Written Answers Nos. 203-223
203. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the powers of local authorities to introduce by-laws to deal with aggressive begging in their areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22745/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 199(2)(a) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that a local authority may make a by-law where in its opinion it is desirable in the interests of the common good of the local community that any activity or other matter should be regulated or controlled by by-law, or that any nuisance should be controlled or suppressed by . The making of such bye laws is a matter for decision by individual local authorities and is a reserved function of the elected members.
However, section 199(2)(b) of the Act provides that a by-law may not be made for a purpose as respects which provision for that particular purpose is made under any other enactment. As regards the matter referred to in the Question, I understand that relevant provisions are contained in the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 2011, which is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality.
204. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to extend the funding and services of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive to the outer regions, which are experiencing a housing crisis of epidemic proportions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22635/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis. Under these regional arrangements Kildare County Council is the lead-authority for the Mid-East Region which also includes counties Meath and Wicklow. Similarly, the four Dublin local authorities take a regional approach to issues of homelessness, via the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive, with Dublin City Council as the lead-authority.
The regional approach is considered more effective as it brings a more strategic perspective to bear on action to address homelessness, including avoidance of over-concentration of homelessness services in certain centres and promoting appropriate regional availability of services, consistent with need. A statutory Management Group, established under the provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which includes representation from each housing authority, is in place in every region. This group considers issues around the need for homeless services and plans for the implementation and funding of such services.
The Mid-East Region, for which Kildare County Council is the lead-authority, received an allocation for homeless services this year of €934,267, which represents an increase of over 15% on the 2014 allocation of €811,275. The regional arrangements are working satisfactorily and I have no plans to extend the remit of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive. The needs of the various regions are kept under review on an on-going basis.
205. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the fact that a significant cohort of new housing units in the immediate future will be operated under lease, under the housing assistance payment scheme or under the rental accommodation scheme, his plans to reconfigure staffing at local authority level to include a tenancy protection unit at certain high-pressure areas such as in County Kildare and in other commuter belt counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22638/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisation arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible.
My Department works closely with all local authorities and all have been invited to submit staffing sanction requests to facilitate the delivery of the Government's Social Housing Strategy. To date in 2015, my Department has received and approved in excess of 200 housing related staffing requests.
206. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he plans to revise the planning legislation on the taking in charge of housing developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22060/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to the reply to Question No. 6 on today's Order Paper.
Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides - in relation to estates which have been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority in accordance with the planning permission - that the planning authority must if requested to do so by the developer, or by the majority of the owners of the houses involved, initiate the procedures for taking the estate in charge.
In relation to estates which have not been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority and enforcement proceedings have not been commenced against the developer within seven years of the expiration of the planning permission relating to the development, section 180 also provides that the planning authority must, if requested to do so by the majority of the owners of the housing units, initiate the taking in charge procedures.
My Department is currently reviewing, in the context of the forthcoming Planning and Development (No. 2) Bill, the section 180 provisions in relation to the taking in charge of housing estates with a view to improving and streamlining the relevant procedures. A particular focus of the review will be the time limits for the taking in charge of housing estates and my Department will consult with planning authorities in this regard. It is intended that the Planning and Development (No. 2) Bill will be enacted by the end of the year.
207. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the necessary regulations have been made under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 to facilitate tenant purchase of houses; if the scheme has commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22794/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraPart 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines. The Government's Social Housing Strategy 2020 includes a commitment to make the Regulations necessary for its introduction, in the second quarter of 2015, which will set out the full details of the new scheme. It is expected that the new scheme will commence at the earliest possible date following the making of the Regulations which are at an advanced stage of drafting.
208. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the present status of the provision to allow the sale of local authority apartments to tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22795/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe operation of the tenant purchase scheme for local authority apartments is a matter for individual housing authorities under Part 4 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Housing (Tenant Purchase of Apartments) Regulations 2011. Further Regulations will be made in due course prescribing the form of, and the terms and conditions to be specified in, the transfer orders and charging orders for use by housing authorities in operating the Scheme. It should be noted that these orders are not required until a housing authority has completed all the statutory steps in designating a particular apartment complex for tenant purchase and processing the required number of initial applications to purchase in that complex.
209. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when he plans to publish, in full, the revised wind energy guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22796/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setbacks 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 public consultation process.
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.
210. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the reason disputed rights-of-way were allowed to be included in draft county development plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22804/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 14 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides for a process for the inclusion by planning authorities of public rights of way in development plans. The process provides for the referral to the Circuit Court, by the landowner affected, of a proposal to include a right of way and where the court is satisfied that no right of way exists, the planning authority may not include it in its development plan. Section 14(7) provides that “the inclusion of a public right of way in a development plan shall be evidence of the existence of such a right unless the contrary is shown”.
The question of whether a public right of way exists is therefore ultimately a matter for the courts to determine.
211. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the lead pipes in St. Anne's in Raheny, Dublin 5 will be replaced. [22833/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2014, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library, suppliers of drinking water are required to ensure that the water supplied complies with the chemical and microbiological parameters set out in the Regulations. Details of monitoring requirements along with the procedures to be followed and the roles of water suppliers, the EPA and the HSE, where there is non-compliance with the parametric values set out in the Schedules to the Regulations, are clearly laid out in the Regulations.
The Water Services Act 2007 provides that the owner of a premises is responsible for the maintenance and renewal of the internal water distribution system. Responsibility for replacing lead pipes from the main stopcock to the house and within the house therefore rests with the homeowner. In a joint position paper on lead published by the EPA and HSE in 2013, it is recommended that all lead pipes and plumbing in public and private ownership should be replaced over time. The joint position paper also recommends that persons in premises with lead piping should, in the meantime, flush the supply at the kitchen tap first thing in the morning, before using. The full document is available to download from the HSE's website at:
http://www.hse.ie/eng/health/hl/water/drinkingwater/lead/HSE_EPA_JointPositionPaperLeadinDrinkingWater.pdf.
Earlier this week I announced a National Strategy to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water which has been approved by the Government. The Strategy was prepared by my Department and the Department of Health in consultation with Irish Water, the HSE and the EPA, in order to map the scale of the problem and identify measures to mitigate any risks to human health posed by lead in drinking water. As part of the Strategy I will be establishing a new grant scheme to assist low income households to replace lead pipes in their home. Details of the scheme are being finalised but it is envisaged that the grant scheme will be administered by local authorities and in line with Drinking Water regulations, the available resources will be prioritised to areas of highest risk.
212. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which this country has incurred fines or penalties imposed by the European Union in respect of ground or other water pollution; the steps taken to prevent any such penalties in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22845/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe implementation of the EU Water Framework Ground Directives requires the extensive monitoring of groundwater quality and the inclusion of programmes of measures in each river basin management plan to ensure continuing improvement in the quality of groundwater. The European Communities Environmental Objectives (Groundwater) Regulations 2010, as amended, give legal effect to measures for the protection of groundwater.
On-going monitoring of groundwater quality is carried out by the EPA. The monitoring includes substances such as ammonium, nitrate and phosphate as well as faecal coliforms and pesticides. In the report Water Quality in Ireland 2007-2009, the EPA found that overall, in comparison to previous reporting periods, pollution of groundwater decreased over the period, with reductions in nitrate and phosphate concentrations. The EPA's next report on Water Quality is due to be published very shortly, but I understand that this decreasing trend has continued in the period 2010-2012.
The EU have not imposed any fines or penalties in respect of groundwater or other water pollution. However, on the 29 October 2009, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled against Ireland in relation to septic tanks and other on-site wastewater treatment systems. The Court found that by failing to adopt the necessary legislation to comply with Articles 4 and 8 of the Waste Directive (75/442/EEC), Ireland had failed to fulfil its obligations as regards domestic waste waters disposed of in the countryside through septic tanks and other individual waste water treatment systems. On 19 December 2012, the ECJ ruled that Ireland should pay fines totalling € 2.756 million, made up of a lump sum penalty of €2 million plus daily fines of €0.756m.
The ECJ ruling highlighted deficiencies in the then existing Irish legislation. These deficits were addressed through enactment of the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 and associated regulations, which introduced registration and inspection systems for domestic waste water treatment systems. Publication of the EPA's National Inspection Plan on 19 February 2013 was the final measure required to ensure full compliance with the Court's ruling. The case is now closed.
213. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will indicate, having regard to replies to previous parliamentary questions on the issue, the extent to which his Department has examined the submissions from Kildare County Council for approval in respect of the Kilmacreddock and Barrogstown group sewerage scheme; if he is aware of the technical questions raised in this context, and the relevant response from the international engineering consultants asserting the viability of the plan; if he is aware of the environmental benefits of the proposal, as set out; when his Department is likely to give its approval to the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22846/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for the administration of my Department's Rural Water Programme, under which funding is provided for group schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection, prioritisation and approval of individual group scheme proposals for advancement and funding under the programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and subject to the block grant allocations provided, is therefore a matter for the local authorities. The provision of information on approval of schemes would, consequently, be a matter for the individual local authorities, Kildare County Council in this case.
However, in 2014, my Department approved a grant to Kildare County Council for a Feasibility Study on the proposed Kilmacreddock/Barrogstown Group Sewerage Scheme. The completed study, which has been submitted to my Department, is being examined and a response will issue to Kildare County Council shortly.
214. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of house purchases or new house starts approved by his Department in respect of County Kildare in the past 12 months, having regard to the increase in homelessness, rapidly increasing rents, and the numbers on the local authority housing waiting lists; if cognisance is being taken of the worsening situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22910/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder my Department's Social Housing Capital Investment Programme, funding is provided to housing authorities to increase their supply of social housing stock through the construction and acquisition of houses and apartments. In 2014 Kildare County Council was approved to advance construction projects at Kilcock for 20 units and at Athy, for the replacement of 10 derelict units. Under my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme, projects were approved for the Council in May 2014 for the purchase of 28 units of accommodation by Dublin Simon Community in Newbridge and Naas, and for the construction of 4 units of accommodation by KARE Voluntary Housing Body at Naas for disabled persons at an estimated cost of €0.63m.
The Council also received funding in 2014 from my Department for the purchase of 13 properties at various locations in the county, at a cost of €2.68m.
Since the launch of the Social Housing Strategy, I announced delivery targets and provisional funding allocations for all local authorities out to 2017. The overall delivery target for Kildare County Council is 1,283 units for that period, with a provisional funding allocation of almost €87m.
Following that target setting process, on 5 May I announced a major social housing construction programme with €312m investment, covering all 31 local authorities and with over 1,700 housing units to be built across some 100 separate projects. That announcement followed proposals made by local authorities on their planned delivery of new social housing units out to 2017. For Kildare County Council, this included approval for the construction of 29 units at Bishopsland, 18 units at Rathangan and 10 units at Prosperous. Details are available on my Department's website at http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41340,en.htm.
This was the first such announcement under the Social Housing Strategy and further announcements will be made as local authority proposals for the delivery of social housing units are evaluated.
In their planned delivery of new social housing units out to 2017, Kildare County Council has proposed the acquisition of some new social housing units through various means in 2015, including under Part V provisions. Specific proposals from the Council are being assessed by my Department and a decision on these will be provided shortly.
Data in relation to all social housing units acquired or developed to date by local authorities, including Kildare County Council, are published on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,15291,en.xls.
215. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which he and his Department continue to monitor rent increases in the private rented sector, with particular reference to the number and level of increases in the past 12 months; if he is aware of the likely extent to which homelessness is likely to increase as a result; his plans to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22911/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra216. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons currently living in private rental accommodation and dependent on rent support but whose rents are being increased, in many cases beyond the extent to which rent support is available; if further immediate steps will be taken to increase the supply of local authority houses, with particular reference to those areas currently experiencing an acute housing shortage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22912/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra218. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which his Department might review tenancy agreements throughout the housing sector with a view to providing guidance and support to tenants who have been the subject of repeated substantial rent increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22914/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra222. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which he might be in a position to regulate the duration of tenancies with a view to ensuring a greater degree of reliability, duration, and rent levels throughout the private rental sector, with particular reference to those not dependent on rent support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22932/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 215, 216, 218 and 222 together.
The recently published Daft.ie Rental Report for Quarter 1 2015 reported that year-on-year inflation in rents continued to ease slightly in the first three months of 2015. It reported that rents nationally were 8.2% higher than in the first quarter of 2014, down from the 10.4% annual increase recorded in mid-2014. While the report recorded a slow-down in rent inflation in Dublin, this was offset by an increase in the surrounding counties.
These trends are broadly in line with the most recent data from the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) whose rent index is based on actual rents paid as opposed to the asking price. The PRTB data shows that in the fourth quarter of 2014, rents were 5.8% higher nationally than in the same quarter of 2013. Dublin, however, was seeing the highest rates of increase nationally with rents there higher by 9.6% over the same period, although the rate of annual increase was down slightly.
In terms of the number of persons currently living in private rental accommodation and dependent on rent support, there are approximately 69,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement. A further 20,000 approximately are on the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and just over 2,000 are now on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). The rent supplement scheme, which is managed by the Department of Social Protection, provides support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The strategic focus for Rent Supplement over the short to medium term will be the on-going transfer of people from Rent Supplement to the new Housing Assistance Payment scheme (HAP). Rent Supplement will continue to be paid by the Department of Social Protection to households in the private rental sector who require a short-term income support to pay their rent, due to a temporary loss of income.
A shortage of supply is at the heart of rising rents and the Government is addressing this on a number of fronts. Construction 2020: A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector, published last year, is aimed at addressing issues in the property and construction sectors and ensuring that any bottlenecks that might impede the sector in meeting residential and non-residential demand are addressed. Construction 2020 also commits to identifying and implementing further improvements to the planning system to facilitate appropriate development.
Addressing the supply shortfall in housing will take time but in the period since the publication of Construction 2020, some welcome signs of recovery in the sector have become evident. Particularly notable in this regard is the increase in the number of house completions in 2014 to 11,016 units nationally – an increase of 33% on the 2013 figure. The latest figures for new house completions show that 2,629 units were completed in the first three months of 2015, up 26% on the corresponding figure for the first quarter 2014.
Social housing is a key priority for the Government, evidenced by the additional €2.2 billion in funding announced for social housing in Budget 2015 and the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 in November 2014. The total targeted provision under the Social Housing Strategy 2020 of 110,000 social housing units includes the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units through Pillar 1.
On 1 April 2015, I announced provisional funding allocations totalling €1.5 billion for all local authorities, to meet an ambitious delivery target of 22,883 social housing units out to 2017. As part of this delivery, on 5th May I allocated €312 million across all local authorities for the first phase of their direct build programmes which will yield 1,700 social housing units by 2017. I expect to announce further approvals in the coming months. Full details, including specifics of the projects to be progressed, the funding allocated and the number of units to be delivered in each local authority are available on my Department's website at: http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/.
A range of measures are being taken to secure a supply of accommodation for homeless households and to mobilise the necessary supports in order to deliver on the Government's target of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. These measures have been identified in the Government's Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessness (May 2014) and in the Action Plan to Address Homelessness (December 2014). The plans and progress reports are available on my Department's website at the weblink below:
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/SpecialNeeds/HomelessPeople.
The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 provides that rents may not be greater than the open market rate and may only be reviewed upward or downward once a year unless there has been a substantial change in the nature of the accommodation that warrants a review. Tenants must be given 28 days' notice of new rent and can make an application for dispute resolution to the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) where they feel the rent increase is in excess of the market rent. These provisions have effect notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in a lease or tenancy agreement. It is the case, however, that a poll for the PRTB last year found that only 64% of tenants are aware of their rights under the 2004 Act. In response, the PRTB has recently completed a tender process for an Education and Awareness advertising campaign for tenants and landlords in the Private Rented Sector. A key objective of the campaign is to make tenants and landlords aware of their rights and responsibilities. The campaign will formally launch shortly.
The National Economic and Social Council (NESC) report Ireland's Rental Sector: Pathways to Secure Occupancy and Affordable Supply, which was published last month, is a welcome and timely contribution to the debate around the rental sector. The report calls for more secure occupancy for tenants, including greater rent certainty as well as measures to increase the supply of rental housing. The recommendations put forward in this report will be considered carefully in the context of framing any measures in relation to the rental market. My overriding objective in relation to rents is to achieve stability and sustainability in the market for the benefit of tenants, landlords and society as a whole.
217. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government notwithstanding his positive efforts to date in meeting the local authority housing shortage, if other means might be considered, such as a Government bond to accelerate the public housing programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22913/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn November 2014 the Government approved the Social Housing Strategy 2020 which sets out a strategic framework for meeting the State's social housing needs to the end of the decade.
The Strategy includes a commitment to commence work on a financial vehicle, to be known as the Strategic Housing Fund, to raise funding for the social housing sector. The financial vehicle will be established to facilitate the aggregation of private investment into a fund for subsequent lending as project finance.
Work on the development of this new funding model has commenced and is being progressed under the oversight of a group which has been put in place to develop the financial aspects of the Social Housing Strategy. This group - the Finance Work Stream - comprises a range of key stakeholders including the Housing Finance Agency, the National Development Finance Agency and the Departments of Finance and of Public Expenditure & Reform.
Arising from the opportunity offered by the Strategy, a range of developers, investors, financiers and others expressed interest in being involved in the provision of social housing. A protocol was put in place in March 2015 under the auspices of the Finance Work Stream to facilitate individuals and entities seeking to engage with the State to provide investment for the delivery of social housing. A single point of contact for submitting proposals has been established - the Social Housing Proposals Clearing House Group - which operates through my Department, under the oversight of the Finance Work Stream. Interested parties are invited to contact the Clearing House at newfundingmodels@environ.ie.
219. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of replies to previous parliamentary questions on the issue, the extent to which the various stakeholders have come to address outstanding issues involving the completion of the development at the Waterways in County Kildare, in view of the concern and discontent of the residential and commercial tenants and stakeholders; if the requirements of the local authority in respect of completion of the development have been complied with in their entirety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22915/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe finalisation of any outstanding planning related matters regarding the development concerned are a matter for Kildare County Council and I have no function in such matters.
220. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm whether he has received any submissions from Kildare County Council in regard to the ongoing matter of cessation of development at the town centre in Naas in County Kildare; if so, if he will outline the details of any such submissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22916/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that this issue concerns the non-completion of a development by a developer, which is an enforcement matter for Kildare County Council, in relation to which I have no role. My Department has not received any reports from Kildare County Council in relation to this matter.
221. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which disabled persons' housing adaptation grants are adequately funded by the local authorities through his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22917/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 28 May 2015, I announced total funding of €50.5 million for the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability. I have increased the level of funding available for the grant schemes by some 10% for 2015. Allocations in 2015 were based primarily on the level of grant activity in local authorities in 2014, with no local authority receiving less than their 2014 allocation.
Through careful management of my Department's housing budget in 2014, additional funds were made available to local authorities with high levels of grant activity. I will be applying the same scrutiny to the capital budget for 2015 and, in the event of savings arising, these grants will be a priority for supplementary funding.
223. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when the 2015 specific housing grants allocation will be provided to Kerry County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22934/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 28 May 2015, I announced details of the capital allocations for the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. I have increased the level of funding available for the grant schemes by some 10% overall for 2015 and no local authority received less than their 2014 allocation.
€1,788,778 is available to Kerry County Council for these grant schemes in 2015, of which €357,756 is to be provided from the Council's own resources.
