Written Answers Nos. 190-211
190. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of residential dwellings purchased to date in 2023; and the total number of first-time buyers who have purchased residential dwellings to date in 2023, by county, in tabular form. [47128/23]
View answerData on the number of residential dwellings purchased, including by first-time buyers, are captured and published by the Central Statistics Office.
The most recent data, for the period to end-August 2023, show more than 41,700 dwellings were purchased by all buyer types between January and August this year. Some 11,000 or 26.5% of these were purchased by first-time buyers, an increase of 2% on the same period last year.
A county-by-county breakdown of purchases by households and non-households is available from the CSO at data.cso.ie/table/HPM02.
191. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which his Department can offer further latitude for immediate expenditure by the various local authorities on measures to address the housing crisis by way of direct build; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47236/23]
View answerData on the number of residential dwellings purchased, including by first-time buyers, are captured and published by the Central Statistics Office.
The most recent data, for the period to end-August 2023, show more than 41,700 dwellings were purchased by all buyer types between January and August this year. Some 11,000 or 26.5% of these were purchased by first-time buyers, an increase of 2% on the same period last year.
A county-by-county breakdown of purchases by households and non-households is available from the CSO at data.cso.ie/table/HPM02.
192. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which a person (details supplied) can be expected to acquire housing accommodation in the current housing climate, who is a refugee, who received written accommodation from his Department to say they can no longer facilitate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47238/23]
View answerApplications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.
To qualify for social housing support a household must meet all of the eligibility criteria, which primarily relate to income, availability of alternative accommodation and previous rent arrears. If a household meets the eligibility and need criteria, it qualifies for the suite of social housing supports, including HAP, and is placed on the housing list to be considered for the allocation of suitable tenancies in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme.
Under legislation, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions and as Minister, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any individual case with which a housing authority is or may be concerned. I am therefore not in a position to comment on or deal with an individual case.
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.
Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026.
193. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update in respect of the progress made to date by Waterways Ireland regarding its work on the restoration of the Ulster Canal. [47050/23]
View answerThe Programme for Government includes a commitment to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to deliver the flagship cross-border Ulster Canal project. In July 2007, it was agreed by the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) to extend Waterways Ireland remit to include the reconstruction of a 13.5km stretch of the Ulster Canal from Upper Lough Erne to Clones.
Waterways Ireland have approached the restoration of the Ulster Canal in a phased manner as detailed below:
PHASE 1: UPPER LOUGH ERNE TO CASTLE SAUNDERSON
Restoration of the Ulster Canal comprising c. 2.5 kilometers of new navigation from Upper Lough Erne along the River Finn to a new boating destination at Castle Saunderson was completed in 2019
PHASE 2: CLONFAD TO CLONES
Construction on site of the Clonfad to Clones phase of the project commenced in August 2022. Substantial completion of the main infrastructure is expected at the end of Q4 2023 with completion of landscaping and ancillary works expected in Spring 2024.
PHASE 3: CASTLE SAUNDERSON TO CLONFAD
Substantial preparation work is under way for the delivery of this phase. This section will connect the 10km between Castle Saunderson and Clonfad and link the town of Clones by navigable waterway to the Erne System and onward to the wider waterway network.
This work is split into 4 sub-phases with planning permission already in place for sub-phase 3.1, 3.2 & 3.3. The three sub phases of Phase 3 which are ready for progression are as follows:
- Sub-Phase 3.1 (2kms) Castle Saunderson to Gortnacarrow
- Sub-Phase 3.2 (0.5kms) Gortnacarrow to the Border
- Sub-Phase 3.4 (3.75kms) New canal navigation between the border at Derrynure and the border at Clonfad
These sub-phases involve substantive infrastructure, including new road bridges and layouts, a marina and restored heritage architecture. In aggregate, a further 6.25km of canal would be restored.
This leaves a remaining phase of 3.75km (sub phase 3.3) to be addressed (when planning is extended) to conclude the link from Clones to Castle Sanderson. The work relating to the preparation of this planning application has commenced.
Work has also commenced in the preparation of a Land Acquisition Strategy for lands in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with ongoing engagement with DfI Roads and Land & Property Services (LPS).
Funding for phases 3.1, 3.2 and 3.4 has been approved by Government. The current estimated completion of all elements of phase 3 is Q4 2028.
194. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to work with Waterways Ireland to bring the Newry Canal within its network of waterways; and if he has received a request from Waterways Ireland to bring the canal within its area of responsibility. [47055/23]
View answerWaterways Ireland is a North South body whose role, responsibilities and remit are set out in the British Irish Agreement Act 1999 and the North-South (Implementation Bodies) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.
Any amendment to the remit of Waterways Ireland would be a matter for the North South Ministerial Council and would require legislative changes to both the Act and the Order.
The body has responsibility for the following waterways:
The Shannon Navigation, Shannon Erne Waterway, Royal Canal, Grand Canal, Barrow Navigation, Erne System and the Lower Bann Navigation and the Ulster Canal.
Waterways Ireland has not requested any extension of its remit to include the Newry Canal.
195. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what exceptions are made for people on disability allowance who have been renting a local authority house for over 15 years and would like to apply for the tenant purchase scheme to buy that home (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47073/23]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, or joint tenants, of local authority homes available for sale under the scheme.
To be eligible, applicants must meet certain criteria, including a minimum annual reckonable income. The Tenant Purchase Scheme was reviewed in 2021, with a number of amendments implemented from 1 February 2022. These included reducing the minimum reckonable income required from €15,000 to €12,500, facilitating older tenants, whose only income might be the contributory or non-contributory State pension, to buy their homes if they have the financial means to do so.
The minimum income requirement has a dual purpose. It ensures the scheme is sustainable and the tenant purchasing the house has the financial means to maintain and insure the property for the duration of the charged period. For these reasons, certain income is not considered when determining an applicant's reckonable income. This includes Disability Allowance which, for some recipients, is currently below the minimum reckonable income threshold.
Further changes to the scheme are currently being examined as part of the work on the broader social housing reform agenda.
196. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the flood forecasters at Met Éireann meet daily, including weekends; if there are minutes or notes available from these meetings; if there was a meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, 17 and 18 October 2023; if information from those meetings on those dates can be shared with the public; if there is a plan to share this type of information going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47074/23]
View answerFlood forecasters (Hydro-meteororlogists) in the Met Éireann Flood Forecasting Centre work routinely Monday to Friday with additional attendance at weekends when there is any potential risk of flooding identified.
The duty hydro-meteorologist liaises frequently with the rest of the forecasting team in Met Éireann and there is a routine scheduled briefing daily with the on-duty hydro-meteorologist, the on-duty forecast meteorologist and other colleagues. These meetings provide a forum to discuss the flood and weather outlook for the coming days and key forecast messages to be included Met Éireann’s weather and warning products. These are internal Met Éireann meetings but on occasion are attended by representatives from the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM).
Internal Met Éireann briefing meetings between hydro-meteorologists and forecast meteorologists are not routinely recorded; hence, no minutes or notes are available.
Briefing meetings between the on-duty hydro-meteorologists and the on-duty forecast meteorologist took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, 17 and 18 October 2023 at 10.00 each day. Additionally, as the hydro-meteorologists and meteorologists on duty were working in the same office there was ongoing liaison throughout both days.
Given the nature of these internal meetings as a discussion forum, there are no official notes or minutes of the meetings between Weather and Flood Forecasters held on Tuesday and Wednesday the 17 and 18 October.
Met Éireann’s warnings and forecast products are made publicly available on its website www.met.ie and include mention of flooding impacts when appropriate. Flood risk advice is also shared with the local authorities and NDFEM.
197. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to extend proposals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47082/23]
View answerI received Government approval on 18 January to draft legislation 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. This legislation will provide a statutory basis for the establishment of a remediation scheme aimed at protecting the safety and welfare of those living in apartments or duplexes with such defects.
Work is under way to draft the required legislation which will include the scope, eligibility and conditions of the remediation scheme which will become operational following implementation of the required legislation. Subject to the legislative process, it is intended that a scheme would be in place in 2024.
There are no plans to include houses in this scheme. Separately, however, in response to the difficulties that homeowners are facing due to the presence of deleterious material in their houses, my Department has put other measures in place to support homeowners including providing considerable financial assistance to remediate their homes. In this regard, the Pyrite Remediation Scheme and the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme are both underpinned by legislation.
198. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a person who has previously been named on a mortgage, although having never actually resided in the mortgaged property, can be eligible for supports under Departmental schemes such as the help-to-buy scheme or the first home scheme Ireland 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47084/23]
View answerHousing for All delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system. A number of Departmental schemes are in place to support this objective, which are governed by relevant legislation, regulations and guidance.
In relation to the schemes mentioned, the First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers and other eligible homebuyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. It is overseen and managed by the First Home Scheme Ireland Designated Activity Company (First Home DAC), on behalf of scheme founders (the State and participating mortgage lenders).
To be eligible for First Home, a person must be a first time buyer (FTB) which is defined as a person who has not previously purchased or built a home in the State or elsewhere for his or her occupation. An applicant must also not currently own or be beneficially entitled to, or have an interest in, another dwelling. Further details with regard to the criteria which must be met in order for an applicant to be eligible to apply for the scheme under the ‘Fresh Start’ principle are available at www.firsthomescheme.ie/faqs/rules-and-eligibility/.
The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. Separate eligibility criteria apply to the HTB. It should be noted that the HTB scheme comes under the remit of the Department of Finance, and details are available here:
www.revenue.ie/en/property/help-to-buy-incentive/index.aspx
199. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he met the Mayor of Charlotte during his recent visit to the United States. [47161/23]
View answerThe Mayor of Charlotte was unavailable, due to prior commitments, to meet with the Consul General and myself during my recent visit to North Carolina. However I did meet with the Housing and Neighbourhood Services Director for the City of Charlotte.
200. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what consultation took place with the local community and with local stakeholders before the renewal of the North Inishowen Coast special area of conservation in recent months. [47164/23]
View answerThe EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC)EU requires Member States to designate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to protect a variety of habitats and species. This Directive is transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477 of 2011).
The designation of SAC sites under the Directive is a formal, legal process, with a number of steps, which are set out in full in the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011.
Site boundaries are determined on scientific grounds, based on the protected habitats and species for which the site is to be designated.
As part of this process, advertisements are published in local media and notices are displayed in local Government offices, Garda stations and public libraries. Owners and occupiers are given an opportunity to lodge objections on the proposed site boundaries, on scientific grounds. A three-month period is allowed for the lodging of any appeals or objections before the site is formally designated.
The site mentioned was first publicly notified as a candidate Special Area of Conservation in March 1997. Notices were placed in the Derry Journal, The Herald, and the Tirconnail between 14-20 March, 1997.
The notice dated May 2023 referred to was to advise of the completion of the final formal steps including the publication of the European Union Habitats (North Inishowen Coast Special Area of Conservation 002012) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No. 182 of 2023).
This does not place any new or additional conditions on landowners or licence holders other than those that have applied since the site was publicly notified as a candidate SAC in 1997.
201. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of the submission his Department made to the Department for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in regard to the adaptation grant for people with a disability and the mobility grant; and the timeframe within which he expects a decision. [47169/23]
View answerHousing for All commits to reviewing the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability 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 the review considered are the income thresholds (including the means test provisions) and grant limits, and the application and decision-making processes including the supplementary documentation required.
On foot of my consideration of the Review report, my Department shared the report and supplementary analysis with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR) and is engaging with the Department on the recommendations in the report which will conclude as soon as possible. I will publish the report once this engagement has concluded.
202. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on a matter (details supplied); if he will advise on access to financial support to the person concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47171/23]
View answerI 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/
Section 5 of the Act contains details on the process for the inclusion of additional local authority areas into the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant Scheme. This statutory designation process can commence upon a request by a local authority or by myself, as Minister to the Housing Agency, and whereby the Agency thereafter carries out technical testing of dwellings in a given local authority administrative area. As soon as practicable after the completion of any testing, the Housing Agency shall make a recommendation to me whether an order to designate the whole or part of a local authority's administrative area should or should not be made by the Government.
The Housing Agency act as technical agents on behalf of the local authorities under the Enhanced Grant Scheme. Applications received by a local authority will be referred to the Housing Agency to review the 'Building Condition Assessment Report' and determine if the home has met the 'damage threshold' for entry to the scheme.
203. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if home extensions that commenced in the period between the issuing of circular PL 04/2023 and the guidance note for local authorities on a temporary waiver in respect of development contributions, which seemed eligible based on the circular but were not included in the guidance note, are eligible for the development waiver, given that they were commenced on the strength of the circular. [47178/23]
View answerOn 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and waste water connection charges.
My Department issued Circular Letter PL 08/2023 on 21 July 2023 and the associated supplementary Guidance Note on the detailed operational arrangements in relation to the development contribution waiver scheme and the Uisce Éireann connection charge refund scheme. The Circular Letter and Guidance Note are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/circular/9b113-circular-pl-082023-temporary-time-limited-waiver-in-respect-of-development-contributions-operational-guidance-for-local-authorities/
In particular the guidance notes that “Residential extensions or the refurbishment of existing vacant/derelict properties are not included in the waiver scheme as the measure is intended to help boost the delivery of new housing supply, address cost and viability issues faced by the construction sector, and incentivise the activation of new housing commencements.”
It is not proposed to extend the scheme to include home extensions.
204. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason for the delay in considering the Kilkenny wind energy strategy proposed by Kilkenny County Council; if he will outline the process involved in considering the matter and confirm a timeframe for a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47183/23]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 131 of 12 October 2023.
205. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which arrangements can be made for families currently living on the Grand Canal in County Kildare, who have been informed that the annual fee payable to Waterways Ireland is being dramatically increased, thereby forcing them to seek alternative housing accommodation, which is not readily available; if arrangements can be made as soon as possible for those currently so disadvantaged by this proposal with a view to ensuring that they are being catered for in an understanding way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47210/23]
View answerWaterways Ireland is proposing to update the Shannon Bye-laws and Canal Bye-laws which are more than 30 years old and no longer fit for purpose. The needs of users have changed, environmental landscape and health and safety considerations have developed significantly and the waterways themselves have been transformed over the past thirty years. The purpose of updating the Bye-laws is to make the waterways safer for those using the waterways, blueways and greenways, and continue to provide a wonderful recreational experience for everyone to enjoy. To characterize the proposed scale of permit fees as dramatically increased is somewhat imprecise.
A key aspect of the new draft Canal Byelaws is the introduction of standards and permits for houseboats. To inform its proposals in this regard, Waterways Ireland engaged KPMG to conduct research into a houseboat permit pricing model, provide transparency on the calculation of fees, future proof a pricing mechanism and assist with the development of a Sustainable on Water Living programme. The KPMG report is available on the Waterways Ireland website.
A Public Consultation on the draft revisions to the Bye-laws commenced on 19 June 2023. Phase 1 of this consultation remains open for submissions until 27 October 2023.
Following completion of Phase 1 of the consultation, Waterways Ireland will review the submissions received, and endeavour to deal proactively and fairly with any matters of concern raised. Waterways Ireland will publish all submissions received on its website, and will take these into account in preparing a new, revised draft of the proposed Byelaws for further consultation.
A second phase of the public consultation will open on 15 January and run to 26 February 2024. This will offer all stakeholders an opportunity to consider the modifications to the proposed revised Byelaws. Thereafter Waterways Ireland will consider all new feedback received, to best address the views and concerns of stakeholders.
There will be no changes to the existing Byelaws, permits, or charges/fees until revised Byelaws are approved.
206. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to indicate the extent to which proposals to improve traffic flows in Maynooth, County Kildare, are being progressed, given the urgency of the need and the fact more than €20 million was approved under LIHAF for same ten years ago, so far without any perceived starting date and likelihood of dramatically increased costs and ever deteriorating traffic flows; whether action can be taken in the shortest possible term to activate these proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47256/23]
View answerThe Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is a scheme which funds the building of public infrastructure by local authorities. Its objective is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages to housing delivery. This enables the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in Dublin and in urban areas of high demand. LIHAF was designed to specifically address the issue of housing supply, a crucial factor in terms of moderating house prices. Infrastructure being funded under LIHAF includes access roads, distributor roads, link roads, road improvements, roundabouts, bridges and parks.
In 2017, grant agreements for 30 approved projects were signed between my Department and local authorities. One such project is for works at Maynooth, Co. Kildare.
Kildare County Council was approved grant funding for the construction of the Maynooth Eastern Relief Road (MERR) and a bridge crossing a railway and the Royal Canal. In 2017, the total approved grant funding for this project was €14.5m with €10.88m (75%) being funded by my Department and the remaining 25% being funded by Kildare County Council. To assist with design and construction cost inflation, Kildare County Council has been notified of additional Exchequer grant funding of €2.176m towards the cost of the works bringing the Exchequer LIHAF grant funding available to €13.076m (including VAT).
I am informed that developers are currently engaged in the planning process for the delivery of housing units on the LIHAF supported lands. Kildare County Council are liaising with a range of stakeholders, including my Department, to advance the MERR project, with these discussions currently ongoing. I am further informed that Kildare County Council on 6 December 2022 published the Maynooth Eastern Ring Road Compulsory Purchase Order 2022. The An Bord Pleanála oral hearing for the project was held in May 2023. Following CPO consent the Council can complete the design and commence the tendering process.
207. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the proposals to proceed with the provision of a second bridge over the Liffey at Celbridge, County Kildare, might be activated in line with ever-increasing traffic volume requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47258/23]
View answerOverall responsibility for roads policy and funding for the implementation of transport strategies is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Transport. Kildare County Council as the Roads Authority, is responsible for the management of the road network in its jurisdiction.
Notwithstanding the above, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is providing part-funding for applicant-led roads projects that will enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns.
A key measure in Project Ireland 2040, the URDF is supporting a programme of significant transformational capital projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework.
Following the review of the National Development Plan, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) has been extended to 2030 with an associated level of additional investment. To date there have been two Calls for proposals under the URDF with more than €1.6 billion provisionally allocated so far in respect of 132 proposals, comprising of almost 400 projects.
In 2021, following the second call for proposals under the URDF, I announced a preliminary allocation of €10,237,500 towards Kildare County Council’s Celbridge to Hazelhatch Link Road project. This followed on from Kildare County Council’s successful application for €400,000 towards the provision of technical assistance for the advancement of the project under the URDF’s first call for proposals in 2018. To date a total of €10,637,500 in URDF funding has been provisionally allocated by my Department towards the overall cost of this project. This provisionally approved URDF funding allocation should enable Kildare County Council to advance the project through design and planning.
Subject to funding, the construction element of the project will provide a link road between Celbridge Town and Hazelhatch Train Station of approximately 2km in length, including the delivery of a second bridge over the River Liffey in Celbridge. The project will enhance connectivity between Celbridge Town and Hazelhatch Train Station, supporting compact, consolidated development in Celbridge by realising the full potential of zoned lands south and east of the River Liffey.
It should be noted that while my Department works closely and communicates regularly with Kildare County Council in respect of their URDF Programme of works, responsibility for the advancement of their supported projects through the various stages of planning, development and completion is, in the first instance, a matter for Kildare County Council. Accordingly, detailed queries regarding the projects should be directed to the Council.
Approved projects must be carefully developed and managed in accordance with the normal conditions and arrangements that apply to public sector managed projects and in full compliance with the Public Spending Code. Currently Kildare County Council is preparing a Preliminary Business Case for submission to my Department as part of Decision Gate 1 of the Public Spending Code. Upon receipt of this submission further consideration will be given to the continued advancement of this project.
208. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for a disability allowance, which was submitted at the end of June 2023; if she will consider that the applicant cannot get a GP appointment or avail of services until the application is approved, and will ensure that a decision is delivered at the earliest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47079/23]
View answerDisability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions.
I confirm that my Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 23 March 2023. The application was examined and, based upon the evidence submitted, it was refused on 17 May 2023. This application for DA was refused as the applicant failed to supply the additional information requested on 30 March 2023.
This information was subsequently received by my Department and a review of the decision 30 March 2023 was conducted. Following this review, the person concerned was awarded DA with effect from 29 March 2023. The first payment will be made by their chosen payment method on 1 November 2023.
Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments (if applicable).
The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 23 October 2023.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
209. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection when the medical assessment will be finalised for an application for disability allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47108/23]
View answerDisability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions.
I confirm that my Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 10 May 2023. The processing time for individual DA claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim.
As the initial application did not contain their doctor's medical report required for a decision, a request was sent to the person concerned on 25 May 2023 to supply this. An applicant is permitted 21 days for the information to be returned. However, in this instance, as this information was not received from the person concerned, the application was withdrawn. They were notified in writing of this decision on 4 July 2023, and they were given the opportunity to re-apply.
The medical report was received on 10 August 2023 and a review of this decision was carried out. Following this review, the person concerned has been awarded DA with effect from 10 May 2023. The first payment will be made by their chosen payment method on 15 November 2023. Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments (if applicable).
The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 24 October 2023.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
210. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection when it is expected a decision will be made on a carer's allowance appeal (details supplied). [47122/23]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 10 October 2023. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral appeal hearing.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
211. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice when a decision will be made on a visa extension request by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47092/23]
View answerAn application for an Extension of Student Conditions (ESTC) permission was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 12 September 2023.
To be fair to all applicants, applications are dealt with in chronological order by date received. My Department endeavours to process applications as quickly as possible. However, processing times may vary due to a number of factors, such as the number of applications on hands, individual circumstances, the complexity of applications, whether further information is required, and the resources available.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by email using the Oireachtas mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie), which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up-to-date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the parliamentary questions process. The Deputy may consider using the email service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
