Written Answers Nos. 326-338
326. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the review of the pilot caravan loan scheme has been completed; when the new scheme will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19210/23]
View answerThe Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.
The Act provides that housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas.
The nationwide pilot Caravan Loan Scheme concluded at the end of 2022. My Department is currently reviewing the operation of the pilot scheme with input from local authorities and other stakeholders. A report is being prepared and options for a further scheme are being considered as part of this review.
327. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will open up applications for the local authority home loan to those who wish to 'buy out' an ex-partner/husband/wife from a property so that they can remain in the family home with their children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19274/23]
View answerThe Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage scheme for those who cannot get sufficient funding from commercial banks to purchase or build a home. It 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. A ‘Fresh Start’ principle applies for applications to the Local Authority Home Loan.
The following categories of persons are eligible to apply for the Local Authority Home Loan under the Fresh Start principle:
Applicant(s) that previously purchased or built a residential property, but is divorced/separated or otherwise and has left the property and divested themselves of their interest in the property are eligible. Applicant(s) that previously purchased a residential property, but have been divested of this through insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, are eligible to apply. The applicant must be discharged from bankruptcy proceedings. It should be noted that a return to solvency should not be interpreted as a return to creditworthiness, which is a separate assessment.
In recognition of such instances, an exemption to the First Time Buyer eligibility criteria can be applied under the Fresh Start Principle to assist these people to purchase a home when they have left the family home. I have no plans to further expand this criteria under the Local Authority Home Loan at the present time.
328. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide details on how much of the Department of Housing's budget for 2022 was returned to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19275/23]
View answerMy Department's Appropriation Accounts which are published by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) set out the full details of expenditure for the relevant years and can be found at the following link:
www.audit.gov.ie/en/publications/appropriation%20accounts/. The 2022 Appropriation Account has been presented to the C&AG and will be published later this year following audit.
Summary details of the allocations and amount surrendered to the Exchequer in 2022 is set out below:
|
Vote 34 - DHLGH |
REV Allocation |
Amount Surrendered to Exchequer |
% of Total Allocation |
|
2022 |
€6,148m |
€246.7m |
4% |
Under Section 91 of the Finance Act, 2004, all or part of any unspent appropriations for capital supply services may be carried over for spending in the following year. This provides for the carryover of up to 10% of the REV allocation (Capital) from one year to the next.
In 2022, the continued impact of Covid-19 on the construction sector, compounded by supply chain issues and the onset of war in Ukraine with resulting further detrimental impact for the sector, had a substantial effect on drawdown of capital investment for key programme areas. Capital expenditure in 2022 was lower than profiled resulting in surplus balances on the capital elements of Programmes A (Housing), B (Water), D (Planning) and F (Heritage), of which €340m capital has been carried forward to 2023.
Despite these challenges, my Department continued to engage proactively on a range of measures to manage, mitigate and expedite where possible. In the case of significant capital projects, it is important to note that the aforementioned impacts push a project out rather than cancelling it and therefore Capital Carryover ensures that where delivery arises beyond the calendar year in which initially anticipated, the capital can transfer to meet the commitment up to a maximum of 10%.
It should also be noted that the lead-in time for capital programmes does not, by its nature, readily facilitate in-year substitution for alternative capital delivery.
329. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown of all funding under the heading of Limerick regeneration since 2016, in tabular form. [19284/23]
View answer330. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of HAP and RAS tenancies respectively targeted for delivery by Cork City Council in each of the years 2022-2026, in tabular form. [19304/23]
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. Over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. The strategy will focus strongly on new builds, and in particular local authority led new build activity.
While specific targets for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Rented Accommodation Scheme (RAS) are not set under Housing for All, the plan does commit to continuing supports under these schemes while social housing stock is increased. However, as the numbers of new build social homes increases under Housing for All, there will be a reduced reliance on HAP and RAS.
Budget 2023 allocated €544 million in Exchequer funding for the HAP scheme and €113 million for RAS. This level of funding will allow for the continued support of existing HAP households (59,258 at end 2022) and also enable a further projected 8,800 households to be supported by HAP in 2023. The RAS funding will also allow for the continued support of existing RAS households (16,653 at end 2022) with a further 800 transfers from Rent Supplement expected in 2023.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity, including HAP and RAS in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website at the following link - www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/
332. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of WTE Park Rangers that are based in each National Parks under the remit of National Parks and Wildlife Service as of 18 April 2023; and if he will provide the same figures as of 30 April 2021, in tabular form. [19336/23]
View answerGiven the enforcement roles discharged by certain staff in the National Parks and Wildlife Service, for reasons of operational security, my Department does not provide details of staffing in the manner requested.
Currently there are in excess of 70 Conservation Rangers stationed right across the country, and it is my intention to further increase this number, up to 120 Rangers. In April 2021, there were 70 Conservation Rangers stationed throughout the country.
A recruitment competition for Conservation Rangers is being run by the Public Appointments Service. The recruitment is at an advanced stage and candidates are currently being appointed. I have asked my Department to accelerate appointments from this panel, to reach this target of 120 Conservation Rangers within NPWS. My Department is currently engaged with the Public Appointments Service to run another Conservation Ranger competition later this year.
Staffing levels across my Department, including Conservation Rangers, are kept under regular review in line with emerging business needs and Government policy on public sector pay and staffing as advised by the Department of Public Expenditure, NPD Delivery and Reform.
333. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm that all local authorities are obligated to provide AHBs developing under the capital assistance scheme in their local authority area with the applicable unit cost ceilings, if he is aware of any circumstances where this is the case; and whether has a circular or guidance been issued on the matter. [19361/23]
View answerBasic Unit Costs for new build social housing projects are a key reference in the development and costing of project designs. They are issued to local authorities by my Department as they are updated and are explicitly identified in the relevant Circular as relating to social housing build projects developed directly by local authorities and also by AHBs, on LA/AHB lands, using Public Works forms of Contract.
Accordingly all local authorities must share Basic Unit Costs for the range of new build social housing projects with AHBs that are developing such projects in their area. I am not aware of any situations where the sharing of Basic Unit Costs with AHBs who are developing such projects is not being done by a local authority.
334. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the circumstances under which cost rental tenants may be eligible to access the housing assistance payment. [19362/23]
View answerThe core objective of Cost Rental is to offer moderate-income households the choice of a more affordable and stable form of tenure. Cost Rental is not social housing and is designed to assist middle-income households, who do not qualify for social housing supports such as the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), but who are facing affordability pressures on the private rental market. Cost Rental is a major step forward in providing much-needed affordable rental options to those households with incomes above the limits set for social housing.
Section 34(1) in Part 3 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 means the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) cannot be availed of for a Cost Rental home, at least initially. The idea of preventing those who are in receipt of HAP from transferring into Cost Rental homes is to ensure that the target cohort of middle-income households, currently not receiving any supports for their housing needs, can be accommodated in this new housing tenure.
However, in recognition of the potential changes in household circumstances that can occur during a tenancy, Section 34(1) also provides that HAP can be available to Cost Rental tenants after the tenancy has lasted for more than six months. This acknowledges the objective that costs are covered by rents, thereby securing the financial future of the model, while at the same time making Cost Rental a secure long-term accommodation option for households whose circumstances may change.
335. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will now implement a tenancy deposit protection scheme for renters, as provided for in the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015; if he will outline his reasons for not commencing such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19363/23]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 provided for the development of a deposit protection scheme to be operated by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). Significant changes have taken place in the rental market since this Act.
Section 7 of the Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Act 2021 inserted a new section 19B into the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 which applies to tenancies created on or after 9 August 2021, to restrict the total amount that a tenant is required to pay to a landlord by way of a deposit or an advance rent payment to secure a tenancy to no more than the equivalent of two months’ rent (i.e. any deposit cannot exceed one month’s rent and any advance rent payment cannot exceed one month’s rent). A restriction of the equivalent of one month’s rent is also placed on the amount that a tenant is obliged to pay as a regular advance rent payment to a landlord during a tenancy. These measures are intended to greatly reduce any financial exposure to tenants, on foot of paying such restricted upfront payments.
Action 2.10 of Housing for All requires that, among other things an examination for the creation of a system of holding rental deposits, informed by international experience occurs. This examination has a timeline of Q2 2023.
336. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many staff have been hired to deal with the tenant in situ scheme; the number of vacant positions still available; the breakdown by local authority of the number of persons hired to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19367/23]
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. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes and 54,000 affordable homes by 2030. 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.
Housing for All includes a commitment to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects. Extensive work was undertaken in 2021 to identify the additional staff resources required by local authorities to deliver the social housing targets set out in Housing for All. In December 2021, I approved funding for 250 housing posts in local authorities nationally to support in social housing delivery.
In October 2022, I also approved funding for an initial tranche of 69 affordable housing staff posts for local authorities with an affordability constraint. My Department and the Housing Delivery Coordination Office in the Local Government Management Agency will be monitoring this programme further to a review of any additional supports being examined in 2023.
Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end, my Department gathers aggregate quarterly data on staff numbers in each local authority on a whole time equivalent basis. However, granular data, in terms of the detailed breakdown of the numbers and grades of staff allocated to specific work areas within local authorities is not collected and consequently is not available in my Department. The relevant information would be available from the local authorities concerned.
338. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a breakdown of the number and cost of bathroom conversions for council tenants for each local authority in each of the years 2019 to 2022. [19429/23]
View answerMy Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or overcrowded situations. Typical works include adaptations such as stair-lifts, level deck showers, ramps and grab rails, widening door opening widths and improving circulation spaces. Extensions to provide for ground floor bathrooms and bedrooms can also be supported.
My Department's approach every year, in the first instance, is to allow local authorities complete works up to 65% of the previous year’s allocation in the absence of formal approval to keep this important work going. Following this, later this year, my Department will issue a single full year allocation to each local authority, so they can plan, prioritise and implement the programme to carry out the varying works necessary to meet the needs of their tenants in this year. Additional funding may be available on request to support emergency situations that may occur throughout the year. The programme is 90% funded by the Department with a 10% contribution from the local authority.
The detailed administration of this scheme including assessment, approval and prioritisation of applications is the responsibility of local authorities and details in relation to the costs and exact nature of works to individual properties may be available from each individual local authority upon request.
My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work in this area. Funding allocations under the 2023 Programme will be announced shortly.
