Vol. 850 No. 1
6. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government whether he is satisfied with the taking in charge process; if he intends to change the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34317/14]
This question relates to the taking in charge process. Every Member will know of the difficulties that have arisen in respect of the process. There are situations involving families in estates that have not been taken in charge for long periods, periods of years, in fact. As a result they are not entitled to the services of the local authority. Is the Minister aware of these situations? Does he intend to make changes to the process? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?
I thank the Deputy for what is a very good question. Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides, in respect of the estates which have been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority in accordance with the planning permission, that the planning authority must, if requested to do so by the developer or by the majority of the owners of the houses involved, initiate the procedures for taking the estate in charge.
In the case of estates which have not been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority in accordance with the planning permission and where enforcement proceedings have not commenced within seven years of the expiration of the permission authorising the development, section 180 also provides that the planning authority must, if requested to do so by the majority of the owners of the houses concerned, initiate taking in charge procedures.
This is a serious issue throughout the country. My Department is currently reviewing the taking in charge provisions to determine if they can be improved. The Department will include any appropriate amendments to section 180 in forthcoming planning legislation. My Department is also considering amendments to section 180 that may be required consequential on the establishment of Irish Water and issues that arise as a result.
I certainly welcome the fact that the Department and the Minister are reviewing the situation. Can the Minister give us any timeline in respect of the review? Has it started? When will it finish? What outcome does the Minister anticipate from it? There are situations whereby builders have become insolvent, where they are not on-site, cannot be contacted or perhaps are not in the country. Every Member knows the difficulties that have arisen for families and communities in such estates. I urge the Minister to bring the review on quickly, to publish it and give us an indication of when that might happen.
It has begun. It is in process and is being looked at. Data has been gathered in respect of local authorities. Discussions with the County and City Managers Association and the various planning departments in local authorities have taken place. A range of issues must be addressed. Certain issues in one part of the country or one local authority are not necessarily the same as those affecting other local authorities, for example, issues in respect of water and how water is dealt with, including the associated legacy issues for estates. Following the establishment of Irish Water, the interpretation of one local authority in one area and other local authorities in other areas in respect of potential taking in charge issues needs to be addressed and is being addressed as we speak. It is a priority in the Department. There are several planning Bills in gestation within my Department. Should the review be done in time we will certainly consider any amendments as part of the process.
I thank the Leas Cheann-Comhairle for the opportunity to contribute. I am pleased to hear that the review has started in respect of taking in charge of estates and Irish Water. I welcome the fact that the Minister has started it. A circular was sent out from Irish Water to each county and city manager in the State some months ago. That letter, of which I have a copy, actually vetoes the taking in charge of any estate by a county or city council.
According to the document, if an estate has a pumping station, as many do, then the council should not approach Irish Water about taking the estate in charge. The Minister might highlight this matter to his officials, as it is important that Irish Water's management be told to withdraw that circular.
I raised this issue in the House previously. In fairness, a protocol for addressing such matters is necessary. There may be a question of language and interpretation from the local authorities' point of view. A protocol is being developed. The issue needs to be and is being addressed.
7. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which he has evaluated current housing needs in terms of dealing with the already large number of persons on local authority housing lists, which is increasing on a daily basis; the increased incidence of homelessness arising from supply and demand; if he expects to be in a position to deal with the serious problem of homelessness on a county basis; if he will develop a strategy to address these issues by way of short-term plans such as the purchase of existing units where available and, in the medium to long term, the identification of suitable sites, zoned where possible, or the prospect of acquiring such sites under the strategic infrastructural deficit heading with a view to ensuring a comprehensive housing programme on an ongoing basis, thereby eliminating the prospect of a repeat of the current crisis, which is due to the pursuit of incorrect policies over a 15-year period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34320/14]
This question seeks to emphasise the urgent and ever-increasing housing problem, with particular reference to various locations throughout the country, some of which are affected more than others. While I welcome the Minister's indications to date, I am anxious to see progress in the strategy to address the two strands of this problem.
I thank the Deputy for his question and wish to reiterate the Minister's comments, in that the provision of housing units is a high priority for the Government. Action No. 1 of Construction 2020: A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector provides for a national framework for housing supply to be established on a statutory footing, with an annual national statement of projected housing supply and demand to be published every June. The Housing Agency has been asked to take the lead in implementing this action.
The proper management of all State land is critical. Accordingly, lands that have been transferred to the Housing Agency and lands held by local authorities that are suitable for development will be the first sites considered in any future targeted social housing building programme. In line with the commitments under the Construction 2020 strategy, a housing supply co-ordination task force for Dublin has been established, with an immediate focus on addressing supply-related issues.
On 20 May, the implementation plan for the State's response to homelessness was published. In it, the Government's approach to delivery of its objective of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016 was outlined. This plan sets out a range of measures to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation for homeless households within the next three years and to mobilise the necessary supports.
The social housing strategy referred to by the Minister, to be developed under Construction 2020, will provide the basis for an enhanced approach to social housing provision. It will contain clear, measurable actions to be taken to increase the supply of social housing and, most importantly, reduce the number of people on waiting lists over the next five years. I expect that the strategy will be ready for consideration by the Government in the coming weeks.
I thank the Minister of State. I congratulate him and the Minister on their appointments and wish them well for their tenures in office, which we hope will be long.
The two issues arising are moveable feasts, for want of a better description. First, the numbers on the waiting list are constantly changing. One cause is that a number of people have shifted addresses repeatedly in recent years and, as a result, were not included in the updating process and were missed out in the programme. In County Kildare, there are 6,500 families registered on the housing list. That number is increasing daily. Second, 30 or so families are registered as being homeless, yet there is no homeless accommodation and no provision has been made for acquiring purpose-built houses. Would it be possible to develop a two-stage strategy to acquire urgently required emergency housing and to zone land or use currently zoned land to provide an adequate supply of houses adjacent to those areas where it is most needed?
The Government recognises the challenge of providing housing units. The housing shortage exists for a reason: the policy of previous Governments was to abdicate responsibility for direct provision of local authority houses. In tandem, the problem was exacerbated when the Part V element of private developments, which was intended to address many of the housing gaps, failed to deliver the numbers sought due to the economic crash.
That is why the Government is now giving this matter its full attention. As the Minister, Deputy Kelly, previously outlined, a comprehensive social housing strategy is being prepared as we speak, it will be adopted over the coming weeks and will be published at that stage. There will be a number of responses within that strategy. Direct provision of local authority houses and other funding models, perhaps like those the Deputy mentioned, will all be examined. The real estate investment trust, whereby long-term landlords invest in properties, will also be examined. That has been seen as a successful model in other countries like Canada.
I remind the Minister to keep an eye on the clock. I call Deputy Durkan.
A number of responses are needed to urgently respond to this problem.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I respectfully suggest that County Kildare is a classic example of where the shortage of houses is very severe and is becoming more severe on a daily basis. If the Minister of State and his Department are willing to engage with the local authority staff in Kildare, I have no doubt they will identify the full extent of the problem and the likely development of the problem over the next few years. Will it be possible to engage with them on that basis and also with other local authority areas that are similarly affected?
Yes. I recognise that Kildare has its demands and it is recognised by Government that the greater Dublin area, the commuter areas and other large urban areas in the country have a far greater demand on social housing provision. That is why there is a medium to long-term strategy, as well as a short-term one, where a national framework for housing supply is being established and will be put on a statutory footing. This is the strategy towards which the Government will be working to ensure provision is provided where demand is greatest and priorities will be listed in that format.
8. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the review of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 has been completed; the outcome of this review and any legislative changes he will make on foot of it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34323/14]
I too would like to wish the two Ministers well. With regard to the question, the previous Minister with responsibility for housing stated in the House a few months ago that "Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 has contributed to increased ... integration and more sustainable mixed tenure communities". We know that is not true. It did not happen. Over a ten year period only 5,000 social units were delivered under the Part V mechanism. What are the Government's plans for dealing with that now?
The Part V review, carried out by the housing agency at my Department’s request, has been completed and will be submitted to Government in the coming weeks - obviously, it has to go through there first. It is anticipated that any legislative changes required on foot of the review, subject to Government approval, will be incorporated into the general scheme of a new planning Bill, to which I have referred a number of times here today and which is expected to be published shortly.
As the extent of social housing gain from Part V is directly related to private housing construction, the current situation is that there is very limited Part V delivery in terms of social housing, and we all know that. I am committed to the principle of a social housing gain from private development - let me be quite clear about that - but to maximise that gain we need a properly functioning and sustainable construction sector, hence the Construction 2020 strategy. I believe that the Part V mechanism has the potential to again be a significant contributor to social housing in the context of a recovering housing market.
The Government’s Construction 2020 strategy, published in May this year, aims to build a competitive, innovative and sustainable construction sector. My intention is that the social housing strategy, which will be published in the coming weeks, required under action 8 of Construction 2020 and now in preparation, will be both challenging and innovative, and will provide the basis for an enhanced approach to social housing provision in Ireland. I expect that the strategy will be considered by Government in the coming weeks and the Part V mechanism will be considered also in the very near future and subsequent to that obviously it will be published.
I will be interested to see what the Government comes up with. It is vital that this is done right as it was not done right previously. The Government has an opportunity to put it right. There is no doubt that it must be workable for the developer and the builder, otherwise the houses will not be built, but the Government will have to insist on a minimum of 10% in respect of social housing.
It is possible to come up with a mechanism that would be workable and ensure the developer would not lose his or shirt on a project. That mechanism could be framed in such a way that it would be workable and, more than anything else, ensure the provision of more units, greater progress towards social integration and the tackling of ghettoisation.
In June, the international hedge fund, Kennedy Wilson, was granted planning permission for the development of more than 160 units at the former Clancy Barracks, in respect of which the only condition in terms of social and affordable unit provision is that the developer meet the local authority on the matter, which meeting will obviously take place behind closed doors. I would like to know if the Government is interested in having an impact in the development of this site which the developer says and may well believe is unsuitable for social housing provision. The Government has an obligation to ensure the local authority will insist on a minimum of 10% of the former Clancy Barracks development being social housing.
As I said, all of this must be discussed by the Government prior to publication. By and large, I do not disagree with much of what the Deputy had to say. In terms of the process and the outcome of the Government's decision, a lot has yet to happen. The Deputy is correct that a balanced approach is needed. We must ensure those building the units and houses are interested and will deliver. As I said, I am a huge supporter of the provision of social housing through this process. We must ensure this will happen and that the statistics quoted in the Deputy's first contribution are not repeated. We must ensure a real contribution to social housing provision through this process. It is my intention to ensure - this matter will soon go through the process of government - we will get the balance right, thus ensuring developers will be incentivised to build houses and that, as part of the social housing strategies, units will be delivered on a scale not matched in recent years.
It will be interesting to see what develops. It is important that the Government learns from the mistakes of the previous Government. Every site over 800 sq. m was supposed to be subject to the social and affordable housing requirement. However, that did not happen. Originally, developers were not allowed to move such houses off site. If the Government is interested in tackling ghettoisation and working towards greater social integration, it must ensure this requirement is not met off site. Whether a site is located in Ballsbridge or Darndale, the 10% social housing provision must apply.
Another issue is that builders were allowed to buy their way out of meeting the 10% social housing requirement. That must also be stopped. The Government must also insist on there being no difference between the materials used in the construction of private and social units. Previously, there was wholesale use of white deal in the construction of social housing units and oak in private units, many of which were located side-by-side. This was signed off on by the local authorities. The Government must insist on local authorities not signing off on units that do not meet the agreed standards.
To be fair, there is little in the Deputy's contribution with which I would take issue. All of the issues he raises will be dealt with. I favour mixed developments. We need mixed developments to prevent ghettoisation, as described by the Deputy. We must ensure future developments are sustainable and mixed. To add to what the Deputy said, we must also ensure construction of units we require. The requirements for social housing in the context of the demographics of those who need it have changed. The same level of development as was previously required in particular sectors is no longer necessary. For example, owing to the social factors that have derived there is now a requirement for more houses for one person or one person plus a child. We have to adapt to this.
The Deputy raised many issues, including the use of different materials in social units. I have heard many such stories and the issue will be addressed. I am also looking at a number of other areas within the planning legislation that would support having the mix right, ensuring construction would happen and that the percentage of social housing units required would be delivered.
There are other planning issues coming down the road also.
9. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to stem the growing commercial decay in town centres around the State. [30184/14]
Guím gach rath ar an Aire agus ar an Aire Stáit. Comhghairdeas leo ar a bpoist nua. I hope the solutions the Minister talks about are not horizon solutions and that we will see them in the future. The housing crisis is one of the biggest crises in the State. The solutions need to be timescaled to the crisis. The crisis is now and the solutions have to be implemented now.
Many people believe they are living on Shutter Island. So many main streets up and down the country have their shops closed down. People believe they are back in the 1980s and young people have been depleted. This is as a result of the economic crash, bad planning and management by local authorities, and the migration of retail to the Internet. What can the local authorities do, and what can the Minister direct them to do, to ensure this stops?
I thank the Deputy for his good wishes and his question on town centres throughout the State. The downturn in economic activity associated with the recession has resulted in a significant number of shop closures and vacant units in town and city centres across the country. We all see this in every county. My county, Tipperary, and that of the Minister of State Deputy Coffey, Waterford, are not exempt. To help address this issue, a number of initiatives have been taken by my Department in recent years. Local authorities were requested, where possible, to reduce commercial rates and local charges to assist local businesses. Revised development contribution guidelines were introduced last year, which resulted, for example, in an acknowledged 26% reduction in contributions applied to developments in the four Dublin local authority areas. Also included is the publication of new guidelines on retail planning in 2012, aimed at promoting and supporting the vitality and viability of town and city centres.
Further to the commitment in the Construction 2020 strategy, my Department is examining the possibility of enabling local authorities, should they wish to do so, to adopt measures to incentivise the use and development of vacant and under-utilised sites in urban areas and - dare I say - town centres across rural Ireland. My Department remains committed to providing a clear framework for addressing urban centre decline and its impact on the retail sector, and we will explore all options in order to achieve this.
I have considerable interest in this issue. We have a number of planning Bills to come before the House. There are other avenues we can explore also, including working with the local authorities. Town centres, because of the various circumstances the Deputy and I have outlined, have been left bereft, with buildings empty. This needs to be addressed and all avenues will be explored in this regard.
I want to draw particular attention to the diverging two-tier society that has developed in the State. Inside the M50 there are some stirrings of activity, but the rest of the country is unaffected. This means people in the Border, midlands and west are more likely to be in poverty or unemployed, or more likely to emigrate. According to the last census, the population of these areas fell.
The Minister mentioned rates. I ask him to consider seriously a progressive business rate whereby the same amount in rates would be coming into the coffers of the local authority but according to a system whereby the rate would be designed to take the pressure off businesses that are struggling. I hope we generally believe in progressive taxation, but a progressive business rate would reflect the level of profit of a business at a given time. This would be a great incentive to continue for those businesses that are barely hanging on by their fingernails at present.
In answering the question, I must dismiss the Deputy’s point on economic recovery, but that is for another day. The impact is being seen in more areas around the country. The issue raised is a real one, however, and of course I accept that. The Deputy raised the issue of rates and suggested how a change to the rates system could help. We are examining various options in regard to levies, rates and that whole space to try to incentivise businesses and deal with the relevant issues.
In some cases, quite large organisations or companies have buildings across the country which have been idle and unused for a long time, yet they have not been sold. They are in prime locations in town centres. That is a real issue which I believe should be dealt with as well.
The other issue with regard to local authorities being progressive in respect of rates is the fact that 82 of the 88 rating authorities either reduced rates or maintained them at the same level this year as in 2013. They have been examined and there has been a good deal of flexibility. However, a combination of the matters I just mentioned is really the avenue to take to try to get more people into town centres and generate more business.
Another issue is the detachment of local authorities from the experience of workers, traders and businesses throughout the State. Typically, local authorities just see a euro sign when they look at this sector of society. In the North, local authorities do tremendous work in the provision of training programmes for businesses, traders and workers. Such training programmes must be developed by local authorities in the South. In fact, the training programmes must be directed in two ways. They must also be within the local authorities to ensure that local authorities develop their policies in sympathy with the needs of the people outside.
Another big issue in this area at present is the migration of billions of euro of retail sales from towns onto the Internet. Three of every four of those euro are leaving the State and entering a foreign till. There is a massive need for local authorities to take the lead in providing online towns, whereby local traders who do not necessarily have the ICT experience to provide e-commerce to their customers are given an opportunity to migrate onto that virtual space as well. That would stem the level of leakage of these retail euro out of the country and ensure that those jobs stay at home.
In my previous occupation before entering politics I was an e-business manager. There are a number of grants available for retailers in that space. It is an area that has been quite successful, but it probably could be developed even further.
With regard to the Deputy's commentary on the need for local authorities to ramp up their activities rather than seeing businesses as a cash cow, I was with members of my local authority at the Limerick Institute of Technology campus in Thurles, County Tipperary, last week, where it held a showcase of all the developing businesses in the area. I encourage all local authorities to do this. Others have done it, and it is a good idea. In fairness, with the broadening of the tax base, which has been encouraged under this Government, and the establishment of the local enterprise offices, LEOs, and the local community development committees, LCDCs, which are in the process of being established, there is greater interaction between the local authorities, the business communities, traders and so forth, and there is greater connectivity. There is also more flexibility regarding rates and levies, and that will become more progressive. As a consequence, I believe there is a more nuanced relationship which facilitates business and traders to a greater extent. Can it be improved into the future? Are all local authorities the same? Probably not, to be honest. However, it is far more progressive. Over my period in office I will encourage that as much as possible, because I believe there can be real achievements as a result.
10. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will continue the scheme to support national organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34326/14]
I congratulate both Deputies on their elevation to a fine summit. I extend my best wishes to them and their families.
Earlier this year, the Department denied 26 groups critically important funding under the scheme to support national organisations, SSNO, funding programme. One of the Minister's first actions after his appointment was to reverse that position and to provide access to funding for organisations that provide important services in the community. Will the Minister make a statement today with respect to his long-term plan for supporting these organisations?
I thank the Deputy for his good wishes. I know they are sincerely felt.
The funding scheme to support national organisations in the community and voluntary sector aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. Applications for a new round of funding, which commenced on 1 July 2014 , were subject to an appraisal process. My predecessor was anxious to make funding available to as many organisations as possible within the prevailing resource constraints and approved 55 applications for funding for the two-year period from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2016.
While it was known that the existing scheme was ending on 30 June 2014 and applications were sought for the new scheme with no guarantee of continued funding, it is clear that organisations had become increasingly dependent on this funding. Against that background, on 18 July 2014, I announced the allocation of bridging funding of approximately €1.4 million to a number of previously funded health, disability and other organisations for a 12-month period, pending the carrying out of a review of the public funding of national organisations in the health and disability sector in particular. My Department has now commenced a process of engagement with the Department of Health in order to advance the review, which is being undertaken in agreement with my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for primary care, mental health and disability, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. The review is designed to rationalise in a progressive way the funding of these organisations to ensure efficiency in the use of public money and avoidance of duplication, while providing appropriate support to organisations working in the sector.
This bridging funding in 2014-15 is a once-off transitional arrangement and will enable organisations to plan for their future, whether with or without State support, such as that provided under the scheme to support national organisations. The question of the next round of funding under the scheme to support national organisations generally will be considered in good time ahead of the conclusion of the current scheme at the end of June 2016.
There is a clear indication in the Minister's response that he is unhappy with the state of funding for these organisations. I am very concerned about the language used when the Minister referred to bridging funding and temporary arrangements. The Minister obviously has not learned anything from the debacle with the medical cards last year with respect to his strategic targeting of vulnerable people in society. It will be of no benefit to those organisations to hear his language here today, particularly around bridging and temporary arrangements. These are organisations that have had a commitment to deliver services to the most vulnerable people in society, those who suffer with mental health issues. They are waiting on tenterhooks around the Minister's language as to whether the funding is temporary or bridging.
Where is the review? When will the Minister publish it and share the details of that review with the House?
I made the decision which I felt was necessary, having spoken to the organisations, which the Deputy knows well, having spoken about them many times himself. I felt it was necessary to ensure the funding continued and, hence, I made that decision. There was obviously a situation where many of these organisations became quite dependent on the funding that was in place. We need to ensure we have a consistency of approach but also to ensure we have scale and geographical coverage at national, regional and local level. As the Deputy is aware, there are many organisations in different areas with different plans and different profiles.
The process has already started. In the coming months, officials in my Department and the Department of Health will come together to put together a plan in regard to this whole space. I intentionally gave a year in order to do that. I can assure the Deputy that, in advance of any announcement of that plan, we will communicate strongly how it is going to work. To be fair, the plan has not been finalised and it would not be appropriate to talk about where we are at present as it is still being discussed. Once it is complete, however, we will communicate directly with these organisations, which is completely necessary. Obviously, we will then have the new programme for which the timelines were outlined earlier.
It is simply unacceptable that these groups are targeted in the first place. I welcome the fact one of the Minister's first actions after his elevation to office was to climb down on this, although this was as a consequence of the pressure from this House and the organisations involved, some of which are protesting at the gates of Leinster House today. Does the Minister not agree that we must find another way of funding them, one that has an understanding of security with respect to how they can sustained in delivering important services within the community? It is unacceptable that this decision was made in the first place. It is representative of the crass nature of how we attack people in society, in particular those who are providing critical public services within our community.
As someone who worked with these organisations and knows them quite well, I believe the Deputy's language is unacceptable. There is no targeting of these organisations. What we are trying to do is facilitate organisations, including trying to facilitate more organisations in other ways. We are also trying to ensure there is a consistency of approach, that there are clear communications channels and that we have a plan for dealing with all of these organisations into the future. I believe it is quite a progressive development that two Departments in a short space of time are sitting down and developing a plan in order to ensure this happens. That is what is going to happen in the coming months.
There is no targeting of any organisation at all. We are being very progressive with these organisations, facilitating them and working with them. I am glad I made the decision I did because it has ensured the viability and future operation of many great organisations.
