Written Answers Nos. 545-563
546. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the scheduled reductions in spending in his Department, or in agencies under his aegis, in 2015 and the areas of spending in which these reductions are scheduled to take place to show the amount of reductions by theme. [38027/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provisions of my Department’s Vote for next year are under consideration at present in the context of work leading to Budget 2015 on 14 October 2014.
547. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he will publish the independent inquires into planning matters in six local authorities; the actions that will arise from the reports; if he will commit to a debate in Dáil Éireann on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38044/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra548. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to extend the independent planning inquires into other local authorities where concerns have been raised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38045/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra549. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total cost of the internal review of certain planning matters into seven local authorities initiated in 2011; the cost of the subsequent external review of those internal reviews; the cost of the independent reviews launched in February 2014; the costs to the State of the court case taken against the findings of the internal reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38046/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 547 to 549, inclusive, together.
I refer to the reply to Question No. 570 of 30 September 2014 which sets out the position on this matter.
The preparation of the Planning Review Report 2012 was undertaken in house by departmental staff, therefore the only costs were the salary and associated costs of the officials engaged in preparing the report. The subsequent Independent Evaluation of the Planning Review Report 2012 prepared by Mr. Hendrik van der Kamp cost €12,096. The settlement cost to my Department in respect of the judicial review proceedings in respect of the Donegal part of the Planning Review Report 2012 was €25,000.
MacCabe Durney Barnes Consultants were appointed in February 2014 to carry out an independent planning review on the performance of planning functions in six selected planning authorities (Carlow, Cork, Galway and Meath County Councils and Cork and Dublin City Councils) in accordance with section 255 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. This review is expected to cost €76,000. I expect to receive the final report from the consultants in the coming weeks and I subsequently intend to publish it having considered its contents. My focus will be in considering and responding to any recommendations made in the report and I have no plans to undertake any further planning reviews at present. However, I will be bringing legislative proposals to Government to establish a new Office of the Planning Regulator, which will have a number of roles including the undertaking of reviews of the systems and procedures applied by planning authorities in the performance of their functions under the Planning and Development Acts.
551. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is grant aid available to carry out repair works to a property (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38076/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides funding towards a range of housing supports, all of which are delivered through local authorities. For example, the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme provides grants of up to € 8,000 to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out.
The detailed administration of these schemes, including the assessment, approval and payment of grants to applicants under the various grant measures, is the responsibility of the relevant local authority, in this case Roscommon County Council.
552. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason a person (details supplied) in County Dublin has been denied an alarm pendant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38090/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra555. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the person responsible for the setting up the criteria for eligibility of an alarm pendant in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38100/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 552 and 555 together.
As Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, I am responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the Seniors Alert Scheme, which are designed to guide its operation, to ensure optimum outcomes and to ensure that public funds are properly applied.
My Department manages the Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department.
I understand that the person in question was in contact with my Department recently and they were given the contact details for a local community group. My Department will process their application for a monitored personal alarm as soon as it is received.
553. Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will ensure that the Irish Deaf Society Advocacy Service, to which he gave bridge funding in July 2014, will receive a regular flow of funding in the future so that it can carry out its brief as the only service through Irish sign language to the national deaf community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38092/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 18 July 2014, I announced the allocation of bridging funding of some €1.4 million to a number of previously funded health, disability and other organisations, including the Irish Deaf Society, for a twelve month period, pending the carrying out of a review of the public funding of national organisations in the health and disability sector. The review, which is being undertaken in agreement with my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Health with Special Responsibility for Primary Care, Mental Health and Disability, is designed to rationalise the funding of these organisations to ensure efficiency in the use of public money and avoidance of duplication, while providing appropriate support to organisations working in the sector. My Department is engaging with the Department of Health on the matter and following completion of the review, it is intended to publish the outcome in due course.
554. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to include applications that have not been inspected under the grants payable under the domestic wastewater treatment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38098/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013, a copy of which are available in the Oireachtas library, brought into operation a grants scheme to assist with the cost of remediation of septic tanks and domestic waste water treatment systems which are deemed, following inspection under the EPA’s National Inspection Plan and the subsequent issue of an Advisory Notice by the local authority, to require repair or upgrading.
The Regulations provide that, subject to the applicant meeting all qualification criteria, a local authority may pay a grant to a person who is required, following an inspection, to have repairs or upgrades to, or replacement of, a septic tank or other domestic waste water treatment system. Full details of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, are set out in the explanatory leaflet and application form published on my Department’s website at:http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/Environment/Water/FileDownLoad,33607,en.pdf.
The Regulations ensure that the limited financial resources available are targeted towards householders, particularly those on lower incomes, who incur expenditure directly as a result of the implementation of the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 and who have complied with the legal requirement to register their treatment systems by the deadline of 1 February 2013. There are no plans to extend or to vary the terms and conditions of the grant scheme.
Householders who do not meet the eligibility criteria included in the above regulations but wish to remediate or upgrade their on-site treatment systems may qualify for relief under the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) Scheme introduced under Section 5 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2013. The HRI scheme covers main residence repairs, renovations and improvements, including the repair or replacement of septic tanks. The scheme is administered by the Revenue Commissioners and full details are published on Revenue’s website ( www.revenue.ie).
556. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if dependent children under and over the age of 18 years attending third level education and living outside of the family home should be included in the application details to be sent to Irish Water in view of the fact that this could result in double registration of this cohort of individuals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38125/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and the CER has been given statutory responsibility for protecting the interests of customers.
The proposed approach to charging was outlined by Irish Water in a water charges plan which it submitted to the CER in line with the provisions of the Act. The CER recently held a public consultation on this plan which covered a range of issues relating to water charges and allowances. The CER issued a determination on the water charges plan on 30 September 2014 and details are available on the CER website (www.cer.ie).
In making its determination on the water charges plan, the CER had to take account of the decisions made by the Government on the funding model for Irish Water and a direction made under Section 42 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 in July 2014. This policy direction addressed a number of matters relating to domestic water charges including the provision of a free allowance of 30,000 litres of water supplied and waste water treated per annum for a primary residence on a public supply and a free allowance to cover the normal usage of water services by every child in their primary residence based on the same qualifying conditions as for child benefit. As the assessed charge is based on occupancy, Irish Water require information on the number of people residing at that address. Therefore students residing outside of the family home should not be included in the application details for their family home.
Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. They may be contacted via email at oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on 1890 278 278.
557. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 181 of 24 September 2014, if the website indicated in the response is password protected; if information on the electoral divisions covered by each of the 50 local development companies is publicly available in visual form in one location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38129/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe links referred to in the reply to Question No. 181 of 24 September 2014 are not password protected. A visual form of the information requested is not available.
558. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department's website has ever been independently assessed for accessibility; if so, if he will publish the outcome of that assessment; the degree of his personal confidence in the accessibility of the Department's website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38130/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s website, www.environ.ie, was developed to ensure compliance with accessibility guidelines and standards. While it has not been independently assessed, it is viewed as a critical communications channel for providing information to the public. As such, a project is currently underway to modernise it, improve the search functionality and make it more accessible and user friendly.
559. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will arrange for an allocation to be made from the Dormant Account Fund to meet the initial cost of Irish membership of the European Southern Observatory, in view of the case made for Irish membership of the ESO by bodies (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38131/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Dormant Accounts Act 2001, together with the Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Act 2003 and the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Acts 2005-2012, provide a framework for the administration of unclaimed accounts in credit institutions (i.e. banks, building societies and An Post) and unclaimed life assurance policies in insurance undertakings.
The legislation introduced a scheme for the disbursement of funds that are unlikely to be reclaimed but only for the purposes of programmes or projects to assist:
1. the personal and social development of persons who are economically or socially disadvantaged;
2. the educational development of persons who are educationally disadvantaged; or
3. persons with a disability.
It would not be appropriate for an allocation to be made from the Dormant Accounts Fund to meet the initial cost of Irish membership of the European Southern Observatory.
562. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a written ministerial direction to Irish Water under Part 4, section 32 of the Water Services Act 2013 in relation to the future use of external consultants by Irish Water and to prevent further excessive spending. [38190/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Decisions on specific operational matters including the use of external resources are a matter for the company and I have no role in that regard. However, costs incurred by Irish Water are examined by the Commission for Energy Regulation as an integral element of the independent economic regulation of Irish Water, ensuring that only efficiently incurred costs are passed on to the consumer.
Having examined the proposed costs for the period 1 October 2014 to 31 December 2014, the Commission has approved a level of allowed revenue and water charges. The Commission has set challenging annual efficiency targets for both operational and capital expenditure as part of this process. The examination of costs also included a review of the set-up costs of Irish Water and the Commission has approved €172.8 m to cover these costs to be included of the opening regulatory asset base for Irish water. According to the Commission, this level of approved establishment costs is predicated on the justification that this investment, which included services from external providers, will enable Irish Water to drive substantial cost savings and service quality improvements over this regulatory period and for many years to come.
563. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce further protections in so far as dramatically increasing rents over a short period of time are concerned for long-term renters, specifically families, so that they can realistically choose to rent long term, where buying a home is either not an option or a preference, so that families cannot be effectively evicted from their homes with the resulting upheaval to their families’ lives, for example, moving a child out of school and so on. [38199/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe private rented sector is an important element of the housing market, with the proportion of households in the sector almost doubling in the period 2006-2011. I am conscious of the difficulties caused by rising rents and the problem of sourcing suitable accommodation, especially in Dublin and other urban centres.
Part 3 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 deals with rent and rent reviews. Under the Act, rent may not be greater than the open market rate and may be reviewed (upward or downward) only once a year unless there has been a substantial change in the nature of the accommodation that warrants a review. Tenants must be given 28 days notice of the new rent and may ask their landlord to review the rent if they feel it exceeds the market rate for the property. Disputes about any aspect of rent may be referred to the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB).
The fundamental reason behind the rise in rents is a lack of supply. Increasing both public and private housing supply is a critical issue and earlier this year the Government published Construction 2020 - A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector. It includes a commitment to a social housing strategy which is being finalised and will be considered by Government in the coming weeks.
In addition, the PRTB was asked to conduct a study to explore options to address the difficulties being experienced in segments of the private rented sector due to rising rents and to report back to me with policy options. This report, with a specific focus on rent stability, was completed recently and is the first of two studies on the private rented sector.
It explores a range of issues in regard to rent stability, ranging from an examination of rent regulation regimes to the tax treatment of the private rented sector and the role of rent supplement. It will require careful consideration before deciding on the best options to address the current difficulties in the market. The overriding objective is to achieve stability and sustainability in the market for the benefit of tenants, landlords and society as a whole.
