Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.
Ceist:
130
Mr. Hayes
asked the
Minister for the Environment and Local Government
the consultation, if any, which took place between local authorities in the Dublin area in respect of his recent announcement on the provision of up to 16,000 housing units in the north Dublin fringe; the proposed location of these housing units; the implementation mechanism which will be put in place by his Department in order to advance this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8535/99]
Ceist:
132
Mr. Hayes
asked the
Minister for the Environment and Local Government
the procedures, if any, put in place by his Department to minimise delays concerning the successful implementation of the serviced land initiative; the number of serviced sites which will be brought forward during 1999 as a result of this initiative; the number of sites within each local authority area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8537/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 132 together.
Special arrangements have been introduced in respect of the serviced land initiative, which allow local authorities to depart from the normal procedures for approval of water services projects. These procedures are as follows:
Schemes costing £250,000 or less: These schemes, which account for 55 per cent of approved schemes, are devolved fully to the local authorities who are responsible for design, procurement and implementation of the works within approval budgets.
Schemes costing more than £250,000 but not more than £1 million: Contract documents only are required to be submitted for approval, providing the scheme does not involve an increase in treatment capacity. Tender recommendations are not required to be submitted except where it is proposed to accept other than the lowest tender.
Schemes costing more than £1 million or involving an increase in treatment capacity: These schemes, which account for 15 per cent of approved schemes, are broadly subject to the normal approval procedures. However, in order to allow schemes in this category to advance quickly the preliminary report requires only the inclusion of a preliminary design, alternatives considered, route selection and cost estimate.
In addition, local authorities are not required to obtain the prior approval of the Department to the appointment of consultants (where required) or for the carrying out of surveys, site inspections or studies necessary for the preparation of the preliminary report or contract documents.
A special reporting system has been put in place to monitor progress on the initiative. Based on the most recent local authority returns, schemes either completed or already at construction are expected to produce almost 5000 sites. In addition, schemes which are at an advanced planning stage account for a further 40,000 sites; in general the majority of these should reach construction and the majority should be completed this year.
In the case of the north Fingal area of Dublin, at the end of last year, my Department met with Dublin Corporation and Fingal County Council and got agreement from them to using temporary sewage treatment facilities in an effort to bring forward residential land into development in advance of the construction of the north fringe interceptor sewer which latest estimates suggest will be completed by mid 2002. This meeting was followed by further consultations with these local authorities as part of the Government's recent review of developments in the housing market to determine the extent of the lands in the north Dublin area that could be brought into development in the short-term using temporary treatment facilities and by providing ancillary water services. Development can be facilitated by these measures in the short-term in Kilmore, Coolock, Finglas, Ballymun, Balgriffin, Santry, Beaumont, Kilbarrack, Baldoyle and Portmarnock.
On 23 February 1999, my Department issued a circular to all local authorities asking them to facilitate residential development by allowing interim and temporary arrangements for water and sewerage services, subject to necessary safeguards, pending the provision of permanent infrastructure and setting out guidelines on how this can be pursued. A copy of this circular is available in the Oireachtas Library.
The following is a list of the number of sites to be provided under the initiative in each local authority area.
|
Local Authority
|
Number of Sites
|
|
Arklow UDC
|
300
|
|
Bray UDC
|
300
|
|
Wicklow Co. Co.
|
3,590
|
|
Ballina UDC
|
648
|
|
Mayo Co. Co.
|
1,626
|
|
Buncrana UDC
|
2,044
|
|
Bundoran UDC
|
500
|
|
Donegal Co. Co.
|
6,630
|
|
Carlow UDC
|
230
|
|
Cavan Co. Co.
|
945
|
|
Ennis UDC
|
1,900
|
|
Clare Co. Co.
|
1,590
|
|
Clonakilty UDC
|
284
|
|
Cork Corporation
|
1,390
|
|
Cork Co. Co. (Nth)
|
570
|
|
Cork Co. Co. (Sth)
|
5,929
|
|
Macroom UDC
|
100
|
|
Youghal UDC
|
450
|
|
Clonmel Corp
|
444
|
|
Nenagh UDC
|
600
|
|
Thurles UDC
|
400
|
|
Tipperary Sth Co. Co.
|
88
|
|
Drogheda Corp
|
810
|
|
Dundalk UDC
|
2,500
|
|
Louth Co. Co.
|
1,740
|
|
Dublin Corp
|
6,400
|
|
Dún Laoghaire Co. Co.
|
5,615
|
|
Fingal Co. Co.
|
5,380
|
|
South Dublin Co. Co.
|
13,232
|
|
Galway Corp
|
2,200
|
|
Galway Co. Co.
|
5,162
|
|
Kerry Co. Co.
|
256
|
|
Tralee UDC
|
1,556
|
|
Kildare Co. Co.
|
3,775
|
|
Kilkenny Co. Co.
|
809
|
|
Laois Co. Co.
|
950
|
|
Limerick Co. Co.
|
5,113
|
|
Limerick Corp
|
352
|
|
Longford Co. Co.
|
126
|
|
Meath Co. Co.
|
3,894
|
|
Monaghan Co. Co.
|
600
|
|
Monaghan UDC
|
600
|
|
Offaly Co. Co.
|
100
|
|
Sligo Corp
|
870
|
|
Waterford Co. Co.
|
616
|
|
Waterford Corp
|
2,425
|
|
Westmeath Co. Co.
|
4,377
|
|
Wexford Co. Co.
|
482
|
