Written Answers Nos. 145-155
146. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the rate of progress in the seven universities of the implementation of the Cush report; the reason there are delays in the operation of the report in the universities; if parity of esteem for other workers employed in universities with two years service will be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6312/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Report of the Chair of the Expert Group on Fixed Term and Part-Time issues in Lecturing in Ireland was published in May 2016 and the Report contains a number of recommendations that will assist in addressing concerns raised about the level of part-time and fixed-term employment in lecturing in the third level sector. My Department issued directions to the sector on 4 July 2016 to implement the recommendations contained in the report in accordance with the terms of the Lansdowne Road Agreement and my understanding is that the Institutions are taking steps to do so. If a union representing lecturing grades believes that a university is not implementing the recommendations contained within the Report of the Chair of the Expert Group, that union can seek to have the matter addressed using the dispute resolution procedures provided for in the Public Service Agreement.
The above-mentioned Report is specific to concerns raised about part-time and fixed-term employment in lecturing and its recommendations are not applicable to non-lecturing grades. My Department is not aware of any issues regarding non-lecturing grades.
147. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Catherine Connolly den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an dtabharfaidh sé soiléiriú maidir le stádas an iarratais atá déanta ag an scoil seo (sonraí leis seo); go háirithe maidir leo seo a leanas: 1. costais foirgneamh réamhdhéanta, 2. costais athlonnaithe, 3. an obair tógála atá beartaithe; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [6313/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraCheadaigh mo Roinn tionscadal tógála suntasach don scoil dá dtagraíonn an Teachta. Is éard atá i gceist leis an tionscadal seo síneadh a chur le foirgneamh reatha na scoile agus é a athleagan amach chun cóiríocht bhreise a chur ar fáil le haghaidh seomraí ranga agus gach seomra réamhdhéanta a bhaint amach as an láithreán reatha. Ní féidir méid an deontais cheadaithe a nochtadh mar chuirfeadh sin isteach ar an bpróiseas tairisceana.
Cuireadh togra athbhreithnithe ar aghaidh chuig mo Roinn le déanaí maidir le hoibreacha breise, ina measc togra athlonnaithe. Níor cuireadh mionsonraí faoi chostas an mhéid sin ar aghaidh ag an tráth seo. Tá an togra athbhreithnithe á bhreithniú faoi láthair agus cuirfear cinneadh ina thaobh in iúl d'údarás na scoile chomh luath agus is féidir.
148. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of commissions of inquiry or other formal investigations or inquiries being conducted in his Department; the name of these; the date they were established; the expected date the work is intended to be completed; the cost incurred to date; the estimated final cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6355/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that there are no Commissions of Inquiry or other formal investigations under way in my Department.
149. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to a request to provide additional funding in respect of a building project (details supplied) in view of the detailed submissions by the board of management and representations made by this Deputy in relation to the urgency of providing this new facility for the 2017-2018 school year and considering that the school authorities have reduced the costs to the minimum; if he will ensure that this application is approved at the earliest possible date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6372/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that the application for additional funding from the school to which he refers has been examined by Officials in my Department. A funding uplift has been approved and my Department is satisfied that the total grant now being made available is sufficient to deliver the approved works. The school has been informed of this decision.
150. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Garda vetting procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6381/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraArrangements for the Garda vetting of teaching and non-teaching staff were introduced on a non-statutory basis in September 2006.
In April 2016, the Minister for Justice and Equality commenced the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Vetting Act) which put in place statutory requirements for the Garda vetting of persons involved in working with children and vulnerable persons. The Vetting Act applies not just to schools but to any relevant organisation that employs, contracts, permits or places a person in relevant work with children or vulnerable persons. The vetting legislation and the vetting procedures operated by the National Vetting Bureau fall within the remit of the Minister for Justice and Equality.
When the vetting requirements were commenced last April, my Department issued circular 0031/2016 which set out the statutory vetting requirements applicable to schools along with the practical arrangements in place to support the vetting procedures.
The Vetting Act provides that a relevant organisation must, other than in certain limited circumstances, obtain a vetting disclosure from the National Vetting Bureau prior to commencing the employment of an employee to undertake relevant work with children or vulnerable adults. The Vetting Act allows for some limited exemptions to this requirement, including certain exemptions that are applicable in the case of recurring substitute employment such as a recurring substitute S employment. The Act’s exemptions in respect of substitute employment are set out in section 5.3 of my Department’s circular.
Under the new statutory vetting procedures, the vetting of Ss and other non-teaching staff continues to be conducted via the relevant diocesan office or school management body as the relevant conduit organisation for the vetting of Ss and other non-teaching staff employed by schools. In the case of ETB schools the relevant ETB is the relevant organisation for such vetting. My Department understands that the majority of these bodies are now using the National Vetting Bureau’s electronic vetting facility.
151. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the measures he is taking with the Minister for Finance to determine receivers' responsibilities to tenants in situ when a property is being taken into receivership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6220/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 13 December 2016, Government approved the publication of a Strategy for the Rental Sector, which delivers on a commitment made under Pillar 4 of Rebuilding Ireland. The strategy is structured around four key areas: security, standards, supply and services. The measures under these four headings will be implemented through the 29 actions contained in the Strategy. The appointment of a receiver to a dwelling can cause confusion and distress to tenants and in circumstances where a receiver is appointed to a rented dwelling, it is essential that the rights of tenants are protected.
Under the Strategy for the Rental Sector, my Department is currently establishing a working group with the participation of the Departments of Justice and Equality, Finance, and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, to explore the scope for landlord obligations to be transferred to receivers in such cases. The Working Group will report by the end of March this year.
152. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will consider introducing a reduction in commercial rates for rural pubs and shops in view of the decline in business over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6293/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation pursuant to the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is applied to the valuation of each property determined by the Valuation Office, to obtain the amount payable in rates, is decided by the elected members of each local authority in the annual budget and its determination is a reserved function.
Under Part 5 of the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015, the Commissioner of Valuation is conducting a revaluation of all commercial and industrial properties throughout the State. The Valuation Acts come under the aegis of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality. In a revaluation all rateable property within a rating authority area is revalued so as to reflect changes in value due to economic factors, differential movements in property values or other external factors such as infrastructural changes in the vicinity of a property and changes in the local business environment. Following revaluation there is a much closer and uniform relationship between contemporary rental values of property and their commercial rates liability. In essence, the exercise aims to ensure that each ratepayer bears a fair share of the rates burden relative to the modern rental value of the property that they occupy.
To date, revaluations have been completed in South Dublin County Council, Fingal County Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Dublin City Council, Waterford City and County Council and Limerick City and County Council. I understand that revaluations in ten local authorities, including Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Longford, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, South Dublin and Westmeath County Councils are due to be completed this year with valuations to take effect for rates purposes from 2018.
Commercial rates form an important element of the funding of all local authorities. However, the legislative basis for the levying of rates is spread over a number of enactments, some dating back to the 19th century. Many of the provisions are outdated and not suitable for business trends in the modern era. I have asked my Department to develop proposals for the preparation of a consolidated Rates Bill to modernise and consolidate the legislation in this area. Among the measures being considered for the General Scheme of the Bill are provisions to allow a local authority to introduce rates alleviation schemes to support, inter alia, urban regeneration and rural development.
153. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 305 of 29 November 2016, if the comprehensive legal advice referred to has been fully analysed; if a decision has been made in the matter of providing ex gratia payments to former employees of LCDP companies, made redundant and whereby no moneys were available to fund payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6168/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe matter concerned, including the associated legal advice, remains under consideration in my Department, including through discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. My Department will be endeavouring to complete its consideration of the matter as soon as possible.
154. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he has had any meetings with private or third party investors that have proposals to invest in social or affordable housing; the date of the meetings; and the details of the proposals discussed. [6171/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra155. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he has had any meetings with private investors that have proposals to become involved as third party investors in the mortgage to rent scheme or an alternative variant of this scheme; the date of the meetings; and the details of the proposals discussed. [6172/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra168. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he has met with financial institutions or other third parties to discuss proposals for long term leasing arrangements between local authorities and financial institutions as a means of providing social or affordable housing; and the names of the institutions he has met, the date of the meetings and type of the proposals under discussion. [6277/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 154, 155 and 168 together.
The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness acknowledges the role of private sector funding in addressing the significant housing need that currently exists in Ireland. Since taking up office as Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, I have been open to ideas and proposals from private sector bodies to assist the delivery of social housing and affordable private housing. I have met with a range of organisations, including representative bodies, private companies and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).
On 14 June 2016, I met with Irish Residential Properties REIT plc where the matters of housing and building regulations were addressed. On 23 June 2016, I attended a meeting of Property Industry Ireland, an organisation representing the property industry, during which interest was expressed by participants in private investment in social housing provision. Meetings were held involving WK Nowlan Property Ltd. on 7 September 2016 and 25 January 2017, which I attended, where proposals to improve the delivery of affordable housing were raised. On 22 September and 6 October 2016, I attended meetings involving the Construction Industry Federation where housing development issues were addressed. On 29 September 2016, I attended a meeting with Atelier Capital LLP, a private body interested in investing in student accommodation provision. On the same date I participated at an event hosted by the Cork Chapter of the Irish League of Credit Unions at which the potential for credit union investment in social housing was addressed. On 19 October 2016 I met with a representative of the European Investment Bank, during which the potential for investment in social housing was discussed.
A number of private equity firms have expressed an interest in purchasing mortgage debt portfolios from commercial banks with a view to exploring the potential for them to access the Mortgage to Rent Scheme model for the borrowers in occupation of the mortgaged property. They are seeking an alternative arrangement that would see the mortgaged property staying in the funding firm’s ownership and the property itself leased back to the local authority in circumstances where the borrower is eligible for Mortgage to Rent and the borrower would therefore remain in their own home. In this regard, Minister of State English met with Beacon Social Housing on 1 July and 21 September 2016, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) on 21 September 2016, Bartra Capital on 1 December 2016 and the Arizun Group on 15 December 2016.
Currently, the mortgage to rent scheme relies on Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) purchasing from lenders properties that have been voluntarily surrendered by eligible borrowers. One of the outcomes of the Review of the Mortgage to Rent Scheme is that in order to test the operability of alternative funding models for the scheme, the Housing Agency will work with a number of financial entities who have come forward with an interest in working with the MTR scheme to progress a minimum of 200 units based on alternative lease arrangements. The objective is to explore what is available within the current market and to determine if this alternative model will benefit a greater number of households.
I routinely meet with Approved Housing Bodies in the course of my work, where issues relating to investment by the voluntary housing sector in social housing are raised. In the development of Rebuilding Ireland, and subsequently, I have been actively engaged with stakeholder bodies, including those involved in the delivery and financing of social housing.
The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme provides a means whereby properties can be built or bought by AHBs with the combined use of State and private funding, and, leased by AHBs and Local Authorities from private providers, for the provision of social housing. This scheme is underpinned by a lease and other legal agreements. These provide that rental payments are made by the State over an agreed long-term time period, typically 20 years. In return the housing unit is made available for social housing.
Changes are now being proposed to this scheme in order to facilitate larger institutional private investors to become involved in the financing of social housing. The National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) is acting as financial advisor to my Department in this work and is undertaking market engagement in the development of the scheme. Work on the scheme is well advanced, with details expected to be announced in the coming months.
