Written Answers Nos. 58 - 66
58. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide an updated list, broken down by local authority, of all long-term voids by quarter, and the number of these voids that will be returned to stock and the cost. [28702/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has provided €60 million over the two year period 2014 to 2015 to support local authorities in returning over 5,000 vacant units to productive use. To date in 2016, €24 million has been allocated for the remediation of over 1,300 units. This funding, therefore, will bring the number of units remediated to well in excess of 6,000 between 2014 and 2016; these units are additional to those dealt with by local authorities themselves under normal routine maintenance and pre-letting repairs. Clearly, the strong level of funding provided by my Department and the work undertaken by local authorities in tackling the backlog of vacant units that had accumulated, has resulted in a reduced 1-2% rate of vacancy reported by some local authorities.
The table shows the figures for 2014 and 2015. The 2016 programme is underway and the details and costs of the completed units will be available once all claims have been received and processed.
|
Local Authority |
No. of Units returned 2014 |
Funding 2014 |
Units Returned 2015 |
Funding 2015 |
|
|
1 |
Carlow |
42 |
€325,111 |
28 |
€300,650 |
|
2 |
Cavan |
23 |
€349,137 |
28 |
€307,018 |
|
3 |
Clare |
65 |
€995,829 |
96 |
€1,472,533 |
|
4 |
Cork City |
212 |
€2,872,027 |
281 |
€4,522,819 |
|
5 |
Cork County |
155 |
€1,539,364 |
199 |
€2,091,578 |
|
6 |
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown |
5 |
€89,896 |
24 |
€262,768 |
|
7 |
Donegal |
167 |
€919,797 |
146 |
€1,003,576 |
|
8 |
Dublin City |
467 |
€6,163,464 |
787 |
€10,858,088 |
|
9 |
Fingal |
165 |
€1,938,780 |
139 |
€1,624,632 |
|
10 |
Galway City |
24 |
€474,050 |
25 |
€222,025 |
|
11 |
Galway County |
76 |
€958,263 |
59 |
€705,347 |
|
12 |
Kerry |
79 |
€718,938 |
103 |
€884,736 |
|
13 |
Kildare |
49 |
€503,463 |
20 |
€359,808 |
|
14 |
Kilkenny |
25 |
€484,430 |
23 |
€381,639 |
|
15 |
Laois |
43 |
€257,013 |
12 |
€61,228 |
|
16 |
Leitrim |
15 |
€229,072 |
9 |
€177,474 |
|
17 |
Limerick |
98 |
€915,969 |
52 |
€500,689 |
|
18 |
Longford |
16 |
€313,250 |
22 |
€426,535 |
|
19 |
Louth |
18 |
€113,620 |
21 |
€292,279 |
|
20 |
Mayo |
80 |
€464,508 |
86* |
€878,600 |
|
21 |
Meath |
59 |
€1,037,501 |
54 |
€855,565 |
|
22 |
Monaghan |
21 |
€92,751 |
13 |
€100,502 |
|
23 |
Offaly |
35 |
€514,000 |
55 |
€551,532 |
|
24 |
Roscommon |
34 |
€224,028 |
36 |
€258,773 |
|
25 |
Sligo |
29 |
€311,648 |
39 |
€439,924 |
|
26 |
South Dublin |
92 |
€627,408 |
27 |
€216,838 |
|
27 |
Tipperary |
86 |
€935,801 |
115 |
€1,299,180 |
|
28 |
Waterford |
42 |
€605,428 |
56 |
€488,724 |
|
29 |
Westmeath |
56 |
€396,518 |
74 |
€650,813 |
|
30 |
Wexford |
20 |
€316,307 |
24 |
€294,811 |
|
31 |
Wicklow |
35 |
€650,204 |
43 |
€857,499 |
|
TOTAL |
2333 |
€26,337,575 |
2696 |
€33,348,183 |
59. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason a small local authority housing project in Kells, County Meath, which was due to go to tender in 2016, has been delayed. [28476/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal authority housing construction projects require careful consideration and planning, and their advancement through the various phases of development is in the first instance a matter for the proposing local authority.
With regard to the project referred to by the Deputy, my Department is working closely with Meath County Council on various aspects of the design of the project, with a view to having the project advanced as soon as possible.
I am advised that Meath County Council will be submitting a further submission on the project shortly, which my Department will review and revert to the Council, as a matter of urgency.
60. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the 10,000 long-term lease units which would be automatically owned by local authorities and approved housing bodies at the end of the lease term and those that will not automatically be owned by said bodies. [28709/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraOf the 47,000 social housing units to be delivered under Rebuilding Ireland, an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, approximately 26,000 will be constructed, while 11,000 will be purchased by local authorities and approved housing bodies, directly from the market or the Housing Agency, with a portion of these being newly built units.
10,000 units will be leased by local authorities and approved housing bodies, which includes an estimated 5,000 units to be sourced from the NTMA Special Purpose Vehicle and 5,000 properties to be secured from a combination of the Repair and Leasing Initiative that will be piloted shortly, and under long-term lease arrangements by local authorities and approved housing bodies from a range of different sources, not including Part V. This therefore includes a mix of units from the existing housing stock and newly built units.
The 5,000 units to be sourced through the NTMA Special Purpose Vehicle will be owned by the vehicle at the end of the lease term. The vehicle will be established specifically for this purpose and would be able to meet the up-front capital costs of acquiring housing units, the finance for which could be serviced through private rental income or State rental income streams where units are made available for social housing purposes. Units provided by the SPV for social housing purposes would be funded under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme through well- established existing contractual arrangements.
The properties sourced through the Repair and Leasing initiative will remain in the ownership of the property owners at the end of the lease term. The remaining units sourced by local authorities and AHBs from various sources are also likely to be owned by private property owners at the end of the lease term.
|
Source of units |
No of units |
Ownership at end of lease term |
|
NTMA SPV |
5,000 |
NTMA - SPV owned |
|
Repair and Leasing Initiative and other leasing of private property through local authorities or AHBs. |
5,000 |
Private property owner retains ownership |
61. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the numbers of houses that will be directly built by local authorities, as against approved housing bodies, over each of the years 2017 to 2021, broken down by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28688/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraOf the 47,000 social housing units to be delivered under Rebuilding Ireland, an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, it is estimated at this stage that approximately 26,000 will be constructed, while 11,000 will be acquired by local authorities and AHBs directly from the market or the Housing Agency, with a portion of these being newly built units. 10,000 units will be leased by local authorities and AHBs, which includes an estimated 5,000 units to be sourced from the NTMA Special Purpose Vehicle and a further 5,000 properties to be secured from a combination of the Repair and Leasing Initiative that will be piloted shortly and under long-term lease arrangements by local authorities and AHBs from a range of different sources, not including Part V. This therefore includes a mix of units from the existing housing stock and newly built units. Overall, it is estimated that around 4,700 units could be secured for social housing from Part V agreements.
The table shows a breakdown of the projected delivery of the 47,000 units. The final delivery will ultimately depend on many factors, including activity in the private sector, capacity of local authorities and AHBs and readiness of projects.
|
- |
Build |
Acquire |
Leasing |
Totals |
|
LA |
18,718 |
2,276 |
3,500 |
24,494 |
|
AHB |
4,698 |
8,652 |
- |
13,350 |
|
LA/AHB |
2,620 |
- |
6,536 |
9,156 |
|
Totals |
26,036 |
10,928 |
10,036 |
47,000 |
Arrangements to complete the Summary of Social Housing Assessments 2016 are well advanced and will be completed by year end, providing updated figures of housing need. Targets for social housing delivery to end 2017 have already been issued - details are available on my Department’s website at www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/minsters-kelly-coffey-announce-eu15-billion-social-housing-targets-local - and the allocation, by local authority area, of increased targets under the Action Plan will be linked to the 2016 Social Housing Assessments, once available later in the year. This link will mean that the Action Plan targets will be aligned to the up-to-date, priority housing needs locally.
62. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on whether the threshold of €15,000 earnings without welfare allowances is prohibitive for many trying to purchase council homes from the local authority; his further views on whether changes to the threshold could contribute in a small way to alleviating the housing crisis; and if the situation will be reviewed in the coming year. [28428/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new Tenant Incremental Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. As the Deputy is aware, to be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum.
In determining reckonable income, the income of the tenants of the house, including adult children that are joint tenants can be included, as can the income of the spouse, civil partner or other partner/co-habitant of a tenant who lives in the house with them.
Reckonable income is calculated as gross income. Income from social welfare payments is included in the reckonable income but only where these payments constitute a secondary source of income.
In order to ensure the sustainability of the scheme, it is essential that an applicant’s income is of a long-term and sustainable nature. This is necessary to ensure that the tenant purchasing the house is in a financial position, as the owner, to maintain and insure the property for the duration of the charged period. This ensures compliance with the conditions of the order transferring the ownership of, and responsibility for, the house from the local authority to the tenant.
In line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government and reaffirmed in Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, I intend to undertake a review of the scheme in January 2017 following the first 12 months of operation and I will bring forward any changes to the terms and conditions of the scheme which are considered necessary based on the evidence gathered at that stage.
63. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will carry out a review of the pyrite remediation scheme in respect of the appeals process and the way in which properties with a BCA of less than two can be considered for inclusion in the scheme, particularly where they adjoin properties which are being remediated. [28694/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme by the Pyrite Resolution Board for certain dwellings affected by significant pyrite damage. The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme, which is available on the Board’s website (www.pyriteboard.ie).
The scheme is applicable to dwellings which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave established in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2013 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol. It is a condition of eligibility under the scheme that an application to the Board must be accompanied by a Building Condition Assessment with a Damage Condition Rating of 2. Dwellings which do not have a Damage Condition Rating of 2 are not eligible to apply under the scheme. I have no proposals to amend this eligibility criterion.
While dwellings with Damage Condition Ratings of less than 2 do not qualify under the scheme, some may be considered in accordance with the exceptional circumstance provisions set out in section 17 of the Act. Where a dwelling with a Damage Condition Rating of 1 adjoins a dwelling with a Damage Condition Rating of 2, the Housing Agency will be notified, following a valid application from the latter dwelling, and will consider if exceptional circumstances apply when the Remedial Works Plan for the latter dwelling is being drawn up; the Pyrite Resolution Board will be informed of any recommendation from the Housing Agency for a decision in the matter.
64. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will introduce legislation to prevent landlords from citing intended sale of a property as a reason to evict tenants in a manner that would benefit all tenants and not only those in large developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28721/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn publishing 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 Plan is available at the website www.rebuildingireland.ie. The Plan is divided into five pillars, with each targeting a specific area of the housing system for attention.
Pillar 4 of the Plan commits to developing a comprehensive strategy for the rental sector in Q4 2016. The strategy will be structured around 4 key areas: security, standards, supply and services. In developing the strategy all measures to promote long term tenancies and provide for increased security of tenure will be explored. One of the specific measures that will fall to be considered under the heading of security is the scope for a move to indefinite leases, replacing the Part 4 four-year tenancy, and measures that may be necessary to encourage landlords to waive their right to terminate a tenancy in the event of the sale of the property. A public consultation process will also be undertaken shortly in order to inform the development of the strategy.
The overarching objective of the strategy will be to increase supply and support the development of a stable, strong and viable rental sector offering choice for households and investment opportunities for providers, while reflecting the rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords.
65. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the proposals he has to increase substantially the level of funding to county councils in respect of the various housing grant schemes which are essential to assist in the necessary upgrading of housing accommodation, in many instances for older persons or for persons with a disability who are living in unsuitable accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28621/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFunding for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability has been increased in 2016 by some 10%, to an overall funding availability of €56.25m. Some 7,600 households benefitted under this Scheme in 2015 and with the additional funding, this should increase to 8,000 in 2016.
I am conscious of the social benefit accruing from this scheme in terms of facilitating the continued independent living by older people and people with a disability in their own homes. Further consideration will be given to increasing this funding over the coming years in the context of Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.
66. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that local authorities are postponing projects for regular-build social housing to fund rapid-build houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28611/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am not aware that any local authority is postponing traditional build social housing projects in order to deliver rapid build housing units. Rebuilding Ireland: An Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness provides for the delivery of social housing units by both the traditional build method and through rapid build. All social housing construction project proposals, whether traditional or rapid build, are submitted by local authorities to my Department for assessment and approval. Once approved for funding, local authorities are encouraged to move forward with these projects as quickly as possible.
It should be noted that, while it is intended that the units will initially be used as temporary accommodation for homeless families, the properties themselves are being built to the highest standards with construction guarantees of 50 years and greater.
They will revert to use for social housing purposes when the current pressures on emergency accommodation abates.
