Written Answers Nos. 498-514
498. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan den Aire Cumarsáide, Fuinnimh agus Acmhainní Nádúrtha cén fáth go bhfuil neamhaird á tabhairt ar an nGaeilge agus na postchóid nua á gcinneadh; céard atá á dhéanamh aige chun a chinntiú nach gcuirfear deireadh le seoltaí i nGaeilge. [23189/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraTugadh aird ar an Ghaeilge nuair a bhí an Córas Náisiúnta Postchóid á fhorbairt. Ní chuirfear deireadh le seoltaí trí Ghaeilge de bharr Eircodes a bheith á dtabhairt isteach. Leanfar leis an leagan reatha seoltaí. Tá seoltaí i nGaeilge san áireamh sa mhéid sin. Ceapadh Eircode le bheith neodrach ó thaobh teanga de. Cuirfear Bunachar Seoltaí Eircode ar fáil i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge nuair a sheolfar é in Earrach na bliana 2015.
499. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the total budget allocated to Sustainable Energy Ireland’s energy in education initiative in the years 2012, 2013 and 2014; the number of schools that participated in the scheme in each of these years; the estimated savings realised under the scheme to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23200/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra500. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if schools here come under the requirements of the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan which commits all organisations in the public sector to achieving a 33% energy savings target by 2020; if so, if any measures will be introduced to support schools in meeting these targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23201/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 499 and 500 together.
Through the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) the Government has committed to achieving a 33% reduction in energy demand across the whole public sector, including schools. Ireland's third NEEAP has recently been finalised and will be published shortly. This NEEAP contains a status report on current actions as well as actions planned for the next three years.
A number of supports are in place for schools. In partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), the Department of Education & Skills has developed an "Energy in Education" website www.energyineducation.ie which was launched in October 2012. The website is designed to help school boards of management, principals, teachers, administrators, caretaking staff, pupils and parents to improve energy use practices and to reduce school operating costs along with helping to protect the environment for future generations.
The following table provides a summary of the expenditure/allocation for the Energy in Education programme inclusive of programme development, web provision, training of school personnel, completion of school assessments and monitoring and reporting.
|
Year |
Budget (€) |
Schools Participating |
|
2012 |
150,000 |
92 |
|
2013 |
130,000 |
92 |
|
2014 |
154,000 |
13 (year to date) |
In the course of the programme, assessors gather information on schools’ total energy spend, and following a site visit they provide a report to the school identifying where savings could be made as well as estimating achievable annual savings. Since commencement, across the participating schools, the total energy spend is €6m with an average achievable energy savings identified of 10%, amounting to approximately €600,000. The inclusion of the Energy in Education Initiative is considered to be a very effective policy tool for improving the energy performance of schools as well as helping to meet our 2020 targets.
My Department has developed the National Energy Services Framework to help develop the energy-efficiency market in the non-domestic sector throughout Ireland. This Framework sets out a roadmap for energy efficiency projects and specifically how an Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) process is undertaken in the public and private sector. The first tranche of exemplar energy efficiency projects was launched in June 2013 which will collectively see investment of up to €55m in energy saving measures and result in annual savings of €7m. There are currently 21 projects (11 public and 10 private sector) under way, including one from the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (ETB). This project will result in the retrofit of 17 schools utilising an EPC for which the procurement process is under way.
The Department of Education & Skills is at the forefront of design with respect to sustainable energy efficiency (including water conservation and efficiency) in school buildings and this has been recognised at both national and international level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design and specification. All new schools and extensions must meet an A3 Building Energy Rating (BER) as a minimum.
Overall, the principles of NEEAP supports the approach of the Department of Education and Skills, both in new build and retrofit works in existing schools, under programmes such as the Energy Efficiency Insulation Scheme 2009, the Water Conservation Scheme 2010 and the Summer Works Scheme. It is also open to schools to use their Minor Works Grant to address energy efficiency projects.
501. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources how and when will the areas of Ballycastle and Glenamoy, County Mayo, be serviced with high speed broadband pursuant to the national broadband plan and the plans in place to ensure that the residents of this area and the many businesses located therein will have access to high speed broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23323/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August 2012, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed broadband is available to all citizens and businesses. This will be achieved by providing:
- a policy and regulatory framework that assists in accelerating and incentivising commercial investment, and
- a State-led intervention for areas where it is not commercial for the market to invest.
Since the publication of the Plan, investments by the commercial sector are under way and in some instances have been accelerated in both fixed line and wireless high speed broadband services. Commercial operators combined have either invested, or committed to invest, over €2 billion in their Irish networks, delivering high speed broadband to homes and businesses. For example:
- Eircom is rolling out a €400m investment in a Next Generation Access Fibre Network that offers speeds of up to 100Mbps. Service is already available to over 800,000 addresses, with planned coverage to reach 1.4m addresses by 2016.
- UPC has invested over €500m in upgrading its cable network. Over 700,000 homes can already access minimum broadband speeds of 120Mbps and up to 200Mbps. Businesses can access speeds of 500Mbps.
- ESB is engaged in a new project allowing a fibre network to be rolled-out on its existing electricity infrastructure. It is understood that discussions between ESB and Vodafone to form a new Joint Venture Company are at an advanced stage. The company has initial plans to construct a fibre network directly to 450,000 premises outside of Dublin and it is expected that details will be announced over the coming weeks.
- Mobile operators have launched 4G high speed mobile broadband services following ComReg’s multiband spectrum auction. There has also been continued investment by all operators in enhancing and broadening 3G services and network improvements.
- Fixed wireless operators are continuing to invest in high speed point-to-point wireless broadband.
- The broadcaster Sky has entered the broadband market, increasing choice for consumers.
Of the estimated 2.3m premises in Ireland, approximately 1.4m are expected to be served by these commercial next generation broadband services over the coming years.
This accelerated roll out of high speed services by the commercial sector means that the addressable area required by the State intervention has been reduced by 30% since the National Broadband Plan was launched. While the commercial developments are welcome the acceleration of investment is largely contained to cities and towns. The speeds that are available in these areas are demonstrably better than those that are available in more rural areas.
On 25 April, I signalled the Government's commitment to a major telecommunications network build-out to rural Ireland, with fibre as the foundation of its investment under the National Broadband Plan. This commitment is a clear expression of Government’s determination to address the connectivity challenge in rural Ireland in a meaningful and sustainable way.
Central to the strategy will be a fibre build-out to locations in every county in the State identified as having no existing or planned enabling fibre network. It is intended that the fibre will be delivered directly to access points for homes and businesses, where service providers can utilise the fibre to provide high speed services to end users. The fibre build-out will also ensure that fibre is deployed to strategic locations on each route such as schools, business hubs and health facilities. The fibre build out will be part of an end-to-end strategy that will address all parts of Ireland that cannot access commercial high speed broadband services.
I have published a county-by-county list of towns and villages which have already been identified for a fibre build-out. This is an indicative list and is subject to the completion of the comprehensive mapping process currently under way. Further locations may be identified as this process continues. Similarly, it may be determined that some locations on the list will be addressed by the commercial sector and will therefore not require State intervention. Currently I envisage that a total of 105 areas in County Mayo will be included in the proposed fibre build-out. The list is available on my Department's website www.dcenr.gov.ie.
In tandem with the fibre build-out, the Strategy will include measures to respond to aggregated community demand for services, and the provision of access services in the most remote areas where fibre rollout may be insufficient to stimulate commercial investment or may be cost-prohibitive.
Intensive design work is ongoing in the Department with a view to publishing an end-to-end implementation strategy later this year, together with the outcome of the mapping exercise which will identify the areas that require intervention. A full public consultation will take place once the strategy is published and EU State Aids clearance will be required for the intervention strategy once finalised. It is expected that the detailed procurement process will take place in 2015 with a view to commencing construction of the fibre network and provision of services in the areas that require intervention as quickly as possible.
The EU Commission’s guidelines on state aid for high speed broadband infrastructure preclude member states from intervening in regions in which private investors have demonstrated plans to roll out their own infrastructure within the following three years. In this regard it is noted that at least one network operator has published a programme to roll out 39 fibre-based broadband networks in County Mayo, including the areas of Ballycastle and Glenamoy by July 2016.
I fully share the concerns of local representatives about the quality of broadband in rural areas. I intend to ensure that rural Ireland enjoys similar opportunities to urban areas by ensuring an end-to end market intervention with fibre as a core component. In committing to a fibre build-out at the heart of this strategy, the Government is acknowledging that broadband is the key infrastructure of the 21st century.
502. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland regarding the Local Government Reform Act 2014 and in particular to that part of the Act abolishing town and borough councils which the AMAI was statutorily obliged to represent, relied heavily on legal opinion of one person (details supplied); if he will as guardian for public expenditure and reform confirm that the above mentioned senior counsel is the one and the same councillor of the Labour Party sitting on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council; if he will confirm that the AMAI a statutory body receiving public funds sought the required three quotations for this legal advice; the other persons who tendered for the advice project; the selection-elimination processes that were used to award the project to the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22167/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no functions in relation to procurement of legal advice by the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland.
503. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the person who was President of The Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland in October 2012 when the document Putting People First was published; if he will document all of the correspondence, discussions, minutes of meetings and so on that took place between his Department, and the AMAI since October 2012 to date relating to the Local Government Bill 2013, Local Government Act 2014 and the document Putting People First with the abolition of borough and town councils, if he will confirm that conforming with its own constitution that the AMAI, also abolished, must and has or will be repatriating all of its assets to the respective abolished local authorities; if he will confirm the current assets of AMAI; if the Revenue Commissioners are satisfied with the wind up of AMAI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22168/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department had ongoing engagement, both formal and informal, with the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland (AMAI) relating to the implementation of the Action Programme for Effective Local Government and the drafting of the Local Government Reform Bill 2013. The information sought is not readily collated and the collation of all the documentation as requested would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work.
The affairs of, and the winding up of, the AMAI are matters for the Association.
504. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding farmers who wish to spread slurry on their own land but where some of the land is designated an aquifer for a public water supply and they do not have sufficient lands to take all their slurry; the recommended practice by his Department in these situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22213/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra518. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the rules regarding farmers spreading agricultural slurry on land in an area that is designated as an aquifer for water supply in a region; the conditions that attach in these situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22212/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 504 and 518 together.
The Nitrates Directive and Ireland's 3rd National Nitrates Action Programme are given legal effect by the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014. The objective of the Regulations is to protect ground and surface waters, including drinking water sources, primarily through the management of livestock manures and other fertilisers.
In order to protect drinking water sources from the risk of pollution, the Regulations lay down general minimum set back distances around abstraction points used for the abstraction of drinking water for human consumption within which the land spreading of organic fertilisers e.g. manures and slurries is not permitted. This is done to protect human health. The set-back distance requirements are 200m from an abstraction point for a water scheme supplying 100m3 or more of water per day or serving 500 or more persons; 100m for an abstraction point for water used for human consumption in a water scheme supplying 10m3 or more of water per day or serving 50 or more persons; and 25m from any borehole, spring or well used for the abstraction of water for human consumption.
These setback distances can be reduced to 30m (and 15m in the case of small abstractions) where the local authority determines that the reduced distance does not give rise to a risk to the water supply and a potential danger to human health. This requires the local authority to undertake a technical assessment of conditions in the vicinity of the abstraction point, taking into account soil conditions, landspreading pressures in the area, the type of drinking water abstraction, available water quality evidence and the likely risk to the drinking water supply source. The EPA has provided guidance to assist local authorities in this task.
Any farmer affected in this manner, should in the first instance, contact his or her local authority.
505. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider changing legislation to extend voting rights in Dáil Éireann, European and presidential elections to all persons of voting age who are legally resident in the country for at least five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22231/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraSubject to age and residency requirements, a registered elector’s citizenship determines the polls at which he or she is entitled to vote. Irish citizens alone are entitled to vote at all elections and referendums. EU citizens may vote at European Parliament and local elections; non-EU citizens may vote at local elections. In addition, British citizens are also eligible to vote at Dáil elections.
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 and I am not aware of any proposals to extend voting rights at parliamentary elections to Irish citizens resident in any other EU Member State. I have no proposals at present to change the existing arrangements.
506. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the grants available for rain water harvesting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22238/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Question Nos. 489 and 490 of 13 May 2014, which sets out the position in this matter.
507. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding motor tax in respect of a truck (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22469/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhen a vehicle is being permanently exported from the State the registered owner is required to inform the licensing authority.
The vehicle continues to be recorded in the current owner’s name until confirmation is received from the export destination that the vehicle has been re-registered there.
If this procedure is not followed the vehicle owner continues to be liable for motor tax from the expiry of the most recent motor tax disc or off-road declaration, as appropriate.
The determination of motor tax payable in specific cases is a matter for the Authorised Officer in the relevant Motor Tax Office. No appeals procedure is provided for.
508. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will clarify the legal requirements for printed election material, including leaflets, newsletters and posters, in relation to imprint law and the inclusion of information including the name, address of the printer and publisher by all political parties and-or candidates in all elections, whether local, national, European or presidential; if the same legal requirements apply to all printed matter or just election material relating to the candidate seeking election; if his attention has been drawn to the inclusion on some election material of false addresses for the printer and publisher; if any fines have been given in relation to this breach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22687/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra540. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to electoral literature for the local and European elections which omitted the name and address of the printer and publisher; if it is an offence to omit these details from leaflets distributed by candidates for electoral purposes, particularly in local and European elections; the sanctions that apply where such an offence is found to have been committed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22565/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 508 and 540 together.
Section 140 of the Electoral Act 1992 provides that a person shall be guilty of an offence if he or she prints or publishes a notice, bill, poster or similar document relating to a Dáil election which does not show upon its face the name and address of the printer and of the publisher of such document. Similar provisions apply in relation to European elections under rule 109 of the Second Schedule to the European Parliament Elections Act 1997; in relation to local elections under regulation 101 of the Local Elections Regulations 1995; and in relation to Presidential elections by the application of the provisions of section 140 of the Electoral Act 1992 under section 59 of the Presidential Elections Act 1993.
A person guilty of an offence under these provisions is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €635 or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months or to both such fine and such imprisonment. Enforcement of the law is a matter for An Garda Síochána.
509. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when will the west of Ireland harvesting licence for seaweed be granted. [22768/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder section 3 of the Foreshore Act 1933, a licence is required to harvest seaweed from State owned foreshore. A number of foreshore licence applications have been received and are currently under assessment by my Department. These applications vary considerably and are made by both individual and commercial harvesters. The species and amounts of seaweed proposed to be harvested are also varied, ranging from very small quantities of Carrigeen Moss to significant volumes of Ascophylum Nodosum.
All foreshore licence applications are subject to public consultation and any person may submit comments to my Department. All applications are published on my Department’s website in addition to being advertised in local newspapers and being made available to view locally. All applications are being assessed in the context of the relevant regulatory framework including any obligations that may arise under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. Following the conclusion of that assessment in each case and the recommendations of the Marine Licence Vetting Committee and my Department, I will be in a position to make determinations on the applications.
The licensing of seaweed harvesting is currently under review in the context of the proposed Maritime Area and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill.
510. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce legislation regarding the noise coming from house alarms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22926/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government includes a commitment to take further steps to address noise pollution, inter alia, through the introduction of fixed payment notices (also known as on-the-spot fines). The development of new noise legislation by my Department is being considered in the context of this commitment. However, as indicated in the Government Legislation Programme published on 15 January 2014, it is not possible at this time to indicate when the Bill will be published, having regard to the broad range of legislative priorities to be progressed across my Department’s remit.
Notwithstanding the above, the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 currently provides local authorities with powers to require measures to be taken to prevent or limit noise from any premises, processes and works. The Environment Section of the relevant City or County Council is the appropriate contact point for reporting a noise nuisance in this regard. In addition, under section 108 of the Act, where any noise is so loud, so continuous, so repeated, of such duration or pitch or occurring at such times as to give reasonable cause for annoyance, then it is open to any person, or group of persons, to bring a complaint to the District Court. The Court may order the person or body making, causing or responsible for the noise to take the measures necessary to reduce the noise to a specified level or to take specified measures for the prevention or limitation of the noise and the person or body concerned must comply with that order. The procedures involved have been simplified to allow action to be taken without legal representation. A public information leaflet outlining the legal avenues available to persons experiencing noise nuisance is available to download from my Department’s website at the following address: www.environ.ie/en/Environment/Noise/. The Court may take into account whether the person alleged to have caused a noise nuisance took all reasonable care to prevent or limit the noise by using facilities, practices and methods of operation that are suitable for that purpose. The Private Security Authority (PSA), under the aegis of the Department of Justice and Equality, is responsible for the licensing, control and supervision of all installers of security equipment. The PSA has powers to maintain and improve standards in the provision of services, including standards for intruder alarms. As of 1 August 2006, alarm installers cannot legally operate without a PSA licence, the granting of which requires that the installer is compliant with the Irish Standard for intruder alarm systems, IS EN50131. While this standard does not specify a maximum decibel level, it does specify a maximum duration of 15 minutes for the sounding of external alarms on buildings, which must cease automatically after this maximum duration. This applies to all external alarms installed after 1 August 2006.
511. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the use of a commercial vehicle by a self-employed person, whilst carrying tools, to travel from his or her registered office to his or her clients is considered private use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22947/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMotor tax is based on the construction and use of a vehicle. In order to qualify for the goods rate of motor tax, a vehicle must be constructed or adapted for use and used solely for the conveyance of goods in the course of trade or business, including agriculture.
Licensing authorities have an obligation under Article 3 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing)(Amendment) Regulations 1992 to be satisfied that a vehicle is correctly taxed and it is thus open to a motor tax office to seek additional documentation supporting a claim for the goods rate of motor tax. Such documentation may include a certificate of commercial insurance or evidence of registration for VAT purposes or, at the discretion of the licensing authority concerned, any other appropriate documentation that would indicate that the applicant is in trade or business. It is up to the individual concerned to provide whatever evidence is required by the licensing authority in order for it to be satisfied that the applicant is entitled to the goods rate of motor tax, which is effectively a concessionary rate.
Enforcement is primarily a matter for An Garda Síochána and the onus is on an individual driver to satisfy the Gardaí that their vehicle is taxed at the appropriate rate.
512. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of permissions granted for offshore wind farm developments in view of the collapse of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Green Export Energy, and the continuing opposition to offshore wind farm proposals. [23042/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Question No. 374 of 11 March 2014. I can confirm that the status of the legally executed foreshore windfarm leases at Arklow and Codling Banks remains unchanged following the recent announcement by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources on the Inter-Governmental Agreement.
513. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of children and families currently availing of emergency accommodation in south Tipperary; the types of that accommodation hostels, hotels, bed and breakfasts; the amount her Department has spent in providing emergency accommodation in south Tipperary since the Government's term of office began; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23237/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 20 May 2014, I published the Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessness in which the Government's approach to delivery on its objective of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016 was outlined. A copy of this plan is available on my Department's website, http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/SpecialNeeds/HomelessPeople/. This plan sets out a range of measures to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation to house homeless households within the next three years and mobilise the necessary supports. Progress in implementing the plan will be reported quarterly through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy.
My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons and related services rests with housing authorities. The purposes for which housing authorities may incur expenditure in addressing homelessness are prescribed in Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988.
My Department does not fund any service directly but provides funding to lead housing authorities on a regional basis towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1998. Housing authorities provide additional funding from their own resources. The regional approach is considered more appropriate as it helps to bring a more strategic perspective to bear on action to address homelessness, including avoidance of over-concentration of homelessness services in certain centres and promoting appropriate regional availability of services, consistent with need.
A recent survey of lead housing authorities confirmed that 142 unique individuals were in Section 10-funded emergency accommodation in the South East Region during the week of 7 to 13 April 2014. Further details are provided in the recently published Implementation Plan referred to above. South Tipperary County Council is one of the housing authorities in the South East Region. A detailed breakdown of the number of families in this region and in South Tipperary is not available in my Department. Details of expenditure on emergency accommodation for the South East Region since 2011 are presented in the following table.
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
€1,435,474 |
€1,328,768 |
€846,757 |
514. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which provision can be made to revive the local authority house building programme without impacting negatively on the Government’s balance sheet; if the launch of a specific bond might be considered in this context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23408/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 358 and 359 of 8 April, 2014 which sets out my Department’s position with regard to maximising the delivery of social housing, including by way of bond finance.
Returning vacant and boarded-up local authority dwellings to productive use represents one of the quickest and most cost-effective means of delivering additional social housing units. On 17 April I announced the allocation of €15 million to local authorities with the objective of bringing back into use some 952 vacant local authority housing units. Under the recently announced stimulus package for the construction sector an additional €50 million is being provided for social housing, including a further €20 million to continue the programme of returning vacant stock to productive use and €20 million for new local authority housing construction projects. A further €10 million will fund a special initiative for the immediate acquisition of accommodation for homeless people in the Dublin City area.
