Written Answers Nos. 148-156
148. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline his plans to ensure that house prices are not inflated as a result of any measures to stimulate the housing market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28939/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra150. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to set out the total number of families living in private rental accommodation who are likely to have a need to purchase a home of their own; if a plan will be formulated to meet their needs, having regard to the fact that their ability to raise a deposit is impeded by the level of their rent; if this can be taken into account with a view to facilitating their mortgage application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28941/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra151. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the extent to which first-time house buyers will be assisted in their quest for a home of their own, given their inability to compete with those who are trading up by virtue having to meet high rent payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28942/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 148, 150 and 151 together.
The Government recognises the major challenges presented by the shortage of housing at affordable prices, rising rents and the unacceptably high level of homelessness. That is why, in publishing the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Government has set out a practical and readily implementable set of actions to create a functioning and sustainable housing system. The Action Plan includes more than 80 separate actions and is very much focussed on the increased supply of affordable homes in the right locations.
Pillar 4 of the Action Plan deals with the rental sector and commits to developing a comprehensive strategy for the sector in Q4 2016. The strategy will be structured around 4 key areas: security, standards, supply and services. In terms of supply, the strategy will focus on maintaining existing levels of rental stock and encouraging investment in additional supply to foster greater rent stability and choice. Moreover, the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 introduced a number of measures to address rent stability and housing supply. The minimum period between rent reviews for tenancies was increased from 12 to 24 months and this new provision will apply for a 4-year period.
The rental market in Ireland has grown significantly in recent years and now accounts for around 20% of total Irish households. There are no figures available, however, as to the proportion of those households who wish to purchase their own home.
The common thread running through the five Pillars of Rebuilding Ireland is a focus on increasing housing supply, in order to achieve a better supply/demand balance in the market, with consequential benefits in terms of social housing availability, moderated rents and house prices. This focus on housing supply is shared across Government. Any housing related taxation issues are a matter for the Minister for Finance to consider in a Budgetary context.
149. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if discussions have taken place with lenders with a view to enabling those in rented accommodation to have their deposit requirement partially waived on the basis that they have already proven their capability of loan repayments based on their rental history; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28940/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraRules in relation to mortgage lending are not a matter for my Department. This is more appropriate to my colleague, the Minister for Finance, and for the Central Bank.
152. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the reason the budget allocation for homelessness in the midland regions is still comprising a historically low amount of 1.5% of the total budget available, notwithstanding that there has been a significant increase in the number of homeless in the region and given that the effectiveness and efficiency of all of the organisations involved, including Midland Simon, have been shown to be exceptional in terms of results, and if same can now be addressed in a positive way until the provision of a larger allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28964/16]
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. In accordance with section 37(2) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services, including accommodation, rests with individual housing authorities. My Department does not fund any service directly, but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless services.
Under the funding arrangements between my Department and housing authorities, the Midlands Region housing authorities have been notified of a baseline allocation of €800,000 in Exchequer funding for 2016. This allocation is provided on a delegated basis and is in respect of the housing authorities’ scheduled programme for planned and contracted expenditure for homeless services and accommodation, and the amount allocated is fully sufficient in this regard.
Furthermore, my Department has provided reassurance to all housing authorities that it will consider recouping additional costs arising as a result of unforeseen expenditure incurred due to increased rates of homeless presentation; such expenditure will be considered separately to the delegated funding arrangements on the basis of actual expenditure incurred. In this regard, an additional payment of approximately €80,000 is currently being processed in respect of the Midlands Region.
153. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the disability payment scheme and establish a cost of disability payment to alleviate the financial burden placed on a disabled person's cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28833/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe primary objectives of the illness and disability payments administered by my Department are to provide income support; promote social inclusion and provide supports to work.
The various illness and disability payments provide income support for people, and their dependants, who cannot earn a living because of sickness and/or disability. These schemes also provide a range of supports to encourage and assist people on long-term illness and disability payments to identify and take up available employment, training, educational and other self-development opportunities, where appropriate. The objectives also make a significant contribution to the broader social inclusion goal through the provision of income support and support to work.
My Department continually keeps its main disability payment schemes such as the Invalidity Pension and the Disability Allowance under review to ensure that they continue to meet these high-level objectives.
It is not the function of the income support system to address the additional costs associated with a disability. Accordingly, I have no plans to establish a cost of disability payment within the social protection system. In any event, people with disabilities are not a homogeneous group and as such would have widely differing needs with the result that the extra costs of disability would not therefore arise to the same extent in all cases. There is no single comprehensive payment available in respect of the additional costs of disability. However, some of these are addressed across schemes provided by a number of agencies such as the health service and also the Revenue Commissioners through certain tax reliefs and other supports.
I hope that clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
154. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection to set out the position of an application for invalidity pension in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28837/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
To qualify for IP, claimants must have (inter-alia) at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last complete contribution year before the date of their claim. Only PRSI classes A, E or H contributions are reckonable for IP purposes.
The person concerned was previously self-employed and paying PRSI contributions at class S. Class S contributions are not reckonable for IP purposes. As previously advised, the person concerned was refused IP on the grounds that the contribution conditions for the scheme were not satisfied and he was notified on the 23 September 2016 of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of review and appeal.
The person in question is in receipt of Disability Allowance at a reduced rate consequent on means.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
155. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 389 of 27 September 2016 if he will extend the eligibility criteria for fuel allowance to include disablement benefit; if he will discuss this with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in advance of budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28842/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 26 weeks from October to April to low income households at an estimated cost of €224 million in 2016. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household. This year’s Fuel Allowance season commenced on Monday 3rd October.
The fuel allowance payment is targeted at those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own. Disablement benefit is not included among those payments, as it is not means-tested and it can be paid to people in full time employment.
The appropriate levels of welfare support including eligibility for fuel allowance will be considered by the Government in the coming days, with due regard to the available resources. The outcome of this process will be announced on Budget Day.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
156. Deputy Josepha Madigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the existing and planned rent relief supports available for working families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28849/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraSupports in relation to housing are a key priority for this Government, as evidenced by the early implementation of its commitment to introduce increased rent limits under the rent supplement and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) schemes with increased limits introduced from 1 July 2016. The rent supplement scheme is supporting some 50,700 tenants at a cost of €267 million this year.
In recognition of the ongoing difficulties in the rented market, my Department continues to implement a targeted, flexible, case-by-case approach in assessing rent supplement where rents may exceed the maximum limits. The Protocol arrangement in place with Threshold continues to operate in the areas where supply issues are particularly acute covering Dublin, Cork, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow and Galway City.
The strategic policy direction of my Department is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of being a short-term income support scheme. To achieve this, the Government has two initiatives to deal with long term reliance on rent supplement. The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) which is in operation since 2004 and the more recent HAP scheme which has been in operation since 2014 and is a key pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020.
Under HAP, responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to those with a long-term housing need transfers to local authorities. HAP will contribute to the provision of a more integrated and streamlined system of social housing supports as it has been designed, unlike rent supplement, to allow any households that find full-time employment to remain in the scheme. Officials in my Department will continue to work with colleagues in the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government and the Local Authorities to support the accelerated roll out of HAP as committed to in the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.
Policy responsibility and reporting on HAP and the Affordable Rental Scheme, as outlined in the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.
