Written Answers Nos. 157-60
157. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a detailed breakdown in tabular form of his Department's funding to the Ballymun regeneration project for each respective year from 2008 to the present and the future funding plans in place. [43366/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraA breakdown of the funding by my Department to Ballymun Regeneration Ltd over the period 2008 to 2013 in respect of the physical, social and economic regeneration of Ballymun is set out in the following table:
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2008 |
75,000,000 |
|
2009 |
63,577,376 |
|
2010 |
40,001,618 |
|
2011 |
20,519,155 |
|
2012 |
30,000,000 |
|
2013 |
18,919,515 |
|
TOTAL |
248,017,664 |
A capital provision of €10 million has been made available in respect of 2014. Drawdown of this funding is ongoing and is subject to the standard arrangements regarding the submission of claims. While it is expected that the housing element will be substantially completed this year, my Department will continue to support certain social and economic interventions in Ballymun over the medium term. Funding will be allocated on the basis of annual work programmes agreed between my Department and Dublin City Council.
158. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will urgently review and abolish for a one-year period the charges and planning levies applied by local authorities for planning permissions and change of use applications by small and medium enterprises in order to encourage development and job creation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43375/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, prescribe the current planning application fees. Any proposed changes to the fees, which were last increased in 1998, would require the endorsement of the Oireachtas pursuant to section 262 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. While planning application fees are kept under regular review in my Department, I have no plans to reduce the fees at this time. With regard to the encouragement of development and job creation, one of the actions in the Government’s Construction 2020 – A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector, which was published in May 2014 and is aimed at facilitating increased activity in the construction sector, is that developers be enabled to avail of reduced development contributions for existing planning permissions that have yet to be activated. Provision for this measure will be incorporated in the forthcoming Planning and Development Bill. Under the proposed provisions, developers with planning permissions granted under previous development contribution schemes will be enabled to avail of the reduced development contribution charges being applied under the new development contribution schemes where their permissions have not yet been activated.
This measure is intended to assist in making developments more economically viable and bringing them on-stream earlier than might otherwise be the case. It is intended that this Bill will be enacted in early 2015.
159. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will introduce a new scheme of urban renewal for our town centres many of which are becoming dilapidated and run down due to business closures in order to encourage development and job creation by small and medium enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43376/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe downturn in economic activity associated with the recession has resulted in significant numbers of shop closures and vacant units in town centres. Other factors, such as upward only rent reviews, parking charges, rising energy costs and on-line trading have also undermined the viability of small and medium-sized businesses in the retail sector, threatening the fabric of our urban centres. To help address this issue, a number of initiatives have been taken by my Department in recent years, as follows: local authorities were requested to exercise restraint, or where possible, to reduce commercial rates and local charges to assist local businesses in the current economic climate – the vast majority of local authorities have responded positively to this request; revised development contribution guidelines were introduced last year requesting planning authorities to put in place reduced development contributions to support town centre development and incentivise activity in the areas prioritised for development in the relevant core strategy; the publication of new guidelines on retail planning in April 2012 aimed at promoting and supporting the vitality and viability of city and town centres. These guidelines retained the previous caps on store size in less populated and smaller towns, and were aimed at striking the right balance to ensure that local monopolies are not created in smaller towns which would be detrimental to competition.
In terms of Government action other than by my Department in providing assistance to retail businesses and stimulating economic activity in local communities, a number of measures have been introduced since 2011, including: the introduction of the 9% rate of VAT on certain goods and services; the halving of the lower rate of employers’ PRSI; the introduction of the Microenterprise Loan Scheme and Credit Guarantee Scheme, both of which schemes have had take-up from the retail sector; and the extension of seed capital and the employment and investment incentive scheme to the retail sector.
My Department remains committed to working with other Government Departments, with local government and with other community development and enterprise stakeholders with a view to providing a clear framework for addressing urban centre decline and its impacts on the retail sector, and will continue to explore all relevant options for further action in this regard.
160. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the water infrastructure system on a county basis, in terms of the amount of the water system consists of lead piping and the amount which consists of asbestos piping; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43378/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not compile statistical data on the amount of lead or asbestos piping in the water infrastructure system. Irish Water has informed my Department that of its estimated 58,000 kilometres of distribution system, there is a very small proportion of lead piping, consisting of approximately 190 short lengths across 14 local authorities. Irish Water is working to achieve the replacement of these pipes as quickly as possible.
However, there are a significant number of lead public service pipes between the water mains and the customer stopcock or water meter. Irish Water is identifying the location of such lead service connections during the meter installation programme. The numbers currently being identified represent about 5% of houses, but this is expected to be higher in town centre areas. Irish Water also estimates that there may be a further 30,000 to 40,000 houses with shared backyard lead service connections. Irish Water has informed my Department that it intends to invest in public lead pipe replacement schemes, primarily communications pipes, with a view to eliminating lead mains, including shared backyard service connections, over the next ten years. Irish Water is also reviewing its water treatment processes to ensure that they can mitigate the risk in the short term.
