Thursday, 15 Jan 2015

Written Answers Nos. 224-234

Local Authority Housing Eligibility

Ceisteanna (224)

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

224. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the criteria for awarding medical priority for local authority housing lists. [1935/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

Decisions as to the priority to be awarded to individual households in the allocation of dwellings are a matter for the housing authority concerned, having regard to section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011. This legislation requires all housing authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support and to households in receipt of such support that have been approved for a transfer to another dwelling provided by a local authority or approved housing body.

Under the legislation, a housing authority may provide in its allocation scheme that it shall obtain, and have regard to, a report from a medical practitioner employed by the Health Service Executive in allocating dwellings where priority is claimed on grounds consisting of, or including, exceptional medical grounds. A housing authority may also disregard the priority provided under its allocation scheme in specified exceptional circumstances, including where a household is being allocated social housing support on exceptional medical grounds.

Foreshore Issues

Ceisteanna (225)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

225. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department will facilitate the removal of gravel from a river (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1961/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

The removal of gravel from the foreshore requires consent under section 3 of the Foreshore Act 1933. Details of how to make such an application can be found at http://www.environ.ie/en/Foreshore/ApplyingforaForeshoreConsent/.

Homelessness Strategy

Ceisteanna (226)

Ciaran Lynch

Ceist:

226. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding responses to the issues of homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2005/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

On 20 May 2014, the Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessness was published 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 at, 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 is reported quarterly through the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform and a copy of the Quarter 3 2014 Progress Report is also available on my Department's website at the link provided above.

On 4 December 2014, I hosted a special Summit on Homelessness to reaffirm the Government's commitment to end involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. The Summit was attended by Oireachtas members, elected members and officials from the four Dublin Local Authorities, representatives from Government Departments, State Agencies and the NGO sector, and the Catholic and Church of Ireland Archbishops of Dublin.

A number of actions arising from the Summit were considered at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform on 8 December and were then formalised into an Action Plan to Address Homelessness which was noted by the Government at its meeting on 9 December 2014. In addition to those actions which constitute an immediate response to the issue of rough sleeping in Dublin, actions have been identified which tackle the more systemic issues, classified under the three categories of the 'housing-led' approach. A copy of this action plan is available on my Department's website at the link provided above. Progress in implementing this plan was considered by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform at its meeting on 17 December.

The long-term solution to homelessness is to increase the supply of homes. In November 2014, I launched the Government's Social Housing Strategy. This six-year strategy sets out to provide 35,000 new social housing units at a cost of €3.8 billion and restores the State to a central role in the provision of social housing through a resumption of direct building on a significant scale by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.

Water Quality

Ceisteanna (227)

Terence Flanagan

Ceist:

227. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for a scheme to deal with contaminated water in housing estates (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2023/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. Under the European Communities (Drinking Water) Regulations 2014, suppliers of drinking water, including Irish Water, are required to ensure that the water supplied complies with the chemical and microbiological parameters set out in the Regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the supervisory authority with responsibility for monitoring Irish Water's compliance with these Regulations. In the event of non-compliance with the quality standards set out in the Regulations, the water supplier is required to investigate the cause in consultation with the EPA and, if a potential risk to human health exists, with the Health Service Executive (HSE), to ensure that the appropriate remedial action is taken.

Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. I have no responsibility for, or role in relation to, the management, operation or maintenance of water services infrastructure. The Water Services Act 2007 provides that where a property is connected to a public water or wastewater system the property owner is responsible for the maintenance and replacement of any water or wastewater pipes, connections or distribution systems which are connected within the boundary of their premises. The introduction of a grants scheme for any purpose must be managed within current budgetary constraints and, insofar as the funds administered by my Department are concerned, there are no plans to introduce a scheme in relation to the replacement of lead pipes within housing estates.

Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding

Ceisteanna (228)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

228. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has received submissions from Kildare County Council in respect of the Kilmacraddock/Barrogstown group sewerage scheme; if his attention has been drawn to comments by the proposers; when he will be in a position to approve the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2049/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes group sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997.

The annual block grant allocations provided by my Department to the local authorities under the programme are based, in the first instance, on the requests for funding received from the authorities at the beginning of each year. The authorities’ requests for funding under the 2015 Rural Water Programme, received this month, are being examined by my Department with a view to informing authorities of their 2015 allocations as soon as possible.

Kildare County Council’s request for funding, which includes reference to Barrogstown & Kilmacreddock group sewerage scheme, will be considered as part of this examination.

Departmental Expenditure

Ceisteanna (229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234)

Jerry Buttimer

Ceist:

229. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount of money allocated by his Department for the housing adaptation grant for people with a disability in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2057/15]

Jerry Buttimer

Ceist:

230. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount of money allocated by his Department for the mobility aids grant scheme in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2058/15]

Jerry Buttimer

Ceist:

231. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount of money allocated by his Department for the housing aid for older people scheme in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2059/15]

Jerry Buttimer

Ceist:

232. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount of money allocated by his Department to Cork City and County Councils for the housing adaptation grant for people with a disability in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2060/15]

Jerry Buttimer

Ceist:

233. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount of money allocated by his Department to Cork City and County Councils for the mobility aids grant scheme in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2061/15]

Jerry Buttimer

Ceist:

234. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount of money allocated by his Department to Cork City and County Councils for the housing aid for older people scheme in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2062/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Paudie Coffey)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 to 234, inclusive, together.

Under the terms of the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, which is administered by the local authorities, grants are available to assist households with specific needs to have necessary repairs or improvement works carried out in order to facilitate the continued independent occupancy of their homes. Three separate schemes are available - the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme and the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme. The schemes are 80% funded by my Department, with a 20% contribution from the local authority. The Exchequer funding provided by my Department for the last 4 years across the three measures is set out in Table 1 below. The funding for Cork City and County for these measures over the same period is in Table 2.

Table 1 Overall Funding

-	Housing Adaptation Grant	Mobility Aids Grant Scheme	Housing Aid for Older People
2014	€17.385m	€5.569m	€13.498m
2013	€20.885m	€5.548m	€11.247m
2012	€26.147m	€6.764m	€19.910m
2011	€27.696m	€6.383m	€27.102m

Table 2 Cork City/County Funding

-	Housing Adaptation Grant	Mobility Aids Grant Scheme	Housing Aid for Older People
2014	€1.644m	€0.488m	€2.733m
2013	€2.401m	€0.882m	€1.713m
2012	€2.436m	€1.044m	€4.563m
2011	€2.376m	€0.836m	€4.521m