Written Answers Nos. 330-347
339. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current expenditure of each local authority for liquid transport fuels, solid fossil heating fuels, liquid fossil heating fuels, fossil gas heating fuels, renewable heating fuels and electricity. [53717/23]
View answer340. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current direct income (other than rates income) of each local authority from renewable energy installations. [53718/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 339 and 340 together.
The funding system that applies to local authorities is a complex one, as authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services and funding from central Government.
Local authority income and expenditure is reported in the Statement of Comprehensive Income (Income & Expenditure) of their Annual Financial Statements (AFS). However, it is not outlined in the detail as requested. Therefore, the information requested on local authority expenditure in relation to particular divisions of the energy sector is not available in my Department but it may be available from individual Local Authorities.
341. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage how much his Department has spent on advertising on a website (details supplied) for each of the years 2019 to 2022 and to date 2023, in tabular form; and whether his Department will still run advertisements on the platform going forward due to issues. [53803/23]
View answerThe information requested is being compiled by my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.
|
Year |
Platform |
Amount (ex VAT) |
|
2019 |
|
€1,782.87 |
|
2020 |
|
€2,155.71 |
|
2021 |
|
€1,386.31 |
|
2022 |
|
€16,632.47 |
|
Up to 27 Nov 2023 |
|
€8,456.20 |
342. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 90 of 22 November 2023, which local authorities made submissions and which local authorities are represented on the working group. [53822/23]
View answerMy Department initiated a review of the Derelict Sites Act 1990 (the Act) in November 2021 and invited local authorities to make initial submissions on potential improvements to the legislative provisions and the way they are applied.
Written submissions were received from Carlow County Council, Cavan County Council, Clare County Council, Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council, Galway City Council, Kerry County Council, Kildare County Council, Kilkenny County Council, Limerick City and County Council, Meath County Council, Monaghan County Council, Roscommon County Council, Tipperary County Council, Wexford County Council and Wicklow County Council.
For the purposes of establishing a Working Group to review the Act in more detail, my Department then requested the Local Government Management Agency to nominate a number of local government officials to represent the sector in the work on the review. The working group, which is chaired by my Department, comprises of nominated officials from Carlow County Council, Clare County Council, Cork County Council, Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Galway City Council, Limerick City and County Council, Mayo County Council and South Dublin County Council.
343. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress being made by the heritage section of his Department in ongoing discussions with Galway County Council in relation to the development of method statements relating to the upgrade of the N59 from Bunakill to Ougherard, in view of the planning condition placed on the planning permission by an Bord Pleanála in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53832/23]
View answerThe National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department have been working with Galway County Council in relation to this project since 2016. It is a condition of the planning permission given by An Bord Pleanála that NPWS must agree to method statements relating to the Construction Stage prepared by Galway County Council.
Two method statements prepared by Galway County Council, which outlined the methodology for the ground investigation and archaeological investigations along the N59 (Bunnakill to Oughterard) as part of the overall N59 Maam Cross-Oughterard Project, were submitted in September 2022.
This is a complex case in a designated area. Accordingly, great care has been exercised in giving the matter full and due consideration. The Department have further considered the particular wording of the condition which stipulates that any method statements must be approved by Galway County Council with the ‘agreement’ of the NPWS and Inland Fisheries Ireland. It is not clear, however, as to whether there is any statutory basis for which the NPWS can ‘agree’ such method statements. Moreover, it is for Galway County Council to approve the method statements, and as such, the responsibility for ensuring that the method statements comply with the EU Habitats Directive lies with Galway County Council. The NPWS wrote to Galway County Council on 27 June 2023 setting out their views on this role and have received no further communications from the Council.
344. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will confirm or clarify whether, following remediation as prescribed by the Housing Agency under the defective blocks grant scheme, that properties remediated will be fully mortgageable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53836/23]
View answer345. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of meetings he has held with retail banks, regarding the mortgage treatment of homes affected by defective blocks or their status following remediation, in each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively. [53851/23]
View answerOversight of financial institutions including the retail banks is outside the scope and remit of my Department and rests with my colleague the Minister for Finance.
I met with the BPFI on 2 February 2023. At the meeting, I stressed the need for a fair and consistent approach to be taken by the banking sector with customers dealing with the effects of defective concrete blocks on their houses.
Further meetings and communications at official level have taken place frequently since then. My Department continues to engage with the BPFI on specific issues raised by Defective Concrete Block (DCB) homeowners to see what can be done to address their concerns.
As part of these discussions the BPFI has confirmed to my Department that, from their perspective, once a home has been certified as remediated under the DCB Scheme it will be treated by them in a similar manner to all other properties.
346. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has entered into negotiations or purchased lands at a location (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53890/23]
View answerThe National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department occasionally purchases land for strategic and conservation purposes. Such acquisitions are considered on a case by case basis. In light of the commercial sensitivity of such considerations, I am not in a position to comment on individual sites.
347. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost to recruit 50 additional WTE community welfare officers, in tabular form. [53221/23]
View answerA Community Welfare Officer (CWO) is at Higher Executive Officer (HEO) civil service grade level.
The average cost of a HEO is €88,776 per annum. This cost is inclusive of salary cost, employer contribution for PRSI, an imputed employer pension contribution and employee overheads e.g. accommodation.
Therefore, the estimated cost of employing 50 additional CWOs is €4,438,800 per annum.
