Written Answers Nos. 477-496
477. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the timeframe for the implementation for the waste water systems grants scheme; the numbers anticipated to avail of the scheme; the amount of money budgeted for the scheme in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23683/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra478. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will detail on a county basis the expected number of waste water treatment systems inspections; the number of inspections that have taken place to date; the number of systems that have failed to date; the number that are expected to fail; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23684/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 477 and 478 together.
I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 39, 40, 42 and 157 of 1 May 2013 which sets out the position in this matter.
479. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a rule in France which allows Irish persons who haved lived there for a period of time to vote in their general elections; if he has a plan to offer a similar arrangement for French persons living here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23696/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraIrish citizens resident in France may vote in the European Parliament elections and in the French municipal elections. Similarly, French citizens resident in Ireland may vote in the European Parliament elections and the local elections in this country.
Under section 8 of the Electoral Act 1992, the Minister may by order provide for citizens of another EU Member State who are ordinarily resident in Ireland to be registered as Dáil electors on a reciprocal basis, where the Minister is satisfied that the Member State involved grants Irish citizens resident in that country the right to vote at parliamentary elections there on an equal basis with its own nationals. No such order has been made in the case of French citizens resident here and I am not aware of any proposals to extend voting rights to Irish citizens resident in France to enable them to vote in French general elections.
480. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views regarding the delay with the Private Residential Tenancies Board handling of the case in respect of a person (details supplied) [23730/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no function in the operational matters of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), an independent statutory body established under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004, and cannot therefore comment on the specifics of any individual case.
481. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a housing estate (details supplied) in County Kerry will be included in the list of exempted estates for the property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23732/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn exemption from the local property tax applies to developments listed in the schedule to the Finance (Local Property Tax) Regulations 2013. The list of unfinished housing developments eligible for the exemption was compiled by local authorities utilising the categorisation employed for the purposes of the National Housing Survey 2012. The specific development referred to is not on the prescribed list. The Survey was carried out over the course of summer 2012 by my Department in conjunction with local authorities and the Housing Agency. The categorisation methodology for the survey was different to that which was used in 2011 and which provided the basis for the waiver from the household charge. That earlier categorisation related largely to the level of on-site activity at the time the 2011 survey was carried out and had less to do with the physical character of a development. The 2012 survey was based purely and objectively on the actual state of completion of a development, and established that there were 1,700 unfinished developments, with 1,100 of them deemed to be in a seriously problematic condition. This represents a 37% reduction in unfinished developments since 2010.
Only developments that were deemed by local authorities to be in a "seriously problematic condition", regardless of whether a developer was on or off site, were included in the LPT regulations.
In defining areas within developments that were deemed to be of a seriously problematic condition, local authorities gave consideration to those areas that were incomplete, with roads, public lighting infrastructure, open space or water services being so defective that the relevant development was in a seriously problematic condition from the point of view of living standards for residents.
For purposes of preparing the final list of developments to which the exemption from the local property tax would apply local authorities were asked by my Department to confirm or update the then existing list of estates in a "seriously problematic condition" as appropriate. Decisions in relation to the inclusion or exclusion of particular estates were therefore a matter for individual local authorities according to criteria set by my Department. Using the returns provided by all local authorities a list of housing developments was prepared, and prescribed under the Finance (Local Property Tax) Regulations 2013 for exemption.
482. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline his Department's plans to replace the cast iron water pipes in an area (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23747/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra509. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the lack of clean water in the Lifford area of County Donegal over the past six years; if he will allocate funding for pipe replacement in 2013 to Donegal County Council to ensure that problems (details supplied) are rectified without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24353/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 482 and 509 together.
Water mains rehabilitation is an integral part of water conservation strategies and indicative funding for such works in County Donegal is set out in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme, 2010 – 2013. Under this Programme water services authorities are required to give priority to water conservation works as an alternative to new infrastructure provision.
In common with other water services authorities, Donegal County Council has established a program me of prioritised works for water mains rehabilitation. The first tranche of these works has been approved by my Department and work is nearing completion. I understand from Donegal County Council that the areas of Ballybofey and Lifford are mainly included in other tranches of works, which will be the subject of a further submission to my Department in due course.
The Lough Mourne Regional Water Supply Scheme encompasses the Ballybofey and Lifford areas. As part of this scheme some urgent pipe replacement has been approved by my Department and is currently at construction.
483. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the decision taken by the Shannon Airport Authority to allow farming organisations to cut grass on property owned by it to help alleviate fodder shortages in the local area, if he will ask those agencies, companies, authorities, boards and so on who come within his remit to consider similar initiatives on suitable public lands owned by them in conjunction with representatives of local farming organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23769/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, has been proactive in dealing with the fodder crisis, which principally arose from the very cold and bad weather and has had a direct impact on input costs for farmers in buying feedstuff.
My Department will write to local authorities and all bodies under its aegis asking them to explore, where suitable public lands exist, the potential for assisting local farming organisations as outlined in the question.
484. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the operation of filling stations that have a licence and are not in breach of licensing conditions, which occupy sites immediately contiguous to national primary routes which would otherwise be motorways, sometimes occupying those locations on foot of decisions that have been criticised in Tribunal reports and in the court, for example, filling stations on the N4 in west Dublin; in view of the fact that motorways service stations are operational, if he anticipates that these legacy filling stations will continue to operate indefinitely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23781/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no function in relation to the location or operation of roadside service stations.
485. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline in tabular form the amount of travel and subsistence, both foreign and domestic, claimed individually by each Minister, Minister of State and Secretary General in his Department, for each year in the period 2005 to March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23815/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetails of the amount of travel and subsistence claimed by Ministers, Ministers of State and the Secretary General of my Department from 2005 to the formation of the new Government in March 2011 are set out in the tables below.
Minister Dick Roche
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2005 |
€2,337.76 |
|
2006 |
€4,088.38 |
|
2007 |
€1,086.84 |
Minister John Gormley
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2007 |
€2,484.54 |
|
2008 |
€1,697.09 |
|
2009 |
€3,965.94 |
|
2010 |
€2,721.04 |
|
2011 |
Nil |
Minister Éamon Ó Cuív
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2011 |
Nil |
Minister of State Noel Ahern
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2005 |
€18,893.66 |
|
2006 |
€19,710.31 |
|
2007 |
€20,389.94 |
Minister of State Batt O’Keeffe
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2005 |
€49,455.13 |
|
2006 |
€62,637.74 |
|
2007 |
€53,761.90 |
|
2008 |
€26,143.31 |
Minister of State Tony Killeen
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2007 |
€18,958.19 |
|
2008 |
€22,292.62 |
Minister of State Michael Finneran
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2008 |
€26,944.40 |
|
2009 |
€36,573.27 |
|
2010 |
€26,886.30 |
|
2011 |
€8,719.69 |
Minister of State Máire Hoctor
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2008 |
Nil |
|
2009 |
Nil |
Minister of State Michael Kitt
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2008 |
€21,266.28 |
|
2009 |
€16,569.64 |
Minister of State Áine Brady
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2009 |
Nil |
|
2010 |
Nil |
|
2011 |
Nil |
Minister of State Ciarán Cuffe
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2010 |
Nil |
|
2011 |
Nil |
Secretary General, Niall Callan
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2005 |
€3,429.71 |
|
2006 |
€1,125.45 |
|
2007 |
€2,124.85 |
Secretary General, Geraldine Tallon
|
Year |
Travel and Subsistence claimed |
|
2007 |
€1,440.27 |
|
2008 |
Nil |
|
2009 |
€364.67 |
|
2010 |
€410.60 |
|
2011 |
Nil |
486. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline in tabular form the number of staff appointed by each Minister and Minister of State in his Department or constituency office and their relevant costs including travel and subsistence, in each year for the period 2005 to March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23831/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetails of salary and travel and subsistence costs of relevant staff appointed by each Minister and Minister of State in my Department from 2005 to the formation of the new Government in March 2011 are set out in the tables below. The ministerial appointees held the positions of Special Adviser, Press Officer, Personal Assistant, Personal Secretary or Civilian Driver during the tenure of the relevant Minister or Minister of State. In a number of instances, there were changes in individual personnel during the period of tenure, together with some work-sharing arrangements which are included in the figures below.
Salary costs provided include salary, employers PRSI and overtime. Costs relating to redundancy and severance pay are included where applicable. They are indicated by a # when included in figures.
Minister Dick Roche
|
Year |
Total number of appointees |
Salary costs for staff appointed |
Travel & Subsistence claimed by staff appointed |
|
2005 |
4 |
€236,929.51 |
€5,841.36 |
|
2006 |
5 |
€279,668.55 |
€5,829.10 |
|
2007 |
5 |
€195,763 .55 |
€12,559.46 |
Minister John Gormley
|
Year |
Total number of appointees * |
Salary costs for staff appointed * |
Travel & Subsistence claimed by staff appointed |
|
2007 |
7 |
€271,206.68 |
€2,340.47 |
|
2008 |
7 |
€607,201.86 |
€6,253.22 |
|
2009 |
7 |
€628,445.92 |
€6,932.78 |
|
2010 |
6 |
€583,200.44 |
€3,582.39 |
|
2011 |
6 |
€ 274,071.06 # |
€446.83 |
*This includes a Programme Manager assigned to the Department of the Taoiseach
Minister Éamon Ó Cuív
|
Year |
Total number of appointees |
Salary costs for staff appointed |
Travel & Subsistence claimed by staff appointed |
|
2011 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Minister of State Noel Ahern
|
Year |
Total number of appointees |
Salary costs for staff appointed |
Travel & Subsistence claimed by staff appointed |
|
2005 |
3 |
€106,767.06 |
Nil |
|
2006 |
4 |
€149,081.13 |
Nil |
|
2007 |
4 |
€99,336.55 |
€2,703.50 |
Minister of State Batt O’Keeffe
|
Year |
Total number of appointees |
Salary costs for staff appointed |
Travel & Subsistence claimed by staff appointed |
|
2005 |
4 |
€ 146,658.13 |
€25,362.24 |
|
2006 |
4 |
€ 167,000.83 |
€26,953.96 |
|
2007 |
5 |
€179,657.66 |
€26,092.94 |
|
2008 |
4 |
€99,372.84 |
€5,341.99 |
Minister of State Tony Killeen
|
Year |
Total number of appointees |
Salary costs for staff appointed |
Travel & Subsistence claimed by staff appointed |
|
2007 |
5 |
€76,217.88 |
€11,472.66 |
|
2008 |
4 |
€72,579.13 |
€9,404.22 |
Minister of State Michael Finneran
|
Year |
Total number of appointees |
Salary costs for staff appointed |
Travel & Subsistence claimed by staff appointed |
|
2008 |
6 |
€105,773.13 |
€17,390.72 |
|
2009 |
4 |
€207,579.31 |
€29,143.95 |
|
2010 |
4 |
€191,639.35 |
€22,460.69 |
|
2011 |
4 |
€176,964.73 #
|
€1,629.40 |
Minister of State Máire Hoctor
|
Year |
Total number of appointees |
Salary costs for staff appointed |
Travel & Subsistence claimed by staff appointed |
|
2008 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
2009 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Minister of State Michael Kitt
|
Year |
Total number of appointees |
Salary costs for staff appointed |
Travel & Subsistence claimed by staff appointed |
|
2008 |
4 |
€129,460.46 |
€12,505.54 |
|
2009 |
4 |
€84,326.44 |
€7,768.17 |
Minister of State Áine Brady
|
Year |
Total number of appointees |
Salary costs for staff appointed |
Travel & Subsistence claimed by staff appointed |
|
2009 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
2010 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
2011 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Minister of State Ciarán Cuffe
|
Year |
Total number of appointees |
Salary costs for staff appointed |
Travel & Subsistence claimed by staff appointed |
|
2010 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
2011 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
487. Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider, as part of the process of reforming local government, that the elected mayor of each county would carry executive function, along with their reserve role. [23853/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government's Action Programme for Effective Local Government provides that primacy of the elected council within the local government system will be reinforced , and provides for the appropriate allocation of roles between the council with the executive and the separation of powers between the leadership, oversight and policy elements, which rest with the elected council, and the implementation element, which will rest with the executive.
Implementation of the Action Programme will enable Mayors/Cathaoirligh to exercise strong leadership in relation to the strategic, policy formulation and representational role of the authority i n the interests of stronger governance, and will provide a more effective policy role for elected members .
The position of the local authority manager will be altered to that of Chief Executive, better to reflect the primary function of the manager /chief executive position in implementing policy determined by the elected council. It is not proposed that the elected Mayor /Cathaoirleach of each county would carry executive functions.
In the case of the Dublin authorities, I have asked the Lord Mayor of Dublin to convene a colloquium or forum of the elected members of the four authorities to consider the options for introducing of a directly elected Mayor for the Dublin metropolitan area, which would be put for decision to a plebiscite in 2014. In this regard, I have invited the colloquium to consider the functions an d role of a directly elected Mayor. I have asked for the outcome of the colloquium by end-year, to allow Government take appropriate decisions on the next steps in preparation of the plebiscite .
488. Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of staff employed in the planning departments of each local authority during the years 2002 to 2012. [23858/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought in respect of the period 2002 – 2011 is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.
Data for 2012 are not yet available. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each City and County Manager is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible.
489. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will meet with the Kerry Oireachtas members to discuss his alignment proposals in respect of local development companies in the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23887/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the publication of Putting People First – Action Programme for Effective Local Government, the re has been a significant level of discussion and collaborative working on the proposals regarding the enhanced alignment between local government and local development.
Both my Department and I have had several engagements with representatives of the local development and community and voluntary sectors in relation to alignment and other issues of common interest and I am taking into account the issues raised in those engagements. An Alignment Working Group has been established to assist and advise me on the implementation of the alignment recommendations. This Group includes representatives of the Irish Local Development Network – the national representative body for Ireland's 50 local development companies – as well as the City and County Managers Association and Pobal. The Group is chaired and supported in its work by my Department.
I am very aware that change and reform bring challenges to all concerned. However, if we are to ensure that publicly-funded programmes are implemented in the most efficient and effective manner, then it is important that all stakeholders are involved and are encouraged to play a constructive role in those reforms. I am satisfied that the most appropriate avenues for dialogue with stakeholders are being pursued.
I will continue to ensure that the implementation of necessary reforms regarding publicly-funded programmes is carried forward in a collaborative manner and, in particular, that the Alignment Working Group promotes co-operation, trust and respect between the key stakeholders in its work.
490. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the implications for the health and well-being of older persons and persons with disabilities in view of the cuts in local authority housing adaption grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22564/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Question No. 422 of 14 May 2013 which sets out the position on this matter .
491. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there are any plans to standardise commercial rates for the Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23998/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001.
The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is applied to the valuation for each property determined by the Valuation Office to obtain the amount payable in rates, is decided by the elected members of each local authority in the annual budget and its determination is a reserved function. Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council are separate rating authorities and accordingly set separate ARVs.
While the Government's Action Programme for Effective Local Government, Putting People First proposes significant reorganisation of local governance structures, there are no plans within that programme to amalgamate Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council.
492. Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a means for planning applications based on medical circumstances to be considered centrally (details supplied). [24029/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housing (2005) are designed to achieve a balance between a good planning framework for rural housing and the local housing needs of those who are part of, or have links to, local rural communities. The Guidelines elaborate on the physical development policies for rural areas as set out in the Government's National Spatial Strategy (2002) which, inter alia, promotes sustainable rural settlement as a key component of delivering more balanced regional development. The Guidelines set out how planning authorities should frame their development plan policies for the different types of rural areas which may exist within the development plan area, such as rural areas close to large towns and cities or those suffering from population decline. They also provide guidance to planning authorities on dealing with planning applications for rural housing including consideration of issues such as exceptional health circumstances.
The application of the provisions of the Guidelines in an individual case is a matter for the relevant planning authority, or An Bord Pleanála, where appropriate.
I have no plans to provide a means for planning applications based on medical circumstances to be considered centrally. I am satisfied that the Guidelines are being implemented effectively and fairly, and I will continue to keep them under review in this regard.
493. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will retain the current structure of local development companies to administer the traditional Common Agricultural Policy Aid on Community Development and Support and acknowledge the tremendous work carried out in County Kerry by South Kerry and Development Partnership, North and East Kerry Development and IRD Duhallow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24030/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra510. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will commit to ensuring that Comhar na nOileán, the Local Development Company for the Islands, based on Inis Oírr, will have the remit to administer the next round of LEADER funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24376/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 493 and 510 together.
Significant matters regarding LEADER funding for the 2014-20 period are yet to be agreed, including the value of fun ding and the regulations governing implementation. In the absence of these , and ahead of the submission of local development strategies, it would be inappropriate for me to commit to any contractual arrangements for a future LEADER programme.
My Department is engaged with various stakeholders in considering the arrangements to pursue greater alignment between local government and local development, in line with the decisions on reform set out in Putting People First - Action Programme for Effective Local Government. It is my intention that local development companies will continue to have an important role in implementing the programmes for which they are contracted by my Department and others. I acknowledge the work they have undertaken to date in implementing publicly-funded local development programmes, and I look forward to their continued participation in the local government reform programme currently underway to ensure that all local development funding, including LEADER, will be delivered in a way that maximises impact for communities and value for money.
494. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when funding approval will be given in respect of a project (details supplied) in Dublin 11; the reason for this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24059/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis project has funding approval from my Department under the Capital Advance Leasing Facility since September 2012. Under this facility a loan is made available to facilitate the securing of private finance by an Approved Housing Body (AHB) to complete the units. It is a matter for the AHB to secure the remaining finance and Dublin City Council, the Housing Agency and my Department are currently liaising with the Body in this regard.
495. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has received a proposal to provide funding for an extension to a sewerage scheme (details supplied) in County Galway. [24061/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Claregalway and Milltown Sewerage Scheme – Network Contract and Design Build Operate Wastewater Treatment Plant Contract – is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2013 as two contracts to start during the lifetime of the Programme, at an estimated cost of over €13.5 million.
I approved the commitment of the necessary capital funding of just over €1.33 million for the Network Contract for the scheme in August 2012 and I understand work is progressing rapidly. I also approved the Contract Documents for the Wastewater Treatment Plant - DBO earlier this month.
However, no proposal to provide funding for an extension of the Milltown Sewerage Scheme to serve Cartron village has been received in my Department. It is a matter for Galway County Council, as the statutory water services authority, to submit any such proposal to my Department.
496. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the problems being faced by rent supplement and RAS recipients (details supplied) whose contracts have finished and are unable to find new accommodation following a decision by landlords to leave the scheme, the risk of homelessness they face; and the measures he plans to put in place to ensure they are adequately protected and housed immediately. [24075/13]
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. It provides for security of tenure and specifies minimum obligations for landlords and tenants under a tenancy. In addition, the Act contains provisions relating to the setting of rent and rent reviews and sets out the procedures and notice periods that must be complied with when terminating a tenancy. The on-going development of a stable, well regulated rented sector is a key goal for this Government and stability of tenure is fundamental to that goal.
As the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is now deemed to be a social housing support, local authorities retain 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. There is no prohibition on households from sourcing alternative accommodation themselves if they so desire, as long as the local authority is satisfied that the accommodation meets the needs of the household and conforms to standards for rental accommodation which are set out in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008.
