Eoin Ó Broin
Question:721. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of active tenancies in the housing assistance payment scheme and rental accommodation scheme. [27719/23]
View answerHousing Schemes
Questions (721)
Written answers
My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on social housing delivery activity in all local authority areas on the statistics page of its website. Data in relation to the number of active tenancies nationally that are in receipt of HAP and RAS can be accessed on my Department’s website at the respective links:
HAP: assets.gov.ie/259625/05ed5a3f-0e80-4358-8e4d-a7e1e3a05194.xlsx
RAS: assets.gov.ie/236005/078ede62-c0cd-4fee-9e59-f8deab8ad4d3.xlsx
Q1 2023 data is currently being collated and will be published shortly.
Housing Policy
Questions (722)
Holly Cairns
Question:722. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on introducing regulations to allow individuals who rent or buy an apartment to have a pet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27742/23]
View answerWritten answers
The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (the Acts) regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the residential rental sector and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants.
The Acts apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. Dwellings covered by the Acts include the private rental sector, the cost rental sector, the approved housing body sector and student accommodation (including tenancies and licences in student specific accommodation). The Acts make no reference to animals and it would be inappropriate for them to prescribe matters relating to the keeping of pets.
Generally, it is “house rules” agreed between a landlord and a tenant at the start of a tenancy that might deal with keeping pets and landlords should make sure their tenants are familiar with these house rules by including them in the tenancy agreement, which cannot impose obligations that are inconsistent with the Acts. House rules must not be in contravention of legal rights and protections afforded to landlords and tenants including privacy, data protection, equality legislation, etc.
Electoral Process
Questions (723)
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Question:723. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide accurate electronic copies of clear maps for every local electoral area in the country. [27771/23]
View answerWritten answers
My Department does not maintain maps for local electoral areas across the State. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the type of supports (which may include the preparation of detailed maps in respect of local electoral areas) necessary to raise awareness among their electorates, their elected members and prospective candidates who may wish to stand at the local elections scheduled for next year, and to ensure the effective conduct of said elections within their functional areas.
Citizens' Assembly
Questions (724)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:724. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost of establishing a marine biodiversity national coordination body as recommended by the Citizen's Assembly on biodiversity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27777/23]
View answerWritten answers
I welcome the publication of the report of the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss and am grateful to members of the Assembly for their dedication and commitment to the process.
The Assembly agreed 159 recommendations, including 73 high level and 86 sectoral specific recommendations, reflecting the depth and breadth of the topics discussed. The recommendations of the assembly will now be deliberated by the relevant committee in the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Committee will, in turn, bring its conclusions to the Houses for debate.
The Government will prepare a comprehensive response to the full set of recommendations of the Assembly, including that of the establishment of a Marine Biodiversity Coordination Body. Further information on the timeline of this response will be provided in due course.
Housing Schemes
Questions (725)
Cathal Crowe
Question:725. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he will take to address an anomaly with the Croí Cónaithe grant scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27818/23]
View answerWritten answers
Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock.
In July 2022 the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use.
From 1 May 2023, a grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent, including the conversion of a property which has not been used as residential heretofore, subject to appropriate planning permission being in place.
Where the refurbishment costs are expected to exceed the standard grant of up to €50,000, a maximum top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed by the applicant to be derelict or where the property is already on the local authority’s Derelict Sites Register, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.
The grant is available in respect of vacant and derelict properties built up to and including 2007, in towns, villages, cities and rural areas.
A maximum of two grants are available to any applicant, of which one must be in respect of a home they intend to occupy as their principal private residence and the other may be in respect of a property which will be made available for rent.
The property must be vacant for two years or more at the time of grant approval and proof of vacancy is required to support grant applications.
The grant process involves the local authority receiving, reviewing and validating applications and arranging for a qualified person to visit the property to check that it is possible to do the work and to assess the proposed cost. Following confirmation of a successful application and the works being completed, the local authority will conduct a final property visit to review that the work has been completed in-line with grant application. Once the local authority is satisfied, they will then pay the grant.
Payment of the grant at the end of this process is to ensure that the applicant has carried out the works applied for, and approved, and to safeguard that the grant is related to the works which have been completed.
Wildlife Protection
Questions (726)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:726. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authorities that have undertaken hedgerow surveys; if targeted funding is available to councils to undertake this work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27824/23]
View answerWritten answers
My Department does not have overall responsibility for hedgerow surveys. Teagasc, however, has undertaken hedgerow mapping on a national scale, and while no comprehensive national survey has been carried out to date, a number of local authorities have commissioned hedgerow surveys at county level.
The Local Biodiversity Action Fund (LBAF) operated by my Department provides funding to assist local authority biodiversity officers, or heritage officers in local authorities without a biodiversity officer, with the implementation of projects that promote actions contained in the National Biodiversity Action Plan. Funding of over €2.5m has been awarded to date in 2023 to local authorities for a variety of biodiversity-related projects. Since the Fund was first launched in 2018, several local authorities have applied for and secured funding to carry out hedgerow work, including surveying, providing recommendations for the protection, restoration and enhancement of hedgerows and raising awareness of the importance of hedgerows as refuges for biodiversity. For instance, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown received LBAF funding in 2021 to initiate a hedgerow survey which was continued with further funding in 2022. 11 local authorities have been awarded funding in 2023 for hedgerow related work.
Architectural Heritage
Questions (727)
Jackie Cahill
Question:727. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has any plans to acquire Knocklofty House, Clonmel, County Tipperary to prevent it from further deterioration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27832/23]
View answerWritten answers
My role with regard to the protection and management of our architectural heritage is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, as are the roles of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners.
Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, gives primary responsibility to local authorities to identify and protect the architectural heritage by including particular structures on the Record of Protected Structures (RPS). This places a duty of care on the owners and occupiers of the protected structure and also confers on the local authority, in this case Tipperary County Council, certain powers and obligations to deal with development proposals and to prevent endangerment of the structure.
In the interests of the management and presentation of the built heritage, my Department will, in exceptional circumstances, seek to acquire certain properties of outstanding heritage value as resources and opportunities permit. Given the responsibilities of the owner and the local authority under the legislation, my Department would not acquire a property simply to prevent deterioration. Accordingly, my Department has no plans to seek to acquire Knocklofty House.
It should be noted that, under the 2022 Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS), Tipperary County Council was offered grant funding for a number of heritage projects within the county. Works at Knocklofty House were nominated by the Council and approved by my Department as one many projects to receive grant funding. However my Department was informed by Tipperary County Council late in 2022 that the Knocklofty House project would not proceed that year. For further information about this decision I would suggest contacting Tipperary County Council directly.
Question No. 728 answered with Question No. 665.
Question No 729 answered with Question No. 665.
Wildlife Regulations
Questions (730)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:730. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide copies of all wildlife licences issued for controls of wild birds since and including 2018 to date. [27872/23]
View answerWritten answers
The information sought is not readily available and its compilation would involve a significant redeployment of resources. If the Deputy has a specific licence in mind perhaps she could revert to me and I will ask my officials to look further into the matter.
Question No. 731 answered with Question No. 665.
Question No. 732 answered with Question No. 665.
Question No. 733 answered with Question No 665.
Question No. 734 answered with Question No. 665.
Question No. 735 answered with Question No. 665
Question No. 736 answered with Question No. 665.
Question No. 737 answered with Question No. 665.
Question No. 738 answered with Question No. 665.
Question No. 739 answered with Question No. 665.
Question No. 740 answered with Question No. 665.