Monday, 11 Sep 2023

Written Answers Nos. 919-939

Insurance Coverage

Questions (919)

Niall Collins

Question:

919. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38519/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

My Department is acutely aware of the problems facing owners of thatched buildings in relation to insuring their properties.

Our research indicates that difficulties accessing insurance are due to the relatively high incidence of fire in thatched houses in Ireland. Other jurisdictions with a lower incidence of fire have reported no major problems with the market for thatch insurance.

Accordingly, it is expected that addressing the sources of fire risk directly will lead to a reduction in the incidence of fire and a corresponding reduction in insurance costs, as commercial providers compete to win new business in the usual way.

My Department is currently finalising guidelines for safeguarding thatched houses against fire. Our research indicates that the risk of fire can be very substantially reduced through a small number of straightforward measures, such as not using a solid-fuel stove in a thatched building. It is expected that the guidelines will be published this month.

We are also seeking to enhance the response to fire on the part of the fire services, and have been engaging closely with the Department of Finance and the insurance sector to identify potential providers and improve the situation for owners.

Finally, my Department has a number of grant programmes in operation to assist owners of thatched buildings. A thatch repair grant has been available since 1990. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund, introduced more recently, also provide financial support to owners of thatched buildings. This year, in recognition of the significant challenges facing owners, my Department introduced a ring-fenced fund of €500,000 under the BHIS specifically for historic thatched structures.

Departmental Data

Questions (920, 921)

Johnny Mythen

Question:

920. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of 18-25-year-olds that are registered for social housing on local authority waiting lists, provided by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38524/23]

Johnny Mythen

Question:

921. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of 18-30-year-olds that are registered for social housing on local authority waiting lists, provided by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38525/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

I propose to take Questions Nos. 920 and 921 together.

Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The SSHA captures the total number of households qualified for social housing support across the country whose social housing need has not yet been met and helps better inform policy and planning for the delivery of the right types of social housing support. There were 57,842 households qualified for social housing whose need was unmet in 2022. The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2022, is available at:

www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/

Tables 2.1 and A1.1 of the report include details on age profile. There were 5,335 households whose main applicant was aged less than 25 years and there were 7,332 households whose main applicant was aged between 25 and 29 whose housing need was unmet in 2022.

Question No. 921 answered with Question No. 920.

Information and Communications Technology

Questions (922)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

922. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has taken advice in respect of the use of artificial intelligence, AI, within his Department; if any section of his Department currently makes use of AI and if he will outline the purposes it is utilised for and costs associated with same; and if he has consulted with any consultancy firms in respect of the use of AI. [38570/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

My Department does not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to conduct business and has not consulted with any consultancy firms in respect of its use. As with all new technologies, my Department is assessing the potential of in the delivery of services, in line with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) guidance on its usage in the public service, and works closely with the NCSC which encompasses the State's national/governmental Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT-IE).

My Department does not comment on operational security matters as it would be inappropriate to disclose information that may in any way assist those with malicious intent.

Departmental Data

Questions (923, 924, 925)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

923. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of heat pump systems (HPS) with corresponding heat-recovery ventilation (HRV) systems installed in local authority homes, broken down by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38605/23]

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

924. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of heat pump systems (HPS) without corresponding heat-recovery ventilation (HRV) systems installed in local authority homes, broken down by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38606/23]

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

925. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action he will take to ensure that all heat pump systems (HPS) installed in local authority homes are fitted with corresponding heat-recovery ventilation (HRV) systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38607/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

I propose to take Questions Nos. 923 to 925, inclusive, together.

An extensive programme for the retrofit of local authority housing to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2 or cost optimal is underway.

In 2021, local Authorities retrofitted 1,038 social homes, with heat pumps installed in 1,038 (72%) of these. In 2022, local Authorities retrofitted 2,283 social homes with heat pumps installed in 1,898 (83%) of these. In 2023 my Department proposes to support the retrofit of a further 2,400 local authority homes with a budget of €87 million.

By 2030, my Department intends to support the retrofitting of 36,500 local authority homes to a BER of B2.

To achieve a B2 rating does not necessitate the use of heat recovery ventilation systems therefore the data requested relating to HRVs is not collected from local authorities.

Question No. 924 answered with Question No. 923.

Question No. 925 answered with Question No. 923.

Wildlife Conservation

Questions (926, 927)

Matt Carthy

Question:

926. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the scientific rationale for the removal of four duck species from the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) Orders; the engagement he has had with stakeholders in advance of this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38630/23]

Matt Carthy

Question:

927. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the removal of four duck species from the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) Orders required a statutory instrument; the legal mechanism used to remove these species, if not through statutory instrument, if there has been a public consultation mechanism before the orders were amended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38631/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

I propose to take Questions Nos. 926 and 927 together.

Under Directive 2009/147/EC (otherwise known as the Birds Directive) Ireland and other Member States are instructed to take the requisite measures to maintain the populations of wild bird at levels within their respective territories, which corresponds in particular to ecological, scientific and cultural requirements, while taking account of economic and recreational requirements, or to adapt the population of these species to those levels.

Ireland’s latest report to the EU Commission to fulfil obligations under Article 12 of Directive 2009/147/EC covers the period 2013 – 2018 and provides inter alia data on a range of Ireland’s bird species’ population sizes and trends through time. This report outlines a number of species whose estimated populations, at the national level, have undergone acute declines and/or whose populations are now relatively small. Several of these species are listed on Annex II to the Directive and 14 of the 21 species listed on the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) (Amendment) Order 2012 were the subject of national-level concern, on foot of the 2019 EU Article 12 report. The change to the Open Seasons Order recently implemented has removed four of these species.

A public consultation of the Open Seasons Order was carried out in early 2023, providing all interested stakeholders, and the general public with an opportunity to input their views on policy issues. NPWS subsequently engaged external expertise to review the c. 2,500 responses to the survey on the OSO, along with the outcome of the very productive stakeholder engagement meeting held in April 2023, and to develop recommendations arising from same.

In order to ensure that the hunting of the species on the open seasons order is sustainable, and in line with Ireland’s obligations to safeguard threatened bird species and the “principles of wise use” under the EU Birds Directive, I made a decision to amend the Open Seasons Order for the 2023/2024 season to remove scaup, pochard and goldeneye due to the great decline in their numbers in Ireland; over the period 1994/95 – 2019/20, estimated declines of 89%, 79% and 67% respectively have been recorded. Pintail, the fourth of the duck species was not retained because of the uncertainty around the effect of hunting this population due to its very small size, estimated to be 1,017 individuals. These birds are at a tipping point and the decrease in their numbers speaks for itself. All other bird species and dates remain the same.

In relation to question 38631/23, changes to the Open Seasons Order for wild birds are made via statutory instruments. The Principal Order is the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) Order 1979 (S.I. No. 192 of 1979), as amended.

The recent changes to the Wild Birds Open Seasons Order which removed these birds from the list of huntable species of wild birds were made under the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) (Amendment) Order 2023 (S.I. 421 of 2023). This is published on the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and is available at the following link:

www.npws.ie/legislation/irish-law/open-seasons-order

Question No. 927 answered with Question No. 926.

Defective Building Materials

Questions (928)

Joe McHugh

Question:

928. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to clearly define 'Principle Private Residence' with regards to the Mica Redress Scheme (V2); if he will disclose the legal advice from the Attorney General and/or others in relation to homeowners who have to leave their homes in County Donegal to work in other counties, or indeed, other countries; how this might affect their status and eligibility for the scheme; if it is within the law to restrict the free movement of citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38642/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The new scheme is now open to applications in four counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/service/8002e-enhanced-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme/

The Enhanced Grant Scheme only apply to homes located in the administrative area of designated local authorities within Ireland from applicants who reside in Ireland.

The dwelling must be:

· the individual's principal private residence, that is, a house which an individual owns (or co-owns) and occupies as his or her only or main residence.

· a rented dwelling with a registered tenancy that was registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) on or before 1 November 2021 subject to a maximum of one rental property per household and the introduction of a clawback mechanism upon re-sale within a set time period depending on the remediation option used.

The term principal private residence is a commonly understood concept in legislation and the question of seeking specific legal advice on the matter did not arise.

Housing Schemes

Questions (929)

Paul Kehoe

Question:

929. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of possible issues regarding payments under the croí cónaithe (towns) fund scheme (details supplied); if he will consider making adjustments to pay contractors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38677/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

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 grant process involves the local authority receiving and reviewing applications to ensure that the grant conditions are met and arranging for a qualified person to visit the property to check the refurbishment work being applied for 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 the 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.

When the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund was launched, a commitment was given that the schemes funded by it would be kept under ongoing review. A comprehensive review and evaluation of the schemes under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, including the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, will be undertaken by mid-2024.

Water Services

Questions (930)

Paul Murphy

Question:

930. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the loans which Uisce Éireann has taken out since its launch as Irish Water; the interest rate of those loans; and to outline the loans still outstanding. [38678/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

In March 2019, the Government approved recommendations made by the inter-Departmental Working Group on how to replace Uisce Éireann’s existing commercial debt facilities with State funding and provide State borrowing facilities for Uisce Éireann’s future non-domestic sector capital expenditure and working capital requirements.

Implementation of the Government Decision took place in 3 phases:

• Phase 1: In December 2019, the Minister for Finance provided a capital contribution of €758m for Uisce Éireann to repay its commercial borrowings related to the domestic sector

• Phase 2: In June 2020, the Minister for Finance provided a term loan facility of €1.022 billion to allow Uisce Éireann to:

• access €238m to repay existing non-domestic commercial borrowings

• access €133.6m non-domestic borrowings for 2020; and

• access €650m future non-domestic borrowings for the period 2021-2024.

Uisce Éireann is restricted to using these funds to support historical and future capital investment notionally relating to the non-domestic sector. The terms of the Phase 2 Agreement provide for an interest rate margin of 0.5% per annum above the cost of funds to the State.

• Phase 3: The NTMA provided a €350 million credit facility to Uisce Éireann’s to fund short-term working capital funding requirements. The facility is not intended as funding for long-term capital investment with the loan balance cleared at year end.

Uisce Éireann no longer has any commercial borrowings other than a €10m bank overdraft.

Uisce Éireann Debt Draw Down by Year

	2020 €m	2021 €m	2022 €m	2023 YTD €m	Total €m
Uisce Éireann State Debt	372	130	112	67	681

The Minister for Finance loan facility covers the period to the end of 2024. The 2023 Budget provided Uisce Éireann with the option to borrow up to €201m of which €67m has been borrow year-to-date (YTD). Borrowings for 2024 will be determined through the 2024 Exchequer estimates process.

Housing Schemes

Questions (931)

Niamh Smyth

Question:

931. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has any plans to alter/amend the rule for those who have gone through insolvency to be able to access the Rebuilding Ireland home-loan scheme sooner than what is currently stipulated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38685/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The 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. The loan can be used both for new and second-hand properties, or to self-build. The Local Authority Home Loan replaced the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan on 4 January 2022 and applications for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan are no longer accepted.

A 'Fresh Start' principle applies to the Local Authority Home Loans scheme for certain categories of persons who previously owned a home. For example, applicant(s) that previously purchased or built a property but had been divested of this through insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, may be eligible to apply.

In general the normal eligibility criteria apply to an applicant seeking the Local Authority Home Loan under Fresh Start post-bankruptcy principle, although there are some additional elements to establish the applicant's track record of creditworthiness. The applicant must have exited bankruptcy to be eligible to apply. They must also have a clean credit record for a minimum duration of 2 years prior to application. However, it should be noted that a return to solvency should not be interpreted as a return to creditworthiness, which is a separate assessment conducted by the Housing Agency in its role assessing applications.

I will keep this matter under review.

Question No. 932 answered with Question No. 814.

Housing Provision

Questions (933, 969)

Jim O'Callaghan

Question:

933. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of social housing units delivered in each local authority area; the number provided in each local authority area through new build, through acquisition and through leasing, for the first six months of 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38741/23]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

969. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of homes delivered in 2022 and in the first six months in 2023 under the following categories - social, affordable, cost rental and to divide out how many were delivered through building or acquisitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39305/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

I propose to take Questions Nos. 933 and 969 together.

Housing 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, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. 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.

My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of 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/

My Department also publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR). The CSR provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication was for Quarter 4 2022. All Construction Status Reports are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/

A version of the CSR file can also be downloaded for analysis of completions, locations, approvals stage etc at the link below: www.gov.ie/en/publication/14f82-social-housing-construction-projects-status-report-q4-2022/

Data for Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 2023 is currently being collated and will be published shortly, in conjunction with the Construction Status Reports.

Planning Issues

Questions (934)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

934. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of change of use planning applications for short-term lets received by each local authority since the beginning of 2019; the number of these that were granted permission, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38765/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Legislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 which came into effect on 1 July 2019.

The information requested in relation to the number of planning applications for change of use to short term letting is provided in the table attached. My Department does not hold information in this regard prior to the introduction of the 2019 regulations.

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Question No. 935 answered with Question No. 906.

Rental Sector

Questions (936, 937, 938, 939)

Patrick Costello

Question:

936. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage given the rent-a-room scheme has been extended to include social houses to avail of the €14,000 tax free benefit, if he will clarify the rules governing this extension, specifically relating to the requirement to disclose the tenant and seek pre-approval for the potential tenant and the minimum standards put in place for this extension and the enforcement mechanism for such standards. [38794/23]

Patrick Costello

Question:

937. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage given the rent-a-room scheme pre-approval functions are to be carried out and administered by county councils, the extent to which councils are getting involved in the selection of tenants and overseeing the process. [38795/23]

Patrick Costello

Question:

938. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for the rent-a-room scheme what are the minimum standards being introduced to ensure uptake of the scheme is done by homeowners with appropriate and suitable properties, similar to minimum standards associated with the rental of properties not included in the scheme. [38796/23]

Patrick Costello

Question:

939. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to the rent-a-room scheme, if the Government is nominating a dispute resolution mechanism for issues that might arise in the context of a tenancy relationship established through availing of the scheme; if this function is being extended to the Residential Tenancies Board; and the extra resources that the RTB will be offered by the Government to gain capacity to address such issues adequately. [38798/23]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

I propose to take Questions Nos. 936 to 939, inclusive, together.

The Government has agreed to extend the Rent-a-Room Relief scheme disregard to social welfare recipients, extend the disregard into medical card criteria, and permit local authority tenancies access the scheme. The commitment to extend the Rent-a-Room Relief Scheme was included as a supplementary action in Housing for All, as reported in the Q1 2023 Housing for All Report available on my Department's website here: www.gov.ie/en/collection/9d2ee-housing-for-all-quarterly-progress-reports/#2023

An initial scoping exercise to determine how the scheme may apply to social housing tenancies has been completed. My Department has been giving detailed consideration to the specific details necessary to provide for the initiative including addressing the range of practical, operational, and legal matters arising and has been consulting with local authorities in that context.

I expect proposals to be brought to me shortly.

Question No. 937 answered with Question No. 936.

Question No. 938 answered with Question No. 936.