submitted by Louth County Council unfortunately the PANCR proposal simply does not align sufficiently with the core objectives of the URDF and so was not approved for URDF support. Any plans for the future advancement of the PANCR proposal would be a matter for Louth County Council.
However, acknowledging the strategic regional importance of Drogheda, my officials are available to assist and support Louth County Council in its consideration and development of alternative integrated development proposals for the Town, which might attract URDF support in the future.
142. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress on the review of retained fire services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12075/22]
View answerThe provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing the legislative framework, running a central training programme and issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects. Fire services issues are managed in my Department by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM).
Fire services are provided in Ireland by local authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. Under this legislation, there are 31 fire authorities which provide fire prevention and fire protection services for communities through 27 service delivery structures. Local authority fire services are delivered by approximately 3,300 local authority staff engaged at 217 fire stations nationwide. 16 of these stations being staffed by full-time firefighters, a further 4 are mixed full-time and retained, and 197 are staffed by retained firefighters, with approximately 2,065 retained firefighters around the country. It is important to note that the numbers of fire service front-line staff have been maintained at a constant high level throughout the economic challenges of the past number of years, even when staffing numbers, by necessity, were reduced in other areas of the local authority sector.
In 2013, my Department published 'Keeping Communities Safe (KCS) - A Framework for Fire Safety in Ireland'. The adoption of KCS as national policy saw national norms/ standards being established for fire services in Ireland for the first time, against which local authority fire services could benchmark themselves. The report of the Fire Service Validation Group, ' Fire Services in Ireland, Local Delivery - National Consistency', published in 2016, noted the staffing arrangements in place in fire services across Ireland to achieve these standards and that fire services manage staffing levels in fire stations to achieve the national standards of fire service response.
The provision of fire services by local authorities is based on a risk management approach which involves an analysis of the nature of the fire hazards and the incidence and extent of fires which occur, as well as the fire protection measures in place. There has been a welcome downward trend in the incidence of fire, with the fire fatality rate per million of population, using a three-year average, currently at 4.3 deaths per million of population. While each death is one too many, this figure is a third of what it was twenty years ago when it stood at 12.9 deaths per million of population and positions Ireland among countries with very low fire fatality rates.
In May 2021, the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management mandated a small internal project team to undertake a review of the model of local authority ‘retained’ fire services delivery. This review will have a particular emphasis on the recruitment and retention of staff, with the proviso that due consideration also be given to input from the County and City Management Association (CCMA).
The objective of the review is to explore and understand the issues that are impacting on service delivery, to undertake research and analysis and to propose options which will underpin the continuing provision of effective and inclusive local authority fire services into the future. The Project Team will work with and report to the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management Fire Service Operations Committee in the performance of its functions.
The initial engagement element of the review is the gathering of appropriate data and information, to inform the needs analysis and option appraisals for further development. To that end, the project team undertook a procurement process and engaged the services of an independent consultant to survey the views of the personnel who work in the retained fire services and those that have recently retired from the retained fire services. In preparing the survey, the project team sought the views of retained services trade union representatives through the Fire Services National Oversight and Implementation Group.
That feedback in conjunction with consultation at appropriate stages with all key stakeholders during the review process, including central and local government, fire service management/staff, and the staffing interest groups will form the basis of the final review report. It is the expectation of the project team that the final review report will be submitted to the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management later in 2022. At that time, the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management will make a determination on the publication of the report.
144. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to support the development of sewerage schemes in villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11289/22]
View answer199. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when a new scheme which was proposed for towns and villages with adequate sewerage systems or none at all and in which Irish Water does not operate will be opened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12127/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 199 together.
My Department is currently developing proposals to support the provision of waste water collection and treatment requirements for villages and similar settlements that do not have access to public waste water infrastructure. I propose to make a further announcement on this aspect of the Programme in the coming weeks.
145. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to introduce regulations to provide protection for the basking shark under the provisions of section 23 of the Wildlife Act 1976; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11574/22]
View answerWork is underway to make Regulations under Section 23(2)(a) of the Wildlife Act 1976 to protect the Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus). As the Basking Shark is a species of fish, such Regulations may only be made with the concurrence and signature of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. As such, I wrote to Minister McConalogue on 9 February requesting his views on same.
An animal protected under Section 23 of the Act is conferred the status of a ‘protected wild animal’. It is an offence to:
- Hunt a protected wild animal (unless under permission or licence granted by me under the Act)
- Injure a protected wild animal (unless done while hunting in accordance with a licence or exemption cited above), or
- Willfully interfere with or destroy the breeding or resting places of a protected wild animal.
I hope to be in a position to progress this matter further very soon.
146. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to put measures in place to support the refurbishment of vacant property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11288/22]
View answer196. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has set targets for local authorities in respect of bringing private vacant property back into use. [11835/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 196 together.
Housing for All (published in September 2021) provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. The strategy sets out, over four pathways, a broad suite of measures to achieve its policy objectives together with a financial commitment of in excess of €4 billion per annum.
The suite of measures and relevant targets under the pathway to addressing vacancy and efficient use of existing stock includes:
- A new local authority-led programme to help Local Authorities buy or compulsory purchase 2,500 vacant homes in their areas which can then be sold on the open market will ensure homes don’t lie vacant.
- The Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Initiative will be delivered by local authorities for the provision of some 2,000 serviced sites for homes by 2025, to attract people to build their own homes and to support the refurbishment of vacant properties, enabling people to live in small towns and villages, in a sustainable way.
- A new Town Centre First policy which I launched on 4 February 2022 providing a major new policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.
The Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022 were recently made which extends to 31 December 2025 the exemption given by earlier Regulations that provided for an exemption from the requirement to obtain planning permission in respect of the change of use of certain vacant commercial premises, including vacant areas above ground floor premises, to residential use. The regulations are primarily aimed at facilitating the productive re-use of qualifying vacant commercial buildings as homes, while also facilitating urban renewal and the bringing on stream of increased housing supply. In addition, the scope of the exemption was also extended to include an extra class of use, that of ‘public houses’.
All of the initiatives under Housing for All to address vacancy will not only support housing supply but will have a profoundly positive impact from a social and sustainability perspective; utilising existing space, reimaging and regenerating vacant properties and ultimately providing communities with a greater vibrancy.
147. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to publish the Mulcahy Report examining allegations of planning corruption in County Donegal. [10837/22]
View answer209. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has completed his consideration of the report entitled, A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council; if not, the reason for same; the date for the completion of his considerations; if he plans to publish the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11043/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 209 together.
I am considering the report, entitled 'A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council', by Mr. Rory Mulcahy S.C., and will bring this matter to Government for consideration in due course.
In this regard, the decisions of the Commissioner for Environmental Information (CEI/18/0019) of 13 February 2019 and the Information Commissioner (OIC-59426-Q8D7T8) of 27 February 2020 in relation to requests to publish this report will also be taken into account. Both decisions are publicly available on those bodies' websites.
It should be noted that in each of these cases, both the Commissioner for Environmental Information and the Information Commissioner decided not to grant access to the report. The Office of the Information Commissioner decision stated "placing the details concerned in the public domain would significantly breach the rights to privacy of identifiable individuals." Therefore, this is a matter that requires careful consideration.
148. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount that was granted for housing adaptation grants for older persons and persons with a disability from 2020 to January 2022; the number who availed of the grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12051/22]
View answerMy Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. Details on the number of grants paid and the amount spent for the past two years by all local authorities, are available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/social-and-affordble/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics.
149. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the first local authority affordable purchase homes will be delivered; and the targets for 2022-2025. [12088/22]
View answerThe Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing.
Measures to deliver this housing are supported by over €4 billion in funding annually, representing the highest ever level of Government investment in building social and affordable housing. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
Delivery of affordable housing, in accordance with the schemes set out in the Affordable Housing Act, 2021 and the funding being made available, will be underpinned by local authorities' Housing Delivery Action Plans. Local authorities submitted their Plans to me in December 2021. This allowed each local authority to assess the level of demand with affordability constraint in their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment and plan provision accordingly.
The first local authority affordable purchase homes to be completed will be at Boherboy Road in Cork City later this month where 22 two and three-bed dwellings are expected to be delivered at discounts of up to 20% on market value.
The ‘Housing for All’ national targets for the delivery of Affordable Housing for the years 2022 to 2025 are:
|
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
4 years - total |
|
4,130 |
5,550 |
6,450 |
6,470 |
22,600 |
150. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown of housing needs demand assessment in respect of cost rental accommodation per local authority area over the next five years in tabular form; the breakdown of the projected demand for cost rental accommodation over the next five years per local authority area in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12041/22]
View answerThe Housing Need Demand Assessment (HNDA) tool estimates overall future housing requirement divided into four tenure-based categories on the basis of estimates of housing affordability:
1. Owner-occupier
2. Private renter
3. Affordability Constraint
4. Social renter
The HNDA tool does not separate the affordability constraint category into further sub-categories, e.g. cost-rental.
The Housing for All plan confirms Government plans to deliver 54,000 affordable homes nationally in the period to 2030. This includes 36,000 affordable purchase and 18,000 Cost Rental homes.
A Housing Delivery Action Plan is being prepared by each Local Authority and will underpin delivery to 2026 linked to identified need. Informed by the HNDA data for each area, these plans will detail intended delivery by tenure and provider (ie Local Authority/Land Development Agency/Approved Housing Body). Local authorities submitted the first iteration of their plans in December and my officials have now met with each authority. I expect that the final Delivery Action Plans will be published in Q2.
151. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if responsibility for inspections of homeless services will be transferred to the Health Information and Quality Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11860/22]
View answerMy Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the statutory role of local authorities in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons.
Housing for All recognises reducing and preventing homelessness as a top priority for the Government and commits to working towards eradicating homelessness by 2030. Ultimately the aim is to secure pathways out of emergency accommodation as quickly as possible, while also ensuring that those experiencing homelessness are provided with appropraite and high quality services.
The National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) for homeless services is in place nationally for local authority and NGO delivered services, and is designed to ensure a consistent approach in how local authorities and service providers respond to the needs of those experiencing homelessness and to improve the quality of services provided.
In Dublin the oversight of these standards is a matter for the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE). As a number of facilities are operated privately in the Dublin Region, the DRHE have adapted the NQSF standards in order to apply their provisions to private emergency accommodation and presented these standards to the Dublin Region strategic management group and consultative forum in September 2021. These standards are to be applied to private emergency accommodation, with the owner / operator responsible for the physical standards and the visiting support teams responsible for the support and case management standards. The DRHE appointed a Development Officer in January 2022, to roll out these standards in private emergency accommodation and to co-ordinate training with the HSE for staff working in these settings. The Development Officer will also co-ordinate quarterly key performance indicator (KPI) returns from the beginning of 2022.
Monitoring and inspection of services is an important element of the NQSF Framework. The Framework seeks to ensure levels of quality in the provision of temporary accommodation and related services for homeless persons. The standards give service providers a framework for continuous quality improvement in their services. Local authorities undertake monitoring and review activities to assure that services are operating effectively. It is matter for the local authorities to ensure compliance with the standards, including through the contractual arrangements and service level agreements in place with service providers.
The Standards and Facilities Team in the DRHE oversee all emergency accommodation and seek to ensure that all relevant guidelines, policies and procedures are complied with in order to deliver a safe and comfortable place to stay for service users. The DRHE also has a regime in place to deal with complaints and to ensure accommodation is appropriate and safe. This includes engaging with homeless families and individuals on issues arising in their accommodation. The DRHE have also recently tendered for an inspection service for physical standards in both NGO and privately operated services.
It is important to recognise the multitude of agencies that deliver services to those in emergency accommodation including the HSE, Tusla and NGO service delivery partners. In order to ensure a renewed emphasis is brought to collaborating across Government in delivery of services I have established a National Homeless Action Committee. As this Committee brings together key Government Departments, agencies and stakeholders involved in providing, overseeing and monitoring services delivered to those experiencing homelessness I intend to bring this matter for discussion at the next meeting of the Committee in April. This Committee is best placed to consider the most appropriate way forward in ensuring quality services are delivered to all those in emergency accommodation.
152. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a review of the management and criteria of the housing adaptation grants will be undertaken with a view to ensuring a greater uptake in the programme from those in the construction industry to carry out the works in view of reducing applications for grants for older persons and persons with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12052/22]
View answerMy Department provides funding to local authorities under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. Housing for All commits to undertaking a review of the range of housing grants available to assist with meeting specific housing needs both for our ageing population and people with a disability. This review is being undertaken this year.
Grant applicants should engage with their respective local authority for any assistance that can be provided by the local authority regarding sourcing building contractors.
153. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to address the issues arising from social housing eligibility criteria being assessed on the previous year’s income threshold. [11274/22]
View answerSocial housing is a long-term support intended to support households that have continuing, long-term difficulty meeting their own accommodation needs. This is reflected in the underpinning legislation and the Household Means Policy which provides for applicants’ eligibility to be assessed on their net average income over the previous 12 months from the date of their application.
This is a fairer measurement of long-term need than heretofore. It allows for a more comprehensive picture of a household’s current and previous income at the time of assessment and ensures supports are prioritised for those who need them most.
My Department will continue to monitor implementation of the policy and consider any issues arising.
154. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to support persons who find themselves needing to buy a home but who have lost their first-time buyer status. [11985/22]
View answerThe Affordable Housing Act 2021, the first ever standalone affordable housing legislation, established a basis for four new affordable housing measures. These measures will deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system and prioritise the increased supply of affordable homes through (1) delivering affordable homes on local authority lands, (2) the introduction of a new form of tenure in Cost Rental, (3) a First Home shared equity scheme and (4) expanding Part V planning requirements to increase the 10% contribution requirement to 20% and to apply it to cost rental as well as social and affordable housing.
The Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme will support eligible purchasers of Local Authority-delivered new homes by bridging the gap between the market value of the home and the combined value of the buyer's mortgage and deposit. Regulations setting out the detailed eligibility criteria for the scheme are at an advanced stage and will be issued in the coming weeks.
The First Home shared equity scheme, under Part 4 of the Affordable Housing Act, will support eligible buyers purchasing newly constructed homes on the private market. This scheme will be available at a national level and will incorporate regional price caps reflecting median house price sales. Confirmation of the final details of this scheme is ongoing in conjunction with the relevant stakeholders and it is anticipated that the First Home scheme will be available for applications in the second half of this year. This initiative is being designed to ensure support is provided to those that, because of the current income levels, cannot secure a sufficient mortgage to meet the cost of a modest newly constructed home in their preferred location.
To further support affordability constrained households to purchase a home, the Local Authority Home Loan scheme commenced on 4 January 2022. The Local Authority Home Loan Scheme incorporates a lower interest rate, higher income eligibility thresholds for single applicants in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow (increasing from €50,000 to €65,000), and more flexibility on house size. The loan can be used for new and second-hand properties, or for self-builds with a maximum value of 90% of market value of a residential property. The maximum market values are €320,000 in the counties Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow, and €250,000 in the rest of the country.
While most affordable purchase measures are primarily targeted at first-time buyers, the Housing for All strategy explicitly provides for the Fresh Start principle. The Fresh Start principle extends the supports available under both affordable purchase schemes and the Local Authority Home Loan scheme to applicants who are divorced, legally separated, or where the relationship has ended and where they retain no beneficial interest in a home. The Fresh Start principle will also apply to those who have previously purchased a residential property but have been divested of this through personal insolvency or bankruptcy arrangement, proceedings or other legal process.
155. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps that he is taking to assist local authorities taking over housing estates and developments from private developers when these estates and developments need additional infrastructure investment for issues such as lighting, roads and wastewater infrastructure. [11736/22]
View answerThe Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) and the Water Services Acts 2007 to 2018 set out the statutory provisions relating to the taking in charge of housing estates by planning authorities and Irish Water where it is appropriate to do so.
Section 180 of the Act sets out the process to be followed in relation to the taking in charge of housing estates where a development is considered to have been satisfactorily completed, as well as where it has not been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority. It is a matter for the relevant planning authority to agree to take in charge any individual housing estate.
The obligation to take in charge wastewater infrastructure for developments which are completed satisfactorily remains with planning authorities, unless such infrastructure has already been vested in Irish Water through a Connection Agreement pursuant to the Water Services Acts.
When taking an estate in charge under section 180 of the Act, the planning authority shall take in charge “any sewers, water mains or service connections within the attendant grounds of the development” which must then be transferred to Irish Water by Ministerial Order pursuant to section 12 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013.
In taking in charge relevant infrastructure, consideration is given to compliance with the relevant standards that the infrastructure is required to be constructed to. This is in order for the local authority to have a clear understanding of the future cost implications of the maintenance of the infrastructure concerned, which becomes the ongoing responsibility of the local authority once the estate has been taken in charge.
Ultimately, progression of individual developments through the taking-in-charge process is a matter for the relevant housing developer, the residents in such developments and the relevant local authorities, following the procedures set out in section 180 of the Act.
Financial decision making and the accountability of local authorities is a matter for the elected members of a local authority who have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes adopting the annual budget. Section 103 of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended, provides for the local authority budgetary process. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process, having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. This includes the taking in charge of housing estates. There is no funding stream within my Department to assist local authorities in the taking in charge of housing estates.
Under Section 30 of the Act, I, in my role as Minister with responsibility for planning, am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned.
156. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the progress that has been made in tackling ongoing delays in planning applications for critical infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12054/22]
View answer179. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the progress to tackle excessive delays in planning applications for critical infrastructure [12142/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 179 together.
Under Section 37J of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), An Bord Pleanala has an objective to make decisions on planning applications for strategic infrastructure development within a period of 18 weeks, beginning on the last day for making submissions or observations.
Where the Board does not consider it possible or appropriate to reach a decision within that timeframe (e.g. because of the particular complexities of a case or the requirement to hold an oral hearing), it will inform the parties of the reasons for this, and will indicate when it intends to make its decision. The Board shall take all such steps as are open to it to ensure that the appeal is determined before the date specified in the notice.
My Department and the Board have a performance delivery agreement which is reviewed annually with a view to ensuring that Board decisions are delivered in a timely manner, including that a specified percentage of decisions are made within the “statutory objective period” timelines set in the Planning and Development Act. My Department will continue to monitor the Board's performance in this regard and engage proactively as required.
157. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way that the cost of housing can be brought down given the inflationary nature of the business and the likelihood of further inflation in the housing sector; if there are specific steps that need to be taken to address house price inflation or rent inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11491/22]
View answerHousing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing over the next decade. Greater supply will be key to meeting demand, helping moderate property price increases, and addressing affordability pressures facing renters, homeowners and potential buyers in the coming years.
Housing for All includes unprecedented direct investment in social and affordable housing, reforms to ensure availability of land, removal of obstacles to and supporting viability of development, and ensuring there is sufficient investment and capacity to support construction. The plan also commits to reducing the cost of construction.
Recent analysis by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland indicates that construction build costs account for c.47% of total apartment development costs. These have risen considerably over recent years through a combination of the increased cost of regulatory compliance and general increases in labour and materials costs. As a result, new-builds, especially apartments, are beyond the reach of many first-time buyers. Improved productivity in construction will help address this imbalance.
Housing For All commits the State to a more central role in leading and funding structures to ensure levels of productivity and innovation materialise. The most recent Progress Report for Housing for All (Q4 2021) provides an update on the significant progress being made on delivering this integrated set of policies, as well as on the considerable level of collaboration across Government, the actions being taken to increase capacity and efficiency of delivery of both public and private sectors, and the continued collaborative engagement with the construction sector and other important stakeholders, who are pivotal to its success.
The Progress Report is available at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/84e61-housing-for-all-q4-2021-progress-report/.
158. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the options for development of the proposed Narrow Water bridge between counties Louth and Down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12141/22]
View answerThe Narrow Water Bridge is a cross-border project led by Louth County Council and supported by the Shared Island Fund, which as the Deputy will know is designed to fund strategic north-south projects that implement the commitments and objectives on Shared Island set out in the Programme for Government. The bridge will connect Cornamucklagh near Omeath, Co Louth with Narrow Water near Warrenpoint, Co Down.
Following a Government decision in June 2021, An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin announced the approval of an initial €3m in funding from the Shared Island Fund to take the project forward to tender stage. Work is underway in this regard, led by Louth County Council and overseen by my Department in this jurisdiction, and the Department of Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. The Government is committed in its support for this important project, with funding for future years to be determined once firm costings are available and the tender development process has been completed.
159. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will publish updated guidance to facilitate a transition period for the changes to the tenant purchase scheme pursuant to SI. No.776 of 2021 Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2021; if his Department will facilitate flexibility in respect of tenants who had commenced the application process to purchase their homes prior to 1 February 2022 but who have not been in receipt of housing support for the new period of ten years and are now no longer eligible for the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12040/22]
View answerThe Tenant Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme. Applicants must meet certain criteria, including minimum reckonable income and minimum time in receipt of social housing supports, to be eligible.
The Government has recently reduced the minimum reckonable income required under the scheme from €15,000 to €12,500. Similarly, the length of time an applicant must be in receipt of social housing supports to qualify under the scheme has also been revised. This has been increased from one to ten years. These changes came into effect on 1 February 2022.
Applications received by local authorities prior to 1 February 2022 should be assessed with reference to the regulations and requirements in place at the time, with applications received after 1 February 2022 assessed in accordance with the new requirements.
Local authorities have been formally advised of the key changes and revised guidance will issue shortly.
