Written Answers Nos. 589-610
589. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will outline all of the secondment arrangements within his Department; the conditions related to such secondments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19878/22]
View answer593. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of persons currently employed in her Department who have been seconded in from the public sector; the number of Departmental officials seconded where the monies are recouped from the body the person is seconded to or where the Department pays for the person with no recoupment from the other organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20070/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 589 and 593 together.
I am advised that 2 officers are on secondment from my Department to other Government Departments. There are 12 officers seconded into my Department, this includes 2 officers seconded in from the public sector. The table below sets out all the sets out the details for these secondment arrangements.
Secondments Out
|
Grade |
Receiving Organisation |
Salary arrangement |
|
Clerical Officer |
Dept. Housing, Local Government and Heritage |
Salary is paid by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage |
|
Archivist |
Dept. Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth |
Salary is paid by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth |
Secondments In
|
Grade |
Sending Organisation |
Salary arrangement |
|
AP IGEES (Irish Government Economic Evaluation Service) |
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform |
Salary is paid by Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media |
|
Advisory Council Grade III |
The Office of the Attorney General |
Salary is paid by Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media |
|
Engineer Grade II |
Limerick County Council |
Limerick County Council pays salary which is then recouped from Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media |
|
Historian |
Mayo County Council |
Mayo County Council pays salary which is then recouped from Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media |
|
Principal Officer |
Department of the Taoiseach |
Salary is paid by Department of the Taoiseach |
|
Clerical Officer |
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment |
Salary is paid by Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment |
|
6 Temporary Clerical Officers |
Department of Social Protection |
Salary is paid by Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media |
590. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if a club (details supplied) will be allowed to appeal it’s allocation of sports capital funding on the basis that it should have been assessed as a regional application rather than as a club. [19982/22]
View answerAs per the published 2020 Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) Guide to Making an Application, if an organisation is applying for a regional facility, the applicant must include a letter from its national governing body of sport confirming the regional status of the project. No such letter was included in the application from the club in question. As detailed in the Guide, Regional or National projects (maximum grant of €300,000) include:
- national centres of excellence for one or more sport (e.g. national rowing centre, national stadium for boxing)
- 6-8 lane synthetic running tracks,
- county and/or regional centres of excellence
- Local Authority projects seeking between €150,000 and €300,000
- Sports facilities at 3rd Level Colleges (must be made jointly with a local club or sports group) and
- Applications from NGBs.
In relation to the 2020 SCEP, the club referenced by the Deputy submitted an application for an all-weather pitch, and sought €150k in funds. In line with the approved allocation methodology and based on the score obtained at assessment stage, the club has been awarded a provisional grant allocation of €96,600. It should be noted that the club has received a number of allocations previously under the SCEP none of which were classified as regional allocations.
In relation to the appeals system, appeals were only accepted from applicants who were deemed invalid or who were awarded less than 50% of the amount sought at application stage. The deadline for submission of appeals was Monday 4 April.
591. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if he will address the case of a person (details supplied) regarding funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19986/22]
View answerAs part of a €50 million suite of supports for the live entertainment sector, an allocation of €4m was made available for the Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS) to make a contribution to the overheads of businesses, specifically musicians and related crew, that have been significantly negatively affected by COVID-19 and that do not qualify for other business supports.
Under the scheme, self employed businesses including musicians, singers, lighting and sound crew and audio equipment suppliers operating exclusively within the commercial live entertainment sector were eligible to apply.
The application to which the Deputy refers was refused based on the information submitted. I am advised however that the Department is in contact with the applicant and has been made aware of the appeals process for this scheme through which further information can be supplied.
592. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit facilitate internships by students engaged in full-time or part-time further and higher education courses; if so, the number of interns her Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit accept annually; if any or all of these interns receive remuneration of any kind; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20016/22]
View answerI am advised my Department is involved in facilitating and administrating the following Internships and schemes, details of which are set out in the table below.
With regard to the Agencies under my Department’s remit, this is an operational matter for the respective Agencies. In that context, I will forward your question to the relevant Agencies and bodies, under the aegis of my Department, and request them to respond directly to you on the matter. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
|
Internships |
Internships facilitated by students engaged in fulltime or part-time further and higher education course |
Number of Interns accepted annually |
Remuneration |
|
The Office of An Coimisnéir Teanga |
Two third level Irish language interns on work placements facilitated, one in 2021 and one in 2022. |
1 intern annually (12 week placement) |
Weekly salary based on the first point of the Clerical Officer pay scale. |
|
Temporary Communications Internship, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Commemorations Unit) |
Six month paid temporary communications internship recruited. |
1 intern for six months placement during 2021 |
Weekly salary based on the first point of the Clerical Officer pay scale |
|
The Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) Internship Programme, Department of Public Enterprise and Reform (DPER) |
This DPER programme allows students from both Undergraduate and Masters level programmes to work alongside IGEES staff on various projects across all government Departments. |
The Department is in the process of recruiting 2 interns for summer 2022 (12 week placement). |
Weekly salary based on the first point of the Temporary Clerical Officer pay scale |
|
Internship Scheme in European Union Institutions |
The Department administers this scheme in co-operation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council, the Committee of the Regions and the Publications Office. This scheme is focused on the provision of opportunities for graduates to acquire work placements in the special subject field of translation and proof-reading. |
2021 – 7 interns
10 internships offered annually (10 month placement) |
Weekly salary based on the first point of the Temporary Clerical Officer pay scale |
594. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if there are plans to introduce regulations for the growing e-sports sector in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20139/22]
View answerAs the Deputy states in his question, the video games which underpin e-sports are generally developed and run by the sector itself through video game studios. The development of and promotion of the sector are a matter for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
My Department has no plans to introduce regulation for the e-sport sector as we have no role or remit in relation to e-sport.
595. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the current regulatory regime applying to UK broadcasters carrying advertising aimed specifically at the Irish market; if this regime was affected by Brexit; if so, the nature of any changes; if legislation currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas is intended to have an impact on the status of such broadcasters; if there is an opportunity post-Brexit to improve the advertising revenues of indigenous broadcasters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20263/22]
View answerFrom 1st January 2021, UK-based channels holding a broadcasting licence issued by the national regulatory authority of a Member State of the European Union (EU) are continuing to provide services in Ireland. Government has worked with the sector, including the major broadcasting service providers in Ireland, to ensure they are fully aware of the requirement that channels carried on services available in Ireland must hold a broadcasting licence issued by the national regulatory authority of an EU Member State.
In line with the country of origin principle set out in the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, broadcasters are subject to the law and jurisdiction of the EU Member State where they are established. Accordingly, programme material broadcast by UK broadcasters are subject to the rules set by the relevant national regulatory authority of the Member State where they hold their broadcasting licence. Article 9 of the Revised Audiovisual Media Service Directive sets out the minimum standards for commercial communications which must be adhered to by all Member States. Article 4 of the Revised Directive makes provision for a Member State to escalate non-compliance with its broadcasting codes with other regulators, in circumstances where it considers that a broadcaster regulated in one jurisdiction and targeting citizens in another jurisdiction is undermining local regulation.
In January 2022, I published the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022 which will dissolve the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and establish a new regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, which will, inter alia, be responsible for overseeing updated regulations for broadcasting and video on-demand services established in the State, including issuing media services codes and rules applying to such services. The Bill will also transpose the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive into Irish law. Article 13(2) of that Directive gives Member States the option to levy the revenues of media service providers under their jurisdiction or which are not under their jurisdiction, but that are targeting audiences in their territories, to fund the production of European works. Following a Regulatory Impact Assessment provision was made for a content production levy within the General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill. Section 53 of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022 (as published) provides for the imposition of a content production levy (termed the ‘European works levy’) on media service providers (i.e. providers of broadcasting and streaming services) to fund a scheme (termed ‘the European works scheme’) to support the production of European works, including Irish works.
In line with a commitment in Our Rural Future, I launched the Transitional LEADER Programme which came into effect from 1 April 2021 and will run to the end of 2022. A total of €70 million is being made available over this programming period. €65 million of this budget is available to LAGs who deliver the programme and approve projects at local level. This allocation covers both core project expenditure and the administration and animation costs of the LAGs.
On 9 April last year, my Department released the individual LAG allocations for the transitional period. These enhanced allocations provided certainty to all LAGs and their Implementing Partners for profiling their administration, animation and project expenditure for 2021 and 2022.
In situations where the LAGs administration and animation allocations are utilised, I approved additional funding in this area, subject to a maximum monthly contribution from the Exchequer, the limits of which were also notified to each LAG at that time. This notification outlined the specific arrangements with regards to administration and animation Exchequer funding for LAGs. As these amounts notified are the maximum monthly contribution from the Exchequer, LAGs and their Implementing Partners were advised to review their administration and animation expenditure requirements so as to ensure that they are able to operate within their allocated budgets and to take corrective action in advance where required.
Therefore, should the Kildare LAG utilise all its administration and animation programme funding, my Department will be providing a maximum monthly contribution of €24,359 from the Exchequer towards the administration and animation costs incurred. This contribution is based on the average monthly administration and animation allocation over the period July 2016 to December 2020 as outlined to the LAGs in April 2021. There is no provision for this level of funding to be increased.
The process of finalising the arrangements for the new LEADER programme is ongoing in consultation with the EU Commission and stakeholders. This process will include arrangements for the allocation of funding across LEADER areas under the new LEADER programme. The draft CAP Strategic Plan includes an allocation of €180m for the new LEADER programme for the period 2023-2027. This brings the total allocation for the 2021-2027 period to €250m, which maintains the LEADER allocation from the previous 2014-2020 programming period.
596. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of appeals received on the current round of sports capital; and when it is expected a decision will be reached for these clubs. [20304/22]
View answerThe 2020 round of the SCEP closed for applications on Monday 1 March 2021 and by the deadline a record 3,100 applications were submitted. Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6M were announced on 6 August, 2021.
The remaining capital applications were then assessed and 1,865 individual grant offers with a total value of over €143.8 million were announced on Friday 11 February 2022. This represented the highest level of allocation ever made under the SCEP.
Unsuccessful applicants were invited to appeal the Department's decision. The deadline for submission of appeals was Monday 4 April and 146 appeals were received. Of the record €150 million made available for capital projects, €6 million has been kept in reserve for any successful appeals. It is hoped to have all appeals assessed by the end of this month with the announcement of consequent allocations shortly afterwards.
597. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if funding (details supplied) that has been allocated has been drawn down and spent; if there has been a follow up or appraisal on the funding given under the various programmes or headings; if any of the allocated funding has been recouped or unspent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20404/22]
View answerMy Department operates a number of schemes under which funding is made available to Local Authorities.
In relation to capital support for sports facilities, the Department operates three grants schemes; namely the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP), the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).
The local authority in question has been allocated a number of grants under the SCEP in the period since 2017. Details of all allocations, including those made to this local authority, under the SCEP since 2002 are published here .
While no new allocations were made to local authority in question under the LASPP since 2017, a number of payments were made since then. In this regard, total LASPP payments of €2,424,747 were made in respect of two Swimming Pools under the remit of this local authority to which the Deputy refers.
No allocations have been made to the local authority in question under the LSSIF.
In relation to other schemes run by my Department, the following details of allocations are supplied in the table below.
While, as indicated in a number of instances actual spend/drawdown was less than the original amount allocated, I am advised that my Department has not had cause to seek recoupment of funds from the local authority in any instance.
|
Year |
Funding Stream |
Allocation |
Unspent |
|
2017 |
Creative Ireland Programme Creative Communities |
€32,258 |
€0 |
|
|
Culture Night |
€6,500 |
€0 |
|
2018 |
Creative Ireland Programme Cruinniú na nÓg |
€20,000 |
€0 |
|
|
Creative Ireland Programme Creative Communities |
€89,516 |
€0 |
|
|
Culture Night |
€6,750 |
€0 |
|
2019 |
Arts & Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018 |
€24,300 |
€6,326 |
|
|
Creative Ireland Programme Cruinniú na nÓg |
€15,000 |
€0 |
|
|
Culture Night |
€6,750 |
€186 |
|
|
Creative Ireland Programme Creative Communities |
€60,212 |
€4,304 |
|
2020 |
Creative Ireland Programme Cruinniú na nÓg |
€15,970 |
€0 |
|
|
Creative Ireland Programme Creative Communities |
€130,517 |
€0 |
|
2021 |
Cultural Infrastructure and Development |
€1,051,327 |
€0 |
|
|
Creative Ireland Programme Cruinniú na nÓg |
€12,170 |
€2,830 |
|
|
Creative Ireland Programme Creative Communities |
€143,903 |
€0 |
|
|
Regional Museum Exhibition Scheme |
€10,120 |
€1,630 |
|
|
Local Live Performance Programming Scheme Phase 1 & 1.2 |
€191,000 |
€48,489 |
|
|
Local Live Performance Programming Scheme Phase 2 |
€143,000 |
€5,574 |
|
2022 |
Local Live Performance Programming Scheme Phase 3 |
€143,000 |
€0 |
|
|
Cultural Infrastructure and Development |
€122,739 |
€0 |
|
|
OVERALL |
€2,225,031 |
€84,459 |
598. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the timeline for the new short-term letting regulations (details supplied) as outlined in the recent Housing for All plan; the progress that has been made to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20480/22]
View answerAction 20.4 of Housing for All, the Government's housing plan to 2030, commits to the development of "new regulatory controls requiring short-term and holiday lets to register with Fáilte Ireland with a view to ensuring that houses are used to best effect in areas of housing need”.
Funding was allocated in Budget 2022 to Fáilte Ireland which has been tasked with the design and implementation of a short term lettings registration system. The agency is currently recruiting staff to work on this project, with the project lead in place. My officials are also working in consultation with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on scoping out the legislative provisions that will be required to underpin such a system with a view to bringing forward legislative provisions in this regard later in 2022.
599. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of a sports capital appeal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20506/22]
View answerThe 2020 round of the SCEP closed for applications on Monday 1 March 2021 and by the deadline a record 3,100 applications were submitted. Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6M were announced on 6 August, 2021.
The remaining capital applications were then assessed and 1,865 individual grant offers with a total value of over €143.8 million were announced on Friday 11 February 2022. This represented the highest level of allocation ever made under the SCEP.
Unsuccessful applicants were invited to appeal the Department's decision. The deadline for submission of appeals was Monday 4 April and 146 appeals were received, including one from the organisation referenced by the Deputy. Of the record €150 million made available for capital projects, €6 million has been kept in reserve for any successful appeals. It is hoped to have all appeals assessed by the end of this month with the announcement of consequent allocations shortly afterwards.
600. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of staff within her Department who availed of a secondment from January 2019 to date on the basis that it was not the intention of the staff member to return to their position within the Department. [20651/22]
View answerI can advise that no secondments have been made since the formation of my Department in September 2020 on the terms outlined by the Deputy.
601. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans to review the entry fees to cultural institutions and events for persons with a disability and their carers as in the case of a person (details supplied). [20740/22]
View answerIn the National Cultural Institutions, access to the National Collections remains free of charge for all visitors. Occasional additional exhibitions of a temporary of special nature require a fee to cover the costs of preparation and presentation. The application of charges in these cases is a matter for the Board and management of the relevant National Cultural Institution.
In the wider context, the great majority of cultural venues and events operate on a commercial basis and are independently managed. Decisions in relation to charges are a matter for the management and operators of the venues and events in question.
602. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the progress being made to digitise the 1926 census; and if provision will be made for its early release. [20784/22]
View answerThe Central Statistics Office (CSO) is responsible for the gathering of census data in Ireland and took its first census on 18 April 1926.
The CSO has published the information gathered in the 1926 census on its website in significant details across 10 volumes as follows:-
- Volume 1 - Population, area and valuation of each DED and each larger Unit of Area
- Volume 2 - Occupations
- Volume 3 - Religion and birthplaces
- Volume 4 - Housing
- Volume 5 - Ages, orphanhood and conjugal conditions
- Volume 6 - Industrial status
- Volume 7 - Industries
- Volume 8 - Irish language
- Volume 9 - Dependency
- Volume 10 - General Report
Sections 33 and 35 of the Statistics Act 1993 allow for the release of information gathered by a Census that relates directly or indirectly to an identifiable person, 100 years after the date that the census was taken. As the 1926 Census was taken on 18 April 1926, this personal information can be made available from 18 April 2026. This information will be made available after that date, subject to GDPR concerns relating to people still living.
Making the details of individuals and households from the 1926 Census available digitally will require a significant volume of work to collate, conserve, index and digitise the original census returns. This work will take several years to complete and a capital allocation of €5 million has been provided for that purpose. Officials from my Department, which includes the National Archives, have carried out preliminary examinations of the work required in this regard.
603. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the consideration that has been given to a product development and marketing campaign to promote Lough Derg and it’s environs around counties Tipperary, Clare and Galway. [20836/22]
View answerAs any product development and marketing campaign to promote Lough Derg would be an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland, I have referred this question to them for direct response to the Deputy. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
604. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the situation with respect to the National Swimming Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21050/22]
View answerInitial preparatory planning work has been undertaken by my Department in regard to a national swimming strategy. It is intended to establish a working group in the near future to take forward the detailed work of preparing a national strategy, with a view to its completion and publication this year.
605. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cén dul chun cinn atá déanta leis an bplé idir a Roinn agus an Roinn Caiteachais Poiblí agus Athchóirithe maidir leis an iarratas go n-aithneofaí tréimhse seirbhíse le Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge mar sheirbhís chun críche pinsin de chuid na seirbhíse poiblí ó freagraíodh ceist ar an ábhar seo go deireadh ar an 19/1/2022 (sonraí tugtha); agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [21212/22]
View answerMar a luaigh mé i mo fhreagra ar an ábhar seo níos túisce i mbliana, tá athbhreithniú déanta ag mo Roinn ar an gcás maidir le hiarfhostaithe Bhord na Leabhar Gaeilge agus a n-iarratas go n-aithneofaí a dtréimhse seirbhíse le Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge mar sheirbhís chun críche pinsin de chuid na seirbhíse phoiblí. Tá mo Roinn fós ag plé na ceiste seo leis an Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe féachaint an féidir teacht ar réiteach ina leith.
606. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if a piece of surveillance technology (details supplied) is being used by her Department or any agencies under her remit in view of the fact that there are security and privacy concerns associated with the use of same; the data protection policies on the use of artificial intelligence with respect to instances in which this technology is being used; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21243/22]
View answerI am advised that neither my Department nor any agencies under the aegis of my Department make use of surveillance technology as described by the Deputy.
607. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department is considering increasing minimum setback distance for wind turbines from homes and residential areas; when the outcome of the review his Department agreed to carry out on this matter is to be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19234/22]
View answerMy Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections.
Guidance on the noise aspect is currently being finalised by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, which has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters. Significant work has been undertaken on the noise elements and engagement between the two Departments is ongoing to discuss new developments in this regard including consideration of the impact of the revised 2030 target to generate up to 80% of our electricity from renewable sources and the need to ensure that proposals regarding the measurement and assessment of noise from wind turbines are fit for purpose. Following this inter-departmental engagement, I will be in a better position to provide an update on the expected publication date of the revised Guidelines, the finalisation of which remains a priority.
It should also be noted that the review and finalisation of the Guidelines has been included as a specific action in the recently published Climate Action Plan.
When finalised, the revised Guidelines will be issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. Planning authorities and, where applicable, An Bord Pleanála, must have regard to guidelines issued under section 28 in the performance of their functions generally under the Planning Acts. In the meantime, the current 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines remain in force.
608. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason an application (details supplied) was unsuccessful under the Heritage Historic Structures Fund; if clarity will be provided on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19320/22]
View answer617. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason that an application (details supplied) was unsuccessful under the Historic Structures Fund; if clarity will be provided on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19507/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 608 and 617 together.
In November 2021, I announced €4m in funding for the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) 2022. The HSF is a competitive grant scheme for conservation works to heritage structures in both private and public ownership. Grants of between €15,000 and €50,000 are available under Stream 1, and of between €50,000 and €200,000 under Stream 2.
Applications are made in the first instance to the local authorities, who send a shortlist to my Department for assessment by an expert panel which makes its recommendations to me for final approval. Applications are assessed under a series of clearly-defined criteria, the details of which may be found in the HSF circular on my Department’s website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/32ae3-financial-assistance-for-architectural-heritage/
Under HSF 2022, a total of 129 applications were received by my Department for assessment. While this year’s fund of €4m represents an increase of 33% on 2021, HSF2022 was heavily over-subscribed and it was unfortunately not possible to make awards to all applications that met the minimum assessment criteria. This includes the structures in question.
While further consideration cannot be given to unsuccessful applications, officials in my Department can, at the request of the relevant local authority, provide feedback in respect of an individual application should the applicant wish to re-apply to the scheme again the following year. It is intended to run the HSF again in 2023 and details of the scheme will be made available this November.
609. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider placing an obligation on short-term letting sites to verify change of use planning permissions. [19351/22]
View answerLegislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 which came into effect on 1 July 2019.
Notwithstanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, significant work on the implementation and enforcement of the Regulations has been undertaken by planning authorities since they came into effect.
The Government's new housing plan, Housing for All, contains a specific action (Action 20.4) - to “develop new regulatory controls requiring short-term and holiday lets to register with Fáilte Ireland with a view to ensuring that houses are used to best effect in areas of housing need”. Minister O’Brien has engaged with the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media to progress this action, and a number of meetings have been held between officials of the two Departments and with Fáilte Ireland, and further engagement is expected to take place in the near future.
Funding was allocated in Budget 2022 to Fáilte Ireland which has been tasked with the design and implementation of a new short term lettings registration system. The agency is currently recruiting staff to work on this project. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is also presently scoping out the legislative provisions that will be required to underpin the new registration system with a view to these provisions being enacted in 2022.
The final details of the operational arrangements in relation to the new registration system - including its linkages to the online short-term letting platforms - are still being worked out. However, an underlying objective of the new system will be to ensure that an adequate level of private rental accommodation can be provided, particularly in urban areas of high housing demand, and that such accommodation is not overly diverted to the short term letting sector at the expense of local people seeking long-term rental accommodation.
610. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the nature of approved housing body and rental accommodation scheme leases; the average cost of such leases; the length of such leases; the person or body that owns the properties at the end of the leases; and the number of such leases that are managed by the approved housing body the lease versus those in which the approved housing body will own at the end of the lease. [19462/22]
View answerThe Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the leasing of houses and apartments. Dwellings under the scheme come from a number of different sources including private owners, Part V and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).
AHBs are important partners for local authorities in the delivery of social housing. AHBs can lease properties from private property owners using a long term lease arrangement for a period from 10 to 25 years. This long term lease arrangement is negotiated between the AHB and the property owner and it is the AHB’s responsibility to ensure that the lease complies with the general leasing terms.
There is no current option to purchase the leased property under long term lease arrangements, however, an option to purchase may have been included in some long term leases by local authorities in the early stages of the leasing programme.
At end 2021, 1,006 AHB leased dwellings were supported under SHCEP with an average annual cost of €10,110 per dwelling. This data refers to AHB long term leases and does not include CALF funded projects.
Rental Availability Agreements (RAAs) otherwise known as Rental Accommodation Scheme/ RAS type agreements are funded under SHCEP and are agreements between property owners and local authorities to secure medium to long-term availability of accommodation over a period of time (1-10 years). RAAs are not available to AHBs.
Separately, the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) allows tenants of AHBs in receipt of rent supplement and residing in CAS funded properties to transfer to RAS. The local authority enters into a contract with the AHB to make the property available to RAS for an agreed term at an agreed monthly rent. This is a contractual arrangement, rather than a lease agreement.
