Written Answers Nos. 201-206
201. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if local authorities are required by legislation to hold moneys accrued from the sale of dwellings owned by the authority in a separate bank account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9421/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 13 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 provides that moneys accruing to a housing authority from the sale of dwellings under the incremental and tenant purchase schemes provided for under Parts 3 and 4 of that Act, the resale of dwellings or sites under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002 and from other specified sources, shall be accounted for by the authority in a separate account. Such moneys may, with the prior approval of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, be used by a housing authority for housing and related purposes, including the refurbishment of existing housing.
Section 34(b) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 will, on commencement, have the effect of applying the provisions of section 13 of the 2009 Act to the new tenant purchase scheme provided for under Part 3 of the 2014 Act.
202. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason revenue raised from road taxation has gone to the establishment of Irish Water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9430/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIncome from Motor Tax currently accrues to the Local Government Fund. The Fund historically provided local authorities with finance to fund some of their day-to-day activities, including elements of water services costs, through General Purpose Grant allocations. Following the establishment of Irish Water, the water-related element of General Purpose Grants which previously went to local authorities has been replaced with an annual subvention to Irish Water. €439.1m was provided for this purpose in 2014 and it is expected that €399m will be provided in 2015. No funding has been provided from the local Government fund towards Irish Water's establishment costs.
203. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to move 75,000 families and persons from rent allowance to the housing assistance payment scheme by 2020; if he will provide the full details of this scheme; the benefit to the tenant of transfer from RAS to HAP; if these applicants will be removed from the local authority housing list; the situation if a tenant does not want to participate in the HAP scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9447/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020, which I published on 26 November 2014.
Further to the enactment of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 on 28 July 2014, the first phase of the HAP statutory pilot commenced with effect from 15 September 2014 in Limerick City and County Council, Waterford City and County Council and Cork County Council. HAP commenced in Louth, Kilkenny, South Dublin and Monaghan County Councils from 1 October 2014. Subsequently, on 18 December 2014, Dublin City Council became part of the statutory HAP pilot, with a specific focus on accommodating homeless households. Dublin City Council is implementing the HAP pilot for homeless households in the Dublin region on behalf of all four Dublin local authorities, including Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. There are now more than 1,000 households being supported by HAP across the local authority areas taking part in the statutory pilot scheme.
During the legislation's passage through the Oireachtas in July 2014 an undertaking was given that a report would be prepared for the relevant Oireachtas Committee, that would include a full review of the statutory pilot phase. Data for this report is being gathered from pilot sites and the report will be submitted to the Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht shortly. Based on data gathered for the review, consideration is currently being given to the sequencing of local authorities to commence HAP on an incremental basis this year.
The HAP scheme will bring all social housing supports provided by the State under the aegis of local authorities. The scheme will remove a barrier to employment by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment. The rent contribution payable by the HAP recipient is based on the differential rent scheme for their local authority and all payments are made electronically. HAP will also provide for a better integrated and more streamlined service for households; facilitate better regulation of the private rented sector; provide certainty for landlords as regards their rental income; improve standards of accommodation; and provide greater consistency in the application of social housing policies. HAP enables the relevant local authority to be a one-stop shop for all housing supports.
As HAP is deemed to be a social housing support under section 19 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, as amended, households in receipt of HAP are not included on the local authority waiting list for social housing support. However, HAP recipients may access other forms of social housing supports by applying to go on the local authority transfer list. I issued a statutory direction to the seven authorities involved in the first phase of the HAP statutory pilot, instructing them to take the necessary steps to ensure that households benefiting from HAP can avail of a move to other forms of social housing support, should they wish to do so, through the transfer option. I also directed that HAP recipients, who apply to go on the transfer list, should get full credit for the time they spent on the waiting list and be placed on the transfer list with no less favourable terms than if they had remained on the waiting list. In practice, housing authorities inform HAP recipients in writing of their entitlement to apply to go on the transfer list when they are approved for HAP. When a new applicant applies for a Housing Needs Assessment, the relevant local authority determines what supports are available and most appropriate for that particular applicant. Tenants who are housed through the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) are already having their housing needs met and it is not envisaged that such tenants will routinely transfer to HAP.
To be eligible for HAP, a household must first apply for and be approved for social housing support by their local authority. If a household is already on the local authority's housing list and currently in receipt of Rent Supplement, the household will be eligible for HAP. Upon its introduction in a local authority area, HAP will replace Rent Supplement for those with a long-term housing need who qualify for social housing support and Rent Supplement will no longer be an option for applicants in such cases.
204. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of all properties rented by his Department; the annual cost of the lease in each case; the duration of the leases; and the capacity and occupancy of each premises as of 31 January 2015. [9457/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn general, premises and sites occupied by my Department are rented or leased by the OPW, rather than directly by my Department. Details relating to premises and sites currently rented directly by Met Éireann are set out as follows.
|
Location |
Rental Cost for 2014 |
Landlord |
Capacity of premises (number of staff) |
Occupancy of premises (number of staff) |
|
Office space - Met Éireann, Dublin Airport |
€86,200 |
Dublin Airport Authority |
10 |
10 |
|
Office space - Met Éireann, Shannon Airport |
€162,017 |
Shannon Airport Authority |
15 |
15 |
|
Office space - Met Éireann, Cork Airport |
€23,465 |
Dublin Airport Authority |
7 |
7 |
It should be noted that these premises are also used for the placement of meteorological equipment as well as staff accommodation.
My Department also shares with other Government Departments the rent and ancillary costs of a premises occupied by Ireland's Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels. My Department's share of rental costs associated with this office is set by the Department of Foreign Affairs and cost €25,518 for 2014.
205. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, the price obtained by local authorities for building energy rating certificates from energy distributors and retail energy sales companies under the energy efficiency obligation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9480/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Question No. 265 of 5 February 2015 which sets out my Department's contribution to improving energy efficiency in social housing stock. Building Energy Rating (BER) certificates are produced following an assessment carried out by trained and qualified BER Assessors who are registered with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. My Department does not maintain details of prices obtained by local authorities for building energy rating certificates. It is understood that under the European Union (Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme) Regulations 2014, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources may issue energy efficiency notices to energy suppliers which detail energy efficiency savings targets that the energy supplier must achieve in order to avoid penalties. I understand that Energy Suppliers can elect to meet their energy savings targets in a variety of ways and that Energy Suppliers may be given credit for energy efficiency measures they undertake in a social housing context provided that such measures are additional to any measures which would otherwise occur under the social housing investment programme or any other publicly funded scheme. I am satisfied that local authorities are aware of this potential additional source of investment in energy efficiency of social housing stock but my Department has no information on the take up of the scheme.
206. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will review the boundary of Drogheda, County Louth, as proposed by the Drogheda Chamber of Commerce (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9484/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Borough District of Drogheda, which was determined by statutory order on 31 January 2014 on the basis of the recommendations contained in the Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee Report 2013, encompasses a larger area than that of the former Drogheda Borough Council and has a population of almost 42,000. I am keeping the matter under review in the context of the wider local government reform programme.
