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Thursday, 16 Oct 2014

Written Answers Nos. 216-222

Local Authority Housing Provision

Ceisteanna (216)

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

216. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to detail the number of citizens who were housed in social housing from county and city council housing, homeless and transfer lists on an annual basis for each year since 2009. [39628/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

My Department does not hold information on the allocation of social housing supports to households on the waiting list, whether by local authority housing or other accommodation provided by a housing authority. The allocation of such support is a matter for each authority in accordance with its allocation scheme made under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. The results of the statutory Summary of Social Housing Needs Assessments carried out as at 7 May 2013 provided details on the number of households on waiting lists in each housing authority area, including the length of time spent by households on each housing authority list. The results are available on my Department’s website at the following link:

http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,34857,en.pdf.

The 2013 figures are the most up-to-date figures available on waiting list numbers, which are subject to on-going fluctuation due to households being allocated housing and new households applying for housing support.

Local Authority Housing Provision

Ceisteanna (217)

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

217. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will set out the targets he is putting in place for the provision of social housing to citizens and households on county and city council housing, homeless and transfer lists for the remainder of 2014, 2015 and 2016; and if he will indicate the social housing targets he is setting for each of the 31 local authorities for this period. [39629/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Social housing is a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the increased provisions made for the area in Budget 2015. The overall social housing funding provision for 2015 has been increased by excess of €200 million, with capital funding increasing by €180 million. This will allow for significant expansion in social housing provision, with over 7,500 new homes to be provided under a range of social housing initiatives in 2015.

While social housing delivery is a matter in the first instance for each housing authority, taking account of its statutory functions under the Housing Acts 1966 to 2014, the new Social Housing Strategy will contain clear measurable actions to be taken to increase the supply of social housing across all local authority areas. This will include new arrangements for the identification of social housing need and for the planning and monitoring of social housing delivery by housing authorities and other deliverers. I expect to finalise and publish the strategy in the coming weeks.

Local Authority Housing Provision

Ceisteanna (218)

Michael McGrath

Ceist:

218. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to detail the Exchequer funding of social housing in each year from 2009 to 2013, inclusive, across the headings of local authority housing, voluntary and co-op housing, shared ownership, house purchase and improvement loans, private housing grants and affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39632/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Under my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme, funding is provided to housing authorities in respect of a range of initiatives. Details of expenditure under the main areas of the Social Housing Investment Programme for the years referred to are as follows:

Measure

Year/Expenditure

Year/Expenditure

Year/Expenditure

Year/Expenditure

Year/Expenditure

-

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Local Authority Housing

€670.6m

€417.5m

€189.2m

€116.9m

€83.3m

Capital Assistance Scheme

€158.5m

€113.6m

€38.0m

€58.0m

€36.7m

Regeneration/Remedial Works/Improvement and Adaptation Grants for social housing

€175.1m

€150.5m

€148.3m

€128.9m

€95.1m

Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability

€67.8m

€78.2m

€61.2m

€52.8m

€38.3m

Shared Ownership/Affordable Housing

€3.8m

€3.2m

€5.6m

€5.0m

€5.0m

Traveller Accommodation Capital Funding

€19.6m

€16.1m

€9.3m

€4m

€4.1m

Water Charges Introduction

Ceisteanna (219)

Terence Flanagan

Ceist:

219. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to set out the way apartment blocks are to be charged for water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39677/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act defines a customer as the occupier of the premises in receipt of water services. 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.

Up to 300,000 households may not be metered in the initial domestic water metering programme due to either the high cost or the technical difficulty of doing so. Irish Water has commissioned a study on possible approaches to metering properties that are not part of the current metering programme, including apartments and properties with shared service connections. On the basis of this report, it has been agreed to incorporate 48,000 apartments, identified by the report as being easily metered, into the current metering programme. The advancement of any further phase of metering will be a matter for consideration by the CER based on proposals from Irish Water. The same regime of assessed charges, based on occupancy, will apply to apartments which are not metered, as applies to other unmetered dwellings.

The 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 has now issued a determination on the water charges plan. Full details and associated documentation are available on the CER website at:

www.cer.ie/document-detail/CER-Water-Charges-Plan-Consultation/979.

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 billing of properties not connected to a meter on the basis of a scheme of assessed charges based on occupancy. The policy direction also requires the CER to review assessed charges in the light of emerging data on metered consumption to ensure that the assessed charges remain as close a proxy for actual usage as possible.

In its determination on the water charges plan, the CER has decided that all customers will have their total water charges capped at the unmetered “assessed charge” for 9 months. The cap will apply from the start date of the next billing period after installation of the meter or 1 October 2014, whichever is the later.

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.

Irish Water Remit

Ceisteanna (220)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

220. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if Irish Water is delaying or has the capacity to delay the taking in charge of estates by local authorities; if so, whether this will be corrected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39680/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, sets out the process by which local authorities can take in charge housing estates. When taking an estate in charge under the terms of this provision, a planning authority must take in charge any roads, open spaces, car parks, sewers, water mains or drains within the attendant grounds of the development. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of responsibility for the provision of public water services from local authorities to Irish Water. In addition, it provides a mechanism whereby water services infrastructure may be taken in charge by local authorities and be subsequently transferred by Ministerial Order to Irish Water. Contrary to certain misunderstandings that may exist, there is no specific legal impediment to the taking in charge of water services infrastructure by local authorities.

In Circular Letter PL 21/13, issued by my Department to planning authorities on 30 December 2013 in the light of the transfer of certain statutory water services functions from local authorities to Irish Water with effect from 1 January 2014, it was stated that legislative amendments to further clarify the existing provisions on the taking in charge of housing estates would be made in 2014.

My Department, in consultation with Irish Water and the local authorities, is also currently developing a guidance circular for issue to local authorities to provide clarification in relation to water services infrastructure issues and the taking in charge of housing estates arising from the establishment of Irish Water. It is intended that this advice will be issued to local authorities in the near future.

Leader Programmes Administration

Ceisteanna (221)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

221. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to set out the number of proposed local action groups for the delivery of the next Leader programme 2014-20; the geographic area involved in each case; the population of each area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39696/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

In the overall draft Rural Development Programme for Ireland for the period 2014 – 2020, which was submitted to the European Commission in July 2014, the 5 main cities of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick have been excluded. In addition, the governing EU Regulations require that areas to be covered by Local Development Strategies under the LEADER element of the Programme should have a minimum population of 10,000 and a maximum of 150,000. In that regard 28 sub-regional areas have been designated to be covered by Local Development Strategies, which if selected, will be implemented by Local Action Groups. In summary, there will be one per county with the exception of County Cork where the population level requires at least three Local Development Strategies.

The draft Programme also indicated that towns with populations in excess of 15,000 might also be excluded. Following the submission of the draft Programme to the European Commission, my Department conducted an additional consultation process and on foot of submissions received. I am now considering allowing the eligible area to be determined by the local development strategy, within the 28 designated areas and the population limits set by the governing EU regulations. I expect to be in a position to make a final decision regarding this issue shortly.

Building Regulations Amendments

Ceisteanna (222)

Joanna Tuffy

Ceist:

222. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to outline his plans to make compulsory, as part of future housing construction requirements, the installation of greywater or wastewater treatment systems (details supplied) in new homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39717/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I refer to the reply to Question No. 280 of 12 November 2013, which sets out the arrangements currently in place to encourage the use of rainwater harvesting and to promote water efficiency in the built environment.

I have no plans to obligate homeowners to install rainwater harvesting systems in new houses. However, by referencing such systems in the building code, as has been done, my Department enables such systems, where used, to be designed and constructed in a safe and responsible manner and in accordance with the best available national and international guidance.

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