Written Answers Nos. 194-201
194. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if annual statistics are still compiled by his Department, on the ranges of mortgage loan terms, and loan-to-value ranges, as was done until 2008; if so, the reason they are no longer published on his Department's website; and if not, the reason a decision was taken to stop collecting this information. [7443/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of housing policy. Due to the significantly reduced mortgage activity since 2009, concerns about the quality of the data and the availability of statistics referred to in the question from other sources, a decision was taken to cease my Department's publication of the statistics concerned.
The Credit Reporting Act 2013, under the remit of the Department of Finance, provides for the establishment of a Central Credit Register (CCR) to be operated by the Central Bank of Ireland. The Act aims to address weaknesses identified in the current credit reporting system in Ireland. The CCR will be a database of personal and credit information to be created by means of a national mandatory credit reporting system. Credit is defined broadly and includes mortgages. The obligations to report are likely to be introduced on a phased basis.
The Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI) produce a quarterly Mortgage Market Review which is also of relevance in this context and is available at - http://www.bpfi.ie/news/new-mortgage-lending-q4-2014/.
195. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare is not being provided with funding to allow proper facilities to be provided at their home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7468/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department allocates funding to local authorities towards the cost of adaptations and extensions to social housing to meet the needs of tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding.
All aspects of the administration of this funding locally are matter s for each local authority and my Department is not involved with the selection or prioritisation of individual projects.
196. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the legal status of the recently published Planning Policy Statement 2015 (details supplied); his plans to issue a ministerial policy directive to planning authorities, under section 29 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7472/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Planning Policy Statement 2015 which I recently published jointly with my colleague, Minister Alan Kelly, and which is the first policy statement on planning ever published by an Irish Government, is intended to act as an overarching non-statutory general guiding document for our planning system.
It outlines and re-affirms in a clear and concise way the key values and core principles that the Government believes should underpin the operations of the planning system so that the highest standards are applied, and adhered to, by all parties engaged in the planning system, including planning authorities, public bodies, practitioners, private interests as well as the general public. This is also intended so that proper planning and sustainable development of our urban and rural areas is achieved and with a view to delivering quality in planning outcomes.
As the policy statement is addressed to a wider audience than planning authorities, it is not proposed to issue a Ministerial policy directive to planning authorities under section 29 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. However, as indicated, it is expected that the key values and core principles outlined in the Planning Policy Statement will be applied, and adhered to, by planning authorities in the performance of their functions.
197. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of public funding that has been provided to An Taisce, each year, in the past five years; if he will provide details of the way this public funding is spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7492/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra198. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount of public funding that has been spent by An Taisce, each year, in the past five years, in the act of legal challenges, judicial reviews, and so on, against State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7493/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra199. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views that public funds may be used to obstruct State agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7494/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 197 to 199, inclusive, together.
A total of €3.78 million, as set out in the following table, has been provided by my Department to An Taisce over the past five years.
DECLG Funding to An Taisce
|
Source |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
Total |
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
|
DECLG Vote |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
275,492 |
275,492 |
|
Environment Fund |
834,424 |
766,014 |
753,200 |
736,800 |
415,000 |
3,505,438 |
|
Total |
834,424 |
766,014 |
753,200 |
736,800 |
690,492 |
3,780,930 |
This funding was used primarily to support a range of environmental activities and public awareness initiatives, including the National Spring Clean initiative; a contribution to the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) National Litter League; the Green Schools initiative; implementation of the Bathing Water Quality Regulations; and the Blue Flag Awards. Funding also supported an All-Ireland Clean Coast Symposium; provision of Merit Awards to heighten awareness of coastal amenities and encourage participation in Coastcare groups; and raising awareness of marine environmental issues.
The funding provided also supported An Taisce in building an effective capacity to engage in the policy formulation aspect of the planning process in accordance with its prescribed role. An Taisce is specifically precluded, however, from using this funding, which totalled €150,000 over the five years concerned, in relation to participation in individual planning applications.
200. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of correspondence from the Chancellor of the National University of Ireland to graduates (details supplied), stating that it is unlikely there will be a single university constituency before the next general election to Seanad Éireann, if he, or officials in his Department, have informed the National University of Ireland of this, or of a time frame for legislation; if reforms to the university constituencies will take place prior to the election; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7539/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government Legislation Programme for the Spring/Summer 2015 session provides for publication of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill in 2015.
In 2014, the General Scheme of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill was published for consultation. The General Scheme is part of the legislative process to implement the 1979 constitutional amendment to extend the Seanad franchise to graduates from institutions of higher education in the State that heretofore did not form part of the Seanad university constituencies. The Statement of Government Priorities published in July 2014 provides for the enactment of this legislation.
I am currently considering issues raised in submissions made as part of the public consultation process on the General Scheme of the Bill and observations made by the Technical Working Group set up to examine and make observations on operational matters. These are informing the further development of the General Scheme, which has not yet concluded.
201. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will introduce legislation to allow local authorities vary the permitted noise levels from ice-cream vans, so that excessive noise levels, in terms of volume and length of playing time, can be addressed. [7542/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraCurrently, a person experiencing noise nuisance may contact their local authority, which may initiate proceedings on grounds of noise nuisance under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992. This Act also provides for any person, or group of persons, to seek an order in the District Court to have noise giving reasonable cause for annoyance abated. The procedures involved have been simplified to allow action to be taken without legal representation.
A public information leaflet A Guide to the Noise Regulations, outlining the legal avenues available to persons experiencing noise nuisance, is available on my Department's website: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/Environment/Miscellaneous/FileDownLoad,1319,en.pdf.
The 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. In the interim, I have no plans to legislate specifically in relation to noise levels from ice-cream vans.
