Written Answers Nos. 207-213
207. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the serious issues of fire safety at the Longboat Quay development in Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9487/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal authorities have extensive powers of inspection and enforcement under the Fire Safety Act 1981, the Building Control Act 1990 and the Planning and Development Acts, all of which may be relevant in relation to fire safety arrangements in residential developments. Compliance with the statutory requirements that apply to a building, or works in relation to a building, is first and foremost a matter for the owners, designers and builders concerned. I understand that Dublin Fire Brigade in its capacity as Fire Authority is proactively engaging with the owners and occupiers of the homes in this multi-unit development to resolve a number of problems that have been identified. I would advise all concerned to cooperate with the Fire Authority in carrying out its statutory role. The Dublin Docklands Development Authority, which retains an ownership interest, in elements of the property concerned, is co-operating fully in that context.
Neither I nor my Department have any function in assessing, checking or testing compliance, or otherwise, of specific works or developments, nor can I or my Department influence or interfere in the handling of specific cases by local authorities who are at all times independent in the use of their statutory powers.
208. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on whether the electoral register for Dublin city is accurate in view of the fact that only four out of the nine electoral areas had enumeration work carried out in them and that no checking of the accuracy of the electoral register was carried out in Crumlin, Beaumont, Walkinstown, Clontarf, Raheny, Ballyfermot, Chapelizod, Dublin 8, Cabra and Artane, for example; and the steps he will take to address this. [9489/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra209. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied there are enough enumerators employed to cover Dublin city's nine electoral districts, less than ten for the city council area. [9490/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra210. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has been assured by all the local authorities that enumerators have called to every home in the country each year between publication of the annual electoral register; and whether that work has been quality-tested to ensure the electoral register is as accurate as possible for the forthcoming referendums. [9491/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra211. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the electoral register in areas which have a predominance of apartment blocks is wholly inaccurate due to only an accuracy of 20% to 30% being achieved in those apartments; and the steps he will take to overcome this problem. [9492/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra212. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the electoral commission will be set up; if it will have responsibility for the annual updating of the electoral register; if he will provide it with the power to be a rolling register in view of the advance of new technology and the residency mobility of citizens around cities in particular; and in the meantime the need to make it less onerous for citizens to register on the supplementary register. [9493/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 208 to 212, inclusive, together.
In law the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter for each local authority as a registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. This involves the carrying out of house-to-house or other local enquiries, including in many cases delivering registration forms to households for completion. The draft register is published on 1 November each year and is generally available for examination at post offices, Garda stations and local authority offices and on-line at www.checktheregister.ie up to 25 November. The public are invited through national and local advertising campaigns to check the draft during this period to make sure that they are correctly registered and to bring errors or omissions in the draft to the attention of the local authority. The final register is published on 1 February and comes into force on 15 February that year until 14 February in the following year.
On the question of making it less onerous for citizens to apply for inclusion in the supplement to the register of electors, a balance needs to found between making the registration process accessible while at the same time ensuring the integrity and security of the registration system. Appropriate measures, therefore, are in place to guard against potential personation or abuse of the electoral system.
Accordingly, the supplement application form must be signed by the applicant in the presence of a member of An Garda Síochána from the applicant’s local Garda station who must first be satisfied as to the person’s identity before signing, dating and stamping the form. The Garda may request photographic or other identification. Where the applicant establishes in writing that he is unable to progress the application in this way, the form can be signed by the applicant in the presence of an official of the local authority who is satisfied as to his or her identity. Again, photographic or other identification may be required. If neither option is viable due to physical illness or physical disability, the application form must be accompanied by a medical certificate.
I consider that the current arrangements strike a reasonable balance between having a flexible supplement facility and, at the same time, ensuring that there are adequate measures in place to counteract any possible abuse. As regards the forthcoming referendums, my Department will, as usual, once the polling day order is made, advertise the closing date for applications for entry in the supplement.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to establish an Electoral Commission to subsume functions of existing bodies and my Department. On 27 January 2015 I published a consultation paper to commence the pre-legislative process leading to the establishment of an Electoral Commission. This is the first step in the preparation of an Electoral Commission Bill. The consultation paper has been forwarded to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. The Committee has been asked to examine the paper, and to consider undertaking a focused and time-bound consultation process on it, and to report back with its views on the planned legislation.
To provide a focus to public and political debate, the consultation paper sets out a series of eleven questions and provides information, analysis and options to enable these to be answered. It examines the present system of electoral administration and its costs, sets out principles of good governance to inform the setting up of the Electoral Commission, analyses recommendations made by other bodies and considers experience internationally with similar structures.
One of the issues identified for consideration in the consultation paper is the role that an Electoral Commission might play in respect of the register of electors.
213. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the grants available for local community groups to apply for funding to build a bench; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9494/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State and is being implemented on a transitional basis until the end of March 2015, pending the roll out of the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) on 1 April 2015. There is no funding available under LCDP or SICAP for the provision of benches. However, my Department has funded benches and other village enhancement infrastructure under the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. Funding under that Programme however, is now fully committed but I expect that the LEADER element of the successor 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme will commence during 2015 and there will be potential under that Programme to fund such facilities if identified as a priority in the Local Development Strategy for the area concerned.
