Written Answers Nos. 182-187
182. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will address the concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding wind developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12262/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setback distance and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions proposed:
- The setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments,
- A mandatory minimum setback distance of 500 metres between a wind turbine and the nearest dwelling for amenity considerations, and
- The complete elimination of shadow flicker between wind turbines and neighbouring dwellings.
A public consultation process was initiated on these proposed draft revisions to the Guidelines, which ran until February 21 2014. My Department received submissions from 7,500 organisations and members of the public during this period. It is intended that the revisions to the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines will be finalised as soon as possible. In this regard, account has to be taken of the extensive response to the public consultation in framing the final guidelines. Further work is also advancing to develop technical appendices to assist planning authorities with the practical application of the noise measurement aspects of the Wind Guidelines.
The revisions to the Wind Energy Development Guidelines 2006, when finalised, will be issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. Planning authorities, and, where applicable, An Bord Pleanála must have regard to guidelines issued under Section 28 in the performance of their functions under the Planning Acts.
My Department wrote to the Department of Health in September 2013 inviting them to input into the review of the Wind Energy Development Guidelines. Preliminary feedback was received from a Deputy Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Department of Health on 11th November 2013, which indicated that wind turbines do not represent a threat to public health. This feedback was based on a 2009 literature review conducted by the Australian Government's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
The Deputy CMO subsequently wrote to my Department on 11th April 2014 to advise that Australia's NHMRC had recently updated its evidence in relation to this matter. In that letter, the Deputy CMO stated that “this review again supports previous advice that there is no reliable or consistent evidence that wind farms directly cause adverse health effects in humans”. The Deputy CMO also referred to the limited number of peer reviewed articles and research in this area and that Australia's NHMRC may recommend further high quality research.
Australia's NHMRC released a statement on 11th February 2015 stating that “after careful consideration and deliberation of the body of evidence, NHMRC concludes that there is currently no consistent evidence that wind farms cause adverse health effects in humans”.
My Department will continue to liaise with the Department of Health, particularly in relation to the findings of any further international peer reviewed research on this subject. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, as the lead policy Department in relation to renewable energy (including wind energy), has also been made aware of this ongoing dialogue in the context of the implementation of its renewable energy policy.
183. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details as to the reason revenue raised from the local property tax has gone towards the establishment of Irish Water; the amount of money raised by the tax that went to Irish Water in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12277/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Finance (Local Property Tax) Acts require the Minister for Finance to pay an amount equivalent to the Local Property Tax (LPT) that was collected, including any interest paid during the year, from the Central Fund into the Local Government Fund from 2014. In 2014, LPT was paid into the Local Government Fund, along with Motor Tax receipts. The total income was used for a variety of purposes and was not set against any one expenditure category specifically.
Irish Water received an operating subvention of €439.1m from the Local Government Fund in 2014 which funded water-related expenditures incurred heretofore by Local Authorities and which would, historically, have been met by Local Authorities from their own resources. No funding has been provided from the Local Government Fund towards the establishment costs of Irish Water.
In accordance with decisions taken by Government, Local Property Tax proceeds in 2015 are used to fund programmes and services provided by local authorities and do not fund the operational subvention to Irish Water. The Revenue Commissioners have projected that they will collect €440m in LPT in 2015. Local authorities have been advised of their provisional Local Property Tax allocations for 2015 amounting to €458.9m from the Local Government Fund, i.e. more than 100% of what is expected to be collected.
184. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the scheme to support national organisations; his plans for the scheme; the reason he has not acted on the appeal reviews submitted to him by Pobal in October 2014; if he will extend the bridging period to December 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12223/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra187. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reinstate funding under the scheme to support national organisations funding to the 23 disability organisations which lost that funding in 2014, in view of the fact that the temporary bridging system put in place has almost expired, with no communication or clarity for the groups involved. [12269/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 184 and 187 together.
The funding Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) in the community and voluntary sector aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. Applications for a new round of funding, which commenced on 1 July 2014, were subject to an appraisal process. 55 applications were approved for funding for the two-year period from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2016. A number of previously funded organisations were not approved for funding on this occasion.
Pobal were asked to undertake the management of the scheme and, in that context, put in place a dedicated team to deal with any inquiries from applicants and to provide detailed feedback. Furthermore, an appeals process was put in place, on foot of which Pobal submitted a report, which is currently being considered in detail.
On 18 July 2014, it was announced that bridging funding of €1.4million would be allocated for a twelve month period to a number of previously funded health, disability and other organisations that were not approved for funding under the new scheme, pending the carrying out of a review of the public funding of national organisations in the health and disability sector. This bridging funding in 2014/2015 will enable organisations to plan for their future, whether with or without State support, such as that provided under the SSNO. Details of the bridging funding provided are set out in the table below.
It should be noted that the review process is well underway and is being advanced in consultation with the Department of Health. The review is designed to rationalise the funding of these organisations to ensure efficiency in the use of public money and avoidance of duplication, while providing appropriate support to organisations working in the sector. The Health Service Executive and Pobal are also participating in the review. All organisations in receipt of bridging funding have been contacted to make submissions as part of the review process. I intend to complete and publish the outcome of the review in the coming months.
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Bridging Funding Provided 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 |
|
Arthritis Ireland |
53,882 |
|
Asperger Syndrome Association of Ireland Ltd |
41,448 |
|
Asthma Society of Ireland |
41,448 |
|
Breaking Through Limited |
58,028 |
|
Chronic Pain Ireland Limited |
37,304 |
|
Dyslexia Association of Ireland |
62,172 |
|
Genetic and Inherited Disorders Organisation Ltd |
16,580 |
|
GROW in Ireland |
16,580 |
|
Huntington's Disease Association of Ireland Limited |
19,066 |
|
Irish Deaf Society The National Association of the Deaf Limited |
62,172 |
|
Irish Heart Foundation |
41,448 |
|
Irish Mountain Rescue Association |
58,028 |
|
Irish National Council of Attention Deficit Disorder Support (INCADDS) |
33,158 |
|
Irish Stammering Association |
24,868 |
|
Migraine Association of Ireland Ltd |
29,014 |
|
Motor Neuron disease Association |
24,868 |
|
MOVE Ireland |
41,448 |
|
Muintir na Tíre |
70,462 |
|
Muscular Dystrophy Ireland |
37,304 |
|
National Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Ireland Limited |
37,304 |
|
National Association for Youth Drama Ltd |
29,014 |
|
New Communities Partnership (NCP) Ltd |
74,606 |
185. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if funding has been approved and sanctioned for a project (details supplied) in County Mayo. [12224/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department sanctioned funding of €207,558 to the project in question on 12 March 2015. Further details are available on my Department's website on http://www.environ.ie/en/Community/RuralDevelopment/News/MainBody,40787,en.htm.
186. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the provision of dog wardens who would be employed on a self-financing contracts basis in the context of the large number of unlicensed dogs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12267/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisation arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions, including the Dog Warden service, of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. Therefore, the matter raised in relation to the employment of dog wardens is a matter for each Chief Executive.
