Written Answers Nos. 755-770
756. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding pension entitlements in respect of retained fire fighters (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13882/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraRetained firefighters are part-time firefighters who are paid an annual retainer by the relevant local authority and are then paid an hourly rate for call-outs/training. Many retained firefighters have other full time or part time employment. In 2008, retained fire-fighters were given the option of joining the Local Government Superannuation Scheme (LGSS) and receiving a pension and retirement lump sum based on their pensionable remuneration and length of service. Retained fire-fighters who opted not to join the scheme receive, on retirement, a gratuity of 1/8 th of the annual retainer multiplied by the number of years of actual service (up to a maximum of four times the annual retainer). All full time and retained fire-fighters appointed after 1 January 2013 must join the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.
757. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the scheme to support national organisations; if he will provide bridging funding to the organisations involved while awaiting changes to be implemented; if he will meet with the organisations involved as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13924/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra770. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding funding. [14080/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra823. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 199 and 200 of 4 March 2014, the consultations held with the organisations in receipt of bridging funding in the scheme to support national organisations; when he expects the process to be concluded and a decision made on the funding of these organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14856/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra824. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has met the Disability Federation of Ireland in respect of extending the funding of its organisations under the scheme to support national organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14857/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra828. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the review of the scheme to support national organisations; when it is expected that the review will be complete; if it will be published before the end of the period for which bridging funding was provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14931/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 757, 770, 823, 824 and 828 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. A total of 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.
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.
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. A number of meetings have also taken place with representative organisations, including the Disability Federation of Ireland. I intend to complete and publish the outcome of the review in the coming weeks.
Bridging Funding Provided 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015
|
ORGANISATION |
FUNDING |
|
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 |
|
Peter Bradley Foundation Limited |
41,448 |
|
Post Polio Support Group Limited |
24,868 |
|
Safe Ireland |
74,606 |
|
Show Racism The Red Card Limited |
29,014 |
|
Suas Educational Development |
37,304 |
|
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland |
62,172 |
|
The Carers Association Limited |
62,172 |
|
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland |
49,738 |
|
The Neurological Alliance of Ireland |
49,738 |
|
The Union of Voluntary Organisations of People with Disabilities |
45,592 |
758. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 599 of 24 February 2015, if his Department regularly reviews the cost of administration of the motor taxation system for those taxing vehicles for periods of less than one year. [13925/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMotor tax public offices are administered through the local authority system, with the online motor tax facility being administered by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The annual cost of running the online facility is some €12.5m. The cost incurred by the local authority system in administering the motor tax service varies from authority to authority, depending on the level of applications made in person or by post, and on the number of local offices processing applications within the functional area of each authority. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own expenditure requirements in respect of the service, having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. Each half-yearly or quarterly renewal of motor tax follows the same administrative procedures as the annual renewal process. Consequently, renewing on a quarterly basis generates four times the workload of an annual renewal for the equivalent period.
759. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce a system of direct debit or standing order payments for motor taxation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13926/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no plans currently to introduce a system of direct debit or standing order payments for motor tax. Any such proposal would require to be underpinned by robust legislation to ensure that there is a system in place to recoup income lost to the taxpayer where there are insufficient funds in personal accounts to meet the payment or where a direct debit or standing order option is cancelled by the account holder once a disc is issued . It would also be necessary to introduce provisions to enable recovery of the disc where required. The resultant additional enforcement requirements would also be likely to increase the cost of operating the system.
760. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if a company (details supplied) in County Leitrim can apply for lottery funding from his Department; when this lottery funding will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13940/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI assume that the Deputy is referring to funding available under my Department’s Communal Facilities Grant Scheme, which supports additional facilities provided as part of social housing projects under my Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme. An approved housing body that is advancing a project under the Capital Assistance Scheme may apply for support under the Communal Facilities Grant Scheme through the relevant local authority.
761. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when final announcements will be made in relation to the forthcoming Leader programme; if it is intended to allow all local community development committees to approve grants of up to €500,000 for non-commercial projects, as in the programme for 2007 to 2013; if not, the proposed ceilings for grants in the new programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13943/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the EU regulatory framework governing the Leader element of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, each EU Member State must conduct an open and transparent process to select both the Local Development Strategies and the Local Action Group(s) for each sub-regional area. Accordingly, my Department is conducting a two stage process. The first stage, which is an Expressions of Interest (EOI) stage, was recently launched and any entity wishing to be considered as a Local Action Group for their area has until 15 May 2015 to submit an EOI. Further details are available on my Department’s website at: http://www.environ.ie/en/Community/RuralDevelopment/EURuralDevelopment/RuralDevelopmentProgrammeLEADER2014-2020/SelectionProcessforLEADER2014-2020/.
Entities successful in the first stage of the process will be invited and supported in Stage Two of the process, which is the design of a Local Development Strategy for their area. I expect that some Local Development Strategies will be operational and funding available by Autumn 2015.
My Department is currently developing the management systems and procedures, which will govern the new programme. I envisage that details of the arrangements that will apply for the new programme, including in relation to the rates of aid and grant ceilings referred to in the Question, will be available before the commencement of the second phase of the Local Development Strategy selection process in the early part of the third quarter of 2015.
762. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to review the allocation of funding between counties under the new Leader programme, in view of the fact that larger counties with very dispersed populations and high rurality indexes will receive much less funding, per capita, compared to small counties with much smaller rural populations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13944/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is reconfiguring the way in which local and rural development interventions are implemented. This is in line with Government policy to ensure that local government is well positioned to support the effective and efficient delivery of local and rural development. In this context , €220 million of the overall Leader programme complement for the 2014-2020 period has been allocated based on administrative or county boundaries to 28 sub-regional areas. In determining the county allocations, three objective criteria were used, namely, minimum allocation, population density and a Resource Allocation Model (RAM). Each county was given a minimum allocation of €3 million to ensure that each received a viable allocation. However, Cork County was allocated €6 million as a minimum in order to ensure a viable allocation to each of the three administrative districts within the county, as the overall population outside of the city is almost twice that of any other county. The methodology used to calculate the allocations was designed to ensure that the available funding was weighted towards the most rural populations and those experiencing most rural disadvantage. Using this methodology, which I am satisfied is fair and consistent, each county was allocated a proportionate share of the funding available through the Leader elements of the RDP.
While the allocation for the Leader element of the 2014-2020 Programme is less than the value of the Leader element of 2007 – 2013 programme, I am confident that within the confines of the fiscal environment we have experienced in the recent past, the Government has allocated the maximum amount possible to support the Leader elements of the 2014-2020 programme. The Government’s drive to increase coordination at a local level and the commitment to the delivery of the recommendations in the CEDRA report, will ensure that the impact of the funding, while decreased, will be maximised to support the sustainable development of our rural communities. In this context, I have no plans to review the funding allocations.
763. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if it will be a condition of the new Leader programme that the Leader programme for the islands will be delivered by an island-based operational company; if not, the reason for the change in policy from the 2007 to 2013 programme; the estimated loss of island-based jobs in the event of an island-based Leader company not delivering the new programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13945/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the EU regulatory framework governing the Leader element of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, each EU Member State must conduct an open and transparent process to select both the Local Development Strategies and the Local Action Group(s) for each sub-regional area. Accordingly, my Department is conducting a two stage process. The first stage, which is an Expressions of Interest (EOI) stage, was recently launched and any entity wishing to be considered as a Local Action Group for their area has until 15 May 2015 to submit an EOI. Further details are available on my Department’s website at:http://www.environ.ie/en/Community/RuralDevelopment/EURuralDevelopment/RuralDevelopmentProgrammeLEADER2014-2020/SelectionProcessforLEADER2014-2020/.
Local Action Groups and Local Development Strategies will be selected by an independent selection committee, established specifically for that purpose. Entities successful in the first stage of the process will be invited and supported in stage two of the process, which is the design of a Local Development Strategy for their area. I expect that some Local Development Strategies will be operational and funding available for these by Autumn 2015.
At this stage it would not be appropriate for me to speculate as to the outcome of the Leader Local Development Strategy selection process. However, all expressions of interest will be considered within the framework outlined in the process detailed above.
764. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when statutory instruments will be made setting a commencement date for the introduction of the new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines, as provided for in Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13959/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra777. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the incremental tenant purchase scheme for existing local authority dwellings will be operational; the details of the scheme; the way it will affect existing local authority dwellings; when regulations outlining the new scheme will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14144/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 764 and 777 together.
The Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020 includes a commitment to make, in the second quarter of 2015, the Regulations necessary to introduce a new tenant purchase scheme for existing local authority houses under Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014.
The scheme will operate along the lines of the incremental purchase model currently operating for local authority apartments and certain new local authority houses, which involves discounts for purchasers linked to household income and a discount-related charge on the property that reduces to nil over a period, unless the house is resold or the purchaser fails to comply with conditions of the sale. Where the tenant purchaser resells the property before the end of the charge period, he or she will be required to pay back to the housing authority a portion of any profits arising from the sale, thereby compensating the State for its loss on the original sale of the property and generating funds for the local authority to invest in new social housing or the refurbishment of existing housing.
765. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of his comments regarding Leader funds spent on local historical books and rural tourism brochures, the amount, and the percentage of the 2007 to 2013 Rural Development Fund Leader funds, that were spent on such documents; his response to the City and County Managers' Association submission of 2 October 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13963/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
766. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will elaborate on the allocation of moneys that were announced by him in respect of Leader funding; if he recognises that it contains many anomalies; the reason County Cork, which has three sub-regions, only received €6 million per sub-region despite the fact that, in his Department's own criteria, each sub-region was supposed to receive a minimum of €3 million per sub-region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13965/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Leader element of the Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020 will provide €250 million in financial resources to rural communities over the next 5 - 6 years. Ireland is reconfiguring the way in which local and rural development interventions are implemented. This is in line with Government policy to ensure that local government is well positioned to support the effective and efficient delivery of local and rural development. A total of €220 million of the overall programme complement of €250m has been allocated based on administrative or county boundaries to 28 sub-regional areas.
In determining the county allocations, three objective criteria were used, namely, minimum allocation, population density and a Resource Allocation Model (RAM). Each county was given a minimum allocation of €3 million to ensure that each received a viable level of funding. However, Cork County was allocated €6 million as a minimum as the overall population outside of the city is almost twice that of any other county.
In relation to the 2014-2020 Programme, I am satisfied that the allocations are fair. Cork has been allocated almost €14 million which is the highest allocation nationally and is almost €5.5 million or 60% greater than the average county allocation.
767. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason there is no mention of funds for fishery local action groups in the Leader allocations; his plans to dispense with these groups; if there is money left over from the 2007 to 2013 Leader programme; if so, the amount of money; and his plans for same. [13966/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department manages the Leader elements of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) which are funded from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). The allocations announced on 10 March 2015 are allocations from the EAFRD to support the Leader elements of the RDP 2014-2020. All available funding under the 2007-2013 Leader programme has been allocated to projects. The Fisheries Local Action Groups are funded from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, which is managed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Any queries in this regard should therefore be directed to my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
768. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14008/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSocial housing is a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the additional €2.2 billion in funding announced in Budget 2015 and the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 in November, 2014. The targeted social housing provision of over 110,000 social housing units, through the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units and meeting the housing needs of some 75,000 households through the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Scheme, will address the needs of the 90,000 households on the housing waiting list in full, with flexibility to meet potential future demand. The Strategy will be delivered in two phases. Phase 1 targets the delivery of 18,000 additional housing units and 32,400 Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) units, by the end of 2017. In phase 2, spanning the years 2018 to 2020, the strategy targets the delivery of 17,000 additional units and 43,000 Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) units. In addition, the implementation of the range of actions under Construction 2020 will support increased supply in the wider housing market.
The Social Housing Strategy 2020 is available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,39622,en.pdf.
The latest summary of social housing assessments, as of 7 May 2013, provides data on the number of households on local authority waiting lists at that date across a range of categories broken down by local authority. The Social Housing Strategy 2020 also includes a commitment to increase the regularity of the summary of social housing assessments by undertaking it on annual basis from 2016 onwards.
Details on the number of households on the waiting lists as per the 2013 assessment in the four Dublin authorities are outlined in a table.
|
LOCAL AUTHORITY |
NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS |
|
South Dublin County Council |
6,217 |
|
Fingal County Council |
6,020 |
|
Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council |
3,406 |
|
Dublin City Council |
16,171 |
|
Total: |
31,814 |
The full 2013 results are available on my Department’s website at:
http://www.environ.ie/en/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,34857,en.pdf
On 1 April 2015, I announced housing targets for each local authority area to 2017, with associated funding of some €1.5 billion. On a national basis this significant announcement is designed to accommodate 25% of the social housing waiting list. The combined funding total for the Dublin local authorities comes to over €500 million for the period 2015 to 2017. This funding underpins ambitious housing targets that have been set for the Dublin local authorities in that period to ensure strong delivery where the need is greatest. Details of targets and provisional funding allocations for the Dublin local authorities are set out in a table.
The full announcement is available on my Department’s website at the following link.
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41016,en.htm
|
Local Authority |
Provisional Funding Allocation (Current and Capital in Euro) |
Targets 2015 - 2017 (No. of Housing Units per LA) |
|
DLR County Council |
€61,030,770 |
681 |
|
Dublin City Council |
€292,194,455 |
3347 |
|
Fingal County Council |
€81,041,413 |
1376 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
€73,255,580 |
1445 |
With regard to land available for housing purposes, my Department has recently carried out a national survey of all lands zoned for residential or primarily residential development in statutory local authority development plans and local area plans across Ireland in to determine the location and quantity of lands that may be regarded as being undeveloped and available for primarily residential development purposes. Details of the survey can be found at:
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Planning/FileDownLoad,40214,en.pdf
Furthermore, the Housing Agency, in consultation with my Department and local authorities, is updating the data and developing a more extensive and detailed database and GIS map of local authority owned sites in order to support the implementation of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. 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.
As part of that exercise local authorities are in the process of returning land data and assessment results and a full analysis of this data has now commenced. All suitable sites owned by Local Authorities will be considered in the context of future social housing building programmes.
Tackling impediments to the proper functioning of the construction sector is another important priority for this Government, and already a number of targeted initiatives have been introduced by the Government under Construction 2020 that have supported the recovery of the construction sector. In March 2015, both my Department and the Department of Finance held conferences, bringing together key delivery agents including, investors, developers, approved housing bodies, local authorities, Government departments and public bodies , to explore how viable construction and development projects can be progressed.
A structured, formal process of engagement with proposers of social housing in the investment and delivery area has been put in place under a Clearing House Protocol. This Protocol sets out the process for future engagement with such proposers and is available on my Department’s website at:
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,40899,en.pdf.
In addition, a wide range of initiatives are being progressed under the Government’s Construction 2020 strategy. A number of these are being advanced in the context of the Planning and Development (No.1) Bill which I expect will be published early in the current Oireachtas session. One of the measures involved will see the introduction of a vacant site levy whereby local authorities, in certain urban centres, will have the power to apply levies on sites which are left vacant and under-utilised.
769. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department relating to Irish Water since 1 January 2014; the number of these that were completed, on time, after an extra requested period; the number that were not completed in either of these timeframes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14068/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department received fifty Freedom of Information requests relating to Irish Water in the period 1 January 2014 to 10 April 2015. Of those requests, twenty three were answered within the statutory timeframe. A further ten were completed within an extended period, which was required for additional consideration of the request and which was notified to the requestor. Fourteen requests were answered outside the timeframes and three requests are currently being processed.
While every effort is made within my Department to respond to requests as promptly as possible, it is sometimes necessary to extend the period for processing of requests due to reasons such as the need for third party consultation or the volume of material to be examined.
