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Commencement of Legislation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 February 2017

Thursday, 2 February 2017

Ceisteanna (157)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

157. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the Acts or sections or other provisions of Acts, coming wholly or partly under the auspices of his Department, or for the commencement of which his Department is wholly or partly responsible, which are not in force and which require the future making of a commencement order; if, in each case, it is intended to make such an order; if so, when; the reason for the failure to make such an order to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5268/17]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A

The information sought in relation to legislation coming within my Department’s remit has now been compiled and is set out in the following table:

Act

Sections/

Chapters not in force or commenced

Intention to commence Y/N

Date for commence-

ment

Reason not yet commenced

Electoral Act 1997

Section 79

Not immediately planned

N/A

Section 79 of the Electoral Act 1997 provides for amendments to electoral law which would allow for greater flexibility in relation to when the counting of votes might commence and when refreshment breaks might be taken at Dáil and Presidential elections and at referendums. The current arrangements in relation to the counting of votes and refreshment breaks at these elections and at referendums are considered to be satisfactory. The need to commence section 79 of the Electoral Act 1997 will be kept under review.

Electoral (Amend-

ment)

2004 Act

Sections 5(1) – (3),(5) and (6); sections 6 -16 and 30-32; Schedules 1-4.

No

N/A

These provisions relate to electronic voting and are obsolete.

Environ-

ment (Miscellan-

eous Provisions) Act 2011

Section 49

Yes

Not determined

Implications for the Official Languages Act 2003

Finance Act 1976

Sections 68-70, 72 and 75

No

N/A

Provisions relating to the continuous liability for motor tax. These provisions were superseded by an administrative process for declaring vehicles off the road retrospectively in the mid-1990s and subsequently by the provisions contained in the Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013, which introduced prospective declarations of non-use of a vehicle.

Environ-

ment (Miscellan-

eous Provisions) Act 2015

Section 17

Yes

Not determined

Section gives regulation making powers related to motor tax. Section will commence as the need for relevant secondary legislation arises.

Housing Act 1966

Section 115

No

N/A

This provision is no longer required in view of section 177 of the Local Government Act 2001.

It is intended to repeal this provision at the next available opportunity.

Housing (Miscellan-

eous Provisions) Act 2002

Section 11

No

N/A

This provision is no longer required as it related to the New House Grant which was abolished with effect from 14 Nov 2002 with the deadline for of a written request for payment extended to 2 April 2004.

Housing (Miscellan-

eous Provisions) Act 2009

Section 14-18

Housing Services Plans

Sections 23- 27 (Rental Accommodation Arrangements)

Section 28

Management and control functions of housing authorities

Section 29

Section 30

Delegation of management and control functions

Section 31

Section 32(9)

Section 64(9)(a)

Part 5: sections 78 to 96. New Affordable Dwelling Purchase Arrangements

Section 97 and 98

Section 99

Section 7 and Schedule 1 partially uncommenced -

Repeals

Section 8 and Schedule 2 partially uncommenced -

Amendment of other enactments

Not at this time

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Not at this time

Not at this time

Not at this time

As and when the related uncommenced provision is commenced

As and when the related uncommenced provision is commenced

N/A

Not determined

Not determined

Not determined

Not determined

Not determined

Not determined

Not determined

N/A

N/A

N/A

Various

Various

It is considered that the main p priority at this time is to deliver on the Government’s Action Plan for Housing, Rebuilding Ireland.

Dependent on the commencement of section 31 of the 2009 Act concerning rent schemes and charges.

Existing statutory authority for LAs to enter into RAS contract arrangements is provided in section 19 of the 2009 Act.

Commencement of this provision is dependent on the commencement of section 31 (Rent schemes and charges)

This section concerns a requirement for standardised written tenancy agreements which comply with Schedule 3 of the Act. Housing authorities already require written tenancy agreements in practice - 1980 Regulations provide for minimum requirements for these agreements. Authorities have generally found these adequate for their requirements.

Section 29 will standardise and modernise the approach taken in this area.

Commencement of this provision is dependent on the commencement of section 31 (Rent schemes and charges)

Commencement of section 31 is dependent on the making of Regulations in relation to rent schemes. Considerable work has been carried out by the Department in developing a draft framework for a harmonisation of the approach to be taken by local authorities in regard to various aspects of rent schemes. This work is now being examined further in the light of the broader commitment given in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, to review the disparate systems of differential rent for social housing in place across local authorities. The review will be completed by the end of Q2 2017. The determination of an appropriate timeline for commencement of the section will be made at that time.

Related to section 31 – rent

Related to section 31 – rent

In 2011 the Government announced the standing down of the provision of Affordable Housing (the 1999 Affordable Housing Scheme, affordable housing under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, and the Affordable Housing Initiative).

These provisions provide for a claw back in the case of the resale, before 20 years, of a site provided to a qualified purchaser by a housing authority at a purchase price less than the market value.

In the years since this legislation, a number of reforms of the scheme have been considered and implemented. Further reforms are now being examined in the context of Programme for Government and Rebuilding Ireland commitments. In the context of those reforms, the commencement of the provision will be examined shortly.

Relates to various uncommenced provisions

Relates to various uncommenced provisions.

Housing (Miscellan-

eous Provisions) Act 2014

Part 4 - Section 41(4): Designation of areas where no further dwellings will be approved for housing assistance

Part 4 - Section 44:Payment to housing authority by HAP beneficiary of rent contribution under s. 31 of 2009 Act (ss. (1)) and Prescription of manner of payment of rent contribution (ss. (2))

Part 4 - Section 47:Payment of HAP in respect of certain beneficiaries under the Capital Assistance Scheme

Part 4 - Section 48:Internal review, on request, of HAP decisions in prescribed decision classes

Section 20

Section 53

Section 54(1)

Under consideration

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

To be determined

Not determined

2017

2017

Not determined

Not determined

Not determined

To be brought forward once scheme is available nationally.

Dependent on the commencement of section 31 of the 2009 Act concerning rent schemes and charges.

To be brought forward once scheme is available nationally. Provision has been made for such households through the RAS and SHCEP schemes.

To be brought forward once scheme is available nationally. Appeals currently being dealt with under a local authority’s Customer Charter.

Inserts new section 29A into 2009 Act – amendment of tenancies. Depends on commencement of section 29 of Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2009.

Direct deduction of rent from Department of Social Protection payments was provided for in order to ensure the efficient collection of differential rents for Social Housing Tenants who are in receipt of a primary payment from the Department of Social Protection. This was particularly relevant in the case of Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). However, amendments made to the Household Budget scheme have greatly assisted in the efficient collection of rents from such households, relieving the urgency of the requirement to introduce a direct deduction service. It is intended to introduce Direct Deduction service in due course.

As above.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015

16(d), (g) and (3), 22 – 24, 59, 60(a) and (c), 61, 62(b)(iii), 63, 64, 65, 71-72

17(c)

34, 35, 37, 38, 43, 46, 48, 51(1)(b), 52(6), 53

57,58

Yes, subject to outcome of review underway

Yes

Yes

Yes

Not determined

Quarter 2, 2017

Quarter 3, 2017

Quarter 1, 2017

Delayed pending-

· review of legislative provisions for Deposit Protection under Action 28 of the Strategy for the Rental Sector, and

· assessment of resources of the RTB under Action 29, of the Strategy for the Rental Sector.

Planning and Develop-

ment (Amend-

ment) Act 2010

Paragraph (e) of section 74

Section 76

Yes

No

As soon as practicable

N/A

It is intended to commence this enactment as soon as practicable.

This enactment has been superseded by subsequent enactments and the intention is to repeal it as soon as practicable.

Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015

Section 34

Yes

Not Determined

It is intended to commence section 34 of the 2015 Act when Chapter 4 of Part 2 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, with which it is linked, is commenced

Planning and Develop-

ment (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016

Chapter 1 (sections 3 to 25) of Part 2

Chapter 2 (sections 26 and 27) of Part 2

Chapter 3 (sections 28 and 29) of Part 2

Sections 44, 45 and 48 of Part 3 and Part 3 of the Schedule

Section 49 of Part 3

Section 51

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Not determined

May 2017

Not determined

Quarter 3, 2017

Quarter 1, 2017

Not determined

It is intended to commence sections 3 and 19, to the extent to which they have not yet been commenced, and the other sections in this part, in the near future.

It is intended to commence this section in the near future

It is intended to commence this section in the near future

Licensing of Indoor Events Act 2003

Parts I and II of the Act

No

N/A

Consultation with stakeholders in relation to drafting secondary regulations to be made under the legislation highlighted issues of practicality in attempting to license individual events, as distinct from licensing premises. A view was taken that the intended regulations were unworkable and duplicated existing licensing provisions for premises under other legislation. Parts I and II of the Act were never commenced and it is still not seen as practicable to make regulations of the type envisaged and there are no plans therefore to make a commencement order for this legislation.

Local Govern-

ment Act 2001

Section 22

Section 189, 190, 192-194(1),(2),(4),(5),(6)

195 and 196

Section 212-214

Section 223

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Not Determined

Not Determined

Not Determined

Not Determined

Commencement of section conditional on the establishment of a commission to make recommendations on a number of local government issues.

Commencement requires the making of regulations which are being drafted.

Implications for existing legislation across a number of legislative codes.

Existing provisions need to be repealed before commencement of this section can proceed.

Local Govern-

ment (Miscellan-

eous Provisions) Act 2012, No. 17 of 2012

Section 10(b),(d) and (e) and section 11 (b), (c), (d), (f), (h), (i) and (l)

Governance provisions in relation to the Fire Services Council, Affordable Homes Partnership and Irish Water Safety

Yes

H2 2017

Other higher priority work arising.

Local Govern-

ment Reform Act 2014

Section 1 (23)

Yes

Not Determined

Commencement of section 48 requires that section 189 of the Local Government Act 2001 be first commenced (see above re Local Government Act 2001).

Water Services Act 2007

Sections 49, 63-67, 69, 77-90, 92, 104-106, Schedule 2 and part of sections 4,58, 70 and 107

Not determined

N/A

All water services legislation is under active review and legislative provisions are commenced, as and when required.

Water Services Act 2013

Sections 28 and 29

Not determined

N/A

All water services legislation is under active review and legislative provisions are commenced, as and when required.

Water Services (No.2) Act 2013

Section 29

Not determined

N/A

All water services legislation is under active review and legislative provisions are commenced, as and when required.

Water Services Act 2014

Section 11

Not determined

N/A

All water services legislation is under active review and legislative provisions are commenced, as and when required.

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