Written Answers Nos. 811-832
811. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of dispute resolutions covering evictions that are currently being investigated by the Residential Tenancies Board broken down by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41683/22]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2021 (RTA), to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.
My Department does not collect the data sought. However, the Clerk of the Dáil requested that arrangements be put in place to facilitate the provision of information by State Bodies to members of the Oireachtas. Following the issue of Circular LG (P) 05/16 on 20 September 2016 from my Department, the RTB set up a dedicated email address for this purpose. The RTB may be contacted at OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie to establish the extent to which it may hold the information sought.
812. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the projected number of voids in each local authority; the number that will be returned to use in 2022; the number that will not; the funding committed to this in 2022; the amount spent to date in 2022; the projected budget for this work in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41684/22]
View answerThe management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.
Notwithstanding this, my Department provides annual funding support to local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-let under the Voids Programme. This funding was introduced originally to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authorities to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.
From 2014 to 2021, expenditure of some €261 million was recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme which funded the return to productive use of 18,527 properties nationwide. This figure does not include the funding provided by local authorities through their own resources.
My Department continues to support local authorities in their work remediating vacant social housing properties in 2022. This year funding of €25 million to support the refurbishment of c. 2,273 vacant properties is being made available and each individual local authority has been notified of their target number of units and funding allocation as per Circular 18/2022.
Work in relation to the 2022 programme is underway but it will be later this year before significant recoupments are made. Details in relation to the drawdown and number of units remediated will be available in early 2023.
Given the very significant investment into the Voids Programme over recent years, particularly in 2020 and in 2021, local authorities should now be in a strong position to begin the transition to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach to stock management and maintenance.
To that end, my Department and local authorities are working to transition from a largely response and voids based approach to housing stock management and maintenance, to a planned maintenance approach as referenced in Housing for All, policy objective 20.6. This will require the completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes in response.
Discussions are ongoing in relation to the appropriate budget and target number of units to implement the 2023 Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme.
Furthermore, statistics in relation to social housing stock are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in their Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including the level of vacancy by local authority. The most recent report, relating to 2020, is available on the NOAC website at the following link:
noac.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/NOAC-Local-Authority-Performance-Indicator-Report-2020.pdf
813. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the budget available for housing adaptation grants in 2022; the amount that has been spent to date; the number of homes that are expected to benefit in 2022; the estimated cost of increasing the level of grants by 5% or 10%; the estimated cost of linking increases in grant limits to construction inflation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41685/22]
View answer814. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated number of housing adaptation grants that will be awarded in 2023; the additional cost to his Department of ensuring that all homes progressed for adaptation are simultaneously retrofitted at the same time to a minimum B2 BER standard in which the State picks up the entire cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41686/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 813 and 814 together.
My Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants Scheme to carry out works on local authority owned social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or relieve overcrowding. The programme is 90% funded by the Department with a 10% contribution from the Local Authority.
My Department also 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. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People, each of which are 80% funded by my Department with a 20% contribution from local authorities.
The detailed administration of both schemes, including assessment, approval and prioritisation of applications is the responsibility of local authorities.
Exchequer funding to the value of €23.6 million has been allocated in 2022 for the Disabled Persons Grant scheme. A 5% increase on the 2022 provision of €23.6 million would amount to an additional €1.18 million in Exchequer funding and a 10% increase would amount to an additional €2.36 million.
Work in relation to the 2022 programme is underway but it will be later this year before significant recoupment claims are lodged with my Department. Full details in relation to the 2022 output will be available early in 2023.
Exchequer funding of €65 million is also available nationally in 2022 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. The 2022 funding allocation for all local authorities is also available on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/press-release/32a48-improved-homes-for-older-people-and-those-with-a-disability-as-ministers-obrien-and-burke-announce-over-80m-in-funding/
A total of almost €28 million in Exchequer funding has been spent to date in 2022 facilitating the payment of over 5,000 grants which is expected to benefit up to 10,700 households. A 5% increase on the 2022 provision of €65 million would amount to an additional €3.25 million in Exchequer funding and a 10% increase would amount to an additional €6.5 million.
A review of the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability currently underway will have regard to, inter alia, any relevant increases in the broader economy as appropriate. The review is to be completed by the end of 2022.
My Department provides funding for energy upgrades on local authority owned properties under the Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme. It is a matter for each local authority to select the appropriate dwelling based on their target number of units and available budget. The funding of the retrofit of private households is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment.
815. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost of providing an air-to-water heat pump to each local authority home in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41687/22]
View answer816. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated number of local authority homes that will be retrofitted in 2022; the number delivered in 2021; the estimated number in 2023; the budget allocated for this in 2021 and to date in 2022; the amount that has been spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41688/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 815 and 816 together.
A new enhanced ten year energy efficiency programme was launched in 2021 in response to a commitment made under the Programme for Government, which called for the 'retrofit' of 500,000 homes to a B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent BER standard by 2030, of which approximately 36,500 are expected to be local authority owned homes.
This new programme set a BER performance requirement of “B2” or cost optimal level. The upscaling of the works included in the programme sees a substantial overall increase in funding being made available for insulation, windows and doors and heating upgrades, specifically the installation of a Heat Pump and associated works. The installation of gas/oil boilers are no longer supported under the energy efficiency programme funded by my Department.
The 2021 Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme provided funding for the installation of 604 heat pumps, while the Midlands Retrofit Pilot allowed for the installation of heat pumps on all 146 properties. The grant funding available from my Department for the installation of a heat pump last year was €13,000. This has been increased to €16,000 for the 2022 programme.
In 2021 €65 million of Exchequer funding was made available to local authorities for the retrofit of 2400 dwellings to BER B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent.
An annualised breakdown of the total funding provided and the number of properties upgraded under the Energy Efficiency Retrofit programme for the years 2013-2021 is available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/668c1-energy-efficiency-retrofitting-programme-expenditure-output/
My Department also introduced a pilot Midlands Energy Retrofit Programme in 2020-2022, the details of which are found below. A further 146 properties were retrofitted to a BER of B2/ Cost Optimal Equivalent and these figures are in addition to the National Retrofit Programme.
gov.ie - Midlands Energy Retrofit Programme - Expenditure and Units (www.gov.ie)
Earlier this year, my Department announced a significant increase in funding available of €85 million which will provided for the upgrade of approximately 2,400 social homes in 2022. Each local authority received an individual allocation along with a minimum target of homes they are required to retrofit. The programme has been devised in a way to give local authorities a level of flexibility when selecting properties to retrofit ranging from those requiring minor levels of works to properties needing the maximum level of retrofitting required to bring them to a B2/Cost Optimum standard.
Work in relation to the 2022 programme is underway but it will be later this year before significant recoupment claims are lodged with my Department. Full details in relation to the 2022 Energy Efficiency Programme will be available early in 2023.
Discussions are ongoing in relation to the target number of units to be retrofit per local authority and appropriate budget to implement the 2023 Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme.
817. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the overall number of rental tenancies registered with the Residential Tenancies Board in 2021 and to date in 2022 respectively; the average monthly rent in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41689/22]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA), to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.
My Department does not collect the data sought. However, the Clerk of the Dáil requested that arrangements be put in place to facilitate the provision of information by State Bodies to members of the Oireachtas. Following the issue of Circular LG (P) 05/16 on 20 September 2016 from my Department, the RTB set up a dedicated email address for this purpose. The RTB may be contacted at OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie to establish the extent to which it may hold the information sought.
818. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is giving consideration to the proposals from Ukraine Civil Society Emergency Response (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41701/22]
View answerThe proposals referred to are more relevant to my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, as Minister with primary responsibility for dealing with the humanitarian response to the invasion of Ukraine.
My Department is supporting that process in a number of ways and the proposals referred to will be given further consideration. My Department is working closely with the local authority sector and colleagues in the Department Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to identify and bring into use multi-unit vacant properties that may be suitable and available for accommodation purposes. As part of the initial phase of this work, my Department has requested central and local government to identify such properties, including those that may require refurbishment or re-configuration.
819. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps his Department is taking to immediately intervene to protect the site of a recent significant archaeological find in Donabate, County Dublin (details supplied) and prevent any encroachment on the site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41704/22]
View answerFollowing receipt of reports of the discovery of a monument of the type known as a “souterrain” (an underground passage or chamber dating to the Early Historic Period, c. 6th to 12th centuries AD) at Corballis, Donabate, Fingal, the National Monuments Service (NMS) of my Department carried out an inspection and has confirmed what appears to be the location. The monument does not appear to be in immediate danger, but the NMS will of course liaise with relevant parties (including owners and, if appropriate, the planning authority) to ensure it receives appropriate protection. The discovery will be added to the national database of known archaeological monuments which is maintained by the NMS.
820. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider granting local authorities the permission to carry out works on voids year-round rather than waiting for the scheme to open. [41711/22]
View answer821. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of voids that have been vacant for over 12, over 18, over 24 and over 36 months by local authority; and if consideration will be given to an extended voids scheme to bring these back into use. [41712/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 820 and 821 together.
The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Therefore, local authorities should be carrying out voids works year round utilising funding from their own resources.
Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities, exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was introduced in 2014, originally to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authority's to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.
From 2014 to 2021, expenditure of some €261 million was recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme which funded the return to productive use of 18,527 properties nationwide. This does not include the funding provided through the local authorities own resources to address the level of vacancy within the social housing stock.
My Department continues to support local authorities in their work in this area in 2022. However, as result of the significant investment by my Department in the Voids Programme, particularly in 2020 and 2021, local authorities should also now be in a strong position to begin the transition to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach to stock management and maintenance. To that end, my Department and local authorities are working to transition from a largely response and voids based approach to housing stock management and maintenance, to a planned maintenance approach. This will require the completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes in response. My Department will support these work programmes by ensuring that the funding available under the various stock improvement programmes is aligned with this approach.
To note, local authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock. This will fluctuate over time, as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is an ongoing process.
Statistics in relation to the social housing stock are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in their Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including the level of vacancy and by local authority. The most recent report, relating to 2020, is available on the NOAC website at the following link:
noac.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/NOAC-Local-Authority-Performance-Indicator-Report-2020.pdf
Further details in relation to vacancy periods should be available upon request from each local authority.
822. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has engaged with Cork City Council on the cost of their affordable housing units. [41713/22]
View answer823. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that affordable housing in Cork will be more expensive than existing schemes in Dublin. [41719/22]
View answer824. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has engaged with Cork City Council on its affordable housing scheme with specific reference to pricing of the scheme. [41720/22]
View answer825. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the price for a home in Cork city that he considers affordable. [41721/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 822 to 825, inclusive, together.
Funding is made available by Government to assist local authority and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) delivery of affordable housing, for purchase and rent, through the Affordable Housing Fund, previously known as the Serviced Sites Fund, and the Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL).
From the outset, I wish to advise that the prices at which affordable homes are made available are determined by local authorities having regard to a range of key factors including, inter alia, the cost of construction, cost of land, density of the scheme which impacts on the subsidy available and local market values. Cork City Council has advised that the affordable purchase prices for the schemes currently being advertised in Cork represent a significant discount on market values prevailing locally.
Two Affordable Housing Fund supported schemes will deliver affordable housing in Cork City this year. Cork City Council has advised my Department that the first two phases of the Boherboy Road project in Cork City, involving a total of 117 affordable purchase homes, will see 37 of those homes completed. These homes were advertised for applications to purchase this month. Cork City Council has advised my Department that two bedroom homes will cost €218,000 and a three bedroom home will cost €243,000.
In addition, a development at Cluain Chaoin in Tower will deliver 36 affordable purchase homes in two phases and were also advertised this month. The prices for these homes will be €237,500 for a two bedroom home, €275,000 for a three bedroom home and €300,000 for a four bedroom home.
Nationally, approval in principle has been confirmed for approximately 900 new Cost Rental homes to be delivered in urban centres by AHBs under the CREL scheme over the period 2021-2023. Of these initial approvals, approximately 150 are scheduled to be delivered in Cork City in 2022 and 2023, across four different sites. The first 73 Cost Rental homes in Cork are scheduled for delivery by the Clúid AHB at Lancaster Gate, Cork City, later this year.
Furthermore, the Land Development Agency (LDA) are currently working on the former HSE site at St. Kevin’s Hospital in Cork City. The LDA have secured planning permission for 265 social and affordable homes. Work will begin on site this year and the first homes are expected at the end of 2023.
The planned delivery of affordable housing, in accordance with the Affordable Housing Act 2021, is set out in local authorities' Housing Delivery Action Plans. Preparation of the Plans 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. They provide a comprehensive national overview of projected delivery of affordable housing.
The recently launched First Home Scheme to support affordable purchases of new homes in the private market will operate nationwide. Targeted at First Time Buyers or those eligible under the Government’s ‘Fresh Start’ principle, the Scheme will be delivered via a strategic partnership between the State and participating mortgage lenders, and was launched last week. It will improve access to newly-built homes by using a shared equity model to bridge the gap between mortgage finance and the cost of new homes. The homes must be priced within regional price ceilings which will reflect the median prices paid by First Time Buyers for new homes in each area, so this is an intervention to support homeownership in the lower region of the market.
827. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the regulations to put basking sharks on the protected species list; if he will provide a timeline for implementation and the associated resources to implement the new regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41776/22]
View answerMy Department has drafted a new regulation under Section 23(2)(a) of the Wildlife Act 1976 to confer ‘protected wild animal’ status on the Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus).
It is an offence to hunt a protected wild animal (unless under permission or licence granted by the Minister), injure a protected wild animal (unless done while hunting in accordance with a licence or exemption), or wilfully interfere with or destroy the breeding or resting places of a protected wild animal.
As the Basking Shark is a species of fish, under Section 23(3) of the Wildlife Act 1976 the Minister may only make such Regulations with the agreement and co-signature of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. That Minister has indicated his support for this proposal.
828. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures that are being put in place to safeguard wild bird populations against the risk of avian flu outbreak; if he will develop a surveillance and testing programme as a precautionary tool; if he will put in place measures to stop the unnecessary disturbance of wild birds that may be affected by the virus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41788/22]
View answerOver the past number of months, the situation is being monitored closely and any suspected cases sent for testing. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department has also been liaising with counterparts in the UK, and has been briefed on outbreaks there and measures being implemented.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has responsibly for avian influenza (AI) testing in Ireland. NPWS is one of a number of key players involved in any response to an outbreak of AI in seabirds in Ireland. NPWS is already providing expert advice to DAFM in relation to AI and cases in wild birds.
For visitors to seabird colonies over the coming weeks, NPWS has urged members of the public to keep their distance to avoid disturbing breeding seabirds and, in particular, to avoid coming into close contact with any dead/injured seabird.
Suspected AI cases should be notified to the DAFM via the Avian Check App or alternatively through the Avian Influenza Helpline Number (076) 1064403 or 1850 2000456 (outside of normal office hours).
829. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of wild birds with avian flu that have been notified to his Department to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41789/22]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has responsibly for avian influenza testing in Ireland. Table 1 below sets out the number of positive cases recorded by that Department in 2022 (up to 20 July 2022) and notified to my Department.
Table 1: Positive cases of HPAI in Wild Birds in 2022 (DAFM, 20 July 2022).
|
Species |
Number of birds testing positive |
|
Peregrine |
1 |
|
Buzzard |
2 |
|
Barnacle Goose |
10 |
|
Grey Heron |
1 |
|
Kestrel |
1 |
|
Barn Owl |
1 |
|
Cormorant |
1 |
|
Raven |
1 |
|
Common Guillemot |
1 |
|
Total |
19 |
