Written Answers Nos. 211-220
211. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons, by local authority area, in tabular form, who have applied for housing adaptation grants and who are currently awaiting a decision; and the number of these applicants who have a disability. [32652/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra212. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons in each local authority area who are awaiting payment of a housing adaptation grant following a successful application for same; and the number of these persons who have a disability. [32653/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 211 and 212 together.
My Department allocates funding to local authorities towards the cost of adaptations and extensions to social housing to meet needs of tenants with a disability and towards the Housing Adaptation Grants Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, which supports owners of private houses.
Detailed information in relation to people who have applied for the grants, or are awaiting payment in each local authority area, is not available in my Department, as the detailed administration of the schemes, including the receipt of applications, their assessment and the payment of grants to applicants, is a matter for individual local authorities.
213. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, by local authority for each year from 2008 to 2014, inclusive, and in tabular form, the average amount paid for a housing adaptation grant; the number of payments that were less than 50% of the average; and the number that 50% more than the average. [32654/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department allocates funding to local authorities towards the cost of adaptations and extensions to social housing to meet needs of tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. The administration of the scheme is a matter for individual local authorities and therefore information in relation to the cost of individual projects in respect of adaptations to local authority housing is not available in my Department.
My Department also allocates funding to local authorities for three separate schemes under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability (Private Houses) - the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People. The average grants paid for the three schemes are in the following table. The detailed administration of these schemes is the responsibility of the local authorities and detail in relation to the numbers of grants above and below the average is not available in my Department.
Average Grant Paid 2008-2014
|
|
Housing Adaptation |
Housing Aid for Older People |
Mobility Aid |
|
2008 |
€9,678 |
€4,462 |
€3,475 |
|
2009 |
€9,610 |
€4,505 |
€3,305 |
|
2010 |
€9,181 |
€4,245 |
€3,285 |
|
2011 |
€8,473 |
€4,164 |
€3,230 |
|
2012 |
€8,467 |
€4,107 |
€3,274 |
|
2013 |
€8,334 |
€3,995 |
€3,283 |
|
2014 |
€7,930 |
€3,714 |
€3,234 |
215. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of additional new or second-hand housing units acquired by the local authorities following the various housing initiatives which he has introduced; the extent to which such acquisitions correspond to the relative local authority housing lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32681/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraInformation in relation to all social housing units acquired or developed by all local authorities is published on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,15291,en.xls
under the heading “LA hsg output commenced (1994+)”. The data currently available is to the end of the first quarter of 2015; data in respect of the second quarter will be published shortly. Under the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020, substantial funding is being made available to support the delivery of new social housing units. This includes funding provided to housing authorities for the construction and acquisition of houses and apartments to assist in meeting the needs of those on the social housing waiting lists.
On 1 April 2015, I announced provisional funding allocations totalling €1.5 billion for all local authorities, to meet an ambitious delivery target of circa 22,900 social housing units out to 2017. Details of the individual targets set for local authorities can be found on my Department’s website at:
www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41016,en.htm.
To date in 2015, some €493 million has been allocated to local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies for the construction and acquisition of over 2,900 social housing units, full details of which can be found on my Department’s website at the following links:
www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41340,en.htm
and
www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,42225,en.htm.
In addition, over €91 million worth of housing investment was announced in May 2015 across a range of housing schemes, including bringing vacant social housing units back into productive use. The latter is an important component of the focus on reducing the numbers on the social housing waiting lists. Full details of the allocations made to local authorities in this respect are available on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.environ.ie/en/GeneralNews/MainBody,41581,en.htm.
216. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will further review the shared ownership mortgages issued by local authorities over recent years which have been affected by a 4.5% annual increase in the rental equity of the property with obvious consequences for the purchasers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32682/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department, with the assistance of the Housing Agency, the Housing Finance Agency and the Local Authority Housing Loans Management Group, has been examining the operation of the Shared Ownership Scheme for existing borrowers. The issues arising with Shared Ownership Schemes require careful consideration and expert financial data analysis. Arising from the findings of the review to date, the Index Linked Shared Ownership Scheme which operated from 1999 until 2002 has been revised with regard to the annual indexation of the rental equity balance and rental payments. The amendments, which take effect from the 1 July 2015, will reduce the monthly cost for these borrowers and avoid existing rental equity balances increasing for the remaining term. My Department has issued directions to local authorities outlining the measures and I understand that these changes are being applied to individual loan accounts.
The more recent Shared Ownership Scheme that operated from 2003 to 2011 provides a formalised mechanism for the borrower to pay off the rental equity portion of the arrangement over the course of the term of the loan agreement. Integral to this mechanism is the provision for the compounding of the rental charge by 4.5% per annum. Reducing this annual compounding would have the effect of reducing the borrower’s contribution to paying off the rental equity balance, thus extending the term of the loan agreement and delaying the transition to full ownership.
My Department, together with the other agencies, is continuing to examine the operation of Shared Ownership loans and issues arising for some borrowers, with a view to developing further measures that may assist with the affordability of these arrangements.
217. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the research that has been, or is currently being, carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency into the issue of hydraulic fracturing and its impact; the persons and the bodies that are parties to this research; the other institutions that are involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32484/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Unconventional Gas Exploration and Extraction (UGEE) Joint Research Programme is a comprehensive programme of research directed at examining the potential environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing, which was commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The key questions that this research programme, which is to be carried out over a minimum period of two years, needs to answer are:
- Can unconventional gas exploration and extraction projects and operations be carried out in the island of Ireland whilst also protecting the environment and human health? and
- What is ‘best environmental practice’ in relation to such projects and operations?
This research programme is co-funded by the EPA, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) with oversight from a broad based Steering Committee comprising the EPA, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, DCENR, the Geological Survey of Ireland, the Commission for Energy Regulation, An Bord Pleanála, NIEA, the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, and the Health Services Executive.
In May 2012 the EPA published the outcome of a small-scale study commissioned from the University of Aberdeen called “Hydraulic Fracturing or ‘Fracking’: A Short Summary of Current Knowledge and Potential Environmental Impacts”. This preliminary research project together with a public consultation in 2013 contributed to shaping the terms of reference for the comprehensive joint research programme currently on-going.
I can once again confirm that no decision will be made on any proposal for the use of hydraulic fracturing, as part of any unconventional gas exploration and extraction programme, until there has been time to consider the outcome of this EPA research.
218. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will review and increase the fines in place for the pollution of rivers, given the very small court fine imposed in a recent case (details supplied) which had resulted in the killing of 5,000 fish. [32627/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraA revision of all existing offences and bringing penalties into line with the Fines Act, 2010 is a key element of the review of the Fisheries Consolidation Act 1959 which is the principal statute governing the inland fisheries sector.
Considerable effort has been directed to this task, and as the Deputy will appreciate consolidation and modernisation can be intricate and challenging and particularly so in this case as the Principal Act is over 50 years old and is itself a consolidation of legislation dating back to the 1800's.
The review also includes very complex issues such as fisheries title and ownership, invasive species and potential offences not contemplated at the time of the 1959 Act. All of the diverse aspects of the legislation are being thoroughly reviewed and environmental and ecological developments since original enactment are being considered so that robust and modern legislation is put in place to address all the challenges in the sector.
Fines imposed in the District court are a matter for the Court itself. However, in the particular case referred to by the Deputy, I can confirm that in addition to the fine, the defendant company was directed to pay legal costs and expenses to Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and Dublin City Council amounting to a total of €34,603.45 including €7,740 towards appropriate mitigation measures.
219. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of bonus remuneration paid to staff in his Department and in agencies under his aegis to date in 2015; the number of persons to whom these payments were made and their purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32532/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not make bonus payments to any members of its staff.
In relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department, this is an operational matter for each body. My Department will ask the bodies in question to supply the information directly to the Deputy.
220. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the National Transport Authority will provide details of all the funding provided to a company (details supplied) in County Kerry since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32486/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for the management of the Rural Transport Programme was assigned to the National Transport Authority (NTA) with effect from 1st April 2012. I have forwarded your question to the NTA for direct response to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
