Written Answers Nos. 150-156
150. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the total funds now held in the dormant accounts funds, the amount of this that is committed to projects; the amount of the statutory reserve held; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42185/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra151. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the net inflows of funds into the dormant account funds in the past three years; the amount sanctioned for nes projects in this time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42186/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 151 together.
Total funds as at end August 2012 in the Dormant Accounts Fund are €169.305 million as shown in the table in Appendix 1. Of that sum, €17.968 million is committed to projects, with €54.542 in the statutory reserve.
Appendix 1 provides a profile of the Fund showing yearly inflows, reclaims, disbursements, etc, from 2003 to the end of August 2012. Disbursement amounts for the last three years are listed on Appendix 2. While no new measures have been approved for funding during that time, with Departments paying down existing commitments only, I have made available €440,000 (€88,000 per town) for projects under the 5 new RAPID towns measure in the current year.
Appendix 1 Value of Dormant Accounts Fund at 31/08/2012
|
Year |
Inflows |
Gross Inflow of Funds |
Outflows |
Net Funds |
||||||
|
Banks/building societies |
An Post products |
Insurance products |
Intestate Estates |
Interest earned |
Reclaimed by account holders |
Disbursed by NTMA |
Expenses & Compliance Costs |
|||
|
2003 |
105,802,747 |
90,406,394 |
0 |
0 |
2,778,039 |
198,987,180 |
24,002,874 |
0 |
148,048 |
174,836,258 |
|
2004 |
18,387,604 |
14,642,260 |
22,994,803 |
0 |
3,802,846 |
59,827,513 |
21,080,853 |
14,000,000 |
1,055,958 |
198,526,960 |
|
2005 |
13,049,089 |
19,870,684 |
7,895,688 |
0 |
4,061,302 |
44,876,763 |
22,916,079 |
14,400,000 |
1,673,497 |
204,414,147 |
|
2006 |
20,535,464 |
52,513,242 |
7,100,575 |
0 |
6,375,902 |
86,525,183 |
44,736,631 |
33,250,000 |
1,608,356 |
211,344,343 |
|
2007 |
12,531,434 |
42,658,151 |
6,704,210 |
4,400,000 |
8,787,603 |
75,081,398 |
34,082,871 |
45,511,412 |
1,881,135 |
204,950,323 |
|
2008 |
19,644,431 |
6,239,735 |
7,149,521 |
0 |
7,561,873 |
40,595,560 |
19,500,791 |
73,050,705 |
1,999,776 |
150,994,611 |
|
2009 |
25,014,071 |
11,359,722 |
5,010,644 |
0 |
891,120 |
42,275,557 |
19,051,956 |
37,644,335 |
1,717,634 |
134,856,243 |
|
2010 |
20,970,740 |
12,304,426 |
6,009,518 |
0 |
472,958 |
39,757,642 |
20,302,633 |
20,267,035 |
1,618,257 |
132,425,960 |
|
2011 |
27,841,100 |
9,912,279 |
5,326,408 |
0 |
1,137,669 |
44,217,456 |
24,345,430 |
8,403,338 |
937,628 |
142,957,020 |
|
2012 |
18,976,039 |
10,889,787 |
7,674,387 |
0 |
829,782 |
38,369,995 |
11,742,513 |
278,845 |
0 |
169,305,657 |
|
Totals |
282,752,719 |
270,796,680 |
75,865,754 |
4,400,000 |
36,699,094 |
670,514,247 |
241,762,631 |
246,805,670 |
12,640,289 |
|
|
Liabilities on the Fund: |
|||||||
|
Of which |
|||||||
|
1. Reserve for future reclaims by account holders |
-54,542,744 |
||||||
|
2. Disbursements allocated to beneficiary projects by |
Approved |
Decommited |
Net Approved |
||||
|
(a) Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursement Board |
63,082,815 |
4,678,696 |
58,404,119 |
||||
|
(b) Government (2006) |
75,642,596 |
4,552,415 |
71,090,181 |
||||
|
(c) Government (2007) |
22,278,213 |
698,845 |
21,579,368 |
||||
|
(d) Government (2008) |
30,134,074 |
83,780 |
30,050,294 |
||||
|
(e) Government – Early Childhood Initiative (2006) |
18,000,000 |
18,000,000 |
|||||
|
(f) Government - Rural Social Scheme (2004-2008) |
64,400,000 |
64,400,000 |
|||||
|
(g) Government – Catch Up Measure 5 new RAPID towns |
1,250,000 |
|
1,250,000 |
||||
|
Sub-totals |
274,787,698 |
-10,013,736 |
264,773,962 |
||||
|
3. Remaining funds to be disbursed by NTMA on foot of approvals |
-17,968,292 |
||||||
|
Net Value of Dormant Accounts Fund (uncommitted funds) |
€96,804,621 |
||||||
Under the Dormant Accounts Act 2001, the NTMA is required to maintain a Reserve Account to meet reclaims from account holders and operational expenses of the agency and the Dormant Accounts Board.
Summary of disbursements from the Dormant Accounts Fund for the years 2009 to 2011
|
Disbursements |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
Pobal (Service provider and agent of the Dormant Accounts Board) |
€4,264,446 |
€875,000 |
€408,000 |
|
Dept. Community, Rural and Gaeltacht |
€7,739,459 |
€5,286,000 |
0 |
|
Education and Skills |
€8,403,730 |
€2,003,000 |
€1,600,000 |
|
HSE |
€8,804,948 |
€6,119,000 |
€1,242,000 |
|
Transport, Tourism and Sport |
€1,304,000 |
€395,000 |
0 |
|
Children and Youth Affairs |
€5,240,455 |
€2,966,000 |
€3,000,000 |
|
Communications, Energy & Natural Resources |
€774,457 |
0 |
|
|
Justice and Equality |
€193,105 |
€672,000 |
€209,000 |
|
Irish Prison Service |
€419,735 |
€218,000 |
€229,000 |
|
Environment, Community and Local Government |
€500,000 |
€719,000 |
€1,441,000 |
|
Social Protection |
€1,014,000 |
€274,000 |
|
|
Total |
€37,644,335 |
€20,267,000 |
€8,403,000 |
152. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will address concerns by rural householders that they are disproportionately bearing the cost of septic tanks charges in comparison to urban householders who have no such cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42194/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI do not consider that the new systems of registration and inspection for septic tanks, being introduced under the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012, are disproportionate on rural dwellers. Environmental and public health issues must be dealt with as circumstances dictate and where risks exist. A key objective of the new legislation is, therefore, to enhance and protect public health and the environment, particularly water quality, which will, in turn, benefit rural dwellers in terms of a better quality of life and better quality water.
In keeping with a commitment I made earlier this year, householders were able to avail of a reduced registration fee of €5 if they registered before 28 September. A €50 registration fee now applies and householders have until 1 February 2013 to register. Registrations are valid for five years and there will be no fee for re-registering. There will also be no charge for householders for carrying out inspections.
It should also be noted that development contributions charged by planning authorities in urban areas include significant charges for connection to both drinking water supply and to the public sewers and municipal wastewater treatment plants.
153. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his plans to introduce a scheme to enable mortgage holders in difficulty to return ownership of their property to a financial institutions or local authorities and to then pay rent and continue to reside in the same property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42220/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra154. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if any discussions have taken place between his Department or agencies under the auspices of his Department and local authorities (details supplied) regarding the implementation of a mortgage to rent scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42221/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 154 together.
On foot of the recommendations of the Keane Report on mortgage arrears, the Government launched a mortgage to rent scheme on a pilot basis in February 2012. The scheme was extended nationally in June 2012, targeting low income families whose mortgage situation is unsustainable and where there is little or no prospect of a significant change in circumstances in the foreseeable future. The scheme ensures that the family remains in their home, while ownership is transferred to an approved housing body who in turn rent it to the original owners.
Householders seeking to avail of the mortgage to rent scheme must:
- have had their mortgage deemed unsustainable under a Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process as provided for under the Central Bank’s Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears;
- agree to a voluntary repossession of their home;
- be eligible for social housing support; and
- not have significant positive equity in the property.
Limits on household income, property value and applicant assets also apply. Borrowers wishing to avail of this scheme may access further information on the Housing Agency website, www.housing.ie. More than sixty cases are currently being processed under this scheme.
My Department has been in consultation with local authorities on the implementation of the Mortgage To Rent scheme including local authorities’ responsibilities in assessing eligibility for the scheme.
155. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he is open to local authority managers to make an executive decision in relation to the exclusion of councillors and Oireachtas members from attending with constituents or their agents at formal or indeed informal pre planning meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42228/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 247 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides that a person intending to apply for planning permission may seek the agreement of the planning authority to pre-application consultations, which agreement must not be unreasonably withheld.
The Department’s Development Management Guidelines (June 2007) state that requests for both formal section 247 pre-application consultations and other less formal consultations should be facilitated by the planning authority as soon as feasible.
Section 247 makes no reference to the matter of anyone accompanying the potential planning applicant to the consultation: the Guidelines envisage that agents would attend such meetings.
Where the potential applicant requests that persons other than, or in addition to, his/her agent accompany him/her to a pre-planning consultation, it is a matter for the relevant planning authority to decide whether it is appropriate to accede to such a request, having regard to the effective conduct of the consultation, the number of persons concerned, limitations of time and space and any other relevant considerations.
156. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he considers it appropriate that parents of children who are separating amiably and who jointly attest to shared custody of their children are being obliged by Kildare County Council to provide legal confirmation of their custody arrangements, thereby incurring delays and significant expense prior to being included on a local authority housing waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42229/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009 dealing with social housing support, and the related Social Housing Assessment Regulations, 2011, were commenced on 1 April 2011. These provide a standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing. The ultimate aim of the new system is to create a fairer, more consistent and transparent approach to eligibility for social housing support. The criteria for determining housing need are set out in the regulations . In assessing the household’s application, the housing authority will consider such factors as household size, household income, their present accommodation (if any), the condition of that accommodation, and any special circumstances including age, disability, medical circumstances etc. Decisions on the eligibility of specific households for social housing support and the allocation of that support are a matter solely for the housing authority concerned. In seeking to determine eligibility for social housing support the housing authority may seek additional documentation from applicants. It is a matter for the local authority to determine what is required in individual cases.
