Written Answers Nos. 228-238
228. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the steps already made and ongoing to support the tourism industry in the face of cost-of-living increases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7390/24]
View answerMy role and that of my Department in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy development and in securing resources to assist the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, in implementing that policy. In Budget 2024 I secured funding of €218 million to continue the support for tourism development at home and amongst overseas visitors; whilst supporting continued recovery in the sector.
In addition, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and I co-chair the Hospitality and Tourism Forum which brings together on a regular basis these two important and inter-related sectors. Key stakeholders from the tourism and hospitality sectors are represented in this Forum. The Forum provides a platform for structured engagement between the tourism and hospitality sectors and the relevant Government Departments where key matters can be discussed with a view to identifying practical solutions. Key stakeholders within tourism and hospitality sectors were present when this Forum recently met in person on 24 January 2024.
In this regard it is worth pointing to the Increased Costs of Business Scheme introduced by my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the recent announcement by the Minister of Finance, Michael McGrath, of significant changes to the Tax Debt Warehousing scheme with a reduction in the interest rate applying to warehoused tax debt to 0%. Both these measures will be of direct benefit to a wide range of businesses within the tourism sector.
229. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the commitments made in the Programme for Government (details supplied) under the heading arts and culture that have been delivered in full, partly delivered, are in progress or have not been actioned; and to provide a brief statement on each commitment, in tabular form. [7393/24]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will issue directly to the Deputy in accordance with the timelines set out in Standing Orders.
230. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the long-awaited review for local authority housing adaptation grants will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7352/24]
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 which the review considered are the income thresholds that apply and the grant limits.
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 and is engaging with that Department on the recommendations in the report with a view to bringing forward amendments to the relevant Regulations governing the schemes as soon as possible.
231. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he supports maintaining the protected status of fallow and sika deer, under the wildlife Acts, given they are a non-native species with a seriously detrimental impact on the environment and biodiversity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55789/23]
View answerGrazing by deer is an integral part of woodland ecology. Where it occurs at appropriate levels, it facilitates structural diversity, encourages high levels of biodiversity in the ground and field layers, maintains open areas and stimulates natural regeneration. Unfortunately, grazing pressure in Irish woodlands is rarely at appropriate levels.
Sika deer, fallow deer and red deer have all significantly expanded in range and numbers across Ireland over the past 30 years. In some areas, this has led to damage to farmland, forestry and to biodiversity. In September 2022, in recognition of the growing impact of deer, my Department together with the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Marine established a Deer Management Strategy Group (DMSG).
The role of the DMSG was to develop proposals to ensure sustainable deer numbers while achieving the objectives of landowners ranging from biodiversity, forestry, agriculture, animal health and road safety.
Following extensive public consultation and stakeholder engagement, the final report from this group was submitted to Government in December 2023. The report contains a series of short and medium term recommendations including the following:
• Appointment of a program manager to set up deer management units with local co-ordinators
• Develop an Implementation Plan in conjunction with the Deer Management Strategy Group
• Set up Deer Management Units, in critical/hot spot areas initially, following on from localised stakeholder meetings
• Revision of the deer Open Seasons Order to align with the current dates in Northern Ireland in the first instance
• Investigate support incentives necessary for national deer management program (including for Venison market)
• Monitor the impacts (on biodiversity, forestry, farming & road safety) arising from Implementation Plan
• Engage with state bodies to develop a structured deer management policy on State lands
Staff in both Departments are now working to implement these recommendations.
As a first step, my Department has prepared a new Wild Mammals Open Seasons Order to extend the hunting season for deer and this is currently going through the drafting process.
Monitoring is also underway which will allow us to track changes in forest damage and woodland regeneration. The results of this monitoring will confirm whether or not deer impacts are being successfully managed, or whether additional measures may be needed.
In relation to the specific issue of the protected status afforded to fallow deer and sika deer, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department is currently undertaking a project to review and update wildlife legislation. This is an extensive review and is a multi-year project. It will examine closely the effectiveness of our legislation in protecting wildlife and regulating activities that adversely impact on wildlife and biodiversity. As part of this work the NPWS will review which species should enjoy ‘protected wild animal’ status under the Act, and the status of fallow and sika deer will be reviewed in that context.
232. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the role his Department is taking in the Cork events centre; the current estimated completion cost and date. [5672/24]
View answerThe Cork Events Centre was included as a Government commitment under the revised National Development Plan in 2021. This underlines the Government’s support for urban regeneration, enhanced amenity and heritage, associated quality of life standards, balanced regional development, and the regeneration and development of Cork City Centre.
It was agreed by Government in the context of Budget 2020 that responsibility for making the grant funding available for the project would transfer from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to my Department. However, responsibility for the advancement of the project remains, in the first instance, a matter for Cork City Council.
As a flagship project under the National Development Plan, €50m of grant funding for the project was approved by Government in February, 2022 to support an investment of €35 million by the successful consortium; a potential additional €7 million of Government funding was also approved at that time to help cover construction cost inflation arising from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic however it was noted that the final additional costs to the State, related to construction cost inflation, could only be determined when the final detailed design of the project was completed.
Following completion of the detailed design of the Events Centre in the Autumn of 2023, Cork City Council, at the request of my Department, undertook a cost verification check on the final design and costing. This process is now complete and Cork City Council have submitted a Final Business Case along with supporting documentation in the last number of weeks. My Department is currently undertaking a detailed review of these submissions and there is ongoing engagement in that regard with the Council.
In order to maintain the integrity of the decision making process, it is not my intention to release and/or publish the documents which have been submitted to date by Cork City Council. I expect that a decision on the Events Centre could be made in Q1 of 2024, but this does depend on the outcome of the ongoing review of the Final Business Case and is ultimately a matter for Government.
233. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what additional steps he will take to ensure that Dublin City Council acts on foot of the Respiratory Health Among Residents of Oliver Bond House report, which showed the scale of the health problems associated with these flats; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7172/24]
View answerThe regeneration of the Oliver Bond House complex by Dublin City Council (DCC) has my Department's full support. My Department provided Stage 1 Capital Appraisal approval to DCC for the redevelopment for the flats in Blocks L, M and N, on the 16th March 2022. This allowed for a guarantee of Departmental support whilst also tasking DCC to investigate a review of options to find the most suitable solution for the site.
I can confirm that my office is working with the representatives of the Oliver Bond residents' group to provide them with an opportunity to present to me on "Respiratory Health Among Residents of Oliver Bond Report". I anticipate that there will be input also provided by the report authors. The details of that meeting will be finalised in due course.
The management and maintenance of DCC’s housing stock is strictly a matter for the Local Authority. DCC have advised that the Council has been undertaking works to improve the living conditions of the residents as well as the structure of the complex. On an ongoing basis there are four caretakers assigned to the complex. Their duties include maintaining common areas, presenting waste for collection and reporting any repairs and accidents in the complex. These caretakers are assigned to the Oliver Bond complex on a full time basis. All maintenance repair requests are responded to in accordance with Housing Maintenance procedures.
DCC have informed my Department that they have surveyed all of the units for mechanical ventilation and installed vents in 308 units. Of the 391 apartments, 49 tenants refused to have mechanical ventilation installed. Of the remaining 34 DCC are currently working to gain access to install ventilation
DCC have informed my Department that their maintenance staff are currently examining the condition of windows in the units for the purpose of upgrading all single glazed windows to double glazed. 12 blocks have completed surveys and the tender process will start as soon as the remaining surveys are complete. These improvement measures will be implemented in collaboration with the residents.
DCC have also informed my Department that they are actively engaged with the residents on an individual level to address issues brought to their attention. Officers from the City Council engage through the Robert Emmet CDP and attend meetings with resident groups to hear their concerns and shared information on planned and proposed work.
In the longer term, DCC is fully committed to making a positive intervention in all the 391 apartments and will continue to pursue this via its application for grant funding and its collaboration with local residents, elected members and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
234. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will instruct or encourage all local authorities to carry out a full audit of their homes to ensure that they are fit for human habitation and that their conditions are not contributing to or causing ill health to tenants, as has been shown to be the case in Oliver Bond flats recently, as outlined in the Respiratory Health Among Residents of Oliver Bond House report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7173/24]
View answerThere are over 146,000 local authority social housing properties in the State. It is important that local authorities fulfil their legal obligations with regard to management and maintenance of this valuable State asset, ensure that their homes comply with relevant standards and that vacancy and turnaround times are kept to a minimum.
My Department is committed to supporting local authorities in the optimum management and maintenance of their housing stock and is working with them to continue to transition from a largely response based approach to a strategic planned maintenance approach based on stock condition surveys.
A national standardised stock condition survey template has been agreed, as has the implementation of a centrally hosted ICT system to support asset management. The ICT system has been procured by the Local Government Management Agency. The stock condition surveys have commenced and it is envisaged will be completed over a 4 to 5 year period.
My Department will continue to support local authorities under the existing programmes of stock improvement works, such as, Voids, the Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme and Disabled Persons Grants while continuing the transition to a planned maintenance approach this year. It is equally important that local authorities ensure adequate budgetary provision is made for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance as part of their annual budget process.
Notwithstanding the local authority stock improvement programmes the regeneration of the Oliver Bond House complex by Dublin City Council (DCC) has my Departments full support. My Department provided Stage 1 Capital Appraisal approval to DCC for the redevelopment for the flats in Blocks L, M and N, on the 16th March 2022. This allowed for a guarantee of Departmental support whilst also tasking DCC to investigate a review of options to find the most suitable solution for the site.
The Department provided funding approval for four regeneration projects at Oliver Bond House in November 2023. These projects are as follows:
* N29-2-988 Social Housing Delivery
* N29-2-1057 Oliver Bond Community Centre
* N29-2-1058 Oliver Bond Precinct Improvement Works
* N29-2-1059 Oliver Bond Social Integration
DCC have advised that the Council has been undertaking works to improve the living conditions of the residents as well as the structure of the complex. Dublin City are engaging with local residents groups in this regard.
235. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that a single person earning €57,000 gross , or €41,500 net, does not qualify for a one bed unit in a Land Development Agency cost rental scheme and yet is also excluded from social tenancy given the €40,000 income threshold; and the action he will take to remediate the situation. [7210/24]
View answerCost Rental is a form of rental tenure designed to assist a cohort of renters who face significant affordability challenges meeting high rents in the private sector and who are not eligible for social housing support. The core principle of Cost Rental is that the rents cover the development, management, and maintenance costs of the homes, so that the long-term future of the homes is financially secure, but that rents are not subject to the pressures of the open market. Unlike market-driven rents, Cost Rental prices only increase in line with consumer inflation, providing stability while meeting ongoing expenses. Additionally, Cost Rental homes offer long-term, secure tenancies regulated by the Affordable Housing Act 2021.
The primary eligibility condition for accessing Cost Rental housing is a maximum net annual household income (less income tax, PRSI, USC, and superannuation contributions). This was originally set, for the whole country, in December 2021 at €53,000, these limits were adjusted to €66,000 in Dublin and €59,000 elsewhere in August 2023, acknowledging changing economic circumstances.
Since rents must cover costs, a Cost Rental landlord must be confident that a prospective tenant can afford to pay the rent every month over the long term. Therefore, under the current legislation, a Cost Rental landlord has final discretion on whether to enter into a tenancy agreement with any particular applicant.
Regarding social housing, income thresholds were increased by €5,000 for all local authorities from January 1, 2023, based on a 2022 review conducted by my Department. The new thresholds are €40,000, €35,000, and €30,000 for bands 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Notwithstanding these changes, my Department is awaiting detailed research examining the existing income limits in the context of current market and population conditions and the suitability or otherwise of the current framework having regard to the significantly changed landscape since it was introduced. This has been commissioned by the Housing Agency and I understand this work is near completion. When it is available, my Department will undertake a detailed examination of the report, including consultation with stakeholders. This will facilitate the preparation of options for my consideration later this year as set out in the Housing for All Action Plan update.
236. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of Croí Cónaithe grants that have been approved, by county, in tabular form. [7215/24]
View answer237. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of Croí Cónaithe grants that have been paid by the local authority, by county, in tabular form. [7216/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 237 together.
Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use. 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.
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.
My Department publishes data on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, which can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/4bbe4-vacant-property-refurbishment-grant-statistics/
238. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 836 of 18 April 2023, if he will comment on the stated position of Kilkenny County Council that the wind map from the Kilkenny County Development Plan 2014-2020 does not remain in force; if wind energy developments in County Kilkenny must now be considered on a case by case basis having regard for Government policy and the wind energy guidelines 2006; if he will clarify this contradiction in order to give clarity to local communities that are concerned about proposed developments and their rights within the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7219/24]
View answerPursuant to a recommendation received from the Office of the Planning Regulator, on 15 October 2021 the then Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Peter Burke TD, wrote to the Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council giving notice of his intention to issue a Direction in relation to the Kilkenny City and County Development Plan 2021-2027. A draft of the proposed Direction was contained in the notice in accordance with Section 31(4) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, and accordingly, those parts of the Development Plan referred to in the notice shall be taken not to have come into effect, been made or amended.
The draft Direction was made available for public inspection by Kilkenny County Council and submissions were invited during a two week period between 29 October 2021 and 12 November 2021. Subsequently, the Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council prepared a report dated 10 December 2021 on submissions received during this period and made a recommendation on how to give effect to the draft Direction. The Office of the Planning Regulator considered this report and on 10 January 2022 issued a notice under Section 31AN(4) of the Act recommending that the Minister issue the Direction with minor amendments, consistent with the recommendation contained in the Chief Executive’s Report.
It should be noted that the OPR’s recommendation in relation to this matter was received by the Minister prior to the enactment of the Planning and Development, Maritime and Valuation (Amendment) Act 2022 and as such no statutory timeline is applicable to a decision in respect of a final direction in this case and the matter remains under active consideration in light of policy developments in this area.
Section 31(6)(b) of the 2000 Act specifies that if a part of a development plan proposed to be replaced contains a matter that corresponds to any matter contained in a plan which is referred to in a draft Direction, that part of the previous development plan shall not cease to have effect in respect of that matter.
The interpretation of this provision of the Act and its application to the relevant particulars of the development plan pertaining to County Kilkenny is a matter for Kilkenny County Council in the first instance in its capacity as planning authority for the area.
