Written Answers Nos 170-177
170. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when his Department will make the tenant purchase scheme guidelines available to local authorities. [4108/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraPart 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines. The Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020, published in November 2014, includes a commitment to introduce the new scheme by the second quarter of this year. The detailed terms of the scheme will be set down in Regulations and guidance will also issue to local authorities on operational aspects of the scheme.
171. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide information in tabular form on the number of households currently on the transfer lists of each of the local authorities or for as many local authorities for which this information is available, and the numbers for each year since 2007 with a breakdown of these figures according to the main reasons households were placed on the transfer list. [4120/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authorities’ housing transfer lists. The management of these lists is a matter for individual housing authorities and the numbers fluctuate continually as, for example, households are granted transfers in accordance with an authority’s allocation scheme to take up other accommodation options.
172. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding payment by instalments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4151/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMotor tax is payable on an annual, half-yearly or quarterly basis. The rates applicable for the half-yearly and quarterly options are 55.5% and 28.25% of the annual charge, respectively. These relativities have remained generally consistent since the 1960s.
The differential takes account of the extra workload for staffing in motor tax offices and the National Vehicle and Driver File Unit, and the resultant administrative costs and printing costs that arise, including the issuing of renewal notices. Each quarterly renewal of motor tax follows the same administrative procedures as the annual renewal process. Consequently, renewing on a quarterly basis generates four times the workload of an annual renewal for the equivalent period.
The estimated additional annual income from the increased charges for half-yearly and quarterly discs is in the region of €50m. A loss of income from this source would have a negative impact on the total collected via motor tax, and would have to be borne elsewhere in the motor tax system or through the taxation system generally.
173. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the noise bill that would give the Garda more powers regarding loud music at parties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4167/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government includes a commitment to take further steps to address noise pollution, inter alia, through consideration of 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’s Legislation Programme published on 14 January 2015, it is not possible at this time to indicate when such a Bill might be published, having regard to the broad range of legislative priorities to be progressed across my Department’s remit.
174. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form by county the total number of properties which have been successfully purchased through the national mortgage-to-rent scheme since its launch in 2012; his plans to reform the current scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4236/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Question No. 509 of 27 January 2015 which sets out the position in this matter.
A breakdown by local authority of the mortgage to rent cases completed under both the Approved Housing Body Mortgage to Rent Scheme (AHB MTR) and the Local Authority Mortgage to Rent Scheme (LA MTR) to date is provided in the table below:
|
Authority |
AHB-MTR |
LA-MTR |
Overall |
|
Carlow |
3 |
2 |
5 |
|
Cavan |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Clare |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
Cork City |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
Cork County |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Donegal |
0 |
3 |
3 |
|
Dublin City |
12 |
43 |
55 |
|
DLR Co Co |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Fingal Co Co |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Galway City |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Galway County |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Kerry |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kildare |
5 |
1 |
6 |
|
Kilkenny |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
Laois |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Leitrim |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Limerick |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
Longford |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Louth |
5 |
1 |
6 |
|
Mayo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Meath |
6 |
0 |
6 |
|
Monaghan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Offaly |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Roscommon |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Sligo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
South Dublin |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
Tipperary |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Waterford |
5 |
0 |
5 |
|
Westmeath |
1 |
24 |
25 |
|
Wexford |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Wicklow |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Overall |
68 |
82 |
150 |
175. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 518 of 25 November 2014, if he will provide an update on this matter; the options being explored to ensure continuity of this core funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4243/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Question No. 1 of 28 January 2015 which sets out the position on this matter.
176. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the confusion and hardship arising from the requirement of local authorities to request proof from applicants for housing that they do not own property in a country they have previously resided in; the required proof of the applicants; the circular number setting out for council staff the way this requirement is to be applied; and the provisions in place to ensure no person is left without access to housing in the event that he or she is unable to secure this proof on the basis of inability to pay. [4248/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe primary purpose of social housing support is to assist the provision of suitable accommodation for households who have a housing need but do not have sufficient resources to secure accommodation from their own resources. Section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous) Provisions Act 2009 and associated Regulations empower a housing authority to carry out a social housing assessment in order to determine whether a particular household qualifies for social housing support. Under these enactments, a household is ineligible for social housing support if a member owns alternative accommodation that could meet the household’s needs, either by occupying it or selling it to pay for other accommodation.
The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe an application form for social housing application that requires the household to supply information on property ownership either in the State or abroad. Regulation 11 obliges a household to provide to a housing authority such additional information, including documents and other particulars, sought by the authority for the purpose of verifying information relating to an application for social housing support. I expect that any request by a housing authority for supporting documentation in relation to ownership of property abroad would be appropriate, having regard to the circumstances in each case.
I am aware that requests by local authorities for documents relating to ownership of property abroad can cause difficulties in particular cases and will consider this issue as part of the review of the social housing assessment system to be undertaken this year, in fulfilment of a commitment in the Social Housing Strategy 2020.
177. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total number of representations in written or oral form he or his officials or advisers have received from a person (details supplied) seeking persons to be appointed to positions that fall under his remit since March 2011; if he will provide the details of these persons for whom the Member made representations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4273/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraNo records have been found in my Department of receiving representations from the Deputy referred to since March 2011 seeking persons to be appointed to positions that fall under the remit of my Department.
