Written Answers Nos. 834-846
834. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will issue guidance to returning officers stating that election candidates do not need to list their full home address on the ballot paper; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1719/24]
View answerUnder electoral law, a nomination paper must state the name, address and occupation (if any) of a candidate at an election. A ballot paper must contain the name and description of the candidate standing nominated, as shown in the nomination paper. This requirement is intended as a means of identifying a candidate and ensuring the transparency of elections. In ruling on the validity of a nomination paper, the independent returning officer must, amongst other things, object to the description of a candidate which is, in his or her opinion, incorrect or insufficient to identify the candidate.
Guidance provided to returning officers by my Department in advance of elections states that a candidate’s address need not necessarily relate to their residence but could, for example, refer to their place of business such as a constituency office.
During the Committee Stage debate on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023 the issue of the requirement for the address of a candidate on ballot papers was raised. During the debate I highlighted that An Coimisiún Toghcháin had prepared its first draft research programme and was seeking the views of the Oireachtas, the public and other interested parties on its research priorities. In response to An Coimisiún's call for submissions I have asked it to consider the issue of the address of candidates on ballot papers.
Changes to electoral law in respect of the issue would have regard to any recommendations made by An Coimisiún Toghcháin.
835. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the new fire station in Dunleer, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1760/24]
View answerThe provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003.
My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for equipment and priority infrastructural projects.
Louth County Council has indicated that Dunleer remains their top priority project, and a new fire station at Dunleer is provided for in the Fire services Capital Programme 2021 - 2025.
The Council submitted a preliminary appraisal to my Department in January 2021. Following examination of the proposal, approval in principle for this project issued on 25 June 2021, along with approval for the Council to appoint a design team and to progress this project to full design and cost plan stage.
Louth County Council are working to finalise the acquisition of their preferred site. Upon final confirmation of site acquisition, Louth County Council will move quickly through the necessary phases to progress the construction of a new station for Dunleer. My Department will continue to support Louth County Council to progress the new Dunleer fire station project.
836. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when a NPWS farm plan scheme annual payment for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1773/24]
View answerThe National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is working with the appointed planner to the scheme, to verify and process this payment in compliance with the terms and conditions of NPWS Farm Plan Scheme.
Payment is expected to be made by the end of January 2024.
838. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on an issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1842/24]
View answerClimate Action Plan 2023 commits to installing heat pumps in 45,000 existing dwellings and in 170,000 new dwellings by 2025, increasing to 400,000 and 280,000 respectively by 2030
This rapid transition to low-carbon heating systems has effectively phased out fossil fuel boilers in new homes. It will significantly improve air quality in the areas where these new homes are built relative to traditional developments, providing more comfortable and energy-efficient homes, while also helping to achieve carbon reduction targets committed to in the Climate Action Plan.
Part D materials and Workmanship of the Building Regulations requires that all materials used in buildings should be fit for their intended use and the conditions in which they are to be used.
Energy Performance Regulations, Building Regulations Technical Guidance Documents and NSAI Standard S.R.50-4:2021 Building services – Part 4: Heat pump systems in dwellings provide regulations and technical guidance requiring that space and water heating systems in dwellings be energy efficient, with efficient heat sources and effective controls. These documents include guidance for the defrost cycle of heat pumps.
The details of these regulations and guidance documents is set out below:
• S.I. 183 of 2019 - European Union (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2019 requires that space and water heating systems in dwellings be energy efficient, with efficient heat sources and effective controls. These regulations also require that the dwelling owner be provided with sufficient information about the building, the fixed building services, controls and their maintenance requirements so that the building can be operated in such a manner as to use no more fuel and energy than is reasonable.
• Technical Guidance Document (TGD) L 2022 Conservation of Fuel and Energy – Dwellings (Table 2 – page 29) provides for the minimum controls for air-to water heat pump systems to include a defrost control of external airside heat exchanger for air-to-water systems.
• The document Heating & Domestic Hot Water Systems for Dwellings– Achieving Compliance with Part L & Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2019 provides guidance on the minimum provisions for heat pumps in dwellings to comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations for space heating systems and hot water systems that include a defrost control of external airside heat exchanger for air-to-water systems.
• The NSAI Standard Recommendation S.R.50-4:2021 Building services – Part 4: Heat pump systems in dwellings provides guidance for the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of heat pumps in dwellings in Ireland. This includes guidance to ensure that the space heating of a dwelling using an air-to-water heat pump as main space-heating system does not stop/cut out when the heat pump starts a defrost cycle. The guidance states that any heat pump system installed should be suitable for the local climate conditions and that frost protection system settings should be checked and tailored for the site.
840. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the recent increase in homelessness, with particular reference to child homelessness; the measures he will take to combat same in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1844/24]
View answerThe increase in the numbers accessing emergency accommodation is a serious concern for me and for the Government. Supporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a key Government priority. Increasing the supply of housing is critical to address homelessness and record levels of investment are being provided under Housing for All to support the delivery of housing. In 2024, over €5bn in investment is available to support the delivery of housing.
Budget 2024 allocated funding of over €242 million for the delivery of homelessness services. This funding will support the provision of emergency accommodation and related supports, including increased prevention activity. Local authorities and their service delivery partners will work closely with all households in emergency accommodation to support them to secure an exit to a tenancy.
Local authorities have been sanctioned to acquire at least 1,500 social homes, mainly focused on acquiring properties where a social housing tenant has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. For private tenants at risk of homelessness who are not in receipt of social housing supports, the ‘Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ’ scheme has also been introduced.
I have also established the National Homeless Action Committee (NHAC). The overarching objective of the Committee is to ensure that a renewed emphasis is brought to collaborating across Government to implement actions in Housing for All, along with bringing better coherence and coordination of homeless-related services in delivering policy measures and actions to address homelessness.
841. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when housing schemes will be funded (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1845/24]
View answerUnder Housing for All, the Government has targeted the delivery of 28,500 new affordable homes from 2022 to 2026, to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
Each local authority has prepared and published its own 5-year Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out their planned social and affordable housing delivery. Clare County Council's plan is available on its official website.
Clare does not have an affordable housing target as the assessed level of affordably constrained need is not high in the county as house prices are below the national median. However, the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) is open and available to support all local authorities to address any localised affordability needs where they occur.
My Department has met with Clare County Council to discuss its plans for affordable purchase schemes at Ennis and Shannon. Funding approval under the AHF is now in place to assist with the delivery of 10 affordable purchase homes at Shannon, while a further application for a proposed scheme at Ennis has been received by the Department and is currently under assessment.
The Department, in conjunction with the Housing Agency and the Housing Delivery Coordination Office of the Local Government Management Association, will continue to advise and support Clare County Council in relation to its planned response to affordable housing needs in its area.
The First Home Scheme is also available to support the purchase of new homes at an affordable price in the private market and has delivered to date for a number of eligible affordable housing applicants in Co. Clare. Full details of the First Home Scheme are available at: www.firsthomescheme.ie.
I anticipate that the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, which includes funding for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Ready to Build Scheme, will also prove valuable in addressing overall affordability needs in Clare. A Vacant Homes Officer is in place who can assist the public with bringing vacant homes back into use, with up to €70,000 in grant support available to do so.
Significant progress is being made to deliver the Government's ambitious social and affordable housing targets under Housing for All, and my Department is working to further accelerate delivery with local authorities, AHBs, the LDA, and via the First Home scheme.
842. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what measures he is taking to improve the standard of homeless hostel accommodation for rough sleepers, in light of the all-too-common opinion that people ‘are safer on the streets’ than in some homeless hostels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1860/24]
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 local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities.
To assist in ensuring that homeless services provided are of a high standard, a National Quality Standards Framework (NQSF) was developed by the DRHE in partnership with the NGO Sector, the HSE, and other key stakeholders.
The standards framework is now in place nationally for all local authority and NGO services. Given the increase in contracting private accommodation exclusively for the use of homeless households and to ensure standards in these facilities, the DRHE have adapted the NQSF standards to apply their provisions to private emergency accommodation.
The standards contained in “Quality Standards for Private Emergency Accommodation” have been developed around the different service models in Private Emergency Accommodation i.e. different entities providing the facility and the supports. As was the case with the roll-out of the NQSF to NGO services, a developmental approach is being taken.
The DRHE following a competitive tender process appointed an independent inspectorate to carry out inspections on DRHE services. The most recent inspection reports are available for review on the DHRE website at www.homelessdublin.ie/quality-standards/test2.
845. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that banks will not issue mortgages in the case of a tenant purchase, due to the operation of the clawback clause on the tenant purchase discount, and as result this locks out families whose income does not fit the conditions of a local authority loan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1900/24]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants of local authority houses which are available for sale under the scheme. All applications for the Scheme must satisfy the requirements outlined in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the associated regulations.
The clawback, otherwise known as the incremental purchase charge, is an integral component of the scheme. Under the scheme, based on a tenant’s reckonable income, the tenant receives a discount of 40%, 50%, or 60% on the purchase price of the house and the local authority places an incremental purchase charge on the house of the proportion of its value equal to the discount. The charge period is dependent on this discount given and may be 20, 25, or 30 years. This charge will reduce gradually by 2% every year over the duration of the charge period until it reaches zero, subject to the applicant complying with the conditions of the scheme. For example, if the incremental purchase charge placed on your house is 50%, it will reduce gradually by 2% per year over 25 years until it reaches zero.
In addition, the incremental purchase charge encourages tenant purchasers to continue to reside in their house for a reasonable period after purchase. It also enables housing authorities to share in any profit on the resale of the house by a tenant purchaser in the initial years after purchase, thus generating funds for the provision of new social housing, or upgrading existing social housing.
It should be noted that applicants may obtain finance through a variety of means, including through a financial institution, local authority home loan, or their own resources.
My Department monitors schemes on an ongoing basis to ensure that they remain effective and sustainable. Together with the Housing Agency, who assist local authorities with the operation of the scheme, my Department is available to answer questions which banks and other lending institutions may have regarding the scheme. However, no changes to the incremental purchase charge are being considered at this time.
846. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a list of developments funded through the capital advanced leasing facility (CALF) between 2020 and 2022 inclusive, broken down by year and county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1980/24]
View answerCALF funding is capital support provided to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) by local authorities to facilitate the funding of social housing units. This loan facility can support between 25% and 30% of the eligible capital cost of the housing project, with the housing units provided to local authorities for social housing use under long-term lease arrangements known as Payment and Availability Agreements.
A nominal interest rate of 2% fixed per annum is charged by the local authority on the initial capital amount. Repayments on either the capital or interest are not required during the term of the loan (between 10 and 30 years), although where an AHB chooses to, repayments can be made during the term. At the end of the term, the outstanding capital amount plus the interest accrued, is owed and repayable to the local authority. The local authority issues the CALF monies to the AHB and the local authority, in turn, recoups same from the Department.
The list of developments which have CALF funding approval and are on site or completed, are available on my Department's website:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/
Details on the number of social homes delivered across the various delivery streams and funding programmes are also available on my Departments website:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision
