Written Answers Nos. 37-59
37. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the upper cap for the defective concrete block scheme to enable persons to rebuild their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47330/22]
View answerFollowing on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, the Government approved the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022 on 21 June and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President on the 23 July, 2022.
The purpose of this Act is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the scheme as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021. Full details can be found at www.gov.ie/en/press-release/328d7-minister-obrien-welcomes-progress-on-enhanced-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme/.
The Act provides for a maximum grant of €420,000. The grant applicable to an individual homeowner will depend on the appropriate remediation option as determined and the maximum grant available for the dwelling given its size or the amount of blockwork to be removed and replaced and the grant rates in place at that time.
Section 11 of the Act provides for an increase or decrease in remediation and ancillary grant amounts. These amounts can be revised by Government order not more than once every 12 months. Three such orders can be made and thereafter a resolution of the Oireachtas will be required for the making a maximum of three further orders. The maximum overall increase in the overall grant cap which can be applied by the Minister in any single order is 10%.
As set out in Section 11 (6) of the Act, in making an order to increase or decrease, regard will be given to construction costs prevailing in the designated local authority areas and the economic circumstances of the State prevailing at the time of the making of the order.
The grant rates to apply will be prescribed in regulations which my Department are currently working on. The grant rates prescribed will be no less favourable than those recommended by SCSI in their cost report and will be sufficient to enable a homeowner to remediate their home.
38. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications that have been made under the home loan scheme. [46924/22]
View answerThe Local Authority Home Loan has been available nationwide from local authorities since 4 January 2022 for first-time buyers and fresh start applicants. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. It is the successor to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan (RIHL).
The 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 Housing Agency up to the end of August 2022 show that there have been 1,483 Local Authority Home Loan applications assessed so far in 2022.
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.
39. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason he is not resolving the grant system for persons who were not registered for septic tanks and who have had an inspection and been refused the grant assistance as their tank was not registered. [46756/22]
View answerMy Department provides financial assistance towards the remediation, repair or upgrading works to, or the replacement of a domestic waste water treatment system under new and revised grant schemes, which launched in June 2020. The schemes are focused on areas of greatest environmental priority rather than general in application. This is in line with Government Policy which is framed in the context of meeting relevant obligations under legislation.
The Water Services Act 2007, as amended, required all owners of premises served by an individual domestic waste water treatment system to have the system entered into a register maintained by local authorities. The prescribed date of 1 February 2013 was appointed by the Water Services Act 2007 and 2012 Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Registration) Regulations 2012, as amended. New houses with domestic treatment systems continue to be required to register.
In implementing the revised arrangements, my Department has undertaken to conduct a review of these grant schemes, to ensure their continued alignment with policy objectives. The review is ongoing and is expected to be completed by year end.
40. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the national biodiversity action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47298/22]
View answerThe public consultation for the 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) launched on September 1st. The 4th NBAP will set the national biodiversity agenda for the period 2023-2027 and aims to improve the governance of biodiversity in Ireland so that we can better respond to the biodiversity emergency. The Plan also addresses the connections between biodiversity and climate change, and the need to enhance the evidence base for biodiversity conservation policy and practice.
The draft Plan has been developed against a backdrop of unprecedented challenges for nature in Ireland and globally. It is informed by an extensive review of national, European, and international policies, strategies, legislation and science. A first draft of the Plan was circulated to an initial group of stakeholders, including the Biodiversity Forum, the Biodiversity Working Group, Government Departments and organisations that are likely to be involved in implementing the Plan. Further development of the draft Plan involved stakeholder engagement in the form of exploratory discussions, surveys, detailed workshops and valuable discussions held at the 2nd National Biodiversity Conference in June.
Promoting a ‘whole of government, whole of society’ approach to biodiversity conservation is central to the next National Biodiversity Action Plan. The draft Plan recognises the need for responsibility for biodiversity to be shared across government, acknowledging that responding to the challenges we face is not the sole responsibility of one department or organisation.
I urge members of the public to have their say and engage with this public consultation.
42. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of progress of the Clonburris strategic development zone, SDZ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47223/22]
View answerClonburris is a Strategic Development Zone and was designated by Government to be of economic and social importance to the state for residential development and associated services and facilities. The delivery of the Clonburris SDZ has the potential to be a transformative project of national, regional and local significance in terms of regeneration and urban development. The project will facilitate the provision of distinctive and attractive places where housing can be delivered in tandem with state-of-the-art public realm, green infrastructure and community facilities. The wider project to develop the SDZ comprises of up to 11,000 homes, extensive open space and recreation, cycle ways and walkways, excellent connectivity, community facilities, schools and employment floor space.
The Clonburris URDF Project, which was approved into the URDF programme as part of the second call for proposals in 2021, involves the provision of critical strategic infrastructure that will be essential to the further development of this unique and complex site. All URDF supported projects must be carefully developed and managed by the Sponsoring Agency, in this case South Dublin County Council, in accordance with the normal conditions and arrangements that apply to public sector managed projects in compliance with the Public Spending Code.
South Dublin County Council submitted a preliminary business case in respect of the project which was approved by Government on 27 July 2022, giving approval in principle to Exchequer funding of €186.3m at Decision Gate 1 of the Public Spending Code. On foot of that approval, South Dublin County Council are currently progressing the planning, design and development of the individual infrastructural elements of the project.
In addition to the infrastructure elements of the project, South Dublin County Council own six sites in the Clonburris SDZ that have been master-planned with a capacity of over 2,500 homes. The Council has plans well advanced for the development of social, affordable purchase and cost rental homes across the six sites with the first two sites currently undergoing detailed design for mixed tenure projects.
44. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will review the situation with the defective block scheme in cases in which persons are unable to downsize; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47331/22]
View answerFollowing on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, the Government approved the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022 on 21 June and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President on the 23 July, 2022.
The purpose of this Act is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the scheme as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021. Full details can be found at www.gov.ie/en/press-release/328d7-minister-obrien-welcomes-progress-on-enhanced-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme/.
The grant awarded to an applicant under the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, where the remediation option is full demolition and rebuild, will be based on the size of the original dwelling or the size of the home the grant recipient intends to build in the case of downsizing. I and the Government have an obligation to the Exchequer and participants in the scheme to ensure that the grants approved are appropriate to the size of home being rebuilt and that homeowners rebuilding a home of the same size are commensurately grant aided.
The scheme does facilitate downsizing and whilst downsizing may not be financially rewarded under the scheme homeowners who choose to downsize are not penalised under the grant scheme.
46. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to support the development of sewerage schemes in villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46927/22]
View answerThe Programme for Government supports the uptake of Irish Water's Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme 2020-2024, which will provide water and waste water growth capacity in smaller settlements. I understand from Irish Water that an allocation of almost €100 million for this programme was approved by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. Irish Water is working with local authorities across the country to ensure the investment supports the growth of identified settlements, where these are prioritised in line with the local authority development plans.
In addition, on 28 April 2022 I announced funding for a new measure under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme 2022-2025, for the Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs of Villages and Settlements that do not have access to public waste water services. Details of the announcement can be found at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/press-release/f2fa6-minister-obrien-announces-50-million-in-funding-to-improve-the-waste-water-needs-of-rural-villages/
An allocation of €50 million has been committed under the National Development Plan for the new measure, which will focus on areas of most need based on housing and environmental criteria. It is expected that at least ten demonstration projects will be supported under this first round of funding. The demonstration project model will allow for the development of appropriate longer-term strategies, protocols and better inform future funding needs for the progressive development of public waste water collection and treatment infrastructure in villages/settlements that are currently without these services.
Details of the scheme, including terms and conditions and the relevant accompanying documents are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/a524a-group-water-schemes-and-rural-water-issues/#waste-water-collection-and-treatment-needs-for-villages-and-settlements-without-access-to-public-waste-water-services.
The closing date for receipt of applications was 15 September 2022. An Expert Panel will now evaluate all valid bids and based on the recommendations of the Panel a report will be submitted for my consideration and approval.
47. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress that has been made in implementing the organisation review of An Bord Pleanála by the independent review group published in February 2016. [47346/22]
View answerAn Organisational Review of An Bord Pleanála was undertaken by an independent expert panel and published in March 2016. An Implementation Group, comprising representation from my Department and An Bord Pleanála (the Board), was established to oversee the implementation of the Review recommendations.
The Review contains 101 recommendations relating to:
- simplification of the planning legislation
- improvements to the processes, systems and practices of An Bord Pleanála
- improvements to the organisational structure and staffing
- changes to the statutory objective timeframes and aspects of the Strategic Infrastructure Development process
The Implementation Group published its Terms of Reference and Plan for Implementation in 2016. The Board, supported by my Department, as required, took the lead in the implementation of a large number of the key recommendations, with my Department taking the lead in examining recommendations requiring legislative underpinning. An update, in tabular form, on the implementation status of each of the 101 recommendations contained in the report is attached.
“Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland” sets out a number of objectives with the aim of improving the functioning of the planning system including the comprehensive review and consolidation of planning legislation. Recommendations of the Organisational Review of An Bord Pleanála requiring legislative underpinning are being considered in the context of the current review of planning legislation which is being led by the Attorney General, who has established a working group of professionals with planning law expertise to assist him in this work. The review is due to be finalised and a Bill brought to Government by the end of 2022.
Finally, the report contains recommendations in relation to the process of appointment to the Board of An Bord Pleanála, and I recently signalled my intention to bring a plan to Government in the near future which will outline a new appointment process for Ordinary members of An Bord Pleanála which will be underpinned by new legislation. In the interim, the current statutory nomination process for Board member appointments is being ceased.
48. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to assist communities in improving wastewater infrastructure. [47321/22]
View answerThe Programme for Government supports the uptake of Irish Water's Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme 2020-2024, which will provide water and waste water growth capacity in smaller settlements that would otherwise not be provided for in Irish Water's capital investment plan. I understand from Irish Water that an allocation of almost €100 million for this programme was approved by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. Irish Water is working with local authorities across the country to ensure the investment supports the growth of identified settlements, where these are prioritised in line with the local authority development plans.
My Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, delivers improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no public water services.
On 28 April 2022 I announced funding for a new measure under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme 2022-2025, for the Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs of Villages and Settlements that do not have access to public waste water services. Details of the announcement can be found at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/press-release/f2fa6-minister-obrien-announces-50-million-in-funding-to-improve-the-waste-water-needs-of-rural-villages/.
An allocation of €50 million has been committed under the National Development Plan for the new measure, which will focus on areas of most need based on housing and environmental criteria. It is expected that at least ten demonstration projects will be supported under this first round of funding. The demonstration project model will allow for the development of appropriate longer-term strategies, protocols and better inform future funding needs for the progressive development of public waste water collection and treatment infrastructure in villages/settlements that are currently without these services.
Details of the scheme, including terms and conditions and the relevant accompanying documents are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/a524a-group-water-schemes-and-rural-water-issues/#waste-water-collection-and-treatment-needs-for-villages-and-settlements-without-access-to-public-waste-water-services.
The closing date for receipt of applications was 15 September 2022. An Expert Panel will now evaluate all valid bids and based on the recommendations of the Panel a report will be submitted for my consideration and approval.
In addition, a working group – the Rural Water Working Group - is considering the composition of the measures for inclusion for funding, including Community Waste Water Connections, under the upcoming programme. Once I have had an opportunity to consider their report, I expect to announce details of the programme priorities and an invitation to local authorities, to submit bids will follow later this year.
49. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the up-to-date position on the review being carried out on retained and full-time fire services nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47264/22]
View answerThe provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing the legislative framework, running a central training programme and issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management manages fire service issues in my Department.
Fire services in Ireland are provided by the local authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. Under this legislation, 31 authorities provide fire prevention and fire protection services for communities through 27 service delivery structures. Approximately 3,300 local authority staff engaged at 217 fire stations nationwide deliver local authority fire services, 16 of these stations being staffed by full-time firefighters, a further 4 are mixed full-time and retained, and 197 are staffed by retained firefighters, with approximately 2,065 retained firefighters around the country. It is important to note that the numbers of fire service front-line staff have been maintained at a constant high level throughout the economic challenges of the past number of years, even when staffing numbers, by necessity, were reduced in other areas of the local authority sector.
In 2013, my Department published 'Keeping Communities Safe (KCS) - A Framework for Fire Safety in Ireland'. The adoption of KCS as national policy saw national norms/ standards established for fire services in Ireland for the first time, against which local authority fire services could benchmark themselves. The report of the Fire Service Validation Group, 'Fire Services in Ireland, Local Delivery - National Consistency', published in 2016, noted the staffing arrangements in place in fire services across Ireland to achieve these standards and that fire services manage staffing levels in fire stations to achieve the national standards of fire service response.
The provision of fire services by local authorities is based on a risk management approach, which involves an analysis of the nature of the fire hazards and the incidence and extent of fires that occur, as well as the fire protection measures in place. There has been a welcome downward trend in the incidence of fire, with the fire fatality rate per million of population, using a three-year average, currently at 4.3 deaths per million of population. While each death is one too many, this figure is a third of what it was twenty years ago when it stood at 12.9 deaths per million of population and positions Ireland among countries with very low fire fatality rates.
In May 2021, the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management mandated a small internal project team to undertake a review of the model of local authority ‘Retained’ fire services delivery. This review has a particular emphasis on the recruitment and retention of staff, with the proviso that due consideration also be given to input from the County and City Management Association.
The objective of the review was to explore and understand the issues that can impact service delivery, to undertake research and analysis and to propose options that will underpin the continuing provision of effective and inclusive local authority fire services into the future.
The initial engagement element of the review was the gathering of appropriate data and information, to inform the needs analysis and option appraisals for further development. To that end, the project team undertook a procurement process and engaged the services of an independent consultant to survey the views of the personnel who work in the retained fire services and those that have recently retired from the retained fire services. In preparing the survey, the project team sought the views of retained services trade union representatives through the Fire Services National Oversight and Implementation Group.
Comprehensive updates on the progress of the report have been positively received by the Fire Services National Oversight and Implementation Group. There is broad agreement that the survey outcomes are reflective of feedback received directly from Retained Fire service members previously, and that the Fire Services National Oversight and Implementation Group remains the appropriate forum for feedback on the report.
It is anticipated that the final review report will be submitted to the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management in the coming months. Following this, any recommendations made to the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management’s Board, to address the issues raised in relation to the recruitment and retention of Retained Firefighters, will then need to be considered together with all relevant stakeholders.
50. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will urgently review the 12-month income assessment rule given that it is resulting in applicants being refused social housing support who are clearly in need of such support. [47281/22]
View answerThe overarching principle of social housing support is reflected in the underpinning legislation and the Household Means Policy, the latter being amended last year. The amended policy aims to better reflect the long-term nature of social housing supports and, in doing so, ensure fairness and equity in the system and that those with a continuing long-term need are prioritised.
My Department continues to monitor implementation of the policy and its operation, which will be kept under review.
51. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the broadening of supports for those homeowners impacted by pyrite who are not covered by current schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47314/22]
View answerThe Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency.
The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive pyrite in the subfloor hardcore material and not to damage arising in any other circumstance, e.g. such as pyrite in concrete blocks.
The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” for affected homeowners who have no other practical option to obtain redress and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website, www.pyriteboard.ie.
The scheme is applicable to dwellings which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave, established in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2017 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol. In this regard, it is a condition of eligibility under the scheme that an application to the Board must be accompanied by a Building Condition Assessment with a Damage Condition Rating of 2.
As matters currently stand, the owners of dwellings located within the counties of Kildare, Meath, Westmeath, Offaly or the administrative areas of Fingal County Council, Dublin City Council, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, South Dublin or Limerick City and County Council, are eligible to apply for remediation works under the scheme.
The Programme for Government and Housing for All commit to ensuring that the remediation fund is fully drawn down and that property owners are appropriately supported. In this regard €20m was provided under Budget 2022 to cover the implementation of the pyrite remediation scheme and funding will continue in 2023. €186m the total funding provided under the scheme since 2014.
The latest figures available indicate that 3,143 applications have been received under Scheme and, so far, 2,646 dwellings have been included of these the works in respect of 2,454 are complete with the rest at various stages of progress.
Any proposal to amend the scheme is, in the first instance, a matter for the Pyrite Resolution Board and any such proposal would require detailed consideration of the evidence.
52. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if any further consideration has been given to previous proposals (details supplied) in respect of the first home scheme to address boundary issues in Drogheda, County Louth and County Meath, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47084/22]
View answerThe First Home Scheme was launched on 7 July this year. It supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. Full details of the scheme are available at www.firsthomescheme.ie.
On a countywide basis, regional price ceilings for eligible home purchases have been aligned with the median purchase prices of new-build homes recently purchased by first-time buyers, as found in the CSO’s Residential Property Price Index. The initial setting of the ceilings was also informed by a review of live market data.
The price ceilings for the First Home Scheme are designed to temper inflationary pressures, to target support specifically at the lower part of the price distribution in each area, and to encourage the development of additional housing supply at this level.
It must be recognised that any system of geographically-based price ceilings necessarily requires defined borders. This will result in examples of homes on either side of given borders with differing price ceilings. To this end, the price ceilings from the launch of the scheme were selected in order to strike an appropriate balance between the making sure the scheme could administratively and practically operate, that homes could be made available below those ceilings and to temper any inflationary pressures.
When considered overall, I am confident the methodology broadly reflects price trends across the country, and represents a clear, easily understandable method for utilising the scheme. However, I can advise that it has been confirmed to me a review of price ceilings will be undertaken by the First Home Scheme DAC before year end. In carrying out that review it would be necessary to consider whether available and robust data will support the drawing of borders in an alternative or more finely determined manner and whether the scheme could practically operate any new price ceiling structure being proposed. The review process, which will continue periodically thereafter, is to ensure that the ceilings allow the scheme to deliver on its underlying objectives.
The First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company now holds responsibility for maintaining the scheme, and for reviewing and updating of price ceilings nationally and can be contacted directly at www.firsthomescheme.ie/get-in-touch/.
53. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeframe for the publication of the revised wind energy development guidelines; the reason for the significant delay in publishing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46925/22]
View answer137. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the ratification of new wind energy guidelines for Ireland. [45710/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 137 together.
My 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, with a Q2 2023 delivery date target.
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.
54. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the cost effectiveness analysis, cost-benefit analysis or cost evaluation that has been carried out on the Croí Cónaithe cities scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46839/22]
View answerHousing for All set out four pathways to achieve its vision of a sustainable housing system, ensuring that everyone in the State has access to a home to purchase or rent at an affordable price, built to a high standard and in the right place, offering a good quality of life.
Addressing the current housing shortage requires short, medium and long-term action to stimulate housing supply. The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme is one measure within Housing for All in the short to medium term that will help to kick-start developments that might not otherwise be developed.
Following ongoing review by the Dublin Housing Task Force, we know that there is a sizeable proportion of unactivated planning permissions in urban areas that are capable of being brought forward in the shorter term. These include numerous permissions for apartments in our urban cores, which meet important compact growth objectives. In many cases, the cost of constructing new apartments is more than the price achievable in the sales market, leading to a clear viability gap as set out in a number of reports.
To tackle this issue, Housing for All announced a new Croí Cónaithe (Cities) scheme to bridge that viability gap. Following extensive development work, I launched the scheme on May 10th last.
My Department, together with the Housing Agency, developed the Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme drawing on:
- consultations with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Revenue Commissioners and legal advice in relation to the operational basis for the Scheme;
- Housing Agency and internal Department published and commissioned research; and
- Housing Agency analysis and assessment modelling; and
- a stakeholder engagement workshop
The scheme will, over the next 5 years, seek to deliver apartment developments in cities for sale to owner occupiers. It will be managed by the Housing Agency on behalf of my Department.
Each proposal is, furthermore, subjected to rigorous assessment by the Housing Agency, first to determine its eligibility under the terms of the scheme and then ranked in accordance with a number of criteria to ensure that schemes providing, inter alia, the best value for money are prioritised for support. Details of the assessment process are set out in the Expressions of Interest document linked here: www.housingagency.ie/CroiConaitheCities
The Housing Agency is currently assessing the Expressions of Interest received from scheme proposers and engagement is ongoing with the EU Commission DG COMP team on the issue of State Aid approval.
55. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is satisfied with the support given to local authorities to ensure a swift response to social housing maintenance approaching the winter months. [47311/22]
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.
Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2019. Local authority officials and elected members have a very important role to play in this regard by making adequate budgetary provision for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance utilising the significant housing rental income available to them as part of the annual budgetary process.
Notwithstanding the legal obligations on local authorities to manage and maintain their housing stock, my Department does provide annual funding to local authorities to support their work in this area across various programmes which include Voids, Energy Efficiency, Disabled Persons Grant and Regeneration. Since 2014, over €944 million of exchequer funding has been invested in these local authority housing stock improvement works which are detailed below.
|
Programme |
2014-2021 |
|
Voids |
€261 million |
|
Energy Efficiency |
€160.7 million |
|
DPGs |
€112 million |
|
Regeneration |
€411 million |
In 2022, my Department is providing funding support under the various stock improvement programmes as detailed below.
|
Programme |
2022 |
|
Voids |
€30 million |
|
Energy Efficiency |
€85 million |
|
DPGs |
€25 million |
|
Regeneration |
€50 million |
Given the very significant investment into the Programmes over recent years, particularly in the Voids programme in 2020 and again 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.
As notified in Circular 18 2022, €5 million in funding has been ring-fenced for Planned Maintenance under this years Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme to support the implementation of an ICT asset management system for the LA sector and to provide a funding contribution for the commencement of stock condition surveys.
56. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he intends to publish measures considered by the rural water working group for inclusion in the new 2022-2025 multi-annual rural water programme; and when requests for bids for this programme will be announced. [46921/22]
View answerMy Department’s Multi-annual Rural Water Programme, through Exchequer funding, delivers improvements to water services in areas of rural Ireland where there are no public water services.
A working group – the Rural Water Working Group - is considering the composition of the measures for inclusion for funding under the upcoming multi-annual programme. Once I have had an opportunity to consider their report, I expect to announce details of the programme priorities and an invitation to local authorities, to submit bids will follow later this year.
57. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he expects the Attorney General's review of planning legislation to be completed. [44886/22]
View answerThe review and consolidation of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) is progressing in line with the timeline set out by the Office of the Attorney General, who is leading on the project. A Bill is expected to be brought to Government by the end of the year. The Attorney General has established a working group of planning law experts to assist him with the review and there is ongoing, intensive engagement between the working group and my Department.
I chair the Planning Advisory Forum which plays an important role in contributing to the emerging policy considerations of the Review and consists of a wide stakeholder membership with representatives from a broad range of sectors, including the public sector, business, environmental, social and knowledge based sectors.
My Department has also met with members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage on three occasions to date to discuss emerging themes from the Review. There will be further engagement with both the JOC and the Planning Advisory Forum as the Review progresses over the coming weeks, and we are working to concluding the Review before year end.
58. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his Department's plans for funding local authorities in the next 12 months to carry out planned maintenance on their housing stock; if he will provide a breakdown by each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46966/22]
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.
Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2019. Local authority officials and elected members have a very important role to play in this regard by making adequate budgetary provision for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance utilising the significant housing rental income available to them as part of the annual budgetary process.
Notwithstanding the legal obligations on local authorities to manage and maintain their housing stock, my Department does provide annual funding to local authorities to support their work in this area across various programmes which include Voids, Energy Efficiency, Disabled Persons Grant and Regeneration. Since 2014, over €944 million of exchequer funding has been invested in these local authority housing stock improvement works which are detailed below.
|
Programme |
2014-2021 |
|
Voids |
€261 million |
|
Energy Efficiency |
€160.7 million |
|
DPGs |
€112 million |
|
Regeneration |
€411 million |
In 2022, my Department is providing funding support under the various stock improvement programmes as detailed below.
|
Programme |
2022 |
|
Voids |
€30 million |
|
Energy Efficiency |
€85 million |
|
DPGs |
€25 million |
|
Regeneration |
€50 million |
Given the very significant investment into the Programmes over recent years, particularly in the Voids programme in 2020 and again 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.
As notified in Circular 18 2022, €5 million in funding has been ring-fenced for Planned Maintenance under this years Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme to support the implementation of an ICT asset management system for the LA sector and to provide a funding contribution for the commencement of stock condition surveys.
