Written Answers Nos. 304-323
304. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has undertaken any work to offer additional support to homeless services in Galway city and county given the severe lack of emergency accommodation in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57911/22]
View answerMy Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities.
While responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis, with nine administrative regions in place.
A homelessness consultative forum has been established in each region in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009. It is a matter for the management group of the consultative forum, in the first instance, to determine the services and the funding required to address homelessness in each region. Each region submits an annual expenditure programme to my Department and my Department approves a funding allocation. The management of the funding allocation is delegated to the lead authority in each region and is governed by a protocol between my Department and the lead authority. This protocol sets out the funding arrangements and structures to ensure adherence with statutory requirements and public financial procedures.
My Department is working with Galway City and County Councils to ensure that their Cold Weather Arrangements are in place in time for the coming winter. Funding is being made available to housing authorities to ensure that cold weather arrangements are sufficient to provide the necessary housings supports during the winter period.
In addition to the Cold Weather Arrangements, Galway City and County Councils have been asked to advise my Department if there is a need for additional emergency beds and, if so, have been asked to submit new service proposals without delay.
On 28 October 2022 Galway City Council were granted Stage 2 approval for the construction of a Day Centre and Temporary Homeless Accommodation at Seamus Quirke Road. This project will deliver a day centre and 24 emergency beds in 2024.
My Department has been liaising regularly with Galway City and County Councils with regards to the homelessness and emergency accommodation situation in both areas, and works closely with them in the course of its work with the Galway Social Housing Taskforce.
305. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the rationale behind the decision to exclude terraced and semi-detached houses with respect to the recent working group examination of defects in purpose-built apartments and duplexes built between 1991 and 2013, from report and terms of reference; if there are any plans for a similar working group examination of defects in houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57915/22]
View answerThe Programme for Government sets out a number of commitments in respect of the important policy area of addressing building defects. These include a commitment to examine defects in housing, having regard to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing’s report Safe as Houses? and to assist owners of latent defect properties, by identifying options for those impacted by defects, to access low-cost, long-term finance. Housing for All, the Government’s national plan on housing to 2030, reiterates these commitments.
In this regard, in advance of the establishment of the working group to examine defects in housing, my Department actively engaged with key stakeholders on the proposed remit of the group. In this regard, submissions from homeowner representative groups focused on multi-unit developments.
The working group to examine defects in housing held its first meeting in March 2021. The group’s terms of reference, which were agreed and adopted in May 2021, focused on fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. The report of the working group ‘Defect in Apartments’ was published at the end of July 2022 and I am currently, in consultation with Government colleagues, in the process of developing options with a view to providing support to homeowners who find themselves in a difficult financial situation through no fault of their own.
In addition, in response to the difficulties that homeowners are facing due to the presence of deleterious material in their houses, my Department has put a number of measures in place to support homeowners including providing considerable financial assistance to remediate their homes. These include the Pyrite Remediation Scheme and the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme, both of which are underpinned by legislation.
306. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a review of housing Circular 41/2012 is underway; if so, when it will be ready; and if not, if his Department will consider undertaking a review of the circular in order to provide clarification regarding the content. [57946/22]
View answer307. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is considering changes to the eligibility criterion for social housing supports; if it is intended to enshrine legal residence as a criteria for application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57947/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 306 and 307 together.
I intend to bring forward legislation early in the new year regarding eligibility of non-nationals for social housing, including provision for legal residence as an eligibility criterion in any assessment for social housing support.
In the meantime, my Department continues to provide guidance and updates as needed on related policy matters in accordance with National and EU law. This includes, for example, recent correspondence advising local authorities of additional grounds upon which a right of residence may be established and flagging the intention to provide a statutory underpinning for policy in this area generally.
308. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the violation of the right to adequate housing (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57950/22]
View answerIn relation to concerns around the adequacy of certain local authority housing, my Department is committed to ensuring that tenants in social housing are provided with adequate housing that meets the standards most recently laid down in the Housing (Standards For Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. All landlords including social housing landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations. In the case of social housing tenancies this responsibility falls on the relevant local authority where the property is located.
My Department is actively engaging with the local authority sector to promote the preventative maintenance of local authority housing stock. In addition to funding provided by the local authorities themselves in respect of their own housing stock, my Department provides funding across a number of programmes to support the local authority work to maintain and improve their social housing stock; in all cases, it is the local authorities that identify priorities. The continued work of local authorities in undertaking stock condition surveys, their responsive and planned maintenance programmes, as well as important on-going programmes such as the National Regeneration, Energy Retrofitting and Voids programmes continue to improve local authority housing stock and address the issues raised with the European Committee of Social Rights.
My Department is keenly aware of the importance of statistics with regard to local authority housing standards and has therefore been engaging with the local authority sector to ensure that full and standardised stock condition surveys are completed on the entire local authority housing stock over the next 4 to 5 years. To that end, a national standardised stock condition survey template has been agreed by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA). Procurement of a centrally hosted asset management system to capture the results of the surveys and inform future work programmes is being advanced. It is expected that the LGMA will commence a pilot of the ICT infrastructure early 2023 with subsequent rollout to all local authorities in the second half of 2023. This initiative will help local authorities fulfil their legal obligations under Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. In 2022 €5 million in Exchequer funding has been ring-fenced to support this work.
In line with commitments in the Programme for Government and Housing for All: A New Housing Plan for Ireland, The Housing Commission was established by Government in December 2021 to independently examine and review the housing system in Ireland. The Commission’s Terms of Reference cover a wide range of issues connected to housing, one of which is to propose appropriate wording for a referendum on housing and to consider the complex constitutional issues arising in this area.
As part this process the Commission held a dedicated Conference in May 2022 and launched a public consultation on 1 July, which concluded on Friday 2 September. The purpose of the consultation was to encourage as many people as possible to have their say in respect of a referendum on housing in Ireland. More than 2,000 submissions have been received and I understand that the Commission is pleased that there has been a broad response from members of the public, tenants, landlords, public representatives, organisations involved in housing, the charity sector, the community & voluntary sector, people working in related policy and legal areas and elsewhere. The majority of submissions received came from the general public and reflect a range of disparate views which will greatly assist the Commission in its task of providing independent advice to the government on a potential constitutional amendment. The submissions are being analysed to inform the Commission’s deliberations on a proposed wording for a referendum. The submissions will provide invaluable input from the public and stakeholders to assist the Commission in its task of providing independent advice to the government.
The proposed timeline for a referendum on housing will be a matter for Government to consider following receipt of the proposed wording from the Commission.
309. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the counties that currently have the homelessness rate of HAP available to persons in need in their respective counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57973/22]
View answer310. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason that County Cavan does not have the homelessness rate of HAP available to persons in need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57999/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 309 and 310 together.
The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. Under HAP, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. However, additional supports are available under HAP for homeless households or households at risk of homelessness. While eligible households or individuals may source accommodation for themselves under the Homeless HAP scheme, a dedicated resource, the Place Finder Service, has been established nationwide to provide assistance. The Place Finder Service can assist qualified households in finding suitable tenancies by facilitating access to appropriate additional supports.
To qualify for specific additional supports available to homeless households, a household must have been determined by the relevant local authority to be homeless within the meaning of section 2 of the Housing Act 1988. The operation of local homeless services, including the Place Finder Service, is a matter for each local authority.
The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that HAP levels are adequate to support vulnerable households, while we increase the supply of social housing. Under Housing for All, my Department was tasked with undertaking an analytical exercise to examine whether an increase in the level of discretion available to local authorities under HAP is required. The Housing Agency undertook to carry out this analytical exercise on behalf of the Department to better understand what level of discretion should be made available to local authorities under HAP to maintain adequate levels of support.
Following receipt and analysis of this review, I, in cooperation with Government colleagues and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, have now approved an increase in the HAP discretion rate from 20% to 35% and for new tenancies to extend the couple’s rate to single person households. This will secure more tenancies and prevent new entries to homelessness. Both these measures came into effect from 11 July 2022.
Each local authority including Cavan County Council now has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 35% above the prescribed maximum rent limit to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it, or up to 50% in the case of homeless households in the Dublin region. The additional discretion available to homeless households recognises the difficulty this cohort of households face in sourcing and securing properties in a highly competitive rental market.
A separate review of the discretion available to Homeless HAP tenancies in Dublin, which is up to 50% above the prescribed maximum rent limits, is currently being undertaken by my Department, in conjunction with the Housing Agency.
311. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has been monitoring the effects of the climate crisis on bird nesting habits; if so, if he will detail the findings; and if his Department has considered the future need to adjust the hedge cutting ban to correspond with changing nesting habits. [58008/22]
View answerMy Department monitors the population trends of and status of wild bird species, in accordance with the requirements of Article 12 of the Birds Directive. This monitoring programme does not specifically monitor the effects of climate change on bird nesting habits. No adjustments to hedge-cutting obligations under the Wildlife Act are being considered at present.
312. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase the maximum purchase property ceiling band for Tipperary under the first homes scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58010/22]
View answerThe First Home Scheme, launched on 7th 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. Full information on the First Home Scheme is available at the following link: www.firsthomescheme.ie
The setting of the initial First Home Scheme price ceilings was informed primarily by an analysis of relevant CSO data on the recorded sales prices of new homes by local authority area, specifically the national Residential Property Price Index (RPPI). This data was supplemented by a review of market data on the sales prices of available new homes being marketed for purchase at first-time buyers.
First Home’s use of regional price ceilings based on the median prices of new-build first-time buyer homes is designed to temper inflationary pressures and to target support at the lower part of the price distribution in each area, as well as encouraging additional housing supply at this price level.
The First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company (DAC) now holds responsibility for maintaining the First Home Scheme, including reviewing and updating price ceilings where appropriate. The First Home Scheme DAC has confirmed that, in line with commitments made at scheme launch, a review of ceilings is being undertaken. This review is intended to ensure that the ceilings in place allow the scheme to deliver on its underlying objectives. The price ceiling for Tipperary will form part of this review exercise.
313. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total funding allocation for the disabled persons' grant scheme by local authority in 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58012/22]
View answer314. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total funding drawn down for the disabled persons' grant scheme by local authority in 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58013/22]
View answer315. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total funding drawn down by local authority for the housing adaptation grant scheme to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58014/22]
View answer316. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the value and total number of grants awarded under the housing adaptation grant scheme in 2022 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58015/22]
View answer317. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when annual waiting list data will be published for the housing adaptation grant scheme, a commitment contained in the Housing Options for Our Ageing Population policy statement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58016/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 313, 314, 315, 316 and 317 together.
My Department provides funding to local authorities for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme. These schemes assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs, with Exchequer funding of €65 million available nationally in 2022. As part of the annual budgetary process the Exchequer funding provision for 2023 has been increased by €2 million to a total of €67 million, continuing the year on year increases since 2014.
Details of the total funding allocation and drawdown, from 2019 to 2021 and the allocation for 2022 for all local authorities, are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/social-and-affordble/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics
Details of the number of grants paid and the funding drawn down to date for 2022 by all local authorities is provided in the following table:
|
Local Authority |
Number of grants paid |
Funding drawn down by local authorities |
|
Carlow |
233 |
€1,253,610 |
|
Cavan |
124 |
€887,978 |
|
Clare |
226 |
€1,328,647 |
|
Cork City |
262 |
€1,400,641 |
|
Cork County |
665 |
€4,058,894 |
|
Donegal |
382 |
€1,697,561 |
|
Dublin City |
725 |
€4,561,903 |
|
DL/ Rathdown |
221 |
€1,385,985 |
|
Fingal |
262 |
€1,719,315 |
|
Galway City |
142 |
€701,277 |
|
Galway County |
144 |
€684,481 |
|
Kerry |
542 |
€2,188,424 |
|
Kildare |
420 |
€2,191,822 |
|
Kilkenny |
203 |
€1,185,942 |
|
Laois |
168 |
€756,992 |
|
Leitrim |
107 |
€545,446 |
|
Limerick City & County |
776 |
€3,262,465 |
|
Longford |
163 |
€758,246 |
|
Louth |
169 |
€975,522 |
|
Mayo |
579 |
€2,590,058 |
|
Meath |
395 |
€2,081,844 |
|
Monaghan |
209 |
€1,388,903 |
|
Offaly |
123 |
€1,026,739 |
|
Roscommon |
123 |
€755,147 |
|
Sligo |
189 |
€1,093,673 |
|
South Dublin |
391 |
€2,519,263 |
|
Tipperary |
498 |
€2,694,397 |
|
Waterford City & County |
207 |
€1,104,942 |
|
Westmeath |
172 |
€821,640 |
|
Wexford |
493 |
€2,361,809 |
|
Wicklow |
132 |
€1,041,175 |
|
Totals: |
9,445 |
€51,024,743 |
The Housing Options for an Ageing Population policy statement includes a commitment by my Department to work closely with local authorities to review the Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme and the waiting lists in place for adaptations and publish this data on a yearly basis to identify any barriers and gaps at local and national level and help to streamline the process to ensure timely intervention.
Housing for All also commits to reviewing the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. Among the areas which the review, currently underway, will consider are the income thresholds, the grant limits, the application and decision making processes, including supplementary documentation required. The review is to be completed by the end of 2022.
Additionally, my Department developed a new recoupment claim form which is being implemented by local authorities on a phased basis throughout 2022. The new form captures data on the date a valid application is received, approved and paid by a local authority. My Department will collate this data to be available for publication by early 2024 in respect of 2023.
318. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a naturalisation application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58085/22]
View answerThe application to which the deputy has referred is an application for entry onto the Foreign Births Register.
My Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.
Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. In 2015, prior to Brexit, a total of 6,000 entries were made to the register. In 2019, a peak number of 19,000 entries were made to the Foreign Births Register.
The service was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen to date in 2022.
Supporting documents for the application to which the deputy has referred were received on 6 October 2022, and are being stored in a secure environment until the application is checked for entitlement.
319. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Government has advised the President to extend an invitation to President elect of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to take part in a State visit to Ireland. [57053/22]
View answerVisits to Ireland by foreign Heads of State provide an important opportunity to promote Ireland’s interests internationally and contribute to the development of strong economic, political and cultural links between Ireland and other States.
Depending on the timing and nature of such foreign Head of State visits, they can include elements such as an official welcome ceremony, State hospitality and courtesy calls on the President, the Taoiseach, and the Oireachtas. Other elements may include business or community engagements or visits to places of cultural interest.
A State Visit is the highest level of official visit by a Head of State from one country to another. A prioritised and limited number of State Visits to Ireland take place each year. Over the past decade, and prior to the COVID 19 pandemic, the State would typically host 2-3 State Visits per year.
A limited number of Official or Working Visits to Ireland by Heads of State may also take place in any given year. Such visits typically do not include the same formal ceremonial elements as a State Visit, are shorter in nature, and are often focused on specific engagements.
Invitations to foreign Heads of State to pay a State Visit to Ireland are formally extended by the President of Ireland, who officially hosts visiting Heads of State during such visits. Invitations to foreign Heads of State to pay a State Visit to Ireland are issued by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Government.
It is standard diplomatic practice for the President of Ireland to send letters of congratulations to newly elected Heads of State. Such letters are prepared on advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs and may include open, general invitations to such Heads of State to pay a visit to Ireland.
In his recent letter of congratulations to President-elect da Silva of Brazil, the President of Ireland extended such an open, general invitation to the incoming Head of State to visit Ireland; however it was not specified that this should be a State Visit.
Brazil is an important partner for Ireland and one with which we share strong economic, historic and people-to-people links; Brazil is Ireland’s second largest trading partner in the Latin America and Caribbean region, and there are strong ties in terms of the Brazilian diaspora in Ireland and indeed the growing Irish community in Brazil.
Each year, an exercise is undertaken within the Department of Foreign Affairs to bring forward a prioritised programme of State Visits to Ireland for the coming year. Formal invitations are extended to States where there is a clear opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations, promote national and international interests and our values, or to reciprocate a previous State Visit by the President of Ireland.
This annual programme of State Visits to Ireland is prepared in consultation across relevant Divisions within the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of the Taoiseach, and Áras an Uachtaráin.
320. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57264/22]
View answerThe Department of Foreign Affairs provides consular assistance to Irish citizens abroad in line with the Department's Consular Assistance Charter, available at www.dfa.ie/travel/assistance-abroad/.
The Department is limited in the assistance it can provide in the circumstances outlined by the Deputy.
If the Deputy could pass on the contact details of the citizen in question, my officials would be happy to speak with him further and advise him on his situation.
321. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he or any officials from his Department or from bodies under the aegis of his Department travelled to the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference; the number who travelled; the costs incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57315/22]
View answerThe Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications led Ireland's delegation to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) 27 in Sharm El Sheikh. The Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and I also participated in discussions and events at different times during the Conference.
A total of ten officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs travelled from Ireland at different times over the two weeks of the Conference. Nine members of the staff of the Embassy in Cairo, including the Ambassador, travelled for all or part of the Conference.
While the total costs relating to official participation in COP27 have not been fully compiled, I can confirm that the costs for travel from Ireland by Ministers and officials representing the Department of Foreign Affairs amounted to €10,343.
322. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a foreign birth registration will be completed for a person (details supplied); the date that this application was received by his Department; the stage it is currently at; when it is expected that it will be dealt with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57368/22]
View answerMy Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish Citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.
Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. In 2015, prior to Brexit, a total of 6,000 entries were made to the register. In 2019, a peak number of 19,000 entries were made to the Foreign Births Register.
The service was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen to date in 2022.
My Department has put in place a number of measures that will address the volume of FBR applications currently on hand with a view to significantly reducing the processing time for these citizenship applications by the end of this year.
Supporting documents for the application to which the Deputy has referred were received on 7 December 2021, and are being stored in a secure environment until the application is checked for entitlement.
323. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his engagements with the British Government to ensure that persons travelling across Ireland will not be subject to visa requirements as a result of UK Nationality and Borders Act. [57392/22]
View answerThe UK Nationality and Borders Act provides for the establishment of a scheme under which non-Irish and non-British citizens would need to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling to the UK. Full details of how the scheme will be implemented still need to be set out through secondary legislation. However, we are deeply concerned at the potential impact of the scheme on non-Irish residents of Ireland and visitors who wish to travel from South to North.
The proposed ETA scheme will not apply to Irish or British citizens. The British Government has also confirmed that there will continue to be no immigration checks on the land border on the island of Ireland. However, the introduction of an ETA scheme could threaten the fluid nature of movement on the island and North-South cooperation under the Good Friday Agreement, including tourism and cross border health service provision.
Since late 2021, the Government has engaged actively with the UK on this issue. I raised our concerns at British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference meetings in both March and October. Minister McEntee also wrote to the previous UK Home Secretary to highlight our concerns. Officials from both our departments are in ongoing contact with UK counterparts on the issue.
I welcome the fact that in recent months the Home Office has shown increased awareness of the potential negative impacts of the scheme in the context of Northern Ireland. We hope that significant exemptions to the scheme can soon be agreed.
With reference to the Deputy’s question, I also note that under established British law and current Irish immigration law, restrictions apply to travel between Ireland and Northern Ireland for persons who are visa required in the respective jurisdictions.
