Written Answers Nos. 230-253
230. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance the degree to which he remains satisfied that cash remains readily available to customers through the banks via ATMs or other means; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46544/22]
View answerOver the last decade, we have seen a shift in the way consumers and businesses are paying and banking. While historically Ireland has been a relatively cash-intensive economy, advances in technology and changing customer demands have prompted a rapid increase in the take-up of electronic payments. The Covid-19 pandemic has acted as a potential catalyst for the move towards digital payments and the move away from cash.
Notwithstanding a significant increase in the take-up of electronic payments, cash remains a vital part of the Irish payment system. Banks have a key role in maintaining the flow of cash through the economy and ensuring appropriate access to retail banking services for all in society, including the vulnerable.
The changes currently underway in the Irish retail banking sector are a reflection of the wider challenges the banking sector is facing, not only in Ireland but also abroad. It is because of these changes that I have instructed my Department to undertake a broad-ranging review of the retail banking sector, which is currently taking place.
A key part of the review will be to examine the use and availability of cash in Ireland and determine whether any legislative proposal is needed in this regard.
The public consultation undertaken as part of the review contained a number of questions relating to access to cash. One of these questions noted the concerns which are being raised around access to cash and asked for submissions on what should be done to protect access to cash.
My officials are currently working on the Review and their draft report will be delivered to me in November.
231. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance if the role of the banks in this jurisdiction is being replaced by investments funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46545/22]
View answerBanks and investment funds both have a positive role to play in providing financial services within the economy and wider society and can complement each other in this regard.
Ireland, like our partners in the EU, will require significant funding into the future to address strategic priorities. In this regard the EU Capital Markets Union initiative - which aims to get investment and savings flowing across all member states for the benefit of citizens, businesses and investors - stresses the importance of additional and alternative funding opportunities within the EU. This greater diversification of financing sources will reduce the current level of reliance on bank funding, increase private risk sharing within the single market, and is intended to make the EU’s financial system more stable as a result, thereby unlocking additional funding for economic activity in Europe.
232. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider exempting all community groups from paying VAT on goods and services to protect such groups given the current increase in costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46559/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, it is a long-standing practice that the Minister for Finance does not comment, in advance of the Budget, on any tax matters that might be the subject of a Budget decision.
233. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider a VAT rebate on domestic and commercial solar panel installation to encourage the further installation of such panels in the current energy crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46560/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, it is a long-standing practice that the Minister for Finance does not comment, in advance of the Budget, on any tax matters that might be the subject of a Budget decision.
234. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Finance if he will remove the commercial stamp duty definition rate of 7.5% on agricultural land and revise it in line with the residential stamp duty charge of 1% up to €1 million and 2% thereafter. [46561/22]
View answerAll land, including agricultural land, is classified as non-residential property for stamp duty purposes. Any re-categorisation of agricultural land as residential land for the purposes of stamp duty would be inconsistent with the application of stamp duty to other forms of business.
It may interest the Deputy to know that there are a number of stamp duty related reliefs which are currently available to the farming community. These reliefs considerably reduce the applicable rate on agricultural land for qualifying acquisitions. These reliefs include Farm Consolidation Relief, Young Trained Farmer Stamp Duty Relief and Consanguinity Relief.
235. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the value in euros of total additional spending commitments at each Budget for each of the years 2015 to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46451/22]
View answerIncreases in expenditure over recent years have allowed for continued investment in the provision of quality public services and additional capital spending for key infrastructure projects. The resources allocated in each Budget supports the provision of current services as well as allowing Government to progress key longer term policies.
The overall Budget allocations and additional expenditure amounts are set out as part of Budget announcements each year. Previous year’s Budgets are available online at budget.gov.ie.
Increases in expenditure over the previous year baseline, as set out in the Expenditure Report published on Budget day, for each of the years in the specified period are set out below. For 2020 and 2021, non-core expenditure has been excluded to avoid distorting comparisons.
|
Budget |
Expenditure Increase€Bn |
|
2015 |
0.6 |
|
2016* |
0.4 |
|
2017* |
1.9 |
|
2018* |
2.4 |
|
2019* |
3.8 |
|
2020 |
3.4 |
|
2021 |
5.4 |
* Note: The budgetary increases over the period 2016 to 2019 reflect adjustments to the expenditure baseline to reflect the impact of in-year expenditure decisions and estimates in respect of the forecast outturn.
236. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will address a matter concerning civil service pensioners (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46408/22]
View answerThe Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has over-arching responsibility for public service pension policy. Following on from agreement with the Public Service unions (under the Public Service Agreement “Building Momentum” – A New Public Service Agreement 2021-2022), pay increases have been awarded to Public Servants on 1 October 2021 and 1 February 2022, with a further pay increase due on 1 October 2022. The pay increases are weighted towards those at the lower income. In accordance with the agreement these pay increases have/will be passed on to public service pensioners who are members of pre-existing public service pension schemes (non-Single Scheme). The Single Public Service Pension Scheme which, in general, is applicable to all new public servants appointed on or after 1 January 2013, provides for Single Scheme pensions to be up-rated in line with increases in the consumer price index (CPI).
Therefore if the proposed pay increases are accepted by the Unions, this will give further increases to the pay of public servants and the associated pension increases for public service pensioners.
The Deputy makes reference to supports for those on low income levels through measures in the upcoming budget. The Government have been clear that Budget 2023 will provide significant support to those dealing with the cost of living challenges. Details of these supports are being worked upon for the budget announcement on September 27th.
237. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the timeline for action 20.4 of the Housing for All Plan will be met; his views on whether this timeline needs to be revised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46476/22]
View answer238. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when she plans to publish legislation relating to the establishment of a registration system for short-term lettings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46473/22]
View answer239. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if it is still her intention to legislate for the registration of short-term lettings by Q4 of 2022; if this timeline has been revised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46474/22]
View answer240. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she intends to request the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Media and Sport to waive pre-legislative scrutiny on her upcoming legislative proposals to establish a registration system for short-term lettings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46475/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 237 to 240, inclusive, together.
Action 20.4 of Housing for All 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. Officials in my Department are working in consultation with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Fáilte Ireland on scoping out the legislative provisions that will be required to underpin such a system with a view to bringing forward the necessary legislation in the coming months.
The Deputy will also be aware that new arrangements in relation to short-term letting, aimed at strengthening the pre-existing regulatory controls in this area, were proposed by section 3 of the Planning and Development, Maritime and Valuation (Amendment) Bill 2022. When commenced by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the new arrangements will provide that, for a period of six months, non-principal private residences in Rent Pressure Zones shall not be advertised or accept bookings on online platforms or other media for short term letting purposes without the necessary planning permission being in place in respect of the property concerned or the property concerned being otherwise exempted. Pending the establishment and commencement of operations of the new short-term letting registration system to be operated by Fáilte Ireland, the six month period referred to may be extended for further 6 month periods subject to positive resolutions by both Houses of the Oireachtas.
This legislation has been notified to the EU Commission under the requirements of the EU TRIS (Technical Regulation Information Society) Directive having regard to potential implications for internal market and information society services. This is a standard notification requirement for relevant legislative proposals by national Governments so that any proposals in this area can be examined by the EU Commission.
In the meantime, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage continues to engage with relevant stakeholder groups on the detailed operational arrangements to be applied in relation to the proposed measure which will be provided for in supplementary regulations.
241. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which efforts are being made to control house price inflation including the possibility of having the local authorities engage builders to build public housing on State-owned lands to facilitate local authority and affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46538/22]
View answerHousing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency.
There has been significant construction products inflation during 2022 due to a number of factors, notably the Russian invasion of Ukraine, rising energy prices and constrained supply chains. A central element of the Government’s housing policy is to support the delivery of public housing on local authority land. Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing from 2022 to 2026. In the same period over 29,000 affordable homes will be delivered including 18,600 affordable purchase homes and 10,400 cost rental homes.
A key action under Housing for All was the preparation of Housing Delivery Action Plans by local authorities. These Plans set out details of social and affordable housing delivery over the period 2022-2026, in line with targets set under Housing for All. The Plans also include details of the locations and delivery streams for social and affordable housing, including land available to deliver this housing and future land requirements. The Housing Delivery Action Plans are available on the websites of the relevant local authorities.
242. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of successful and unsuccessful applications for the local authority home loan by county in tabular form. [46378/22]
View answerThe Housing Agency provides a central support service that assesses applications for the Local Authority Home Loan on behalf of local authorities and makes recommendations to the authorities to approve or refuse applications.
The final decision on loan approval is a matter for the relevant local authority and its credit committee on a case-by-case basis. Decisions on all housing loan applications must be made in accordance with the Regulations establishing the scheme and the credit policy that underpins the scheme, in order to ensure prudence and consistency in approaches in the best interests of both borrowers and the lending local authorities.
The most recent figures provided by the Agency on the number of Local Authority Home loan applications that it has assessed for each local authority, up to the end of August 2022 are set out in the below table:
|
Local Authority |
Applications Assessed |
Recommended to Approve |
Recommended to Decline |
|
Carlow County Council |
21 |
8 |
13 |
|
Cavan County Council |
11 |
6 |
5 |
|
Clare County Council |
25 |
12 |
13 |
|
Cork City Council |
48 |
15 |
33 |
|
Cork County Council |
153 |
53 |
100 |
|
Donegal County Council |
10 |
6 |
4 |
|
Dublin City Council |
135 |
81 |
54 |
|
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council |
30 |
12 |
18 |
|
Fingal County Council |
92 |
57 |
35 |
|
Galway City Council |
29 |
20 |
9 |
|
Galway County Council |
65 |
27 |
38 |
|
Kerry County Council |
48 |
13 |
35 |
|
Kildare County Council |
63 |
25 |
38 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
27 |
19 |
8 |
|
Laois County Council |
32 |
12 |
20 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
11 |
4 |
7 |
|
Limerick City & County Council |
47 |
23 |
24 |
|
Longford County Council |
26 |
15 |
11 |
|
Louth County Council |
83 |
25 |
58 |
|
Mayo County Council |
24 |
13 |
11 |
|
Meath County Council |
89 |
61 |
28 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
32 |
9 |
23 |
|
Offaly County Council |
11 |
5 |
6 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
25 |
5 |
20 |
|
Sligo County Council |
22 |
7 |
15 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
87 |
38 |
49 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
31 |
14 |
17 |
|
Waterford City & County Council |
65 |
9 |
56 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
20 |
13 |
7 |
|
Wexford County Council |
55 |
24 |
31 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
66 |
25 |
41 |
|
Total |
1483 |
656 |
827 |
My Department regularly publishes information on the number and value of (i) local authority loan approvals and (ii) local authority loan drawdowns. Local authority approval means that an official letter of offer has been sent to a borrower (and therefore relates to a specific property and loan amount).
Local Authority drawdowns, approvals, average drawdowns, and average approvals to Q1 2022 are available at the following link, which will be updated as soon additional figures are available:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/42d2f-local-authority-loan-activity/#local-authority-loans-approvedpaid
The Local Authority Home Loan is the successor to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan and has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022. Data is collected separately for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan and the Local Authority Home Loan schemes.
243. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has plans to encourage the use of timber-frame construction in the housing industry from an environmental and sustainability perspective; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46384/22]
View answerModern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address the different housing needs in Ireland and methods to support the development of MMC in Ireland are set out in the Government's Housing Policy - Housing for All. The Construction Industry Federation report developed to support the Construction Sector Group outlines that MMC is used to describe a range of offsite manufacturing and onsite techniques that provide alternatives to traditional house building. Typical MMC systems include timber frame systems.
MMC has the potential to help boost productivity and increase efficiency, and avoid waste, in the construction sector. The co-ordination of activities to promote MMC adoption is being led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) through an interdepartmental MMC Leadership and Integration Group.
This Group will ensure the cohesive integration and co-ordination of the various government supported MMC-relevant initiatives – to support innovation in the construction industry.
Such initiatives include:
- The Construction Technology Centre, consortium led by the University of Galway;
- The Demonstration Park for MMC at Mount Lucas, operated by Laois Offaly Educational Training Board (LOETB), and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research and Science (D/FHERIS), and SOLAS;
- The National Construction Training Centre at Mount Lucas, operated by LOETB, D/FHERIS, and SOLAS;
- The Build Digital project, led by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; and
- The Built to Innovate awareness campaign run by Enterprise Ireland.
Earlier this year, the DETE expanded the role of the enterprise agencies to provide firm-level financial support for productivity enhancement and innovation in the domestic residential construction sector. Enterprise Ireland has launched the Built to Innovate campaign to drive awareness of these opportunities in the construction sector. Enterprise Ireland seeks to support companies in the construction sector who wish to pursue:
- Enhanced usage and implementation of MMC
- Implementation of Lean training in both manufacturing and off-site environments
- Improving the use of digital tools that can bring productivity benefits
- Funding for research concepts or process innovative ideas
The Building Regulations 1997-2021 set out the legal requirements for the construction of new buildings (including houses), extensions to existing buildings as well as for material alterations and certain material changes of use to existing buildings. I.S.440: 2009+A1:2014 Timber Frame Construction, Dwellings and other Buildings as referenced by the Building Regulations is the Irish standard on timber frame construction.
With regards to the environmental impact of construction materials, Climate Action Plan 2021 commits to working with industry stakeholders to increase the use of low carbon materials and technologies in the construction and renovation of buildings in Ireland, informed by evolving EU standards and by best practice in other jurisdictions.
In addition my Department has issued design guidelines for sustainable housing which includes recommendations to have due regard for the environmental impact of construction materials. These guidelines “Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities” are available on my Department’s website at the following link. www.gov.ie/en/publication/24d9e-quality-housing-for-sustainable-communities-design-guidelines/
244. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the shortage of available workers in the housing industry; his proposals to deal with this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46385/22]
View answerThe Labour Demand Estimates for Ireland’s National Housing targets, 2021 – 2030 Report estimated that total labour demand from housing construction will need to rise from approximately 40,000 full time equivalent workers at present, to 67,500 workers by the middle of the decade, to achieve an annual average of 33,000 homes over the decade. As the backlog of housing output has built up, a further increase, possibly up to 80,000 workers may be necessary.
This expansion of the workforce is a trend that will continue through continuing attraction and retention of those with the necessary pre-existing skills and the provision of new training opportunities for those interested in a career in the construction sector.
The Department of Further and Higher Education Research Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), and its agency, SOLAS, are delivering an integrated education and training sector response to these skills requirements through SOLAS’ Strategy for Construction Services. Critical to the sector is the replenishment of fundamental skillsets.
Housing for All makes the following commitments in relation to Skills & Capacity in housing policy objective 17:
- up-to-date forecast of labour demand and supply for the construction sector implementing the policies necessary to fast-track sufficient numbers into the residential construction workforce. Such policies may include, but are not limited to:
-an integrated education, training and activation response, including delivery of new courses and apprenticeships etc
-working with Industry (through the Construction Sector Group) to review and promote the attractiveness of careers in the construction sector.
- recourse to international labour markets where supply is unavailable locally, including facilitating recruitment from abroad and changes
- employment permit schemes where necessary
- encouraging participation in the Irish market by international construction firms and builders
Responsibility for delivery of the above actions rests with DFHERIS and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE).
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) also has the potential to help boost productivity and increase efficiency, and avoid waste, in the construction sector. The co-ordination of activities to promote MMC adoption is being led by DETE through an interdepartmental MMC Leadership and Integration Group.
This Group will ensure the cohesive integration and co-ordination of the various government supported MMC-relevant initiatives – to support innovation in the construction industry.
My Department continues to engage with the relevant Government bodies and stakeholders to deliver these and related actions to deliver the skills needed and support productivity in the residential construction sector.
245. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of cost-rental schemes that have been approved in each of the months April to August 2022; the number of units involved; the locations of each these schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46413/22]
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. 18,000 Cost Rental homes will be delivered between now and 2030, to be facilitated by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), Local Authorities and the Land Development Agency (LDA).
AHBs will be supported by Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) funding and Local Authorities will be able to avail of funding for Cost Rental delivery through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF). The LDA will also deliver Cost Rental on its own portfolio of sites or through acquisitions under Project Tosaigh.
To date, approval in principle has been confirmed for approximately 900 Cost Rental homes to be delivered by AHBs under the CREL scheme in the period to 2023. The necessary financial and commercial arrangements in relation to a number of these projects are being completed by the AHBs concerned. Full details of the projects, including specific locations, housing typologies and cost-covering rents cannot be made public until these arrangements are concluded.
In addition to homes funded through the CREL scheme, additional Cost Rental properties are being developed by Local Authorities through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF). The central Exchequer funding through the AHF will help to facilitate a Local Authority-led financing structure for Cost Rental, which will provide important opportunities for Local Authorities to directly deliver Cost Rental homes on their own lands, such as at Emmet Road in Dublin City.
In respect of the LDA, details of the work that the LDA is progressing on public lands that will deliver affordable purchase and cost rental can be found here: lda.ie/projects-schemes/
The LDA will also deliver Cost Rental under Project Tosaigh, which is a market engagement initiative to unlock land with full planning permission that is not being developed by private sector owners. Full details of the initiative can be found here: lda.ie/home-building-partnership/
246. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has issued price guidelines for the purchase of turn-key homes in each local authority area; and the amount that has been recommended and approved for three-bedroom semi-detached houses in each local authority area. [46414/22]
View answerThe current cost guidelines for the acquisition of houses and apartments for social housing use were updated and issued to local authorities in May 2022. A copy of these, in tabular format for each local authority will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.
247. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable homes that have been approved and contracted in each local authority area in each of the months April to August 2022; if he will identify their locations and numbers of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46415/22]
View answerUnder Housing for All, the Government will deliver 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
2022 represents the first year of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. Significant funding has been secured and is being made available to support delivery of affordable housing for purchase or for cost rental by local authorities, AHBs and by the LDA.
In addition, the First Home Scheme, launched in July this year, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model, similar to that employed in the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. The Scheme aims to support in the region of 8,000 households in acquiring new homes in the private market in the years 2022 to 2026 with an overall budget of €400 million.
A delivery target has been set for 2022 of just over 4,100 affordable homes for affordable purchase and cost rental across the various delivery streams. In implementing Housing for All, each local authority has now prepared a Housing Delivery Action Plan for 2022 to 2026. 18 local authorities with a strong and identified affordable housing need were asked to include planned affordable housing delivery in their Action Plans. I have also set five-year Affordable Housing delivery targets for those local authorities.
Local authorities have been asked to begin collating information on delivery of affordable homes in their area in the same manner as is currently done for social housing. It is intended that information on delivery across all delivery streams will be gathered by my Department and I expect that my Department will be in a position to begin reporting on affordable delivery in national quarterly delivery statistics later this year. A pipeline of affordable housing delivery is also being developed by local authorities.
248. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the price guidelines that his Department has issued for the prices of affordable homes in each local authority; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that houses that are fully compliant with current regulations are available at these prices in each location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46416/22]
View answerAffordable homes made available through the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme are covered by the Affordable Housing Act 2021 and associated Regulations. Delivery of these homes is primarily a matter for each Local Authority, though the Department supports delivery through grants from the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF). The Department does not set price ceilings for homes the AHF will support. However, Local Authorities are required to demonstrate that the funding provided will allow the delivery of the homes at purchase prices below market value and that the homes are suitable for the moderate income, first-time buyer households which are the target market.
Under the legislation, the purchase price of a home made available by a Local Authority varies according to the property and the purchasing power of an eligible applicant, though will be between 5% and a maximum 40% below the market value of the home. However, this is subject to a minimum sale price set by the Local Authority having regard to the various costs associated with delivery and the level of financial subsidy available, including grant funding from the AHF. This is set out in the Affordable Housing (No. 2) Regulations 2021 (available online at www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2022/si/183/made/en/print).
Separately, the First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. It uses regional price ceilings aligned to the median prices paid for new-build homes by first time buyers in each area. This is to temper any inflationary pressures and to target support at the lower part of the price distribution in each area, as well as to encourage additional housing supply at this price level. Full details of the First Home Scheme, including the price ceilings broken down by Local Authority area, are available on the scheme website: www.firsthomescheme.ie.
249. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the meetings that officials from his Department attended with several groups (details supplied) in the past five years in which Moore Street was discussed; if he will identify the persons who were in attendance at each of these meetings; the proposals that were suggested; and if he will release the minutes of each meeting. [46423/22]
View answerThere were 36 meetings of the Moore Street Advisory Group (MSAG) to the Minister in its various iterations over the last five years. Secretariat to the group was provided by my Department and other officials attended meetings as necessary from time to time to give updates to the MSAG. Dublin City Council and the Moore Street Traders were represented on this group. The minutes of these meetings, including attendance can be found at www.gov.ie/en/collection/70068-moore-street-advisory-group/
Hammerson representatives met with officials on one occasion to present their plans. As the minutes of this meeting contain commercially sensitive information, so they have not been published. In addition, two site visits took place with representatives of Hammerson and the Department in attendance.
Any Ministerial meetings with any of the groups would have been attended by Departmental officials. Ministerial diaries are published on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/collection/5f6f1-ministers-diaries/
There were no meetings between officials of my Department and Dublin City Council or the Moore Street Traders.
250. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the full-time patient-facing officers of Dublin Fire Brigade and its staff of ambulance personnel have not received the pandemic bonus payment from Dublin City Council; and if he and or his officials have engaged with officials at Dublin City Council and or the HSE in respect of issuing the payment. [46440/22]
View answerOn 19 January 2022, the Government announced a Covid-19 recognition payment for front-line healthcare workers to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. This once-off payment is ring fenced to staff who were ordinarily onsite in Covid-19-exposed healthcare environments within the period from 1 March 2020 to 30 June 2021. It applies to eligible staff in the public health service and six other specific cohorts, one of which is staff employed by Dublin Fire Brigade to deliver paramedic services on behalf of the Health Service Executive.
The payment of this recognition payment is ultimately a matter for the Department of Health; however, my Department, in conjunction with the Local Government Management Agency, is liaising with that Department to finalise the modalities of how this recognition payment is to be made to eligible staff as soon as possible.
251. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the level of engagement that his Department has had with the European Commission in 2022 in relation to the regulation of short-term lettings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46477/22]
View answer252. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department intends to engage with self-catering providers on the practical implementation of the short-term rental measures as set out in the recent Planning and Development, Maritime and Valuation (Amendment) Act 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46478/22]
View answer253. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if section 3 of the Planning and Development, Maritime and Valuation (Amendment) Act 2022 has been commenced; the date that it is expected to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46479/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 251 to 253, inclusive, together.
Section 3A of the Planning and Development, Maritime and Valuation Act 2022 provides for the introduction of a new regulatory regime in relation to the short-term letting sector, specifically non-principal private residences advertised for letting in the designated Rent Pressure Zones. However, the provisions cannot come into effect until supporting supplementary regulations providing for the detailed operational arrangements in relation to the proposed measure are made and signed into law.
My Department is presently engaging with the relevant stakeholder groups, including the Irish Self-Catering Federation, on the detailed operational arrangements that will apply in relation to the proposed measure to be incorporated in the required supplementary regulations. It is intended to conclude the consultation process as soon as possible. My Department is also engaging with the European Commission on the legislation under the notification requirements of the Technical Regulation on Information Society (TRIS) Directive, which engagement is ongoing.
