Written Answers Nos. 70-89
70. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his proposals for strategic ten-year development plans for local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53931/23]
View answerThe Planning and Development Bill 2023 provides for 10 year Development Plans, replacing the current 6 year cycle. The content of development plans will now be more strategic in nature. They will include an integrated overall strategy for the area and six thematic strategies. The longer cycle allows more time in between plan making cycles for effective implementation of the plan agreed by local elected members.
An interim review of the development plan will occur at year 5 of the development plan so as to ensure effective alignment between the development plan and the Census, the National Planning Framework and the relevant Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy. The 10 year cycle, with 5 year review means that every elected member will be involved, at minimum, either the making of the development plan or the review and possible amendment of a development plan via the interim review.
The national and regional plans to which development plans are required to align range from 10 to 20 years in length. Extending the cycle of development plans helps to maintain synchronicity across the system. The new time period will also better align with Census cycles and availability of up to date population data; supporting more strategic planning by Planning Authorities and more accurate forecasting for Government in terms of the appropriate levels of funding required to meet the needs of a growing population.
71. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to ensure that the water from private wells is of a safe standard, given that since Uisce Éireann was established, homeowners with private wells have to pay a private lab service for testing of their drinking water, a service which previously was available free through the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53411/23]
View answerAccording to the latest census data available, approximately 10% of the population obtain their water from a private water supply (or private well). Owners must ensure that the water supply is wholesome and clean and is fit for human consumption.
My Department, provides financial assistance with grants, which are subject to terms and conditions, to assist householders dependent on these supplies where they incur capital expenditure. Where capital works are completed and for the purposes of certifying and confirming that the water supply concerned is fit for human consumption, the cost of sampling and analysis is fundable under the grant.
However, the grant is not otherwise available to fund the cost of sampling and testing of a private water supply. I can confirm that local authorities across the country did not previously provide full funding to pay for a private lab service for testing of private wells.
Further details can be found at:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/1d9d8-private-wells/
I can further confirm that my Department, in consultation with key stakeholders, is currently reviewing the grants available to identify where improvements could and should be made to their terms and conditions.
I expect to receive and review recommendations from this review process in the coming weeks.
73. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline details of the Voids Programme for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54190/23]
View answerThe management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.
Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2019. Local authority officials and elected members have a very important role to play in this regard by making adequate budgetary provision for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance utilising the significant housing rental income available to them as part of the annual budgetary process.
Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities, Exchequer funding has also been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to supplement the local authority funding available for the preparation of vacant properties for re-letting. The funding was introduced originally to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authorities to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.
From 2014 to 2022, expenditure of almost €290 million was recouped to local authorities under the Voids Programme which funded the return to productive use of 20,834 properties nationwide. Work in relation to the 2023 programme is nearing completion, however, full details in relation to delivery under the 2023 Programme will not be available until early in 2024.
My Department will continue to support local authorities in their work in this area and funding allocations under the 2024 Programme will be announced early next year, however, given the very significant investment into the Programme over recent years local authorities should now be in a strong position to continue the transition to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach to stock management and maintenance.
To that end, my Department and local authorities are working to transition from a largely response and voids based approach to housing stock management and maintenance, to a planned maintenance approach as referenced in Action 17.4 of the Housing for All Action Plan Update. This will require the completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes in response.
75. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when emergency funding for interim fire safety and other measures for homeowners and OMCs with Celtic tiger era building defects will be made available. [54149/23]
View answerI fully acknowledge the difficulties that homeowners and residents of many apartments and duplexes are facing, and the stress that is caused when defects arise in relation to their buildings. The Government is committed to helping those whose lives have been impacted by this issue.
Since the receipt of Government approval in January of this year, I have been working hard to progress the various programmes of work that are required to place the apartment remediation scheme on a statutory footing.
Bespoke legislation is needed to underpin the remediation scheme, the cost of which is estimated at more than €2 billion. The Government is entirely focused on establishing a scheme that is fit for purpose and works for the people impacted. I expect the draft legislation will be published in 2024 and that subject to the legislative process, the statutory scheme will be in place shortly thereafter.
I recognise that there may be some apartment developments that will need to carry out certain fire safety works as a matter of urgency. My Department is working closely with the Housing Agency and key stakeholders to facilitate the provision of funding for interim fire safety measures on an administrative basis. Further details of this scheme will be published shortly.
77. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline the proposals that he plans to table for consideration by the citizens of Dublin of future governance for the city. [54193/23]
View answerIn June this year, Government referred the report of the 2022 Dublin Citizens’ Assembly to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The Committee was asked to consider the recommendations contained in the report, and to advise on whether to hold plebiscite to determine if Dublin should have a directly-elected Mayor and local government structures as recommended, and if so, the wording for such a plebiscite.
The Committee has been requested to issue a detailed response to the report by the end of 2023.
The report and recommendations are also under consideration in my Department with a view to preparing a comprehensive response for Government’s consideration, informed by the work of the Committee, in due course.
78. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline when he intends to bring forward the promised "first refusal" legislation with regard to the tenant in situ scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54219/23]
View answerThe Government's Legislation Programme for Autumn 2023, published in September, includes the Residential Tenancies (Right to Purchase) Bill for priority publication this session.
81. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what measures he is going to put in place to address those families and individuals in homeless services who are above the income limits for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54221/23]
View answerThe baseline social housing net income eligibility thresholds were increased for all local authorities from 1 January 2023, by €5,000 to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively. My Department also continues to work on developing options for a potential revised or new social housing income eligibility model. It is expected proposals will be submitted for my consideration when the analysis is completed.
Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is increasing the supply of social and affordable housing and my Department is prioritising measures which focus on accelerating housing supply through a combination of new build, targeted acquisitions and leasing.
Record state investment of €4.5bn has been made available this year to support the largest State home building programme ever, including 9,100 new build social homes and 5,500 affordable homes. The Government has also approved an increase in the number of social housing acquisitions, with local authorities sanctioned to acquire at least 1,500 social homes, mainly focused on acquiring Tenant-in-Situ properties.
Affordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of the Government’s housing policy. The Housing for All strategy aims to increase new housing supply, support home ownership, and increase affordability. It commits to the delivery of 54,000 affordable homes by 2030. The plan can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/ef5ec-housing-for-all-a-new-housing-plan-for-ireland/#view-the-plan, with information on delivery available through the Housing for All Quarterly Progress Reports, which can be accessed via the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/9d2ee-housing-for-all-quarterly-progress-reports/.
Information on affordability measures that have been put in place, is published on www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/0d279-doors-open/, which also contains further links to each specific scheme. Information is also available at the following link: affordablehomes.ie/.
83. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of money paid out under the vacant property refurbishment grant in each month since it was established; if he will provide detail in relation to the qualification criteria for the grant, the amount of applications received for the grant and the amount of grants approved, in tabular form.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53693/23]
View answerIn July 2022 I launched the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, which supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes.
In May 2023, I announced a revised grant rate of up to a maximum of €50,000 available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and also for properties which will be made available for rent, including the conversion of a property which has not previously been used as residential. Where the refurbishment costs are expected to exceed the standard grant of up to €50,000, a further maximum top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed to be derelict or where the property is already on the local authority’s Derelict Sites Register. This brings the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000.
For an applicant and property to meet the conditions of the grant the following criteria must be met:
• The property must have been vacant for 2 years or more;
• The property must have been build prior to 2008;
• An applicant must own the property or be in the process of buying it;
• Applicants must live in the home as their principal private residence or make it available to rent on completion of qualifying works to the dwelling;
• Applicants must provide evidence of tax compliance, with tax clearance from Revenue;
• Where the property is being made available for rent, an applicant must provide a declaration that the refurbished property will made available for rent and a tenancy registered with the Residential Tenancy Board (RTB);
• Applicants must have the grant application approved before the work, in respect of which the grant is being applied for, commences.
• On completion of the qualifying works; applicants must agree to the clawback conditions;
The cost of the Grant to date is €4.3 million. This includes recoupment to local authorities for grants paid and administrative support to local authorities.
My Department publishes data on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, see gov.ie - Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant statistics (www.gov.ie)
84. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he intends to bring forward legislation to give effect to the planning recommendations of the Expert Group on Traveller Accommodation published in 2019 [54148/23]
View answerThe Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.
The Act provides that housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas.
The Traveller Accommodation Expert Review report, published in July 2019, reviewed the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998, and other legislation that impacts on the provision and delivery of accommodation for Travellers. The Expert Review report, which is intended to improve the effectiveness of the arrangements for providing accommodation for members of the Traveller community, has 32 recommendations across four categories which are aimed at:
• Addressing research deficiencies, including how information is gathered and used;
• Removing any potential delays and obstacles in the planning system in terms of delivery;
• Increasing resources and delivery capacity; and
• Strengthening governance arrangements.
Delivery and implementation of the recommendations involves several areas within my Department, as well as input from other Departments, local authorities and other external stakeholders.
The Programme Board, established to drive implementation of the recommendations from the Traveller Accommodation Expert Review report, agreed to report progress on implementation of the recommendations on my Department's website. The progress report, which provides an update on the work of the Programme Board, is available at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/37910-traveller-accommodation-expert-review-programme-board-update/.
The need for legislation will depend on the work of the Programme Board and the outcome of its considerations.
85. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeline for the publication of the draft planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54200/23]
View answerAn Interdepartmental Group (comprising my Department; the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media; and Údarás na Gaeltachta) is continuing its work in developing specific planning guidance for Gaeltacht areas. There is also a separate Working Group made up of my Department, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Údarás na Gaeltachta and the relevant local authorities with Gaeltacht areas.
At the Interdepartmental Group meeting of 15 December 2022, it was agreed that the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media would commence a study in 2023 on the methodology and format for Linguistic Impact Statements as a key elements of future planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas. This study was subsequently commenced in February 2023. Initial proposals have been received from the consultants, whose work is nearing completion, and this is informing the draft of planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas. Several Interdepartmental Group meetings took place in 2023 and bilateral Departmental engagement is ongoing.The draft planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas are currently being finalised for my review in the first instance and then mandatory screening under EU law for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), as well as for the purposes of Appropriate Assessment (AA). It is intended that, subject to the outcome of the screening exercises, the draft guidelines will then be published for public consultation.
86. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his assessment of the impact of affordable purchase initiatives on increasing home ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53937/23]
View answerAffordability and the chance to own a home is at the heart of the Government’s housing policy. As detailed in the Housing for All strategy, the Government has introduced a number of measures to support households and individuals wishing to purchase a home, as well as increasing the overall supply of new homes, with an ambitious target of 300,000 new homes up to 2030.
In relation to affordable housing, under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through the First Home scheme, a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
Data for affordable housing delivery is published on a quarterly basis, similar to social housing delivery and is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#affordable-housing-delivery.
As of the end of Q2 2023, over 3,000 affordable homes have been delivered, including almost 2,300 households supported by the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme and the First Home Shared Equity Scheme.
Other measures, such as the Help to Buy Scheme, are also nationally available to eligible first-time purchasers to make home ownership more affordable.
As of the end of November 2023, over 43,500 first-time buyers have been supported by the incentive. Further details of this scheme are available here: www.revenue.ie/en/property/help-to-buy-incentive/index.aspx.
89. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can outline what measures his Department will be putting in place with Uisce Éireann to reduce the levels of raw sewage entering into local waterways across the Sligo and Leitrim area. [54234/23]
View answerUisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level, including investment in wastewater treatment plants and returning treated wastewater safely to the environment in an efficient and sustainable manner. The Environmental Protection Agency is the environmental regulator for Uisce Éireann and including compliance in relation to licensed urban waste water discharges.
Since 2014, Uisce Éireann has built new wastewater infrastructure for 24 towns and villages across the country, ending the discharge of raw sewage into the environment. Based on Uisce Éireann’s recent plans, 20 of the remaining towns and villages discharging raw sewage, will have treatment in place by the end of 2025 and the remaining areas are expected to receive treatment by the end of 2028.
As part of Budget 2024, I secured funding of €1.8 billion to support water services and €1.66 billion of this will go to Uisce Éireann. This investment will deliver significant improvements in public wastewater services and improve water quality in rivers, lakes and marine areas.
In relation to the Sligo and Leitrim area, the EPA Urban Wastewater Treatment Report 2022 does not indicate any raw sewage discharges in the Sligo Leitrim area as of mid-2023.
