I remind Deputies that supplementary questions should last one minute and the Minister has one minute to respond.
Other Questions.
Political Donations.
Joan Burton
Ceist:93 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he plans changes to the law governing financial donations to politicians or political parties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17164/07]
The Agreed Programme for Government contains a commitment to the establishment of an independent electoral commission which will take responsibility for a range of electoral matters including, inter alia, the functions currently exercised by the Standards in Public Office Commission relating to election spending. The electoral commission will also examine the issue of financing of the political system. I will be developing appropriate proposals in regard to the establishment of the commission.
In addition, the Agreed Programme for Government commits to publishing a Green Paper on local government reform. One of the issues the Green Paper will address is the question of expenditure limits at local elections. There are currently no such limits, although expenditure, as well as donations over a €635 threshold, must be disclosed. I have set in train a process of public consultation prior to the preparation of the Green Paper and established a related consultative committee. Work on the Green Paper should be completed by the end of this year with final proposals to be settled in a White Paper next year.
I am satisfied that the proposals for the electoral commission, together with the initiatives which will emerge from the Green Paper, provide an appropriate framework to progress our extensive and complex agenda for electoral and local government reform.
Will the Minister answer the question I asked, which is what changes he plans to make in the law governing financial donations to politicians or political parties? Will the Minister ban corporate donations, for example? The Green Party, in its election manifesto, promised to ensure adequate State funding of political parties based on electoral results and to ban corporate, institutional and foreign based donations. Deputy Ciaran Cuffe told a press conference that ending corporate donations was a core principle of the Green Party. What has happened to those undertakings? The Minister now appears to be saying he will replace the Standards in Public Office Commission with another standards in public office commission. He went on to speak about local government reform, which has nothing to do with my question. What is the Green Party position regarding the legal reform of political donations and banning corporate donations?
Deputy Tuffy appears to be obsessed with the Green Party. I am anxious to get on with the business of government.
It would be disappointing if Deputy Tuffy dismissed the electoral commission. Its establishment will be a huge advance. An electoral commission would deal with the issues she raises. There is a problem regarding expenditure limits at local elections. No limits currently exist. Limits should exist at local elections. I am sure Deputy Tuffy has seen candidates spend obscene amounts of money at local election time. This needs to be addressed. The best fora in which to address this issue are the electoral commission and the consultative committee on local government reform, which I have established. I have invited a number of the Deputy's colleagues to take part in this process and three Labour Party people are on the consultative committee. I am happy to facilitate the Labour Party in putting forward their ideas. I believe they have constructive ideas and I congratulate the party on its initiatives when in government. Deputy Tuffy will also see the Government taking an enlightened approach to this matter.
The Minister is aware that Mr. Justice Smith, chairman of the Standards in Public Office Commission, has called for increased transparency and greater scrutiny of party expenditure. Are these measures part of the Government's legislative programme or are the organisers of the Galway tent safe in sending their deposits to book their space for next August?
It is not only Mr. Justice Smith who calls for scrutiny and transparency. The Warsaw-based Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights was invited by the Department of Foreign Affairs to observe this year's general election. It concluded that the Electoral Act, which governs election spending, was rendered obsolete by its narrow scope. I am aware of that. Much spending takes place between elections. By the time the election campaign is officially called many of the bigger spenders have spent considerable amounts of money. That needs to be addressed. The proper forum for this matter would be the electoral commission.
It would be regrettable for Deputies to dismiss the electoral commission. It offers huge scope for reform. I have spoken to colleagues who have tried in the past and failed to establish an electoral commission. It would be an enormous achievement to establish an electoral commission. It would deal not only with funding but also with the question of the electoral register and other matters which need to be addressed.
When and how will the Minister implement the result of the plebiscite and rename An Daingean as Dingle Daingean Uí Chúis? Will this be done by ministerial order, primary legislation or departmental regulation, or will we, perhaps, have another commission? The result of the plebiscite is available. When will the Minister act on it?
The Deputy is to be congratulated on his efforts but this does not come within the scope of the question.
The Minister is happy to answer the question.
The Deputy's supplementary is unrelated to the question.
The Minister refuses to answer.
If he submits a parliamentary question I will be happy to answer it.
We do not have an answer.
I do not object to an electoral commission. The Standards in Public Office Commission does a fine job and if it were given the teeth to do more it could be very effective. However, the electoral commission is not a Minister, and only the Minister can introduce legislation. The banning of corporate donations is a core principle of his party. What legislation will he introduce in the area of political donations?
Deputy Tuffy is correct in saying the electoral commission is not a Minister. Last evening I heard much talk about the establishment of quangos. On the one hand she asks me to set up a national fire authority — I do not exclude that possibility — while on the other she seems to pour cold water on the idea of an electoral commission. It involves the Minister giving away power to a commission but it is, nevertheless, a positive and constructive idea. It will transform the face of Irish politics and address numerous issues, including the question of political donations.
People have tried this before.
People have tried and failed. I hope I will succeed.
Social and Affordable Housing.
Brian O'Shea
Ceist:94 Deputy Brian O’Shea asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of social houses and affordable houses provided in 2006 and to date in 2007; the number expected to be provided by the end of 2007; if his attention has been drawn to the huge increase in the numbers applying for affordable housing in some areas; the steps he is taking to deal with the backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22820/07]
The needs of 14,686 households were met through the full range of social and affordable housing measures in 2006. The total number of social housing units completed by local authorities and the voluntary and co-operative housing sector in the first six months of 2007, at 3,167 units, is up 33% on the first six months of 2006 and represents the strongest level of activity on the programme this decade. In addition, 450 new units were acquired under the rental accommodation scheme.
Funding has been provided in 2007 to meet the commitments in Towards 2016 to start or acquire 9,000 units of social housing. This will be through a combination of local authority, voluntary and co-operative housing units and new supply under the rental accommodation scheme. Good momentum is being made in achieving these targets, with 11,500 social housing units in progress at the end of June 2007
While comprehensive information on the numbers applying for all affordable housing schemes is not collected by my Department, the indications are that demand for affordable housing remains strong in certain areas, particularly in the greater Dublin area and near other major urban centres. In response, increased affordable housing activity is evident, supported in particular by the continued increase in momentum under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2006.
Following a 20% increase in overall affordable housing delivery in 2006, when over 3,200 units were provided, output in the first six months of 2007, at 1,192 homes, is up 5% on the corresponding period last year. In excess of 5,000 units were in progress at the end of June 2007 and a strong focus on delivery continues to be maintained to gain further momentum towards the achievement of the 5,000 unit target for this year. This is being supported by the work of the affordable homes partnership, which has a particular focus on initiatives to increase the supply of affordable housing in the greater Dublin area.
The programme for Government promises that 90,000 homes will be built in the lifetime of the Government, an average of 18,000 houses per annum. The figures given by the Minister of State are below that. The All-Party Committee on the Constitution reported that local authorities could be empowered by legislation compulsorily to acquire land required for housing at an economic cost. Does the Minister of State plan to act upon this report and free up property for the affordable housing sector?
The Minister does not intend to pursue that matter at present. The matter has not been examined by me to date. I have been, since taking up office, familiarising myself with the brief. I will undertake to examine the matter and to report directly on it to the Deputy.
In terms of the Government's overall strategy in this area, it is important to point out that the needs of some 140,000 households will be met through the housing programme during the lifetime of the NDP. We are spending €21 billion on that programme. Some €18 billion will be spent directly on housing and a further €5 billion has been allocated in respect of rent allowances, mortgage supplements and the rental allowance scheme, RAS. All of this illustrates the Government's intention to honour its commitments to the housing sector during the lifetime of the development plan.
Will the Minister of State agree the housing strategies of each local authority adopted some years ago are out of date? Will he also agree that no impact is being made in respect of the number of people on waiting lists for local authority housing and that what is required is new thinking on the part of the Minister of State in the form of new proposals? Is the Minister of State considering new proposals to deal with the escalating waiting lists for houses in each local authority area, many of which were not taken into account in the housing strategies agreed some years ago?
I will take a further supplementary from Deputy Ciarán Lynch before calling the Minister of State.
If anybody on the affordable housing list is listening to this debate it is because they are interested to hear how what is being said will affect them. The affordable housing list is increasing. This scheme was intended to facilitate those on low incomes to purchase affordable housing. The cost of purchasing a home in many areas, even under the affordable housing scheme, is quite expensive. The Minister of State said he will report back to the Chamber on this matter.
However, as Deputy Phil Hogan stated, the issue of housing output needs to be examined. Cork City Council and Cork County Council are operating two different systems in terms of administering and rolling out this scheme. Some local authorities appear to have problems in terms of processing the affordable housing scheme resulting in backlogs. Will the Minister of State address this issue?
Two questions were asked. The Government has been innovative in terms of the provision of social and affordable housing. A whole range of new mechanisms have been introduced to address the problem. The introduction in early 2008 of the miscellaneous housing Bill will provide further initiatives including, incremental purchase by tenants of local authority houses. Measures to address the problem include the affordable housing scheme, shared ownership scheme, the Part V option and, in the future, the incremental purchase option.
Local authorities have, up to now, had indicative targets about which I am not happy. We have now given them a three-year programme within which to produce houses in their respective areas. We are underpinning those targets with funding and we will ensure those targets are met over the three year period. This is the right way forward. I was not happy that targets were not being met. The three-year programme and the underpinning funding will ensure local authorities meet the targets set by them.