Written Answers Nos. 351-370
354. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department would consider reforming the zoning and planning process to improve the timelines for delivery of housing and infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33560/23]
View answer355. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department would consider simplifying and shortening the planning process to hasten building of housing and energy infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33561/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 354 and 355 together.
The draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 was published in January and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage has undertaken a significant pre-legislative scrutiny process on the draft Bill. Their report contains more than 150 recommendations, which I am considering carefully. My Department continues to work closely with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to finalise the Bill, taking account of the pre-legislative scrutiny report and submissions from stakeholders more broadly. Once finalised, the Bill will be published and proceed before the Houses of the Oireachtas, subject to its schedule.
The Review has taken consideration of all aspects of planning including environmental assessment and improving processes to ensure the delivery of critical infrastructure, such as renewable energy, housing and transport.
The draft Bill increases clarity, streamlines the legislation and improves coherence and usability for the public and practitioners. It also ensures alignment and consistency, both with European and environmental obligations and in relation to the various tiers of national, regional and local plan-making. Importantly, it provides greater certainty through the introduction of a range of statutory and mandatory timelines across the various consenting processes, including for An Bord Pleanála.
The Government, through the introduction of the Large-Scale Residential Developments process, continues to expedite the delivery of housing supply while also providing certainty and stability to the construction sector by retaining some of the positive elements of the SHD arrangements such as mandatory pre-application consultation, quality of applications submitted and decision timelines.
356. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what action his Department will take with local authorities where planning permission was issued for commercial units on the ground floor subject to the construction of residential units on floors one and two, and where the property developers are now refusing to make residential units available for occupation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33571/23]
View answerIn accordance with the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), development management, undertaken by the relevant planning authority, is a statutory process to ensure that development takes place in an orderly and efficient manner. The planning authority must have regard to the matters provided for in Section 34 of the Planning Act. Furthermore, a planning authority must have regard to guidelines issued to the planning authority by the Minister regarding its functions, under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), including the Development Management Guidelines for Planning Authorities issued in 2007.
Development must be carried out and completed in accordance with the planning permission(s) granted. The planning authority also has the power to ensure that any development undertaken complies with conditions attached to planning permission by the planning authority. However, the granting of planning permission in itself does not require the applicant to commence development.
In cases where development has commenced in breach of the planning permission, including a breach of any conditions attached to the permission, enforcement action may be taken by the planning authority. The relevant planning authority may use all powers at its disposal to ensure that development only takes place with the benefit of valid planning permissions and that all conditions attached to permissions are complied with.
To note, Section 34 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) also states that a person shall not be entitled solely by reason of a permission under that section to carry out any development. There are other legal and procedural requirements which may have to be complied with, such as legislation relating to building control, public health and fire safety.
Under Section 30 of the Act, I, in my role as Minister with responsibility for planning, am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned.
357. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide the names and contact information of all special advisers to Ministers and Ministers of State within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33586/23]
View answerThe information requested is set out in the table below.
|
Minister |
Adviser |
Contact Details |
|
Minister Darragh O'Brien |
Kevin Dillon |
Email - kevin.dillon@housing.gov.ie Tel - 01 8882238 |
|
Minister Darragh O'Brien |
Ciara Shaughnessy |
Email - ciara.shaughnessy@housing.gov.ie Tel - 01 8882825 |
|
Minister of State Malcolm Noonan |
Hannah Hamilton |
Email - hannah.hamilton@housing.gov.ie Tel - 01 8882985 |
358. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to increase the maximum grant available under the housing aid for older people scheme for roof repairs/replacement in view of the increased construction costs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33597/23]
View answer428. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to increase funding for housing adaptation grants for older persons and persons with a disability, in view of local authorities' reports that they cannot meet demand; and when the report on the review of Housing Adaptation Grants will be published. [34342/23]
View answer430. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the major discrepancies in the time it takes for different local authorities to reimburse applicants for work done under the housing adaption grant scheme; if he will consider circulating a memorandum of understanding among local authorities to ensure all local authorities are processing payments in the same timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34375/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 358, 428 and 430 together.
My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities to support the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability which support older and disabled people living in private houses to adapt their home to meet their needs.
The detailed administration of the grants, including the assessment, approval and payment of individual grants to applicants, is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. I understand that all local authorities make every effort to process grant payments to applicants in a prompt manner.
The total funding available for the suite of Housing Adaptation grants has increased to over €83 million for 2023, continuing the year on year increase since 2014 for these extremely important grants. My main focus in respect of these grants is in seeking to spread their benefits by further increasing the funding that is available at national level including wider access to funding at the local level.
Housing for All commits to reviewing the grants scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. The review was informed by engagement with external stakeholders, including the Department of Health, the HSE, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the Irish Wheelchair Association. Written submissions were also invited and considered as part of this process. Among the areas which the review considered are both income thresholds and the grant limits.
On foot of my consideration of the Review report, I have asked my Department to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform on the recommendations in the Review report. I will publish the report, including the agreed grant levels and income thresholds, once that engagement has concluded.
359. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to review the decision to lift the temporary moratorium on no-fault evictions; and his plans to reinstate a winter eviction ban on an annual basis. [33630/23]
View answerThe Government agreed on 7 March that the ‘Winter Emergency Period’ under the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 would come to an end on 31 March 2023, with deferred tenancy terminations taking effect over a staggered period from 1 April to 18 June 2023 as planned and legislated for under that Act.
In advance of this, I considered a number of courses of action and consulted with colleagues across Government who agreed, taking account of the advices of the Office of Attorney General and our collective knowledge and interaction with the residential sector, that a focus on additional new supply was the best way forward in dealing with the end of the winter eviction ban in a manner which best protects tenants.
I have no plans to reinstate a winter eviction ban on an annual basis. However, the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 and the operation of rental market are kept under close and constant review by my Department, the Residential Tenancies Board and the Housing Agency.
As set out in the Housing for All Action Plan Update (published in November 2022), my Department has commenced a comprehensive review of the private rental sector. This review will take into account the significant regulatory changes over the past several years in the residential rental market, and will report on how our housing system can be enhanced to provide an efficient, affordable, viable, safe and secure framework for both tenants and landlords. This review will be essential in properly planning future policy for the residential rented sector including implementing measures to support both landlords and tenants.
To inform the review, my Department has a public consultation process underway. A Public Consultation Submission form went live on my Department’s website on 26 June 2023. A related stakeholder workshop took place on 6 July 2023. Following targeted stakeholder engagement, I have decided to extend the consultation period by a further two weeks to 8 August 2023. Further details are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/consultation/ea0ea-public-consultation-review-of-the-private-residential-rental-sector/ Over the coming months, my Department and I will work further with Government partners and stakeholders to put together a comprehensive new package of effective measures for both tenants and landlords.
361. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing commencements and completions by each local authority to date in 2023. [33632/23]
View answerData on commencement of residential dwellings are published monthly on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/a5cb1-construction-activity-starts/.
Data on dwelling completions is published quarterly on the Central Statistics Office's website at the following link: www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-ndc/newdwellingcompletionsq12023/data/.
Housing for All is working and delivery is increasing. We have made a very positive start to 2023 across the key leading construction indicators.
The most recent data show almost 28,000 homes commenced construction in the year to end-May, with almost 13,000 of these commencing between January and May, the most for this period since records began in 2014 and 7% higher than the in same in period last year. More than 3,000 homes commenced construction in May alone, up 11% on the same month in 2022.
At the same time, more than 6,700 homes were completed in Q1 2023, a 19% increase on the same period last year and the most completions since Q1 2011; while almost 31,000 homes were completed in the 12-months to end-March 2023, the first time since 2009 rolling 12-month home completions surpassed 30,000.
I am optimistic, given recent upward trends in planning permissions, commencements and completions, that we will meet our overall targets for new homes in 2023 and the recent substantial uplift can be sustained into 2024 and 2025.
362. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the regeneration of social housing flat complexes in Dublin 2. [33633/23]
View answerMy Department publishes quarterly Social Housing Construction Status Reports (CSR), which provide details of social housing developments that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of design and tender processes.
The full set of published CSRs, can be found on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/
Dublin City Council has advised that they continue to build on the reviews of older flat complexes that have been completed over the years and are working to develop and deliver on the long term strategy for the redevelopment and/or refurbishment of many of these complexes including those in Dublin 2. This is a matter for Dublin City Council in the first instance.
My Department has provided Stage 1 approval to proceed to planning for the redevelopment of the following flat complexes in Dublin 2.
- Oliver Bond House – 48 units
- Pearse House – 75 units
- Glover’s Court – 50 units
363. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clarify if an older couple with medical issues (details supplied) who have rented a three-bedroom property for the past ten years which the landlord has offered to Dublin City Council to purchase under the tenant in situ scheme can be approved for this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33661/23]
View answer373. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify whether the tenant in situ scheme includes properties in which tenants are considered overaccommodated (details supplied); if not, if he will provide details of the number of properties local authorities have refused to purchase on this basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33674/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 363 and 373 together.
Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).
For 2023, the Government has agreed that there will be increased provision for social housing acquisitions and my Department will fund local authorities to acquire at least 1,500 social homes. The additional acquisitions will be focused on properties where a tenant in receipt of social housing supports has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. My Department issued a circular letter to all local authorities in March, setting out details of these arrangements and each local authority was provided with a provisional target for social housing acquisitions in 2023. Local authorities have delegated sanction in relation to these acquisitions, subject to those acquisitions being within Acquisition Cost Guidelines issued by the Department.
It is a matter for individual local authorities to identify suitable acquisitions in line with local circumstances and their social housing allocations policy. Local authorities will work with all social housing supported tenants who receive a Notice of Termination and where it is not possible to purchase the property, the local authority will seek alternative supports, which will include support to obtain an alternative tenancy, including a HAP-supported tenancy or an allocation to local authority stock where possible.
Details of social housing acquisitions will be published as part of the comprehensive programme level statistics published by my Department on a quarterly basis. This data is available for all local authorities to the end of Quarter 4 2022 and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
Data is currently being collated for Quarter 1 2023 and will include a breakdown of the number of homes purchased by each local authority under the tenant in situ scheme. This data will be published in due course.
366. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Questions (details supplied), in particular where he advised, in respect of the Public Consultation on the Wild Bird Declarations that closed on 24 February 2023, that "The results will be made available on the National Parks and Wildlife's (NPWS) website when analysis of the results has been completed," if he will provide details of the number of submissions received; and if he will outline his Department/NPWS's current scheduled date for completion of the analysis of submissions. [33665/23]
View answerIn excess of 700 responses were received in respect of the Public Consultation, including written submissions outside the online survey. My Department is completing the analysis of the submissions at present and the results will be published on the National Parks and Wildlife website as soon as possible.
