Written Answers Nos. 679-698
681. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of cost rental scheme houses in Mayo at present; the plan for this scheme over the next five years for Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12782/24]
View answerCost rental is a new form of tenure which was introduced under the Affordable Housing Act 2021, where rents are set only to cover the cost of financing, building, managing and maintaining the homes. The Housing for All strategy commits to delivering a total of 18,000 Cost Rental homes over the period to 2030, and significant funding is being made available to support provision by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), local authorities, the Land Development Agency (LDA), and now also private providers under the new Secure Tenancy Affordable Rental (STAR) investment scheme.
Cost Rental schemes will be focused initially in densely populated urban areas where rental affordability pressures are particularly acute and where State resources can have the biggest impact. It is important that the State targets its affordability measures towards the parts of the country that are experiencing the most extreme affordability challenges.
Each local authority has prepared its own 5-year Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out their planned social and affordable housing delivery. A copy of Mayo County Council’s Housing Delivery Action Plan is available at the following link:www.mayo.ie/en-ie/your-council/services/housing-services/social-housing/housing-delivery-action-plan
Data for affordable housing delivery is published on a quarterly basis, similar to social housing delivery. This data is published up to Quarter 3 2023, including cost rental delivery, and is available on my Department's website: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/ . The Q4 2023 data is currently being collated and verified and will be published in due course.
While no Cost Rental schemes have been delivered to date in Mayo, my Department along with the Housing Agency and the Housing Delivery Coordination Office of the Local Government Management Agency will continue to advise and support Mayo County Council in respect of its planned response to affordable housing needs in its area.
682. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will detail the reason for the delay in adopting the third-cycle 2022-2027 River Basin Management Plan for Ireland; the date he expects the final plan to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12841/24]
View answerIn accordance with a key commitment in the Programme for Government, a new revised and strengthened River Basin Management Plan will outline the national policies and high-level goals that will protect and restore our natural waters and will advance Ireland’s implementation of the Water Framework Directive.
My Department is currently finalising the third River Basin Management Plan for Ireland. The process has entailed intensive consultation with Government Departments and other stakeholders in order to determine the measures that are appropriate to both protect and restore our water quality. The Plan will be published in the coming months following the completion of an Appropriate Assessment in accordance with the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC) and the Strategic Environmental Assessment under Directive 2001/42/EC.
683. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason none of the housing agency tenant in-situ purchases have been converted into cost rental tenancies to date; and the steps his Department is taking to address this delay. [12848/24]
View answerThe Government has developed the Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ (CRTiS) scheme for tenants in private rental homes who are at risk of homelessness because a landlord intends to sell the property but who are not in receipt of social housing supports.
The scheme was established on a temporary administrative basis from 1 April 2023 and is managed by the Housing Agency, pending further policy development over the longer term, with the intention of transitioning these homes to the standard Cost Rental model.
My Department is currently completing this policy work to ensure such a transition has the required legal framework in place and will bring forward the necessary amendments to the Affordable Housing Act 2021 in due course to enable that transition.
684. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason part V council tenancies are excluded from the tenant purchase scheme when other tenants of council owned houses are included in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12873/24]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme.
The scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015, as amended by the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. The regulations provide for a number of specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale, including those provided to local authorities under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000.The Part V provisions seek to promote social integration and secure mixed tenure, sustainable communities. Accordingly, Part V properties are excluded from the scheme to ensure the original policy goals of the legislation are not eroded over time and the properties remain available for people in need of social housing support.
685. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the concerns of middle earners and families in the north west region, that the ceiling price for the first home scheme (FHS) is insufficient and that there are no new homes currently in Sligo town eligible for this scheme; if the ceiling price will be reviewed at the next scheduled review of the FHS (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12880/24]
View answerThe First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Full details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie.
The First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company (DAC) is fully responsible for the operation of the First Home Scheme on behalf of all shareholders, including price ceiling reviews. The price ceilings of the First Home Scheme are reflective of CSO data showing the median price paid for a new-build home by a first-time buyer by area.
At its launch, the First Home Scheme Designated Activity Company (DAC) announced it would review all price ceilings at 6-month intervals. Three reviews have taken place to date, with the most recent one conducted towards the end of last year, which took effect from 1 January 2024 and is available at the following link: www.firsthomescheme.ie/about-the-scheme/property-price-ceilings/
686. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of single rural houses provided, by each local authority in the past ten years, in tabular form. [12924/24]
View answerData in relation to the detailed breakdown of the numbers of single, rural houses provided by each local authority in the last 10 years is not collected by and consequently is not available in my Department. Information relating to housing completions is available from the CSO at CSO New Dwelling Completions.
687. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of supported housing units funded by his Department to date; the number funded through funding streams (details supplied); and if the information on the total number of such units is not available, the units funded for each year from 2016 to 2023, in tabular form. [12928/24]
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 services rests with individual local authorities.
My Department does not fund any homeless service directly but provides funding to local authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services including emergency accommodation under Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. While responsibility for the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual local authorities, the administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis with a lead authority in place for each region. A homelessness consultative forum has been established in each of the nine homeless regions in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009. Decisions on the range of emergency accommodation services and funding required in each region are a matter for individual local authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homelessness Consultative Forum.
The Department does not hold information in relation to the number of supported housing units being funded through Section 10, this is an operational matter for local authorities.
Housing First
Housing First enables people who may have been homeless and who have high levels of complex needs to obtain permanent secure accommodation with the provision of intensive supports to help them maintain their tenancies. This is done through the provision of permanent secure accommodation with ongoing intensive supports to help people maintain their tenancies. This support is time unlimited and provided for as long as required.
The Housing First National Implementation Plan 2022-2026, published in December 2021, is designed to provide this response, by delivering permanent housing solutions and associated supports for rough sleepers and long-term users of emergency accommodation. The plan contains targets for each local authority, with an overall national target of 1,319 tenancies to be delivered by 2026.
560 tenancies have been created thus far under the current Plan. 979 individuals are currently in a Housing First tenancy. The table below outlines the number of tenancies created each year since 2016.
|
Year |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
Total |
34 |
106 |
92 |
189 |
241 |
234 |
240 |
320 |
688. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the expected date of publication of the summary of social housing assessment 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12990/24]
View answer689. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the fact that an increase in those accessing emergency accommodation has been seen, yet a 2.4% reduction has been seen in those qualifying for social housing as reported in the summary of social housing assessment reports in the same timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12991/24]
View answer690. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason his Department does not include those households currently living in local authority-rented or approved housing body accommodation, or accommodation provided under the housing assistance payment, the rental accommodation scheme or the Social Housing Capital Expenditure Programme or any household on a transfer list, in the total number of the summary of social housing assessment reports as their housing need is not permanently met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12992/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 688 to 690, inclusive, together.
Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The most recently published summary for all local authority areas was conducted in November 2022 and is available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/
The key figure reported in the SSHA is referred to as ‘net need’. Net need is the total number of households qualified for social housing support whose need for support is not being met.
Those households currently living in local authority-rented or Approved Housing Body accommodation, or accommodation provided under the Housing Assistance Payment, the Rental Accommodation Scheme, the Social Housing Capital Expenditure Programme or any household on a transfer list are not included in the net need figure, as they have been assessed for and are in receipt of social housing support. As provided for by the 2014 Housing Act, local authorities are not required to carry out a social housing assessment in respect of a household in receipt of social housing support that applies to transfer to another form of social housing support.
The SSHA 2023 is currently underway and I expect to publish the summary report shortly.
The increase in the numbers accessing emergency accommodation is a serious concern for me and for the Government. We are doing everything in our power to tackle this problem, both by increasing housing supply and investing in homelessness prevention.
Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is increasing the supply of housing. My Department is prioritising measures which focus on accelerating social and affordable housing supply through a combination of new build, targeted acquisitions and leasing. 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.
Having regard to the statutory role of local authorities under the Housing Act 1988, all households are assessed, and provided with homeless services, in accordance with the provisions of the legislation. Any household assessed as homeless may be placed into temporary emergency accommodation without the requirement to undergo a social housing assessment, allowing local authorities the flexibility that is essential to respond quickly and effectively to the various needs of cases that may arise.
691. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will look favourably upon an application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12993/24]
View answerApplications for funding under the Community Monuments Fund are assessed by an expert panel in my Department. Each application is taken on its merits and awarded points under a number of criteria as set out in the Community Monuments Fund Handbook.
Applications for funding for 2024 are currently being assessed and I hope to make an announcement on projects awarded funding in mid-April.
692. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of a strategic development (details supplied); if he intends to use a statutory instrument to fast-track planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12994/24]
View answerThe strategic importance of the University of Limerick as a driver of innovation, economic development and the knowledge-based economy in the Mid-West is acknowledged and is reflected in both the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) for the Southern Region.
The Chief Executive of Clare County Council and the President of the University of Limerick wrote to my Department in January 2022 seeking designation of lands adjoining the University campus as an Economic Strategic Development Zone (SDZ), including residential uses.
My Department met with representatives from Clare County Council and the University of Limerick in April 2022 in relation to the request and my Department issued a formal response to the letter in August 2022. The response advised that the designation of a SDZ in accordance with the provisions of Section 166 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, requires a Government decision and that the Government, in making such a decision, must be satisfied that the proposed SDZ would be of economic or social importance to the State. The letter acknowledged work undertaken to date in advancing the proposal but highlighted a need for greater clarity and detail in relation to the ‘specified development’ that is envisaged on the subject lands. This is to ensure that the proposed SDZ would be of economic or social importance to the State and that a clear framework is capable of being put in place to deliver the anticipated benefits of the SDZ designation.
My Department received a response to this letter in March 2023, which set out a high-level overview of the proposed SDZ but did not address the specific matters set out in the letter of August 2022. At a subsequent meeting between officials and representatives of Clare County Council and the University of Limerick in July 2023, it was agreed that further information would be submitted to my Department to address the issues raised in the letter of August 2022. This information has not been received to date.
693. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider supporting the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) (No. 2) Bill 2023 to ensure protection of tenure and rights for students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12997/24]
View answer694. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider extending the remit of the RTB to cover those living in digs, with particular reference to the dispute resolution process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12998/24]
View answer695. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider extending the application of the rent pressure zones legislation to include digs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12999/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 693 to 695, inclusive, together.
The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented sector, and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants.
The Residential Tenancies Acts, including its rent controls and dispute resolution service, apply to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. The dwellings to which the Acts do not apply are set out in section 3(2) of the Acts and include, for example, a dwelling within which the landlord also resides.
Where a dwelling is occupied by a person under an arrangement or agreement which is not a tenancy covered by the Acts, for example, where a bona fide licensing arrangement exists, the RTB does not have any jurisdiction or function. It is a private contractual matter between the parties as to type of letting agreement/arrangement to put in place. If a dispute arises as to whether a purported license is in fact a tenancy, the RTB can determine on the matter and if it is a tenancy, the Residential Tenancies Acts apply.
Traditionally, a student or any person residing in ‘digs’ or family homes benefit from the goodwill that exists to ensure that renters and home owners are happy with the arrangement. It is possible for the arrangements to be formalised by way of a licence agreement between the parties, but this is a matter of choice for the parties themselves to agree on.
I do not consider that there is a need for a legal regulatory framework in this area. Digs accommodation is an integral housing solution for students and others as well as an important source of revenue and, in some circumstances, social interaction for homeowners. Any attempt at regulating ‘digs’ is highly likely to impact negatively on the supply of this traditional and important source of accommodation for students and others. I have no plans at this time to alter this position but will keep the matter under review.
The Government agreed on 7 March 2023 that the ‘Winter Emergency Period’ under the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 would come to an end on 31 March 2023, with deferred tenancy terminations taking effect over a staggered period from 1 April to 18 June 2023 as planned and legislated for under that Act.
In advance of this, I considered a number of courses of action and consulted with colleagues across Government who agreed, taking account of the advices of the Office of Attorney General and our collective knowledge and interaction with the residential sector, that a focus on additional new supply was the best way forward in dealing with the end of the winter eviction ban in a manner which best protects tenants.
On 12 December 2023, the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) (No. 2) Bill 2023 was debated at second stage in the Dáil Éireann. The Bill was defeated in a vote.
696. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify in the situation whereby a social housing tenant in local authority housing is providing a couch for a homeless individual to sleep on if they will face sanction by the local authority for breaching tenancy agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13004/24]
View answerDecisions regarding who may reside in a local authority dwelling are matters for individual local authorities as part of their day to day management of the social housing system. I have no role in this regard.
Generally, the tenancy agreements in place between local authorities and their tenants do not allow individuals who are not members of the tenants’ households to reside in local authority dwellings without the prior consent of the local authority. Such persons may apply to reside in the property under the local authorities’ current permission to reside/inclusion on the rent account procedures.
Decisions in relation to the granting of permission to reside on foot of any application are made by local authorities with regard to factors including overcrowding, the prevention of anti-social behaviour and good estate management.
697. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase the size of an extension from 40 to 60 square metres as exempted development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13070/24]
View answerUnder the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission.
Section 4 of the Act and Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Regulations), set out various exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission. Any such exemptions are subject to compliance with any general restrictions on exemptions set out in the Act or the Regulations and to the specific conditions set out in each class of exempted development in Schedule 2 of the Regulations.
Class 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Regulations, sets out the planning exemption provisions for house extensions, referred to as "development within the curtilage of a house", as follows:
“The extension of a house, by the construction or erection of an extension (including a conservatory) to the rear of the house or by the conversion for use as part of the house of any garage, store, shed or other similar structure attached to the rear or to the side of the house.”.
The use of the exemption is available to all houses whether occupied, vacant or derelict. However, the exemption is subject to a range of conditions and limitations set out in further detail in Class 1, which include factors such as:
- the size of the proposed extension, subject to specified limits;
- whether the house in question is terraced, semi-detached or detached;
- whether the house has previously availed of the planning exemption;
- how much of the proposed development is at ground level or above ground level;
- impacts on the area of private open space within the curtilage of the house;
- the proximity of the proposed extension, including windows, to adjoining boundaries etc.
Any development of this nature which falls outside of the Class 1 exemption and the conditions and limitations attached to it are subject to planning permission.
There is a balance, in providing for exemptions from planning permission, between streamlining the consent process for minor works and supporting proper planning and sustainable development, including the need to ensure adequate third party participation rights. The exemptions provided for in the Regulations are kept under regular review and I have no plans to amend the Class 1 exemption provisions in this regard at this time.
698. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider an increase in the threshold to the income limits for the mobility aids grant taking into account current inflation and cost of living; if he will consider allowing the same sliding scale of income limits as is currently being used for the Housing Aid for Older People to allow for a percentage grant to be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13073/24]
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.
