Written Answers Nos. 657-675
657. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a 17 year old mother can be discriminated against and refused access to social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13153/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing legislation does not stipulate the minimum age of a person applying for social housing support in respect of his or her household. However, given the need to enter into, and fulfil the terms of, a tenancy agreement in order to avail of such support, my Department has advised local housing authorities that one household member should be at least 18 years of age to be considered for such support. It is a matter for the housing authority, as part of its statutory functions, to assess a household’s eligibility for social housing support in its functional area. This matter will be considered in the context of the review of social housing assessment procedures as part of the broader social housing reform agenda outlined in the Social Housing Strategy 2020.
658. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details in tabular form, by year and by local authority, of the amounts allocated by his Department to councils since 2011, towards the cost of cleaning up residue from illegal diesel laundering; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13182/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra659. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department will provide details which have been communicated to it by the relevant statutory agencies of water courses, including streams, rivers and drains, which have been polluted by matter from the illegal laundering of diesel since 2011; if he will name which of these water courses provide all or part of the drinking water supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13184/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra660. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of correspondence he has received from environment authorities in Northern Ireland since 2011, relating to the contamination and pollution of water courses that rise in or flow through Northern Ireland, from processes connected to the illegal laundering of diesel, and which also flow through this jurisdiction; if any of the water courses in question are part of the drinking water supply in communities in this jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13185/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra662. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has evidence to suggest that aquifers and water courses in this jurisdiction have been contaminated by the illegal laundering of diesel in Northern Ireland; if he has raised concerns with his counterparts in Northern Ireland and in the United Kingdom; his views that the authorities in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom are treating this issue with appropriate seriousness; if consideration has been given to a complaint to the European Union authorities on the issue; if further consideration has been given to legal action against the relevant agencies to recover the clean-up costs in this jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13201/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 658 to 660, inclusive, and 662 together.
Enforcement in relation to illegal diesel laundering activities is primarily a matter for the Revenue Commissioners from the point of view of avoiding loss of revenue to the Exchequer. My Department assists local authorities in carrying out their role as competent authorities under waste legislation, which is to take the necessary measures, on behalf of the State, to ensure that any waste generated and left abandoned by diesel launderers is disposed of without endangering human health and without harming the environment.
Approximately 1,200 incidents of diesel laundering waste dumping have been dealt with by local authorities to date and my Department has up to now reimbursed the costs associated with such disposal on a case by case basis. The majority of the clean-up operations have taken place in Louth and Monaghan with 596 and 509 sites, respectively. Similar clean-up operations have also been carried out in Counties Cavan, Donegal, Offaly, Meath and Waterford.
Details of the significant amounts provided by my Department from the Environment Fund since 2011 on a per county basis are set out in the following table:
|
Year |
Louth County Council |
Monaghan County Council |
Offaly County Council |
Cavan County Council |
Donegal County Council |
Total |
|
2011 |
€939,315 |
€89,588 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
€1,028,903 |
|
2012 |
€1,452,267 |
€347,350 |
N/A |
€23,458 |
N/A |
€1,823,075 |
|
2013 |
€693,048 |
€150,946 |
N/A |
N/A |
€40,753 |
€884,747 |
|
2014 |
€706,159 |
€601,244 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
€1,307,403 |
|
2015 |
Nil to date |
Nil to date |
Nil to date |
Nil to date |
Nil to date |
Nil to date |
|
Total |
€3,790,789 |
€1,189,128 |
€0 |
€23,458 |
€40,753 |
€5,044,128 |
There is strong and active co-operation on this and other waste management issues between the relevant enforcement authorities on both sides of the Border, involving An Garda Síochána, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other enforcement agencies. Given the likely origin of at least some of the material from Northern Ireland, there is a clear need to ensure that efforts to tackle the issue and support remediation measures have full cross border support. My own Department, as part of on-going cooperation on repatriation of illegally deposited waste in Northern Ireland, has held discussions with the Northern Ireland authorities on the need to develop a mechanism for dealing with waste from cross-border diesel washings which would be factored into the overall discussions on waste repatriation. These discussions are on-going.
In relation to the pollution of water courses, the primary responsibility for ensuring prevention of water pollution rests with local authorities, which are in turn supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency for this purpose. The Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts carry a general prohibition on the entry of any polluting matter to waters. Any persons causing or permitting polluting matter to enter waters is liable on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €15,000,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both.
Recent media reports have alleged pollution discharges to waters in Northern Ireland that feed into the River Fane system, which is the source of the drinking water supply for Dundalk. It is the responsibility of Irish Water to assess the risk of contamination to public water drinking sources and to monitor any such risks to ensure that it provides safe and secure drinking to its customers. Following on from an EPA audit of the Cavanhill water treatment plant, Irish Water has confirmed that the necessary technical steps have been taken to protect the plant and the drinking water supply from the potential entry of pollutants including hydrocarbons.
Monaghan County Council, consistent with its environmental monitoring obligations under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts, has undertaken site-specific water quality monitoring and results indicate that water quality in the Fane River at the three sampled locations is not contaminated with hydrocarbons. The Council intends to continue a comprehensive monitoring programme in the area.
As indicated previously, I have written to my counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive, Minister Mark Durkan, to highlight again the problems being faced by border counties exposed to the consequences of environmental crime and I have signalled to him that this is an issue that I will be raising at the next meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in May. The Council meets in the Environment Sector in order to make decisions on common policies and approaches in a cross-border context in areas such as environmental protection, pollution, water quality management and waste management and this is, I believe, the most appropriate forum to address this serious issue from a waste and water quality perspective.
The illegal deposition of waste material arising from diesel laundering activities presents the local authorities with major difficulties as the task of cleaning up the material needs to be dealt with to avoid threats to the environment. The laundering process requires the use of chemicals such as sulphuric acid and bleaching agents and results in a waste by-product, a tar-like chemical compound or sludge, with significant potential for environmental pollution, particularly in relation to watercourses.
I believe that a complete solution to this problem must necessarily involve effective and co-ordinated enforcement of the law from both a revenue and waste management perspective. In that context, my Department continues to liaise with representatives of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, the local authorities concerned and the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement to seek to identify more effective enforcement solutions and these engagements will continue. This multi-agency approach whereby all of the agencies, working within their particular remit, bring their particular skills, expertise and powers to the task at hand represents the best approach to tackling such irresponsible and dangerous environmental crime.
661. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the rationale for closing the Ballymun shopping centre; and if he will provide costings for the necessary repairs to re-open it as a viable centre. [13191/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraDublin City Council has advised that the refurbishment of the shopping centre in its current state is not economically viable. Anticipated demand and rental returns would not support the several million euro investment required. It is the Council’s view that the comprehensive redevelopment of a cleared site, following the demolition of the centre and contiguous buildings, is the best approach. The Council has informed my Department that terms have been agreed in relation to a site north of the shopping centre on which it is anticipated that retail units will be developed. In addition it is proposed that a number of existing services in the shopping centre, such as the Credit Union, Job Centre and bank may be relocated to the Civic Centre.
663. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on a survey (details supplied) which indicates that noise sensitivity is particularly problematic for 40% of children with autistic spectrum disorder who are hypersensitive to sound; the steps being taken to address the concerns of the parents of these children in north County Kildare who live in close proximity to a proposed wind farm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13227/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority (including An Bord Pleanála) is or may be concerned. It would, therefore, not be appropriate for me to comment on the proposed wind energy project referred to in the Question. If this proposed project advances to planning application stage, members of the public can contribute to the deliberative process by making submissions to the relevant planning authority. My Department is currently conducting a review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines focused specifically on noise and shadow flicker. As part of this process, my Department wrote to the Department of Health in September 2013 inviting any input that they might have on the health aspects, if any, of wind farms.
Preliminary feedback was received from a Deputy Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Department of Health on 11 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 11 April 2014 to advise that Australia’s NHMRC had updated their evidence in relation to this matter. In that letter, the Deputy CMO states ‘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 NMHRC released a statement on 11 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, including any implications for people with autism. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has also been made aware of this ongoing dialogue in the context of the implementation of its renewable energy policy (including wind energy).
664. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the grant assistance available to households to upgrade their septic tank system in advance of an inspection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13242/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library, brought into operation a grants scheme to assist with the cost of remediation of septic tanks and domestic waste water treatment systems which are deemed, following inspection under the EPA’s National Inspection Plan and the subsequent issue of an Advisory Notice by the local authority, to require repair or upgrading. Grants are not payable in advance of inspections. The qualification criteria are set out in the legislation and full details of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, are set out in the explanatory leaflet and application form published on my Department’s website at: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/Environment/Water/FileDownLoad,33607,en.pdf.
Applications for grant aid in respect of remediation works are submitted to, and processed by, the local authorities who then seek recoupment of the amounts paid from my Department.
Householders who do not meet the eligibility criteria included in the above regulations but wish to remediate or upgrade their on-site treatment systems may qualify for relief under the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) Scheme introduced under Section 5 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2013. The HRI scheme covers main residence repairs, renovations and improvements, including the repair or replacement of septic tanks. The scheme is administered by the Revenue Commissioners and full details are published on Revenue’s website at: http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/reliefs/hri/hri-general-faqs.html.
665. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware of the concern of many community groups in relation to the proposed changes to the senior alert scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13244/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department manages the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department.
My Department undertook to consider new approaches to the Seniors Alert Scheme in 2014 and arising from this, it was decided that the scheme be managed by Pobal, given that organisation’s significant experience delivering programmes on behalf of Government.
My Department has taken note of the concerns expressed. While Pobal will manage the Scheme on behalf of my Department, it is important to note that my Department will retain responsibility for the strategic policy direction of the Scheme. It will also have an oversight role in relation to Pobal’s delivery of the Scheme, and will ensure that the valuable community support for elderly persons provided by the many hundreds of community and voluntary groups across the country will be maintained.
666. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 871 of 24 March 2015, if he supports the requirement for applicants under the housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability to have paid local property tax; and if he will implement a change to this requirement. [13248/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department makes funding allocations to local authorities for the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. The detailed administration of these schemes, including the apportionment of funding between the various grant schemes and the assessment, approval and payment of grants to individual applicants under the various grant measures, is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. Guidelines issued by my Department state that ‘Local Authorities should satisfy themselves that applicants are registered for the payment of the local property tax’. There are no plans to change this requirement.
667. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding planning matters in County Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13257/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe audit of accounts of all local authorities is required to be carried out by the Local Government Audit Service under the Local Government Act 2001, as amended. In undertaking the audit of local authorities, local government auditors are independent in the exercise of their functions. I understand that all annual financial statements for Carlow local authorities to year ended 31 December 2013 have been audited. MacCabe Durney Barnes Consultants were appointed in February 2014 to carry out an independent planning review on the performance of planning functions in six selected planning authorities (Carlow, Cork, Galway and Meath County Councils and Cork and Dublin City Councils) in accordance with section 255 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
The planning review is being informed by the consideration of planning matters referred to the Minister by a number of stakeholder groups and individuals including the planning issue referred to in the question.
I expect to receive the final report from the consultants shortly and I subsequently intend to publish it having considered its contents.
668. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of new houses that need to be built to solve the social housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13262/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra669. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of social houses that will be built in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13263/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 668 and 669 together.
Social housing is a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the increased provision made for the area in Budget 2015. The Social Housing Strategy 2020 targets the delivery of over 35,000 new social housing units over the period to 2020. Of these, over 12,000 new social housing units will be delivered via capital programmes including new build and acquisition of built properties by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies and work to return vacant local authority houses to productive use.
Each local authority has responsibility for identifying their area’s social housing need and responding as required, including planning and undertaking new social housing developments and working with Approved Housing Bodies to meet this need.
In 2015, I expect that 1,400 social housing units will be delivered through either new build or the acquisition of built properties by local authorities and approved housing bodies. A further 1,000 social housing units will be remediated and returned to productive use.
670. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the funding available within his Department which can be allocated to Sligo County Council for the 2015 Fleadh Cheoil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13278/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, the Local Action Groups (LAGs) are the principal decision makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the Local Development Strategy of the LAG and in line with the operating rules and EU regulations that govern the Programme. My Department has no role in relation to the selection of projects to be funded. Funding under the 2007-2013 Programme is now fully committed but I expect that the new Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 will commence later this year and there may be potential under this Programme to fund events such as the Fleadh Cheoil, if they are identified as a priority in the Local Development Strategy for the area.
The new Programme will provide €250 million in resources to support the sustainable development of rural communities across the country. However, as in the 2007-2013 programme my Department will have no role to play in the selection of individual projects at local level.
671. Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware that Dublin City Council is proposing to sell a site (details supplied) for use as a supermarket that was purchased for €4 million to use for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13296/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that Dublin City Council intend to dispose of the vacant site referred to, for mixed retail use. The Council has advised that while the site was originally purchased for social housing purposes, changes in planning regulations, the restricted nature of the site and conditions on site undermined the feasibility of proceeding with this development. The Council has advised that the current price being sought for this site reflects the substantial reduction in the development land market since the site was originally purchased.
672. Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the land that is available in the Dublin City Council area for development under the social housing strategy; the areas that have planning permission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13297/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraA Departmental audit of the availability of local authority land was carried out in 2010, which identified approximately 600 local authority owned sites intended for residential purposes. Of these, 19 sites were in the Dublin City Council area, totalling an area of approximately 29 hectares, with 15 sites identified as suitable for development.
In conjunction with the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020, in November 2014, the Housing Agency, in consultation with my Department and local authorities, has commenced the process of updating the 2010 data and is developing a more extensive and detailed database and GIS map of local authority owned sites in order to support the implementation of the Strategy. The database will include all local authority owned lands and Land Aggregation Scheme lands showing their location, size, boundaries and other information. This map will be up-dated over the course of the Strategy to record the development and use of lands.
Local authorities are currently in the process of returning land data and assessment results and a full analysis of this data will commence in April 2015.
673. Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of drug free short-term beds available to homeless and recovering addicts, in each of the four Dublin local authorities; the number of detoxification beds available; the location of the drug free units and detoxification beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13298/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with the housing authorities. My Department has no function in regard to, nor is it involved in, decisions on operational matters, such as the numbers or locations of drug free accommodation units for homeless and recovering addicts.
674. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of the number of mortgage-to-rent cases completed, by each local authority; each financial institution; each approved housing body; the number of such applications currently in the pipeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13317/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 907, 910 and 912 of 24 March, 2015. The following tables provide a breakdown of the 88 completed AHB mortgage to rent transactions by local authority, approved housing body and financial institution involved.
|
Local Authority |
MTR Transactions Completed |
|
Carlow County Council |
4 |
|
Cavan County Council |
1 |
|
Clare County Council |
2 |
|
Cork City Council |
4 |
|
Cork County Council |
3 |
|
Dublin City Council |
14 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council |
1 |
|
Fingal County Council |
4 |
|
Galway County Council |
1 |
|
Kerry County Council |
1 |
|
Kildare County Council |
6 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
3 |
|
Laois County Council |
1 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
1 |
|
Limerick City and County Council |
4 |
|
Louth County Council |
9 |
|
Meath County Council |
7 |
|
Offaly County Council |
2 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
5 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
3 |
|
Waterford City and County Council |
6 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
2 |
|
Wexford County Council |
1 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
3 |
|
Total |
88 |
|
AHB |
MTR Transactions Completed |
|
Clúid Housing Association |
64 |
|
North and East Housing Association |
2 |
|
Oaklee Housing Trust |
15 |
|
Tuath Housing Association |
7 |
|
Total |
88 |
|
Lender |
MTR Transactions Completed |
|
AIB |
1 |
|
BOI |
5 |
|
Danske |
1 |
|
EBS |
3 |
|
KBCI |
2 |
|
Pepper |
58 |
|
PTSB |
4 |
|
Start Mortgages |
11 |
|
Stepstone |
3 |
|
Total |
88 |
