I move:
"That a sum not exceeding £731,140,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 1985, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for the Environment, including grants in lieu of rates on agricultural land and other grants to Local Authorities, grants and other expenses in connection with housing, and miscellaneous schemes, subsidies and grants including certain grants-in-aid."
The Environment estimate is one of the largest which the Dáil will be asked to vote this year. It is fair to say that it also probably covers at least as wide a range of public activities as any other single vote. In moving any major estimate such as this one cannot but be conscious of the amount of public money being sought from Dáil Éireann and of the onus that lies on the Minister to whom it is voted to see that it is spent to the best effect possible in providing the services for which it is made available. This means ensuring that the right policies are being pursued to achieve the Government's objectives in the areas in question and that the services are delivered in a manner that is at once cost effective and responsive to the needs of the community. As most of the services with which my Department are concerned are actually provided by the local authorities one can readily appreciate in this context the importance of the fundamental reform of the local government system on which the Government have now embarked.
The net 1985 Environment Estimate at £731 million is up 12 per cent on last year's actual expenditure. Some £578 million of the Estimate represents current expenditure and £153 million is classified as capital. In the non-voted part of the Public Capital Programme, the Government are providing a further sum of £475 million to finance local authority capital works. The total money for which my Department have responsibility is therefore £1,206 million. This year total expenditure by local authorities — capital and current — will exceed 10 per cent of GNP. The local authorities provide direct employment for some 35,000 people.
These increased provisions demonstrate the Government's continuing commitment to the social and economic development of the country even at a time when the scope for any increases in public expenditure is severely constrained. Deputies will note that these provisions are fully in line with the global allocations given in chapter 7 of the national plan and are therefore fully integrated with the economic and fiscal policies underlying the plan.
The Estimate before us can be usefully broken down into five important classifications, namely, grants and recoupments to local authorities—£455 million; subsidies to local authorities for loan charges for specific services—£230 million; direct departmental services—£54.9 million; departmental administration—£14 million; and grants to voluntary, semi-State and international bodies—£7.3 million. Deputies will see from the above amounts that £685 million or 90 per cent of the Vote is paid to local authorities to assist them in providing the normal day-to-day services which many people take for granted.
I will now go on to deal with some of the more important areas of my Department's work. I will try to concentrate on what we achieved in each area in the past year and, more importantly, the goals which we have set for the coming year. The need for reform in local government has been recognised by all parties and by successive governments. The Government decisions which I announced on 11th of this month mean that major initiatives in this area are now under way. The measures announced are part of a comprehensive programme for strengthening and improving the system which will be carried out in stages and will take some time to complete. Fundamentally, the Government intend to put new life into local authorities not only through organisational changes but by bringing about a situation in which they are working more effectively and are more widely involved in the delivery of services to local communities. A widening of the local authority role in social and economic affairs, featuring substantive devolution of functions from the centre, is seen as an integral part of this purpose.
A major reorganisation of the local government system in the Dublin area has been decided on. The city boundary will be adjusted. In the county area, three new county councils will be established to take over, in due course, the administration of the areas now served by Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire Corporation. With a view to the further development of structures at a more local level each of the four new areas will be subdivided into districts — six in the city and two in each of the new county areas.
A co-ordinating metropolitan council, which will be drawn from the four new authorities and which will encompass the proposed Dublin Transport Authority, will also be established. The area of Dublin Corporation will remain substantially as at present but a number of changes will be made to rationalise the boundary, the net effect of which will be to increase the city's population by about 20,000. The membership of the city council will be increased from 45 to 52.
The proposals for County Dublin are based on its three natural divisions. An administrative county will be based on the area that lies east of the Dublin mountains, containing Dún Laoghaire and its hinterland up to the watershed of the mountains and including areas like Shankill, Foxrock, Dundrum and Church-town. It will have 28 members and a population of about 180,000. A second administrative county will be based on the part of the county between the mountains and the river Liffey, and will include Firhouse, Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan and Rathcoole. It will have a membership of 26 and a population of about 166,000. The third administrative county will be based on the part of the county north of the Liffey and will include the developing area around Blanchardstown as well as Baldoyle, Kilbarrack and Howth and the north county area beyond Ballymun, Santry and Darndale. This council will have 24 members and a population of about 112,000. Overall, the ratio of population to each elected representative in the Dublin area will be reduced from 10,450 to 7,716, which is still the highest such ratio in the country.
I have established an independent commission under the chairmanship of Mr. Justice Murphy, a judge of the High Court, to determine by the end of February, boundaries for 12 districts, six in the city area and two in each of the proposed county council areas. The commission will also recommend the division of the new authorities into electoral areas. As indicated, the districts will facilitate the more local administration of suitable services.
The changes in the city boundary will be in operation for the local elections. The elections will be to the city council and to the three new county councils. Arrangements must be made during a transitional phase for the transfer from the existing county and borough councils to the new councils of functions, assets, liabilities, and staff and for all consequential matters, in such a way as to ensure a smooth hand-over without disruption of services. This will be a complex matter and it will take some time to complete all the details. I have initiated consultations with the existing elected councils and their officials.
A transitional period during which the existing county council and the new county councils will operate in parallel will be essential, therefore, to facilitate orderly transfer. It is envisaged that during this period the members elected to the new county councils will function also as members of the existing county council while councillors elected for electoral areas which correspond, as closely as possible, with the area of the Borough of Dún Laoghaire, will function also as the borough council.
Outside Dublin, the Government have taken action to bring about more equal representation of different electoral areas within counties and county boroughs. In a number of instances, County electoral areas have over twice the number of representatives in relation to population as others in the same county. It is clearly desirable that this undemocratic situation be remedied and that this should be done with the minimum disturbance of electoral boundaries. Accordingly, a second independent commission has been established under the chairmanship of Miss Justice Carroll, a judge of the High Court to recommend, not later than the end of February, such electoral boundary changes as may be necessary to secure a reasonable relationship between population and seats.
As already announced, the Government have decided that Galway should become a county borough. This is justified by its population and by its role as the capital of the west and as a university city. I am in the process of consulting with Galway Corporation and Galway County Council in regard to the implementation of the decision.
I have also asked the Carroll Commission to consult with the local authorities concerned on whether the boundaries of the cities of Cork, Limerick and Galway should be extended to include suburbs and environs and, if so, to make recommendations on such extensions and on any appropriate adjustments in membership.
There is a strong case for revision of the boundaries of many other towns where a large part of the urban population now lives outside the administrative area of the town. Such revisions could not be completed for such a large number of towns within a short time scale. The Government therefore decided that the elections in 1985 to these bodies will be on the basis of the existing boundaries. A review of each of these cases will be undertaken with a view to revising these boundaries and membership, where appropriate, in advance of the subsequent local elections. Consideration will also be given to whether the existing status of particular towns should be altered and whether new town councils should be set up where there are none at present.
The measures which I have outlined will give rise to a substantial programme of legislation. Legislation will be required urgently to give effect to the recommendations of the two independent commissions and to deal with certain related matters. This initial legislation, which will have to be introduced as soon as possible in this session, will provide for the alteration of the Dublin city boundary, elections to the three new county councils in Dublin, the upgrading of Galway to county borough status, possible alterations to the boundaries of Cork, Limerick and Galway cities, the alteration of the membership of certain local authorities, and related matters. This will be followed by further legislative proposals dealing with other aspects of the reform programme. These will include provision for a metropolitan council for Dublin; for a statutory boundary commission to review town boundaries and for extension of the local authority role in the delivery of economic and social services locally. Following the local elections, further legislation will be required later in the year to deal with the actual transfer of functions and responsibilities, and of staff, assets, liabilities and so on from the county council and Dún Laoghaire Corporation to the new county councils.
I will be developing these measures and explaining them more fully in presenting the new legislation during this session and there will be ample opportunity then for the House to discuss fully the reshaping and improvement of the local government system which has now been launched.
Improving the system for the financing of local authorities is seen as an integral part of the overall reform programme. At present local authorities are dependent on central funding to a degree that may be detrimental to the dynamism of local government and to local democracy.
Initial measures were taken by the Government to assist the finances of local authorities in 1983 by the ending of the limitation of rate increases together with the injection of over £30 million into the original 1983 rates support grants provision. The increased provision was maintained in 1984 and 1985 and there will be reasonable increases in 1986 and 1987 under the national plan. In addition, specific State grants and subsidies to local authorities in 1985 are higher than in 1984. By these measures the Government are acknowledging the need to support local authority finances in the short term, while longer term measures are being identified and developed.
For their part, local authorities can take steps to ensure that they use scarce resources efficiently. I know that the economic difficulties of the recent past have made it necessary for everyone to have greater regard for value for money in planning expenditure and to have strict regard for priorities. I know that local authorities have been taking action to maintain services and employment at a consistent level by eliminating waste and by making reasonable use of their powers to levy and collect rates and charges efficiently.
Having considered the obvious need for greater equity in the taxation system and the unsatisfactory nature of local finances, the Government decided, in the context of the national plan, to introduce a farm tax for the benefit of local authorities with effect from 1986. The preparation of this legislation is now at an advanced stage. As I have said before, the farm tax can be regarded as no more than a step — albeit an important one — on the road to a reformed local financing system. It has to be accepted that there is no realistic prospect under present conditions of substantial additional resources being made available to local authorities in the short term, or that they can be exempted from the constraints which necessarily govern public spending at the present time. The Government, however, will continue to pursue the question of a more balanced system of local financing. Two bodies, the Commission on Taxation and the NESC, are at present examining the question of local finances in some detail, and I look forward to getting their views on the subject before considering what further proposals can be developed.
The past year saw a continuation, although at a reduced rate, of the pattern of declining output which has characterised the building and construction industry in recent years. This trend, in a year which saw a resumption of moderate growth in the economy in general, underlines once again just how difficult an adjustment the building industry has had to make in the aftermath of the unsustainable and inflationary expansion of the late seventies and early eighties. The cause of the difficulties remains the decline in private investment particularly in the areas of industrial and commercial development where the surplus of office accommodation, retail units and factory space is discouraging new investment.
The Government are determined to see the decline in the industry reversed and growth resumed as soon as possible. The problems of the industry are being tackled on two fronts — by raising public expenditure affecting the industry to its highest sustainable level and by creating conditions that will be conducive to increased private investment in the industry.
The national plan provides for an increase of almost 9½ per cent in Public Capital Programme expenditure affecting the building industry between 1984 and 1987. This increase will occur in spite of the fact that some public investment programmes with significant building elements have been wound down as they near completion. Over the period of the plan, construction will account for an increased share of total public capital expenditure. As far as the major programmes of my own Department are concerned, investment in roads, sanitary services and housing will increase by 15 per cent by 1987. By increasing public expenditure in the industry, by promoting recovery in the economy in general, by stabilising the burden of taxation and by restoring order to the public finances, the programme of action set out in the plan will help to restore private sector confidence and increase private investment. The plan also contains a number of specific measures which will have the effect of boosting output and employment in the industry. I was indeed, pleased to note a recent forecast of a resumption of real growth in the industry in 1985 contained in the latest ESRI quarterly economic commentary.
Last year saw the completion of a major report on the industry by the Sectoral Development Committee, a committee representative of the industry, trade unions and Government. I am at present examining this report in consultation with the other interests involved.
As Deputies are aware, I had hoped to proceed to Committee Stage with the Building Control Bill, 1984 during the last session. However, a number of major issues were raised by the professional institutions involved in the industry which required extensive consideration and discussion with these bodies. Arising from these discussions, a number of amendments to the Bill will be proposed. I am hopeful that the consultations which have taken place will facilitate the early and effective implementation of the Building Regulations following the enactment of the Bill.
I hope to circulate shortly to other Government Departments the general scheme of a new Housing Bill which will fundamentally revise and update the statutory provisions on the management and letting of local authority housing in line with the undertaking given in paragraph 5.88 of the national plan. Particular emphasis is being given to the housing needs of homeless persons, as well as the needs of other disadvantaged groups such as the aged, the disabled, travellers and one-parent families.
There has been in recent years increasing concern that the housing prospects of particular categories of persons such as the single homeless have been relatively poor. The general objective of the new arrangements will be to facilitate a greater balance and sensitivity to particular needs in the housing programme of local authorities.
The Bill will provide also for the initiatives announced by the Government in the national plan which require statutory validation. These include the £5,000 grant for local authority tenants and tenant purchasers buying private houses, and the scheme of improvement work to "low cost" housing schemes and older rented local authority houses.
This Housing Bill will be the most significant amendment to housing legislation in recent years. It will afford Deputies an opportunity to consider and influence the direction and emphasis of housing policy for many years to come.
Total housing completions in 1984 were around the 25,000 mark. This represents a considerable achievement given the grave economic difficulties which we have had to face. Over the past decade total annual housing completions have been maintained within a range from 24,000-28,900. We are almost unique in Europe in successfully maintaining a consistently high level of new house completions. Many other countries are now building between half and two thirds of the number of new houses they were building in the mid-seventies.
The Government have supported the national housing programme in recent years in a wide variety of ways. We introduced the Housing Finance Agency which has made home ownership a reality for low income groups who would otherwise have to rely on local authority housing. I am glad the Government saw fit to maintain the £1,000 new house grant and the £3,000 mortgage subsidy payable by my Department despite the advice of the National Planning Board that we should restrict or terminate these schemes; we have substantially increased output on the local authority housing programme and have introduced a number of new policy measures designed to maintain total housing output at the highest practicable level notwithstanding the economic and financial difficulties facing us.
The provisions of direct State aid for new houses and for improving existing houses remains a central feature of housing policy. The Government decision to continue the schemes of new house grants, house improvement grants and the mortgage subsidy scheme means that in 1985 a total of about £45 million is being provided for these items, which is about £7 million more than in 1984.
The maintenance and improvement of the existing housing stock is a vital aspect of the national housing policy. Since the reintroduction of a house improvement scheme by the previous Coalition Government there has been a continuing good level of demand. The provision of £8 million this year represents an increase of approximately 20 per cent over actual expenditure in 1984.
The recent spell of severe weather has highlighted the plight of old people. In this connection, I am indeed very glad to be able to say that the annual provision of £1 million for the scheme of Special Housing Aid for the Elderly is being continued. This scheme continues to provide an excellent service in improving the conditions of old people living alone in unacceptable conditions. The scheme is overseen by a task force under the aegis of my Department and operated by the health boards, whose good work I gratefully acknowledge. So far over 3,500 houses have been improved under the scheme.
I am very pleased with the response to the introduction of the £5,000 grant to encourage local authority tenants and tenant purchasers to purchase houses in the private sector. The grant has been welcomed generally as an imaginative and worthwhile measure and I am glad to say that it has evoked a high level of interest. I understand, for example, that more than 200 applications for the grant have already been submitted to Dublin Corporation and Dublin County Council. Because the total package now available to those eligible is so generous many will be able to purchase their houses on a no deposit easy payment basis. The new grant is available for the acquisition of both new and previously occupied houses. I hope it will also play an important part in enabling authorities to reach the Government target of housing 9,000 households per annum under the local authority housing programme.
The availability of an adequate supply of mortgage finance is an important factor influencing the private housing programme. While final figures are not yet available to me, it is clear that the record figure of £563 million advanced by the main lending agencies in 1983 was exceeded in 1984.
The building societies of course are the major providers of mortgage finance and their contribution has been one of the most important elements in the success of the housing programme over the years. In 1984, they provided loans at least equalling, and probably exceeding, the £406 million provided in 1983. Inflows of funds to the societies have been very good in recent months. This is an encouraging sign that adequate amounts will again be available this year. I should like to acknowledge the commendable restraint which the societies have recently shown in relation to interest rates. This has meant that the basic mortgage rate has remained unchanged since late 1983 at 11¾ per cent — the lowest level since 1978.
The Government continues to provide through the Small Dwellings Act and Housing Finance Agency loan schemes a supply of mortgage finance for the benefit of people who wish to purchase their own home but who would not be able to obtain finance from other sources. The Government's commitment to these two schemes is underlined by the provision in the Public Capital Programme for 1985 of £149 million, which should finance more than 9,000 houses. There continues to be a strong demand from borrowers for housing loans from public sources, which is likely to be further boosted as a result of the £5,000 house purchase grant scheme.
I am pleased to state that in 1984 building activity under the local authority programme expanded considerably. Although final figures are not yet available, the indications are that house completions last year were about 7,000 with around 8,000 houses in progress at the year's end. This represents the highest level of completions achieved in any one year since 1976. It is a significant increase over the 6,190 houses completed in 1983 which in turn was some 500 houses above the 1982 figure. This level of activity has had a considerable impact on employment on the programme; average monthly employment during 1984 exceeded 6,800, compared with 6,400 in 1983.
Clearly, the local authority housing programme is in its healthiest state for years. This improvement is indicative of the measures taken by the Government to ensure the maximum return on investment in the programme, which this year alone will absorb about £385 million in capital expenditure and current subsidies. Last year, at this time, I spoke about the revised cost control procedures introduced by my Department during 1983 which were designed to secure the best possible return on the public capital invested in the programme. While it is too early to quantify precisely the effects of the new procedures, there is no doubt that they have provided a framework within which the most cost efficient design decisions can be made and have ensured the most effective monitoring and control of expenditure. I am particularly gratified that the expansion in output has been achieved without any recourse to low cost methods.
This year, the Government have provided £205.75 million from the public capital programme for local authority housing construction. As indicated in the national plan, the Government's objective is to provide accommodation annually for 9,000 households between building new houses and reletting from the existing stock. My Department are currently processing claims from local authorities for capital allocations to cover expenditure on their existing commitments.
While the bulk of local authority houses will continue to be provided by competitive tendering, the national plan envisaged that local authorities should also purchase new and second hand houses in the private sector in areas where established housing needs existed and where good value for money was obtainable. Such an approach has the potential to promote a more balanced social mix and give the housing authorities greater flexibility in meeting the requirements of housing applicants.
My Department recently issued guidelines to all local authorities on this matter and requested that they give a general outline of the policy they intend to operate. It is intended that the main thrust of the new arrangement should be towards the purchase of new houses, although second hand houses would be purchased where they are seen to offer good value where particular needs have been identified. Already a number of proposals to purchase private houses have been submitted for approval.
Proposals for a new national differential rent scheme for local authority houses have been put to the National Association of Tenants Organisations and discussions with the association are continuing. At this stage it would not be appropriate for me to speculate on the likely outcome of the discussions.
The plan also visualises greater involvement by local authorities in joint venture housing as another means of encouraging people of modest means to buy private houses and of helping to ease the pressure on local authority waiting lists. Under this arrangement authorities provide undeveloped building land under licence to private contractors for the construction of modestly priced houses for sale to selected purchasers. I am glad to announce that, in order to further promote the concept of joint venture housing, I intend to extend the site subsidy, payable in respect of the provision of private sites to the joint venture scheme.
Applicants on local authority approved waiting lists and tenants or sub-tenants of local authority houses who do not qualify for the £5,000 grant will now be eligible to benefit from a subsidy of up to £1,000 or one third of the site cost — thus enabling them to qualify for a contribution of this order towards the cost of the site on which their houses are built. I will shortly be notifying local authorities of the details of the extended site subsidy scheme and I will also be asking them to ensure that the full benefit of the subsidy is passed on to the relevant categories of purchasers.
Details of the new scheme to enable housing authorities to remedy the serious deterioration which is affecting certain of their rented housing stock were notified to local authorities on 10 January. The majority of the houses to benefit from the scheme were built in the sixties and early seventies under the low cost housing arrangements then in operation, but there are also a number of older dwellings which are in urgent need of extensive renovation if they are to continue to be suitable for letting.
Finance will be made available to enable authorities to carry out essential remedial works of a structural nature to groups of defective low cost houses as well as to houses that are more than 50 years old. The loan charges on such capital will be subsidised at a rate not exceeding 80 per cent.
The scheme was originally designed to remedy defects in the local authority rented housing stock, but special arrangements have now been made to deal with housing schemes in which some houses have been or are being sold to the tenants. In such cases, the tenant-purchaser will be asked to bear half the cost of the work involved. This amount may be paid by lump sum or by extended or increased annuity payment. The balance will be borne by the authority but, as in the case of rented dwellings, the loan charges on the local authority's share of the cost will be subsidised at a rate not exceeding 80 per cent. In return for their contribution towards the costs involved tenant purchasers will have the value of their houses enhanced considerably and will benefit from the general upgrading of their schemes that should result from the remedial works.
I am confident that the scheme will enable authorities to tackle the longstanding problem of structural defects in low cost housing and will enable them to put into good repair those older dwellings which might otherwise be lost from their rented stock.
The Rent Tribunal, which was set up in August 1983, saw its first full year of the operation in 1984. It determines the rent and other terms of tenancy of dwellings which were formerly controlled under the Rent Restrictions Acts. During the year the tribunal made determinations in more than 750 cases. I should like to record my appreciation of the work of the chairman and members of the tribunal who are faced with a very sensitive and difficult job.
A new scheme of financial assistance for the provision of housing by voluntary organisations was introduced in March 1984. Under the scheme a local authority may make a loan to an approved voluntary organisation to meet 80 per cent of the cost of an eligible housing project subject to a maximum loan equivalent to £16,000 for each unit of accommodation provided, including caretaker and welfare accommodation. The loan charges will be fully subsidised so long as the accommodation continues to be let to eligible categories including the elderly, homeless persons, and a number of other categories. Thus the loans are in effect non-repayable grants provided the voluntary body continues to abide by the terms of the scheme.
Details of the Government's overall programme for the travelling people were set out in the Government policy statement of 20 July 1984, copies of which are in the Oireachtas Library. As indicated in that statement, the primary responsibility for the provision of houses for travellers and the selection and provision of serviced sites will remain with the local authorities and my Department will continue to provide the necessary funds for this purpose.
Arising out of the Government's statement, my Department have impressed on housing authorities the necessity to ensure that the accommodation programme for travellers is stepped up rapidly. As outlined in the statement, the provision of housing for travellers is being dealt with as an integral part of local authority housing programmes. Wherever possible, and where it is in line with their preference, the travellers are being accommodated in local authority houses provided as part of the regular housing programme. However, for the travelling families who wish to live among other travellers, group housing schemes will continue to be provided but these are being designed to encourage maximum integration with their settled neighbours.
There remains the problem of those families who do not wish to be accommodated in houses. The review body felt that the provision of serviced halting sites should be kept to a minimum and, while the Government accept this, it is evident that there is a considerable demand for such sites. I have asked housing authorities to ensure that where required as an alternative to housing an adequate number of halting sites should be provided. Since the Government's statement of 20 July 1984, I am pleased to say that some notable progress has been made by local authorities in their accommodation programme for travelling people.
In the case of Dublin, where Deputies will be aware the situation has been particularly difficult, the county council have approved a programme for the provision of 17 halting sites throughout the county. My Department will assist the council in implementing this programme by ensuring that specific proposals submitted by the council are dealt with urgently. A number of group housing scheme proposals from Dublin County Council has also been approved by the Department.
While State expenditure on improvement and maintenance on roads has increased substantially in real terms in recent years, increasing by 63 per cent between 1979 and 1984, nevertheless it has still fallen short of the level projected in the 1979 Road Development Plan by 17 per cent. In the national plan the Government set about remedying this shortfall in investment which could be a serious constraint on our economic and social development.
The Government have now given a high priority to road improvements, providing for substantial increases each year between 1985 and 1987, bringing the provision for 1987 to £155 million, or 53 per cent greater than that provided in 1984. The total provision for the period will not only match but exceed by 10 per cent the amount envisaged for the period in the 1979 road plan.
With a view to a further acceleration of road improvements, the Government will also be looking at proposals for the involvement of the private sector in the programme. It has already been indicated that one such proposal for the building of a 3.3 km road linking the Lucan Road and the Navan Road in Dublin at a cost of more than £20 million is generally acceptable to the Government. My Department will shortly be making available to interested parties details of other projects potentially suitable for private sector funding.
This is the first time we have a firm medium term commitment for State investment in roads, and at a level far in excess of anything previously achieved. It will enable the most ambitious roads programme ever undertaken to get under way immediately. Of the total vote provision of £152.5 million for 1985, £125 million will be spent on road improvement projects an increase of 23 per cent on last year's provision. Details of each local authority's allocation for 1985 were issued this week. As indicated in the national plan, the roads programme over the next few years will be aimed directly at improving the national route network, which although representing only 6 per cent of total road mileage carries 35 per cent of all traffic. An accelerated programme of improvement work on these and other routes offers a worthwhile economic return as well as yielding welcome road safety and environmental benefits.
Furthermore, most of these projects will qualify for EC assistance. For example, this year road projects are expected to account for £30 million (or approximately 38 per cent) of Regional Fund aid to Ireland. Loans totalling £40 million are expected from the European Investment Bank and we will also be seeking additional aid from the recently established EC Transport Infrastructure Fund, from which grants totalling £4 million were approved under the Irish Presidency in December, for the Bray-Shankill and Wexford by-passes.
Several major new schemes will reach construction stage this year including by-passes at Blackrock, Chapelizod, Lucan and Athlone, and new bridges in Galway, at Mallow Street in Limerick and at the Opera House in Cork. I expect to be in a position to announce next month details of the schemes expected to start in the period 1985 to 1987. Major schemes in progress this year will include James Street, Drogheda; Navan relief road; Leighlinbridge by-pass; Wexford by-pass, Bandon Line Road in Cork; Midleton by-pass; Waterford Bridge; Cork to Mallow Road, and, in the Dublin area, Airport Road, stage 2; Bray Road at Westminster Road/Kill Lane and the Tallaght/Templeogue Road.
Concern has often been expressed in the past both by local authorities and by Deputies from all sides of the House, about the level of block grant works on roads other than national roads. I am happy to be able to say that the overall block grant allocation has been increased this year by 10 per cent. The system of allocation of this grant has also been reviewed, with a view to the most equitable distribution of the available funds, especially by reference to mileage of regional roads. All local authorities will receive increased block grant allocations this year.
Major capital investment in road improvement must be backed up by an adequate maintenance programme. The provision for road maintenance this year is £27.5 million, an increase of £2 million or 8 per cent over the 1984 provision. In accordance with established practice, grants will not be available for county road maintenance which will have to continue to be funded from the local authorities' own resources. Maintenance grants will however, continue to be given for works on national routes and, through the block grant, for regional routes.
The problem of uninsured driving has been a national scandal for too long. It is impossible to be accurate about the extent of law breaking in this area. However, I am not in a position to refute insurance industry estimates that 15 per cent to 20 per cent of all drivers are uninsured. In 1983, the Motor Insurers' Bureau paid out £5.6 million to accident victims involving uninsured drivers and had claims outstanding estimated at £42 million. The Government have already announced that the level of surveillance for uninsured driving will be stepped up. The Garda Commissioner has given a commitment that this will be done. For my part, I introduced legislation to increase the relevant maximum monetary penalties for breaches of the law in this area. I also made regulations at the end of 1984 which will require insurance discs to be displayed on the windscreens of vehicles as and from 1 July 1986. Insurance companies will start issuing the discs in July 1985 and everyone should have received their discs at the end of the following 12 month cycle of insurance renewals.
The downward trend in road fatalities and injuries in recent years has been encouraging. The number of fatalities fell from 628 in 1978 to 535 in 1983 while the number of reported injuries fell from 9,313 to 7,946 over the same period. There is further encouragement in the provisional figures for 1984 which have just become available to me and which show that the number of deaths fell further to 463.
However, the fact that fatalities between the hours 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. which are of course the critical hours for drink related accidents, were as high as 216 in 1983, shows the continuing seriousness of the drunk-driving problem. Drink-related accidents are largely associated with blood-alcohol levels substantially above the legal limit of 100 milligrammes. This must continue to be a priority for enforcement and for public education.
For 1985, I have increased the grant to the National Road Safety Association by £78,000 or 18 per cent to enable the association to pursue an extended safety belt campaign in conjunction with the Garda. The wearing of seat belts is an important aspect of road safety which cannot be stressed often enough, and I am glad to say that evidence now to hand shows a significant increase in seat belt usage in 1984.
I would like to draw the House's attention to the decision by the EEC Council of Ministers during the recent Irish Presidency to initiate an EC programme on road safety, including the designation of 1986 as a European Road Safety Year. This is a most welcome development and one to which Ireland will have an important contribution. I hope that road safety initiatives at Community level will provide a further boost to our own efforts and help to continue the recent encouraging trends in road accident rates.
While on the subject of roads I would like to express again my appreciation of the excellent work by local authorities and their staffs in clearing away snow and ice to make the more important roads passable during the recent spell of bad weather, which is still continuing in places. The success of the local authorities was due to their foresight in making the necessary plans and availing of the funds made available by my Department for capital equipment to deal with these conditions. I am grateful to their staffs who worked long hours, in some cases practically round the clock as I am aware from my constituency, and showed such resourcefulness and dedication to duty.
The crucial importance of the sanitary services programme to the provision of an adequate infrastructural framework for housing, industrial and other development is recognised by the Government in the funds being made available for the construction of public water and sewerage schemes. Over the past two years £179 million was provided to local authorities for this purpose compared with £148 million over the previous two years. This increasing capital has ensured that substantial progress has been made in bringing schemes to construction stage and in stepping up activity generally. Last year I was able to release a record 102 separate schemes with a total value of £101 million which completely cleared the backlog of fully planned schemes that had been awaiting approval in the Department. These releases are now facilitating rapid progress on the programme by allowing local authorities to proceed with the tendering and ultimately the construction processes. Last year's releases brought the total value of schemes at tender and construction stages at the end of the year — including those brought to the construction stage at various times over the past few years — to a record figure of £450 million. Many areas throughout the country — urban and rural — are benefiting from the major advances that have been made in the programme.
The non-voted capital provision for public water and sewerage schemes in 1985 is £91 million and the total provided under the national plan for 1985 and the following two years is £278 million. This provision will be adequate to finance the balance of the cost of schemes already under way and the cost of those now coming to construction. In addition, it will facilitate the release of a reasonable number of urgently needed schemes which are now in the various stages of planning.
It is anticipated that in 1985 public water and sewerage schemes will attract £6 million from the European Regional Development Fund and £22 million from the European Investment Bank. The sanitary services programme not only provides the necessary water and sewerage systems to encourage development but also provides additional facilities for fire fighting and the abatement of pollution. The releases over the last two years have allowed for some of the recommendations of the Water Pollution Advisory Council to be implemented and I am confident that the financial provisions over the next three years will enable this progress to be maintained. During 1985 average direct employment on the construction of public water and sewerage schemes will be maintained at the 1984 level of about 2,050.
This Estimate provides voted capital provisions of £3.63 million for group water schemes grants and £2.55 million for grants to local authorities in respect of public water schemes which qualify for EC aid under the FEOGA Western Package. The EC will pay a total of £7.3 million in aid to Ireland under this package for the provision of 12 major public schemes over the period 1981 to 1985. The availability of this aid has caused these schemes to be provided more quickly than would otherwise be the case and at a lower cost to the State and the local authorities concerned. The increased level of capital investment in sanitary services is reflected in the increased provision for subsidy, which is up some £9 million on 1984.
The fire service has made major advances in recent times due to the Government's commitment to its continuing development, the initiative and hard work of the local authorities and, of course, the dedication of the staff employed at all levels in the service. The Government are fully aware of the importance of a modern and efficient fire service to the community and strongly support the valuable work being done to develop the service and to improve fire safety in general.
The capital provision for 1985 is £10.24 million which is more than four times the 1981 provision and represents an increase of 36 per cent over the amount spent in 1984. In addition, the provision for current expenditure in the Estimate is up 65 per cent on last year. The increased capital available will permit work to continue in 1985 on 13 projects for the provision of new stations or improved facilities for the fire service. It is also hoped that work will commence on up to 14 new construction projects. The programme of investment in fire fighting appliances, communications, rescue and other equipment required for emergency use will continue.
Provision is being made for a grant of £305,000 to the Fire Services Council which will enable it to carry out a greatly expanded programme of activity this year. In the short time since this council was set up, it has made excellent progress in the area of training in particular. Last year, the council ran a programme of 15 central training courses aimed at improving the effectiveness and specialised knowledge of fire service personnel. This year, they have a programme of 20 courses. These courses are additional to the ongoing training being carried out locally by individual fire authorities.
The preparation of standards and guidelines on fire matters is also a function of the council. I have asked it to give priority to the preparation of a code of practice for places of public assembly, which will be issued in conjunction with management regulations being prepared by my Department under section 37 of the Fire Services Act, 1981. Work on the regulations and accompanying code is well advanced. The regulations will deal with premises when they are occupied and will be compatible with the standards in the Building Regulations which apply to the construction phase of buildings. These will be the first in a series of management regulations and codes of practice covering different classes of premises.
Increased emphasis continues to be placed on fire prevention. A grant of £116,000 is being included in the Estimates for the Fire Prevention Council. This amount is being matched by the Federation of Insurers, and it will enable the council to continue its very important work aimed at increasing awareness of fire dangers through publicity, advertising, and seminars and a National Fire Safety Week incorporating a major national conference. This year the council is paying special attention to fire safety in hospitals, nursing homes, offices, places of public assembly, department stores, hotels, and schools. Seminars for the elderly living in their own homes are also being held in association with the voluntary organisations ALONE and St. Vincent de Paul. This invaluable work being carried out by the council is appreciated by me, and I should like to thank the Federation of Insurers for its continuing involvement and support. I am sure that all Deputies will join me in paying a deserved tribute to the members of the fire service who at times have to work in difficult and dangerous conditions to protect the public and property.
With the recent terrible disasters in Mexico and India in mind, I think I should mention that my Department is actively engaged in assisting and advising local authorities in the review and development of their emergency plans. Very soon I hope to issue to local authorities a model emergency plan on which they might base their own emergency plans, and also to furnish them with copies of a framework document, recently cleared by the Government, which will ensure co-ordination of the emergency plans of the various services involved in major emergencies. Special attention is being given to the area of dangerous substances and particularly to assisting local authorities to have available information on dangerous substances which might be the cause of emergencies in their own areas.
Environmental issues have gained increased importance in recent years as increased pressure has been brought to bear on our environmental resources. There is now a greater awareness of the importance of these resources to the quality of life and the well being of society. The emphasis of Government policy in this area must be towards intergrating environmental considerations with economic and social programmes, so that the protection of the environment is recognised as complementary to economic and social development.
Without prejudice to the need for legislation, enforcement and the use of up-to-date technology, I believe that the successful implementation of environmental protection measures is dependent to a very large extent on the support and goodwill of the public. While Government and local authorities have specific responsibilities, there is much that individuals and communities can do to maintain and improve the quality of their surroundings. The litter and water pollution problems are examples of specific matters where the public can make an enormous contribution. I am conscious of the efforts of many local communities to play their part and I would like to compliment the many local authorities who responded positively to my request to them to promote local environment campaigns throughout their areas last year. These campaigns have resulted in considerable co-operation between local authorities and communities generally in efforts to protect and enhance the environment.
One of the specific aims of these campaigns was to increase public awareness of the importance of the environment. I am pleased to say that I have been able to include a specific provision in the Vote this year, which will enable me shortly to launch a new environmental awareness programme, to foster at all levels of society a greater respect and a more caring attitude for our environmental resources.
On the question of developing environment policy generally, I should like to inform the House that I recently received a report from An Foras Forbartha on the State of the Environment in Ireland. The preparation of the report represented the first attempt to assemble up-to-date information about the condition of our environmental resources. I hope to publish the report and have it examined in detail on an interdepartmental basis with a view to the development of future policies in relation to the environment.
Water quality in Dublin Bay has become the subject of much discussion in recent times. Following an initiative by my Department, I am pleased that the elected members of Dublin Corporation, Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire Corporation recently approved of a proposal that An Foras Forbartha be requested to undertake the necessary studies required for the preparation of a water quality management plan for the bay and the tidal section of the River Liffey. The preparation of a water quality management plan at this stage will establish the facts and identify the direction for future policy in the control of trade and sewage discharges.
Last year, the Dáil approved a motion which cleared the way for ratification by Ireland of the Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Land-Based Sources, commonly know as the Paris Convention. At the 1984 annual meeting of the Paris Commission, the Irish Government's concern at the continuing high level of radioactive discharges from the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant was outlined by a representative of my Department. Ireland supported a Nordic recommendation which requires States to take account of the best available technology at existing nuclear reprocessing plants and proposed new plants so as to minimise radioactive discharges into the marine environment. The commission recognised that the adoption of appropriate and effective measures to minimise discharges was a matter of urgency. My Department will be keeping developments under review and will pursue the matter within the commission.
In speaking a few moments ago about environmental matters generally, I referred to the increasing level of interest at international level in environmental problems. This is particularly true in relation to air pollution which, because of its dramatic effects in a number of areas, is ranked in some countries as an issue which is more or less on a par with national defence and fundamental economic issues. Happily, we in Ireland have been spared problems of the magnitude being experienced elsewhere but we do have our localised problems, especially in Dublin, and to a lesser extent in other major urban areas where the quality of the air from time to time is not of the high standard one would wish. I can assure the House that I will continue to seek solutions to the difficulties which are arising. We must, however, face up to the fact that there are no easy solutions in this particular area.
During the past year, there has been an unprecedented level of activity at international level in relation to air pollution matters. Steps have been taken to give teeth to the Geneva Convention on Long-Range Trans-Boundary Air Pollution and to develop the European Programme for the Monitoring and Evaluation of Air Pollution. There was a major multilateral conference on air pollution matters in Munich in mid-year at which the political determination of all the countries in the ECE region to combat air pollution was firmly expressed. On top of this, air pollution has been the dominant topic in the European Communities Environment Action Programme for the past year. I should like to review briefly some of the major decisions at the level of the European Communities which will have direct implications for the quality of our air.
In June 1984, the Council agreed a directive on the combating of air pollution from industrial plant. This sets out procedures for the control of emissions from such plant and requires that there should be an authorisation and licensing system to prevent and reduce air emissions. There is provision for similar controls to be applied to existing plant on a phased basis. This directive will come into operation in mid-1987 and the steps required for its implementation are in hands.
The level of lead in the air, especially in urban areas, has been a matter of increasing concern in recent years. For this reason I am particularly pleased that one of the achievements of the Irish presidency of the Council of Environment Ministers was that the Ministers reached a common position on a directive for the elimination of lead from petrol. The agreed text provides that, from 1989, member states must ensure that unleaded petrol is marketed throughout their territory but it permits them to require the marketing of such petrol from as early as 1986. We in Ireland fully supported these proposals and I am glad to be able to say that the Whitegate refinery will be able to produce petrol with a reduced lead content from 1986.
I accept that air quality in Dublin, particularly in regard to smoke emissions, has deteriorated. This can be attributed to rapid urbanisation together with a significant increase in the use of solid fuel for domestic heating. There are also some localised pockets of severe air pollution caused by industry which is unsuitably located. Comprehensive policies must be developed and action must be taken on a number of fronts if these difficulties are to be alleviated. We must, for example, redouble our efforts to devise policies and programmes which will encourage the greater use of natural gas instead of either oil or solid fuel, for commercial, industrial and domestic purposes. We must also examine how we can encourage the use of smokeless fuels — in addition to natural gas — in urban areas generally. I intend that consideration of all of the various policy options should be speeded up over the next year so that we will be in a position to bring forward an overall policy and programme to deal with this difficult area. In addition, I intend that the preparation of comprehensive new air pollution legislation, which is in hands in my Department should be speeded up as much as possible with a view to having a Bill before the house during the current year.
I am most anxious that there should be no avoidable delays in the planning appeals process, in view of the impact which such delays can have on construction costs and on job creation. The upward trend in the number of undecided appeals during 1982 and the early part of 1983 gave rise to much concern but more recent trends are encouraging. I am pleased to report that there was a significant reduction in the number of appeals on hands at the end of 1984. The figure at 1,687 was the lowest since 1979. I am hopeful that An Bord Pleanála will maintain this performance and will continue to reduce the time taken to dispose of appeals.
New regulations are being brought into operation on 1 February 1985 to bring within the scope of the planning control system a wide range of agricultural development which up to now was exempted from the requirement to obtain planning permission. I think all will agree that a review of the exemptions enjoyed by agricultural development is timely in view of the increasing evidence of water pollution arising from this area.
The regulations will reduce the size of exempted farm buildings for the housing of animals from 400 sq. metres to 300 sq. metres and introduce an overall aggregation limit of 450 sq. metres on exempted buildings within the same farmyard complex. Similar requirements to those introduced for buildings will also be applied in relation to the provision of other farm structures and much tighter conditions will be introduced for exempted farm development. Under separate regulations, also being brought into operation on 1 February 1985, the fees payable in respect of planning applications for agricultural development are being reduced in view of the extension of planning control to a much wider range of agricultural development.
On the subject of postal voting, I wish to inform the House that, having regard to the views of the Joint Committee on Legislation on the matter, it is my intention to introduce legislation in the near future to provide for postal voting for the disabled and certain other categories at all elections and referenda.
In my commentary on my Department's activities I think I have shown to any Deputy looking at matters objectively that we are tackling in a prudent and constructive way the twin tasks of evolving the right policies within the overall framework of the national plan and for finding the best way of implementing them.
This is traditionally a vote on which a large number of Deputies wish to contribute, each with his or her own idea of which facets are most important. I do not, therefore, wish to prolong my remarks unduly so that as many Deputies as possible who wish to contribute will be able to do so. I will take careful note of the points made by Deputies and even if I do not get an opportunity to refer to all of them in the time that may be available to me at the end of the debate I want to assure Deputies that their views will be taken into account in the ongoing development of policy.
