Written Answers Nos. 681-695
682. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if any top-up grant available from his Department for organisations that were in areas designated as disadvantaged areas under the Clár Programme where the organisation has recently been approved for a grant under the Sports Capital Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1601/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith the reduced resources available for my Department's funding programmes, the CLÁR programme is no longer accepting funding applications and there is provision of €0.3m available to meet existing commitments arising during 2013. I regret, therefore, that here is no additional top-up funding available under the CLÁR programme where an organisation has been approved for a grant under the Sports Capital Programme.
683. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to amend the list of unfinished housing estates in County Cork to include estates that were omitted in error and were exempt from the household charge. [1604/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the process of preparing the National Housing Development Survey 2011, published by my Department in October 2011, local authorities provided details of all unfinished housing developments in their areas. Unfinished housing developments were divided into four categories as follows:
- Category one, where the development is still being actively completed by the developer, or where no serious public safety issues exist;
- Category two, where a receiver has been appointed;
- Category three, where a receiver has not been appointed and the developer is still in place but effectively inactive; and
- Category four, where the development has been effectively abandoned and is posing serious problems for residents.
Other relevant factors for the purposes of the categorisation process included, inter alia:
- the state of completion of roads, footpaths, public lighting, piped water and sewerage facilities and open spaces or similar amenities within the development;
- the extent to which the development complies with the terms of applicable planning permission;
- the extent to which it complies with the provisions of the Building Control Acts 1990 and 2007;
- the provisions of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1964 as they pertain to dangerous places and dangerous structures within the meaning of the Act;
- the extent to which facilities within the development have been taken in charge by the local authority concerned; and
- where there is an agreement regarding the maintenance of such facilities, the extent to which this agreement has been complied with.
This categorisation formed the basis for the list of those unfinished developments eligible for a waiver on the annual household charge. Only households in developments in categories three and four are eligible for the waiver from payment of the household charge. The list of developments in which households are eligible for the waiver in 2012 is set out under the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012.
684. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when funds will be provided to upgrade the pipelines and trunk mains from the pump-house at the Shannon to Farrell’s Corner House and up the Rathcline Road, Lanesboro, County Longford, in view of the fact that these pipeline networks urgently need rehabilitation for water conservation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1642/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra685. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when funds will be provided for the extension of Longford sewerage scheme out the Ardagh Road to Ferefad and beyond; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1643/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 684 and 685 together.
The Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 provides for the development of a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure in County Longford. The Programme includes contracts under construction and to commence to the value of almost €38 million in County Longford over the period of the Programme. The Longford Water Conservation Stage 3 Works are included in the Programme as a scheme to advance through planning. My Department approved a Planning Stage Budget for Longford County Council's Water Conservation Stage 3, Phase 2 proposals (which includes the Rathcline Road, Lanesboro) in September 2012. The Council was also advised that a submission is required to have the contract included in the Programme as a contract to advance to construction. The Council's proposals in this regard are awaited. To date no proposal in relation to the upgrading of the pipelines and trunk mains from the pump-house at the Shannon to Farrell's Corner has been received in my Department from Longford County Council.
The Longford Sewerage Scheme is also included in the Programme as a scheme to advance through planning. I understand that Longford County Council is in the process of procuring Consulting Engineers to prepare a Preliminary Report for the scheme. As part of the preparation of the Preliminary Report, the Consulting Engineer will examine the feasibility of providing a sewerage collection out the Ardagh Road to Ferefad.
686. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of all possible State funding options available to an organisation (details supplied) in County Monaghan to carry out necessary renovation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1704/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAxes 3 & 4 (LEADER) of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013, for which my Department has responsibility, continues to facilitate access to significant financial resources for rural communities. One of the objectives of the RDP is to provide appropriate amenity and leisure facilities to local communities not otherwise available to them. Accordingly, it may be possible to obtain funding for the type of works referred to in the Question.
There are 35 Local Action Groups contracted, on my Department's behalf, to deliver the RDP throughout the country and these groups are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the local development strategy of the individual group and in line with Departmental operating rules and EU regulations. Contact details for these groups can be found on the website of the National Rural Network at www.nrn.ie.
687. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the efforts he has made on behalf of the residents of an area (details supplied) in County Monaghan, to ensure speedy resolution of outstanding site safety and remediation issues for this community; if he has or will liaise with the National Assets Management Agency regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1720/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am chairing the National Co-ordination Committee (NCC) on Unfinished Housing Developments to oversee implementation of the Report of the Advisory Group on Unfinished Housing Developments, together with the Government's response to the recommendations. The Committee includes representatives from the Irish Banking Federation, local authorities, the Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency, NAMA and the construction sector. Real progress is being made with regard to the public safety works required to improve the living conditions of existing residents on some unfinished estates and the Committee is meeting on a regular basis to oversee this effort. Site Resolution Plans (SRP's) have been identified by the NCC as a key tool in resolving issues associated with unfinished housing developments. Such plans enable stakeholders, including developers, local authorities, financial institutions, NAMA and residents to collaborate in determining how best to pursue resolution of problematic sites. The process also entails working with stakeholders in identifying the best long-term solution for developments in terms of their configuration, use of vacant buildings and ownership. Such solutions also take account of the best interests of residents.
The NCC has produced a Guidance Manual on Resolving and Managing Unfinished Estates, a Key Stakeholders Code of Practice, and a Guide for Residents Living in Unfinished Housing Developments, all of which are available at www.housing.ie. My Department launched the Public Safety Initiative in March 2011, which provided funding to address immediate public safety issues. The types of works that have been approved to date under the PSI include the fencing off of unsecured and hazardous areas, capping of pipes, installation of street lighting and other works to secure sites. Under the PSI, my Department has made allocations totalling some € 3.88 million to 21 local authorities from the funding made available. A provision of €2m was made for 2012 and to date a total of € 2.48 million has been drawn down by local authorities. As outlined in the National Housing Development Survey 2012, the results of which I published last November, real progress has been made in tackling the issues faced by the residents of unfinished housing developments, with a 37% decrease in the number of unfinished developments since 2010 and nearly 300 developments effectively resolved in the last 12 months. I am satisfied that the work carried out through the NCC continues to tackle the problems associated with unfinished housing developments.
Issues relating to the resolution of individual estates are matters for the relevant local authority, and my Department has no remit in this regard. However, my Department has been in contact with Monaghan County Council and I have been advised that work has been on-going between them and the responsible parties. The local authority has outlined a proposal whereby the occupied element of this development will have the necessary works carried out to address the needs of the residents, while the unfinished element will be partitioned and public safety concerns addressed. It is expected that these works will be carried out during the course of the year.
688. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reconsider recent cuts to the seniors' alert scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1742/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra690. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views regarding alarms (details supplied); the mechanisms available to a group (details supplied) as to the way to address the requests as made to the group in regard to the need for such mechanisms for the applicants in the rural areas that it represents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1763/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra714. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reverse a decision to cut the seniors alert scheme previously known as the community support for older people scheme that will now only be open to people over 65 who live alone (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1856/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra725. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will not to cut the grant for senior alert which is open to persons over 65 years since the 1990's. [1972/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 688, 690, 714 and 725 together.
The Seniors Alert Scheme provides grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of equipment to enable older persons, without sufficient means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. It is my intention that funding for the 2013 Seniors Alert Scheme will be similar to 2012 levels. The qualifying criterion for the scheme will remain unchanged. Monitored Personal Alarms will continue to be supplied to persons over 65 living on their own or with other qualifying persons.
689. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if an energy rating of E is considered too low for social housing association units built within the past ten years; his views on whether it is an acceptable rating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1754/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraPart L (Conservation of Fuel and Energy –Dwellings) of the Building Regulations 2011, set down the minimum energy performance standards which buildings, including dwellings, are required to achieve when they are newly built or when they are subject to an extension or a material alteration or change of use. The Building Regulations include 12 parts dealing with a range of safety and related matters and each part is accompanied by a Technical Guidance Document (TGD) outlining how the relevant legal requirement may be achieved. Part L of the Regulations came into effect on 1 January, 2003. However, a three year transition period applied during which dwellings for which planning permission had been applied for prior to 1 January 2003 would be exempt from the requirements of Part L provided they had been completed by 31 December, 2005.
Under my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme, local authorities are allocated capital funding each year in respect of a range of measures to improve the standard and overall quality of their social housing stock, including the regeneration of large social housing estates and flat complexes, estate wide remedial works schemes and a retrofitting measure to improve the energy efficiency of older apartments and houses. In the case of the energy efficiency measure, the objective is to improve the Building Energy Rating (BER) of the dwelling to a C1 standard where possible.
691. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason an elderly and infirm person (details supplied) in County Longford who paid the household charge on time, has recently received a bill for same with interest on behalf of her husband who died 39 years ago; the steps he will take to ensure such upsetting demands are eliminated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1765/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Local Government Management Agency is administering the Household Charge system on a shared service/agency basis for all county and city councils. There was no existing comprehensive database of residential properties and their owners within the State prior to the Household Charge being introduced. The collection of the Household Charge via self-assessment declaration provides for the collation of such information in relation to residential property. Local authorities have worked to identify undeclared properties through appropriate data sharing provisions, and significant efforts have been expended in matching self-declared information with other datasets and in refining the resulting data.
I understand that the addresses and names used in letters issued by Local Authorities in recent months reminding people to pay the Household Charge have been based on a data matching exercise with the Property Registration Authority. I also understand that every effort has been made to try and ensure letters are sent to current property owners. However there are some instances where letters are being sent to previous owners of properties, due to the fact that the more recent property owners may not have registered their property with the Authority or the transfer of the property has not been completed. Thus in some cases the information contained within these datasets may not reflect the most recent and relevant details. In other instances, letters have unfortunately been sent to deceased persons. I appreciate that receipt of such a letter may cause upset to relatives of a deceased person. However, in the absence of a comprehensive database, such instances, while regrettable, have been unavoidable in a context in which the Agency and local authorities have worked to maximise compliance with a charge which funds essential local services for communities.
I understand that the letters issued invite recipients who are not liable, or who have previously paid the household charge, or in the event of inaccuracy or error, to contact the Household Charge Bureau to allow the Agency to update their records accordingly.
692. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons in County Louth who currently avail of funding for personal security alarms; the amount spent in County Louth on this issue; the groups this funding goes to in County Louth; the funding that will be reduced in 2013; the number of persons in County Louth that will be affected by the cuts in funding for personal security alarms. [1819/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are 18 groups registered for the Seniors Alert Scheme in County Louth and 14 of these groups received funding in 2012. Over the year 239 people in County Louth were funded under the Scheme and the amount spent was €62,857.80. It is my intention that funding for the 2013 Seniors Alert Scheme will be similar to 2012 levels. The qualifying criterion for the scheme will remain unchanged. Monitored Personal Alarms will continue to be supplied to persons over 65 living on their own or with other qualifying persons.
The following table identifies the groups registered for the Seniors Alert Scheme in Louth and the grants they received in 2012.
|
Name of Group |
Amount received in 2012 |
|
Ait na Daoine |
€3,265.00 |
|
Churchtown & District Environmental Comm Alert |
€0.00 |
|
Cooley Community Alert |
€0.00 |
|
Drogheda Community Services |
€ 7,202.50 |
|
Drogheda Senior Citizens Interest Group |
€ 12,717.50 |
|
Dundalk Active Retirement Group |
€ 0.00 |
|
Dundalk Social Services Council |
€ 2,229.00 |
|
Kilcroney & District |
€ 1,030.00 |
|
Kilkerley Community Alert |
€ 1,802.50 |
|
Lann-Leire & District ARA |
€ 1,852.50 |
|
Monasterboice Community Alert |
€ 614.40 |
|
Omeath District Development |
€ 565.00 |
|
Ravensdale Community Alert |
€ 2,417.50 |
|
SVDP Dundalk Jocelyn Street St Ronan's Conference |
€ 17,556.90 |
|
SVDP St Mary's Conference Ardee |
€ 0.00 |
|
The Seagull Club |
€ 1,337.50 |
|
Togher Community Project Group Ltd |
€ 8,722.50 |
|
Womens Lifestyle Development Group Ltd |
€ 1,545.00 |
693. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline if fines are being paid to the EU in relation to the pumping of raw sewerage into the sea at Rush, County Dublin, or has extra time being granted to deal with the matter in advance of financial penalties being applied. [1825/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra694. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm that phase two of the Rush sewerage treatment pipeline project, County Dublin, has been spilt into two contracts; the justification for this decision; and its impact in terms of the timescale for delivery of the overall necessary upgrade to the system in the area. [1826/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 693 and 694 together.
The Portrane/Donabate/Rush/Lusk Sewerage Scheme is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013, with some elements approved to go to construction and some to proceed through planning. Work on construction of the new waste water treatment plant in Portrane is now completed and work on the Channel Road/Sandy Road network contract in Rush is well advanced. I understand that the remaining contracts to serve the Rush area must be constructed sequentially and planning for these is being advanced. No fines have been levied by the EU in respect of the Rush discharge and none are pending.
Question No. 695 answered with Question No. 638.
