Written Answers Nos. 340-362
340. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Education if her Department has a policy on the use of artificial intelligence; and if any Departmental functions are assisted by language model-based chatbots (details supplied). [42812/23]
View answerMy Department and its officials do not presently use ChatGPT or any other form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate official text or to manage any Departmental functions. No such software is installed on my official's devices. My Department will continue to monitor developments in relation to AI, in particular with regard to potential applications that may be identified by other Government Departments.
341. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education is she will request Bus Éireann to review the change in school transport pick-up arrangements for two children attending their nearest post-primary school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42827/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. The number of tickets issued so far has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
Bus Eireann have confirmed, that the family to whom the Deputy refers to, were issued tickets for the incorrect service in error.
Bus Éireann further advise that the contractor is in the process of upgrading the service and when complete, the family referred will be accommodated. Bus Éireann's Local Office will liaise directly with the family referred as soon as possible.
342. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of people and volunteers who have applied for Garda vetting through sporting bodies, by sport, from 2019 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42310/23]
View answerSport Ireland is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards. It acts in a guidance and support capacity to National Governing Bodies of Sport in the area of safeguarding and child protection.
I have referred the Deputy's Question to Sport Ireland for direct reply on this matter. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
343. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of people who have completed child protection training through sporting bodies, by sport, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42311/23]
View answerSport Ireland is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards. It acts in a guidance and support capacity to National Governing Bodies of Sport in the area of safeguarding and child protection.
I have referred the Deputy's Question to Sport Ireland for direct reply on this matter. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
344. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of registered sports exercise performance psychologists who are registered members with Sport Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42314/23]
View answerSport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards.
I have referred the Deputy's question to Sport Ireland for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
345. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of data breaches experienced by her Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023. [42375/23]
View answerThe number of data breaches recorded by my Department from when it was established in its current configuration in September 2020 to date is set out in the table below.
I am advised that the majority of breaches were deemed to be of of zero or low risk, and were therefore not required to be reported to the Data Protection Commission. These were managed internally with steps taken to ensure that similar breaches would not reoccur.
I am further advised that the data breach that was referred to the Data Protection Commission was quickly resolved to the satisfaction of that office.
|
Year |
Number of Breaches |
Number of Breaches reported to the Data Protection Commission |
|
2023 |
4 |
1 |
|
2022 |
9 |
0 |
|
2021 |
5 |
0 |
|
2020 |
0 |
0 |
346. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if Fáilte Ireland plans to re-open a tourism information office at Dublin Airport; and the estimated costs to restore such a service. [42391/23]
View answerMy Department's role in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy and implementation of that policy is a matter for the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, as well as certain other bodies.
The matter raised is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have referred this question to that agency for direct response to the Deputy. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
347. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide an update on sourcing funding to support a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42768/23]
View answerSport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards, including the allocation of funding across its various programmes.
As decisions on funding support are a matter for Sport Ireland, I have referred the Deputy's question to Sport Ireland for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
348. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department has a policy on the use of artificial intelligence; and if any Departmental functions are assisted by language model-based chatbots (details supplied). [42825/23]
View answerMy Department is guided by the National Cyber Security Centre in respect of all matters related to the use or operation of artificial intelligence. Chatbots are not utilised to assist with Departmental functions, all applications and platforms used or operated by my Department must be in line with relevant policies and be consistent with advice provided by the National Cyber Security Centre on such matters.
349. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42756/23]
View answerI welcome the interest in this emerging and frontier arena in support of biodiversity.
Ireland's forthcoming 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP 2023-2027) sets out Ireland’s vision for biodiversity by 2050 as follows; “Biodiversity in Ireland is valued, conserved, restored and sustainably used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people”. The draft Plan will be brought to Cabinet in the coming weeks for Government approval.
The draft NBAP sets the national biodiversity agenda for the period 2023-2027, which aims to deliver the transformative changes required to the ways in which we value and protect nature. It contains five objectives and associated outcomes, targets and actions, across a number of thematic areas to achieve this vision.
Objective 4 of the NBAP is to “Enhance the Evidence Base for Action on Biodiversity” and sets the target that Ireland will have completed a first national assessment of ecosystem services by 2027, based on a national assessment of stocks, flows and trends in ecosystem services to identify priority ecosystems and threats to natural capital. Actions under Objective 4 of the NBAP include the establishment of a network of experts in Natural Capital Accounting. Assessment and accounting will require an ongoing systematic programme of field survey, remote sensing and monitoring and will require considerable cross-Departmental effort.
The National Economic and Social Council is preparing a report on natural capital accounting on request from Government in the 2021 Climate Action Plan. Following in-depth consultation with policy stakeholders and experts, international case studies and Council discussion, the final report is being prepared and is expected to be published in Q4 2023.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department will continue to play a key role in the collection, analysis and open publication of mapping and data relating to protected habitats and species, the development of biodiversity data standards, and will continue to provide ongoing support to the National Biodiversity Data Centre and Natural Capital Ireland.
350. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm whether his officials are working on legislation relating to the statutory definition of homelessness or other aspects of homeless in legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42155/23]
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 housing authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Section 2 of the Housing Act 1988 outlines how local authorities can form an opinion on whether or not an individual/household shall be regarded as homeless, while section 10 outlines the actions that a local authority may take regarding the accommodation of those regarded as homeless.
My Department, along with nominated representatives of the local authority regional homelessness leads, undertook a review of sections 2 and 10 of the Housing Act 1988 in recognition of the significant changes in homelessness since the drafting of the Housing Act 1988 and to enable local authorities and homeless services to better address homelessness.
The review is now complete and a policy position is being developed.
351. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he intends to publish the revised rural planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42156/23]
View answerSince the publication of the current Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines in 2005 (which continue to have effect in addition to subsequent clarifications and national policy changes in the NPF) there have been important changes to our planning system. Most notably, obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment and adapting to and mitigating climate change have become more central to the operation of the planning system.
Updated Rural Housing Guidelines are currently being prepared by my Department. The updated guidelines will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of the National Planning Framework (NPF), in particular on National Policy Objective (NPO) 19 which relates to rural housing. This objective makes a clear policy distinction between rural areas under urban influence (i.e. areas within the commuter catchment of cities, towns and centres of employment) on the one hand, and structurally weaker rural areas where population levels may be low or declining, on the other. NPO 19 is also aligned with the established approach whereby considerations of social (intrinsic part of the community) or economic (persons working full or part time) need are to be applied by planning authorities in rural areas under urban influence.
The draft Rural Housing Guidelines will set out relevant planning criteria to be applied in local authority development plans for rural housing, based on the high level policy framework set by the NPF. The guidelines will continue to allow county development plans to provide for housing in the countryside based on the considerations detailed in NPO 19 of the NPF, and will also highlight the need to manage development in certain areas, such as the areas around cities and larger towns and environmentally sensitive areas, in order to avoid over-development.
While planning policy is a national, as opposed to an EU competence, due care is being taken to ensure the updated guidelines will not operate to conflict with fundamental EU freedoms, comply with EU environmental legislative requirements and have due regard to decisions of the European Court of Justice. The draft planning guidelines will address these complex environmental and legal issues, while also providing a framework for the sustainable management of housing in rural areas.
Having regard to these complex considerations, the draft guidelines are subject to legal review and Ministerial approval, following which it is intended that the draft guidelines will be published for a period of public consultation.
352. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a person's civil service years can be reconciled with a salary scale of a new position (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42183/23]
View answerA recruitment competition for Conservation Rangers was run by the Public Appointments Service in recent years and the relevant terms and conditions including payscales were advertised in the campaign booklet.
The Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform determine the starting pay on promotion and appointment to the civil service for existing civil and public servants. Circular: 08/2019 Revised arrangements applying to starting pay is applied to all new entrants to the civil service and any promotions in the civil service. In certain circumstances, subject to certain criteria being met, Circular: 08/2019 makes provision for existing civil and public servants to commence employment on a higher point of the relevant payscale.
My Department is engaging with this individual in relation to his query.
353. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm when the revised wind energy development guidelines will be published; when they are expected to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42214/23]
View answerMy Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects including noise, setback distance, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections.
Guidance on the noise aspect, which is highly technical in nature, is currently being advanced by my Department in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), which has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters. Both Departments are engaging on proposals regarding the measurement and assessment of noise from wind turbines to ensure they are robust and fit for purpose having regard to, inter alia, the revised 2030 target to generate up to 80% of our electricity from renewable sources.
In this connection, DECC has appointed noise consultants to inform any amendments to the noise aspect of the Guidelines. My Department is engaging with DECC and the noise consultants with a view to moving this aspect of the review forward.
My Department, in conjunction with DECC, will make any further changes to the draft Guidelines which are deemed necessary or appropriate in the wake of this work, with a view to bringing the review of the Guidelines to a conclusion.
It should be noted that Action EL/23/4 of the Climate Action Plan 2023 Annex of Actions contains a commitment to having new draft Guidelines prepared by the end of Q4 2023, with revised Guidelines to be published in 2024. My Department is working on the finalisation and publication of the revised Guidelines in line with this commitment.
When finalised, the revised Guidelines will be issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, or subject to enactment of the Planning and Development Bill 2023, as a National Planning Statement, as appropriate. In the meantime, the current 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines remain in force.
354. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of social homes delivered in the first half of 2023, with a breakdown by delivery stream including: SHIP construction; SHIP turnkey; CALF construction; CALF turnkey; CAS construction; CAS turnkey; Part V; PPP; regeneration; and Traveller-specific. [42229/23]
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 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.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity. Data to the end of Quarter 2 2023 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 that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and pre-tender process. The most recent publication was for Quarter 2 2023. The report is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/ga/foilsiuchan/3aeae-social-housing-construction-projects-status-report-q2-2023/.
A version of this file is available to download for analysis at data.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q2-2023.
A breakdown by the requested delivery streams for Quarters 1 and 2 2023 is set out in the table below.
|
Delivery Stream |
New Build Units |
|
SHIP Construction |
376 |
|
SHIP Turnkey |
146 |
|
Traveller Accommodation |
7 |
|
CALF Construction |
35 |
|
CALF Turnkey |
549 |
|
CALF Part V |
120 |
|
CAS Construction |
25 |
|
CAS Turnkey |
1 |
|
LA Part V |
142 |
|
PPP |
0 |
|
Regeneration |
0 |
|
Total |
1,401 |
355. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42264/23]
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 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.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity. Data to the end of Quarter 2 2023 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 that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and pre-tender process. The most recent publication was for Quarter 2 2023. The report is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/ga/foilsiuchan/3aeae-social-housing-construction-projects-status-report-q2-2023/.
A version of this file is available to download for analysis at data.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q2-2023.
A breakdown by the requested delivery streams for Quarters 1 and 2 2023 is set out in the table below.
|
Delivery Stream |
New Build Units |
|
SHIP Construction |
376 |
|
SHIP Turnkey |
146 |
|
Traveller Accommodation |
7 |
|
CALF Construction |
35 |
|
CALF Turnkey |
549 |
|
CALF Part V |
120 |
|
CAS Construction |
25 |
|
CAS Turnkey |
1 |
|
LA Part V |
142 |
|
PPP |
0 |
|
Regeneration |
0 |
|
Total |
1,401 |
356. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the marine protected areas legislation is going to have its final draft published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42267/23]
View answerMy Department has been working in close collaboration with Parliamentary drafters over the past months to develop the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Bill. I anticipate that the Bill will be published before the end of the year.
The Government is committed to achieving 30% Marine Protected Area (MPA) coverage of Ireland's Maritime Area by 2030, in line with the Programme for Government, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and a number of International initiatives such as the UN post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. This proposed legislation will provide us with the tool to achieve this while, along with the Maritime Area Planning Act, ensuring sustainable use of the sea.
357. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline when the draft legislation to support the remediation of defects in apartments and duplexes with fire safety, structural safety and water defects constructed between 1991 and 2013 will come before the Houses of the Oireachtas for discussion and review; to provide details of the timeline for the implementation of this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42276/23]
View answerSince the receipt of Government approval in January of this year, I have been working to progress the various programmes of work that are required to place the scheme to establish supports for the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013 on a statutory footing.
Key to this has been the development of a Code of Practice, in the context of the Fire Services Acts, which I published on my Department's website on 25 July at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/95159-code-of-practice-for-the-remediation-of-fire-safety-defects/. The purpose of this Code of Practice for the Remediation of Fire Safety Defects is to support the development of a reasonable and practicable approach to resolving fire safety defects and ensure a consistent approach nationwide to remediation. It enables stakeholders such as Owners’ Management Companies (OMCs) and industry to align their work with its provisions. Going forward the Code of Practice will be a key document to support the operation of the remediation scheme and will be subject to periodic review.
Importantly, it also provides guidance to OMCs, building professionals and local authority building control / fire services, including guidance on interim safety measures, in the context of the Fire Services Acts 1981 & 2003. My Department is continuing to work with the local authority sector, particularly Fire Services, to establish the necessary processes and structures to use the Code of Practice.My Department is also working with the Housing Agency on advice and guidance on the steps OMCs should take when carrying out such life-safety works. This includes funding mechanisms for interim fire safety measures in extreme cases and further details of this will be published in the coming months.The Housing Agency will play a central role in the remediation scheme when it becomes operational. It has established a web portal to serve as a knowledge base and OMCs may indicate their potential interest in the future remediation scheme by inputting information on their developments on the portal which is available on the Housing Agency's website. It should be noted that this portal, which is subject to conditions of use, is not a formal registration mechanism for the future remediation scheme.
In addition, work is also underway to draft the required legislation, which will include the scope, eligibility and conditions of the remediation scheme. While I am working on the development of the scheme as a matter of priority, sufficient time is required to draft the legislation to ensure that the scheme is fit for purpose, provides value for tax payer’s money and contains appropriate oversight and governance measures. I expect the draft legislation to be published in the first half of 2024 and, subject to the legislative process, it is intended that the statutory scheme will be in place later in 2024.
358. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether a constituent’s correspondence (details supplied) of 20 September 2023 has received a substantive reply; if not, when can she expect to receive one; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42280/23]
View answerI can confirm a reply issued to the constituent referred to on 2 October 2023.
359. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the report from the AHB Unencumbered Units Working Group is on schedule for publication this month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42307/23]
View answerThe report of the AHB Unencumbered Units Working Group will be published in the coming weeks.
360. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there is any grant available to a person aged under 66 years to renovate their home where it is in very poor condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42319/23]
View answerMy Department provides exchequer funding to local authorities to support the Housing Adaptation Grant for Older People and People with a Disability schemes. These grants schemes are available to assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs to remain living independently in their own homes.
The administration of the grants scheme, including the assessment, approval and prioritisation of grant applications under the various measures, is the responsibility of each local authority. Having considered all of the circumstances in any particular case, it is a matter for the local authority to determine grant eligibility. Local authorities, in administering the scheme, work with qualifying applicants to secure the most beneficial outcome possible in line with the applicants' financial circumstances and within the parameters of the grant scheme.
My colleague the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment recently published the National Retrofit Plan, as part of the Climate Action Plan, which sets out ambitious plan for the retrofitting of a significant number homes by the end of 2030.
Additionally, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates a number of schemes which provide grant funding towards home energy upgrades. Further information in relation to these schemes can be found on the SEAI website at the following link: www.seai.ie/home-energy/home-upgrades/
361. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider extending the vacant property refurbishment grant to incorporate recently occupied homes, where the homes are old and in urgent need of refurbishment, especially in the case where it is affecting the health of the people occupying the house, and in the case where young children are involved and their health is being impacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42320/23]
View answerPathway 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 under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund 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.
The property must be vacant for two years or more at the time of grant application and proof of vacancy is required to support grant applications.
When the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund was launched, a commitment was given that the schemes funded by it would be kept under ongoing review. It is intended that a comprehensive review and evaluation of the schemes under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund will be undertaken by mid-2024.
