Written Answers Nos. 15-22
15. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that private rental prices have increased year on year since he was appointed; his plans to address this problem exacerbated by subsidy of private rental market and current rental properties being repossessed and put up for sale. [20488/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraPrivate residential tenancies, with limited exceptions, are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 and the main provisions in respect of rent and rent reviews are set out in Part III of that Act. Under section 19 of the Act, it is prohibited to set the rent under a tenancy at a rate above the market rent at either the beginning of the tenancy or at any subsequent rent review. Both tenants and landlords have the right to a review of rent, even where there is no provision to that effect in the tenancy agreement. Such a review may not take place more frequently than once in each period of 12 months nor in the first 12 months of the tenancy.
The available evidence regarding private residential rent levels is mixed and indicates that average rent levels fell in 2010 and 2011 and increased in 2012.
I look forward to the launch , next month, of a rental price data index by the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) next month which will be based on the actual rents paid, not the asking prices, and which will greatly inform analysis and policy formulation in this area. The PRTB index will be based on rental price data in the PRTB register dating back to end-2007 and will be calculated to allow for better like-with-like comparisons. Preliminary analysis of the data shows a small increase in rent up to mid-2008 followed by a steady decline in average rents lasting until early 2011. Since then, the data indicate an overall stabilisation in rent levels with small increases in the Dublin rental market.
16. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on work being carried out at an estate (details supplied); and if any further funds are required to give a timeframe for completion. [20484/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn explosion occurred within a private house, one of a terrace of six houses, in this development in March 2012. Subsequently, Longford County Council established an expert steering group and appointed a firm of consulting engineers to investigate the cause of the explosion. A second explosion occurred in this development at the beginning of October 2012. The specific findings of the investigation carried out on behalf of the Council have been made available to residents of the terrace in Gleann Riada, as well as general advice to other residents in the estate. Longford County Council has also established a steering group to address the range of issues faced by the occupants of the Gleann Riada development and is liaising with the other State authorities involved, including the Health and Safety Authority.
My Department initially approved funding totalling €91,753.40 for Gleann Riada in August 2012 to cover the cost of addressing immediate public safety concerns. In November I approved further funding of €200,000 taking account of additional information which had been provided by Longford County Council in regard to public safety issues within the development.
Longford County Council has drawn down the development bond and, in conjunction with the funding received from my Department, carried out a range of works on the development. A comprehensive underground CCTV survey has been carried out on the estate, which highlighted the need for repair work on the foul and storm networks. This has been largely carried out and will be completed within the next month, as will further works to the internal road network. Issues regarding the public lighting, drainage, fencing and green areas have all been addressed. The Council has installed or improved vents, manholes and gullies to ensure the major issues which led to the explosion have been alleviated.
As this matter is currently the subject of legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.
17. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of staff in local authorities that are employed on salaries of more than €100,000 per annum. [20499/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt 31 March 2013 there were 224.70 , whole time equivalent (WTE), local authority staff on salary scales the maximum points of which are in excess of €100,000. The grades concerned are City and County Managers, Assistant Managers and Directors of Service.
Since 2008 local authorities have reduced staff numbers by almost a quarter from 37,243 to 28,268. In the same period the senior management cadre has reduced by the same proportion from 296 WTE to 224.7 WTE.
To support the sector in effectively managing the combination of staff reductions and the very significant change programmes underway in terms of, inter alia, the Action Programme for Effective Local Government, the establishment of Irish Water and the Local Government Shared Services Programme, Workforce Planning is underway and a Sectoral Work-Force Study has been undertaken jointly by local authorities and my Department.
The Study made recommendations regarding management requirements in local authorities and in particular provided a framework for the achievement of the Local Government Efficiency Review recommendation that the number of Directors of Service should be reduced from 240, as of December 2010, to 190. The number of Directors of Service at March 2013 was 192. My Department is currently working with local authorities bilaterally regarding the implementation of the Study's other recommendations.
In dealing with the financial crisis local authorities have reported savings of €830 million, significantly reduced staff numbers and are engaged in a number of significant reform initiatives. In this context effective leadership at a senior level in the sector is critical.
18. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to revise the building control regulations to make provision for contractors providing services to the owners of domestic septic tanks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20303/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe national building regulations prescribe construction and performance standards for buildings and dwellings, and include provisions relating to septic tanks. The regulations were introduced under the Building Control Act, 1990, and are operative since 1 June, 1992. Compliance with the regulations is the responsibility of the owner or builder of a building. Enforcement of the regulations is the responsibility of the 37 local building control authorities who are empowered to carry out inspections and initiate enforcement proceedings, where considered necessary. Part H of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations 1997 to 2011 sets out the requirements for the disposal of foul and surface water. The related Technical Guidance Document (TGD H 2011) provides guidance on how these requirements can be achieved in practice. In relation to the use of septic tanks in particular, TGD H states that "Septic Tanks must conform to I.S. EN 12566 Part 1 or 4 including their national annexes and comply with the EPA Code of Practice - Section 7." The national annexes are published by NSAI and set out clearly the performance required by septic tanks when used in Ireland, and tested in accordance with I.S. EN 12566 Part 1 or 4.
Part H/ TGD H 2011 applies when a septic tank is being installed or replaced in a new or existing dwelling. Where works in the nature of repairs and renewals are undertaken the requirement is that the works must result in the septic tank concerned being in no greater contravention with the current requirements of Part H/TGD H.
My Department has no function in monitoring the performance of building contractors providing services to the owners of domestic septic tanks and, in the circumstances, I have no plans to amend the Building Control Regulations along the lines suggested.
It is open to persons commissioning such works to retain a building professional (e.g. Architect, Engineer etc.) to advise them on the appointment of a competent contractor, to supervise the relevant construction works, and to certify satisfactory execution of works prior to payment of moneys to the relevant contractor.
19. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of RAPID AITs that have full-time co-ordinators in view of the importance of this programme and the importance of their having full-time co-ordinators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20465/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraRAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) covers urban areas designated as disadvantaged by reference to a range of socio-economic criteria including the levels of early school leaving; the proportion of one parent households; the unemployment rate; the proportion of social housing; and the age dependency rate. The RAPID programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion in RAPID areas nationally. The programme has made substantial progress in identifying the needs of disadvantaged communities and in bringing forward appropriate local projects in response to those needs.
I have provided funding for 2013 of €2 million for RAPID, which will be used to meet the Department’s existing contractual commitments on RAPID projects throughout the country, mainly Sports Capital top-ups and CCTV systems, jointly funded with the Departments of Transport, Tourism and Sport and Justice and Equality respectively.
My Department is not in a position separately to meet the salary costs, for 2013, of RAPID coordinators, who are local authority employees , and information on the current number of coordinators employed by local authorities is not available to me. In 2011 and 2012 Local Authorities received funding for 50% of the salaries of 46 RAPID co-ordinators, totalling €1.58m in 2011 and €1.62m in 2012. The Local Government Fund continues to provide significant general purpose funding to local authorities to assist in meeting day-to-day operational costs. The RAPID programme like other community development programmes will now be taken forward in the context of alignment of Local Government and Local Development as part of the Local Government Reform Programme Putting People First.
20. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that families on the rental accommodation scheme are being displaced because lending institutions that repossess their rental properties due to the landlords arrears are refusing to keep tenants. [20487/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe grounds upon which a tenancy in the private rented residential sector may be legally terminated are clearly set out in the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The Act provides the main regulatory framework for the private rented residential sector and for the operation of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB). The maximum duration of a tenancy under the Act is four years, after which a new tenancy must be registered with the Board. Where a tenant has been in occupation of a dwelling for a continuous period of 6 months, and no notice of termination has been served in respect of the tenancy before the expiry of the period of 6 months, the tenancy continues in being for the remainder of the four year period and this is referred to in the Act as a Part 4 tenancy. A landlord may not serve a notice of termination on such a tenant except in very clearly defined circumstances such as a failure by the tenant to comply with his or her obligations in relation to the tenancy, where the landlord intends to sell the property within 3 months after the termination of the tenancy or where the landlord requires the dwelling for his or her own occupation or for that of a family member.
The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is an initiative announced by the Government in July 2004 to cater for the accommodation needs of persons in receipt of rent supplement, normally for more than 18 months and who were assessed as having a long-term housing need. One of the main features of the scheme is that local authorities in sourcing accommodation for these households make use of the private sector and enter into contractual arrangements to secure medium to long-term availability of rented accommodation. A Residential Tenancy Agreement is entered into by all three parties and, as with the other such arrangements, the tenancy is governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. Notwithstanding this, as RAS is deemed to be a social housing support, the local authority retains the responsibility to source further accommodation for a RAS household, should the dwelling that the household is living in become unavailable through no fault of their own.
22. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has explored, in the interest of addressing the large housing waiting list, the possibility of purchasing some properties for social housing areas where demand and the drop in property prices suit same. [20492/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra34. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which in the course of a review of the full extent of the local authority housing need arising from failure of his predecessors to make adequate provision in this regard, any plans have been put in place, to reintroduce a capital housing programme with particular reference to addressing the housing crisis affecting those who traditionally relied on local authority housing as a first step in meeting their housing needs; if he will indicate by reference the total numbers on the various local authority housing waiting lists; his plans, if any, to address this need as a matter of urgency and thereby reduce the ongoing annual rent support costs in lieu of local authority housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20416/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra60. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to deal with families who are in need of social housing in view of the fact that they are unable to fund suitable and affordable accommodation through rent supplement particularly due to a refusal by landlords to take rent supplement. [20486/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra171. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the proposals in place for increased provision of social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20680/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 34, 60 and 171 together.
The Government's housing policy statement, published in June 2011, clearly identifies that the priority for Government will be to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support. I am determined to ensure that the social housing programme optimises the delivery of social housing and the return for the resources invested. To achieve this, it is essential that we tailor the use of available Exchequer supports to prevailing conditions and explore the full range of solutions to address housing needs.
The social housing capital budget has been reduced from €1.535 billion in 2008 to €287m in 2013, and the financial parameters within which we will be operating for the coming years rule out a return to large capital funded construction programmes. The Government is committed to responding more quickly and on a larger scale to social housing support needs through a variety of mechanisms, including through increased provision of social housing. In July 2012, I announced details of a three-year funding programme of €100 million to deliver some 800 new units of voluntary and local authority owned social housing. I am monitoring expenditure under my Department’s housing programme for 2013 together with the level of contractual commitments extending into 2014, with a view to a decision later this year on approving some limited new construction and house purchases over the period to end 2014.
In spite of the challenging circumstances within which local authorities must operate, the final outcome for 2012 is expected to be in the region of 4,000 to 4,500 housing units. Given the current volatility of the market and different challenges to the channels of supply it is difficult to estimate the likely output of new units for social housing this year. However, it is provisionally estimated that in the region of 5,000 units will be provided for social housing in 2013.
Delivery of social housing will be significantly facilitated through more flexible funding models such as the Rental Accommodation Scheme and leasing but the Government is also committed to developing other funding mechanisms that will increase the supply of permanent new social housing. Such mechanisms will include options to purchase, build to lease and the sourcing of loan finance by approved housing bodies for construction and acquisition. There is also obvious potential, across a range of housing programmes, for the Government’s objective of sourcing and providing suitable residential units for use as social housing to be aligned with the commercial objectives of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). My Department and the Housing Agency are engaged with NAMA to ensure delivery of housing units for social purposes.
Regarding the issues surrounding the refusal by some landlords to accept rent supplement, it should be noted that while the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants in the private residential rented sector it does not refer to rent supplement. The Equal Status Acts 2000 – 2004, which come under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality, provide protection against direct and indirect discrimination outside of employment on a range of grounds. However, being in receipt of rent supplement is not among these grounds.
