Written Answers Nos. 152-161
152. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources when he intends to publish legislation to regulate geothermal energy here, the Geothermal Energy Development Bill; and if any other legislation in the area of geothermal power generation is planned. [42385/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraLegislative proposals in respect of geothermal energy, and the associated Regulatory Impact Assessment, have been published and are available on the Department’s website at www.dcenr.gov.ie. Geothermal energy is a new area of legislative endeavour, which will create a legislative framework to facilitate the exploration for and development of geothermal energy resources. It will provide significant support to the geothermal energy sector, particularly in terms of security of tenure for potential investors. The Bill sets out an approach to the licensing of exploration for, and exploitation of, geothermal energy. It is modelled on the approach taken in respect of minerals exploration and development but also deals with a range of ancillary issues such as entry onto land.
Drafting of the Bill with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is ongoing. Many of the provisions of the Bill are based on aspects of the Minerals Development Bill, particularly in relation to exploration licensing, which I aim to bring to the House before the end of this parliamentary session. I would expect therefore that the Geothermal Energy Development Bill will follow to be published next year.
153. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if his Department works with local authorities in the delivery of services; and if so, the details of same. [42558/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra154. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if his Department engage with local authorities in the provision of services and if so the details of same. [42579/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 154 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department works with local authorities in a number of different areas. This would include both project level involvement as referred to below and interactions with local authorities as part of different statutory provisions. In addition the Semi State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, e.g. ESB, Bord na Móna, BGÉ and EirGrid would have ongoing contacts with local authorities.
My Department liaised with the local authorities during the construction of Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) and their subsequent handover to e|net, a company appointed to manage and maintain the networks on behalf of the State. My Department continues to work with local authorities on the liaison committee that oversee the operation of the MANs.
Local authorities are sometimes partners in delivering digital inclusion basic skills training under the BenefIT schemes operated by my Department. The BenefIT scheme operates nationally. The current scheme is in operation until the end of 2012 and involves 19 grantees representing 200 organisations (including the 2 local authorities) providing training in 700 locations to about 40,000 people. In two cases under the current (BenefIT 3) scheme local authorities are working with training delivery organisations partners. These are Dublin City Council, which is one of the partners of FIT FastTrack to Information Technology, and Waterford County Council, which partners Waterford VEC. More information on the BenefIT scheme can be found on the web page www.eInclusion.ie.
The Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) provides expert advice and mapping data to local authorities in relation to Groundwater Protection and our geological Heritage. This information and data are used by local authorities in the compilation of their Development Plans. The GSI also provides expert advice as required in relation to planning applications. In addition, bodies such as Inland Fisheries Ireland would have ongoing interaction with local authorities.
155. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the reason a licence is required for the mechanical harvesting of seaweed in this country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42377/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 3 of the Foreshore Act 1933 provides that the removal of any beach material from the foreshore is an activity which requires a licence. The definition of beach material in the Act includes seaweed, whether the seaweed is rooted on the foreshore or washed up by tidal action.
156. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42471/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra157. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will publish the report of the expert group on property tax in advance of the publication of the Finance (Property tax) Bill 2012. [42258/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 157 together.
An independently-chaired Inter-Departmental Expert Group was established to consider the structures and modalities for an equitable local property tax to replace the household charge. The Group recently submitted its report to me and proposals will be brought to Government as soon as possible. It will then be a matter for the Government to decide on the exact details of implementation taking into account the modalities involved. The Government has decided that the local property tax will be collected and administered by the Revenue Commissioners.
158. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government when he expects the national housing development survey to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42378/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Housing Development Surveys 2010 and 2011 are available on my Department’s website, www.environ.ie. My Department is currently carrying out the National Housing Development Survey 2012, in conjunction with the local authority sector. It is intended that the findings of this Survey will be made available later in the year.
159. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the current regulations regarding postal voting; if there are any plans in place to bring more flexibility to obtaining a postal vote to facilitate those abroad on holiday, on temporary work assignments or on study placement; is it intended to permit citizens to vote in Irish embassies and consulates abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42393/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn order to be able to vote at elections and referendums, a person's name must be entered in the register of electors for a constituency in the State in which the person ordinarily resides.
Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of certain categories of person who are entered in the register of electors. The Electoral Act 1992 provides for postal voting by whole-time members of the Defence Forces, members of the Garda Síochána, and Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses or civil partners. Subsequent legislation enacted by the Oireachtas has extended postal voting to other categories: electors living at home who are unable to vote because of a physical illness or a physical disability (the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1996); electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day and full-time students registered at their home who are living elsewhere while attending an educational institution in the State (the Electoral Act 1997); certain election staff employed at the poll outside the constituency where they reside (the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001); and electors who because of the circumstances of their detention in prison pursuant to an order of a court are likely to be unable to go in person on polling day to vote (the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2006).
While electoral law is subject to ongoing review, I have no proposals at present to extend existing arrangements for postal voting. The Programme for Government sets out a comprehensive range of constitutional reform measures including the review by a Constitutional Convention of the Dáil electoral system and giving citizens the right to vote at Irish embassies in presidential elections. I will bring forward proposals for change to electoral law in light of the decisions for change which may arise from these processes.
160. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the progress that has been made regarding the incremental purchase scheme; the number of purchases to date that have taken place under the scheme; the number of local authorities that have the scheme in place; if he has given consideration to extending the traditional tenant purchase model which is due to cease this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42398/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraProvisions are in place under Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2009 enabling for Incremental Purchase in respect of newly-built houses reserved by housing authorities for the purpose. Regulations to implement the Incremental Purchase Scheme for new houses were made in June 2010. This incremental purchase scheme is available to all housing authorities.
Information regarding the number of homes made available and applications received under the scheme in housing authorities is not currently available in my Department. However, it is intended that the Department will collate the data and make the information available in due course in the context of the suite of statistical returns provided by housing authorities. Arrangements for the winding down of the 1995 Tenant Purchase Scheme were communicated to local authorities in June 2012. Under these arrangements local authorities may accept applications to purchase under this scheme until 31 December 2012. There are no plans to extend this scheme.
However, it is intended to introduce legislation to underpin a new scheme for the sale of existing local authority houses to tenants on incremental purchase principles. The new scheme will be a discount scheme based on household income that enables the State to share in the profits from resale during the 20 to 30 year period for which the house is subject to an incremental purchase charge. The proposed scheme will mean that tenants will have the option of buying the house they currently occupy under the incremental purchase model. It is envisaged that this scheme will be in place in 2013, subject to the necessary legislation being enacted.
161. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his plans, if any, to tackle the problem of derelict buildings in our towns and cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42459/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Derelict Sites Act 1990, local authorities are required to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does not become or continue to be a derelict site. To this end, they have been given substantial powers under the Act in relation to any such sites, including powers to require specified measures to be taken in relation to a derelict site, to impose a levy on derelict sites, or to compulsorily acquire any derelict site. I expect local authorities to use their statutory powers as they consider appropriate. The National Co-ordination Committee on Unfinished Housing Developments identified the Derelict Sites Act as a potential legal instrument that could be used by local authorities as part of a range of measures to deal with the problems generated by, for example, unfinished housing developments.
While I have no plans to amend the Derelict Sites Act at this time, I will keep the need for further legislative reforms to assist local authorities in addressing the issues of dereliction, including unfinished or unoccupied estates, under review. In addition, local authorities also have powers under other legislation to deal with derelict sites or structures, for example, under the Sanitary Services Act 1963.
