Written Answers Nos. 242-266
242. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason a person on a social housing waiting list for five or six years, who moves a few miles to a different county to rent and apply for the HAP scheme, must reapply to go on the waiting list in the other county and go back to the bottom of the list; and if he will consider changing this policy (details supplied). [6965/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 set down a standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing support. A household may apply for support to one housing authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it has a local connection, or the authority that agrees, at its discretion, to assess the household for support. In determining whether a household has a local connection with its area, a housing authority must have regard to whether a household member:
- lived in the area for a continuous 5 year period at any time in the past,
- is employed in the area or within 15 km of the area,
- is in full-time education, or attending specialist medical care in the area, or
- has a relative (defined in the Regulations) living in the area for 2 years or longer.
The flexibility of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme as a form of social housing support is one of the scheme’s key elements and an important benefit envisaged for many households with a housing need. The movement of households, within a local authority area, for the purposes of employment, further education or other reasonable reasons is facilitated for households under the scheme, while retaining HAP support. The phased implementation of the HAP pilot scheme has afforded my Department an opportunity for learning and it is in this context that the need for greater ease in the provision of flexibility of movement of HAP households between local authority areas has been identified. The movement of HAP supported households between neighbouring local authority areas has been facilitated to date in a small number of cases.
This matter is under consideration and the options to facilitate such movements, while remaining cognisant of the Ministerial Direction in relation to transfers to other forms of social housing, are being explored within my Department with input from all local authorities.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review. In general, I am satisfied with how the HAP scheme is operating and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme under Rebuilding Ireland.
243. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of Part V units paid for by each local authority in each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017; the average cost of these units in each of these years in each of the local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6981/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department publishes a wide range of statistical information on housing delivery, including information on Part V units acquired, and these are available on the Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/affordable-housing/affordable-housing-and-part-v-statistics.
Given the reduced levels of construction activity in recent years, there has been limited delivery of units under Part V. Accordingly, average costs based on such a limited number of units may not give a representative indication of costs more generally. Subject to that qualification, and taking account of the fact that some local authorities now utilise their own resources , alongside funding provided by my Department, to fund Part V obligations, the average cost of Part V units funded by my Department in 2016 was €161,160 per unit.
244. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 147 of 2 February 2017, the details of the appropriate body to deal with complaints that a local authority has not complied with EU rules and legislation regarding tendering. [6986/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraEach local authority has a designated Procurement Officer who plays a key role in delivering strategic procurement objectives including ensuring that the local authority complies with procurement directives, legislation, circulars and other legal requirements. Each local authority also has an internal audit function which provides an independent, objective assurance designed to add value and improve the organisation's operations.
The Tender Advisory Service (TAS) is being piloted by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) to assist suppliers who have issues or concerns with a procurement process carried out by a public sector contracting body. TAS operates through the OGP's Customer Service Section.
Issues regarding public procurement can also be raised with the contracting authority at any time during the tender process. Following the evaluation of tenders, the Irish Regulations (implementing the Remedies Directive) provide for a minimum standstill period of fourteen days where notification in compliance with the Irish Regulations is sent by fax or electronically and a minimum standstill period of sixteen days where notification is by any other means. The standstill period starts on the day after the day on which the notification is sent. The purpose of a standstill period is to allow for effective pre-contract remedy to disappointed tenderers and the contracting authority may not conclude a contract with an identified preferred tenderer during this time.
Legal redress can also be sought from the High Court in the form of a Judicial Review. Regulations provide that an application shall be made within 30 calendar days after the applicant was notified of the decision, or knew or ought to have known of the infringement alleged in the application.
245. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6991/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFurther to my correspondence with the Deputy in relation to this matter, I can confirm that Regulation 3 of the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations 2012 clearly states that the Regulations apply to the provision of loan finance by housing authorities to first-time buyers for the acquisition of houses or for the construction of new houses.
To ensure effective targeting of limited resources, local authority loan finance continues to be available to first-time buyers only. The Regulations are kept under ongoing review and there are no plans, at this time, to alter the Regulations in this regard.
246. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if revenue raised by Irish Water through domestic water charges is used to fund the operational costs of the provision of water services or the rolling capital programme, as detailed in page 23 of Irish Water's business plan; and if some or all of the revenue raised from domestic water charges is allocated to Irish Water's capital investment programme, the amount allocated for each year that domestic water charges have been collected. [6992/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) regulatory process sets the allowed revenue which covers both operational costs and the costs of funding the approved capital programme. The CER does not approve the particular sources of funding for the capital programme or the particular debt/equity mix. In the case of Irish Water, the capital programme is funded by a mix of funding from operations (i.e. customer revenue including that provided by the State subvention which is equivalent to the purchase of water on behalf of domestic customers under a number of headings), debt and equity. The following table indicates the breakdown between these elements in the period 2015-2016 in line with the Irish Water Business Plan, from a cash flow perspective.
Funding and Expenditure (including Capital Expenditure 2015-2016)
|
|
2015 Actual - €m |
2016 Forecast - €m |
2015-2016 - €m |
|
Operating Revenue |
705 |
918 |
1,623 |
|
Debt |
592 |
12 |
604 |
|
Equity |
54 |
280 |
334 |
|
Total Funding |
1,351 |
1,210 |
2,561 |
|
Capital Expenditure |
571 |
462 |
1,033 |
|
Operating Expenditure |
780 |
748 |
1,528 |
|
Total Expenditure |
1,351 |
1,210 |
2,561 |
When account is taken of the operating revenue (customer and subvention) required to meet operating expenditure needs, there was a balance of €95 million available from this source to fund capital expenditure in 2015 and 2016. In the period 2017-2021, in accordance with the Business Plan, the forecast revenue from customers/subvention amounts to 26% of the proposed capital spending, with debt accounting for 46% and equity for 28%.
247. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason a person with sufficient funds is not allowed to purchase their home from Tipperary County Council under the tenant purchase scheme; the rules, regulations or legislation which is imposed on the council precluding it from selling properties to long-term tenants who have sufficient resources to purchase and repair a property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7009/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least 1 year.
The minimum reckonable income for eligibility under the Scheme is determined by the relevant housing authority in accordance with the detailed provisions of the Ministerial Direction issued under Sections 24(3) and (4) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. In the determination of the minimum reckonable income, housing authorities can include income from a number of different sources and classes, such as from employment, private pensions, maintenance payments and certain social welfare payments, including pensions, where the social welfare payment is secondary to employment 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, in 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 given in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, a review of all aspects of the first 12 months of the scheme’s operation is currently being undertaken by my Department. Any changes to the terms and conditions of the scheme which are considered necessary based on the evidence gathered at that stage will be brought forward.
I expect this review to be completed by the end of Quarter 1 2017.
248. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when Sligo County Council will be given permission to proceed with works in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7063/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSligo County Council provided my Department with updated costs for the project in question in the last week. These are now being examined and a response will issue to the Council shortly.
249. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the names and the qualifications of his Department's internal technical advisers who will be assessing a foreshore lease application (details supplied) on Galway Bay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7071/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra250. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to obtain legal advice from the Chief State Solicitor's office in relation to a foreshore lease application (details supplied), in view of the fact that many of the 555 public submissions to the foreshore application process relate to national and international legal concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7072/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 250 together.
As I have previously indicated, Application FS006566 is solely in relation to a non-commercial test facility. Under this application, there will be no facility to export power from any of the devices being tested at the site.
I will make a decision on this case following careful examination and consideration of the application and supporting documentation and all views/comments received including those of the prescribed bodies and the public.
Internal advisers in my Department’s Water and Marine Advisory Unit are appointed to their roles on the basis that they have the appropriate professional qualifications and experience commensurate with my Department’s role in foreshore consenting. It is of course open to me as the Minister with responsibility for making the decision on this application to seek advices from whatever body I deem necessary in the determination of the application.
This matter has yet to come before me for decision and will only do so once the Marine Licence Vetting Committee has met and considered the matter.
251. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of one-off privately owned houses or apartments Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has purchased in each of the years 2015 and 2016, in tabular form; the costs involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7078/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra252. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of residential units that were built by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for social housing in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7079/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra253. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of residential units that were built by South Dublin County Council for social housing in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7080/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra254. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of residential units that were built by Dublin City Council for social housing in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7081/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra255. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of residential units that were built by Fingal County Council for social housing in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7082/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 251 to 255, inclusive, together.
The Government has set out ambitious targets for the delivery of social housing supports over the lifetime of Rebuilding Ireland. Last year, over 18,300 social housing supports were provided across a range of delivery programmes. Within this, preliminary data shows that around 5,280 new social houses were either purchased, leased, remediated or built by local authorities and approved housing bodies across the country using a range of funding mechanisms and delivery programmes.
My Department publishes a wide range of statistical information on housing delivery and these are available on the Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision. The information on the website is up to date, as of the end of quarter 3 2016, and information for the full year of 2016 is currently being finalised and will be published shortly.
256. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide an itemised breakdown of all expenditure to date on the development of the national planning framework and the Ireland 2040 Our Plan campaign, including expenditure on external consultants, marketing, communication, advertising, social media and website development. [7143/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince June of last year when the initial stakeholder event in relation to the development of the Ireland 2040- Our Plan: National Planning Framework (NPF) was held, €131,679 in total has been spent. This has been spread across the areas of technical analysis and research, public consultation and communications. As indicated in replies to previous Questions, the development of the Framework, one of the most strategically important public policy exercises currently under way by the Government, will be a collaborative exercise, the ultimate success of which will depend on the degree to which all citizens have the opportunity to have their say on how Ireland should develop over the next twenty years or more, and how we can plan for and accommodate the substantial additional population expected by 2040 in a more strategic and sustainable way.
In this regard a number of initiatives have been put in place aimed at maintaining and updating the information flow and providing a forum or point of contact for feedback, where needed. For example, a dedicated website, www.npf.ie, has been put in place and a dedicated email address, npf@housing.gov.ie has also been created.
In addition to the standard provision of textual and graphic information to view and download, the website facilitates engagement with the general public through the use of easy to understand video presentations and social media which will be used and re-used throughout the process bringing down costs. Total expenditure to date in these areas, including promotional material, graphic design and video, is €37,132. The website will be one of the main platforms for ensuring the public can keep up to date over the life of the plan and is a long-term investment.
A public consultation strategy, ‘Ireland 2040 – Our Plan’ (National Planning Framework), is currently under way and will run to the middle of March, the outcome of which will feed into further analysis and robust evidence-based policy in formulating a draft Framework by the Summer. A first round of preliminary consultations with key stakeholders was undertaken in June of last year, and a report on the consultation has been prepared. Venue and streaming costs to date on this total €10,072.
In relation to research, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) is currently working with my Department on NPF relevant research and empirical evidence. This work includes developing an “economic model and baseline” scenario, considering a range of future development options, including a “business-as-usual” scenario. To date €60,000 has been paid to the ESRI in relation to this key area of research, which will be of benefit across a range of Departments and will help inform plan making at the regional level.
External experts on environmental assessments required under EU law have been appointed to carry out technical analyses including a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), an Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Directives (AA) and a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA). An environmental scoping report is currently being prepared and will inform the pre-draft consultation process. Expenditure incurred on this work to date amounts to €24,475.
Further information in relation to Ireland 2040- Our Plan: National Planning Framework is available on the www.npf.ie website. All efforts are being and will continue to be made to ensure that expenditure in connection with the Plan is kept to the minimum possible commensurate with the task in hand.
257. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the towns in County Kildare that are covered by the new rent controls; and if there are plans to extend these controls to other towns in the county in which rents are increasing rapidly. [7152/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 amends the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to provide that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered as a Rent Pressure Zone. Following receipt of such a proposal, the Minister requests the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to conduct an assessment of the area to establish whether or not it meets the criteria for designation and to report to the Minister on whether the area should be designated as a Rent Pressure Zone.
On 24 January 2017 the Housing Agency proposed that 15 Local Electoral Areas in the following five housing authority areas should be considered for designation: Cork County, Galway city, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. On foot of the proposal from the Housing Agency, and in accordance with section 24A(2) of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as amended), I requested the Director of the RTB to make a report to me as to whether these areas met the criteria for designation as Rent Pressure Zones.
On 26 January 2017, I received a report from the RTB confirming that 12 out of the 15 Local Electoral Areas examined met the criteria. As required by section 24A(5) of the Act, I made Orders designating the 12 Rent Pressure Zones on 26 January 2017.
On 27 January 2017, the designation of the local electoral areas of Naas, Celbridge-Leixlip and Kildare-Newbridge in County Kildare as Rent Pressure Zones came into effect. The towns covered by these designations are provided for in the County of Kildare Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2014 (S.I. No. 52 of 2014), a copy of which can be accessed at:
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/si/52/made/en/print.
Under the Act, I have no further role or discretion in proposing areas for designation as Rent Pressure Zones or in deciding whether they should be designated. The designation process is independent and based on clear objective criteria and quantifiable evidence.
The Housing Agency will continue to monitor the rental market and may recommend further areas for designation. Where, following the procedures set out in the Act, it is found at a future date that additional areas meet the criteria, they will be designated as Rent Pressure Zones.
258. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of households that are currently on social housing transfer lists nationally; if he will provide a breakdown for each of the years 2013 to 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7163/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authorities' housing transfer lists. The management of these lists is a matter for individual housing authorities and the numbers fluctuate continually as, for example, households are granted transfers, in accordance with an authority’s allocation scheme, to take up other accommodation options.
259. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if changes to the boundaries of county and city council areas require legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7173/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Question No. 468 of 17th January, 2017. The legislation governing local authority boundary alterations is set out in Part V of the Local Government Act 1991. As specified in section 31(1)(a) of the Act, alterations of the boundaries between local authorities may be made by Ministerial Order, but any such Order would require approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas.
The creation of a new local authority by way of merging two or more local authorities would require primary legislation.
260. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he has requested the local authorities to report to him on the reporting mechanisms in place to ensure cleanliness and safety standards in emergency accommodation; the legislation or statutory instruments which govern the standards of emergency accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7264/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll emergency accommodation service providers must meet the applicable requirements of statutory codes, in particular, the requirements of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Fire Services Acts. My 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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. The matter raised in the Question is an operational issue in the day-to-day delivery of services and is therefore a matter for individual housing authorities.
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive is currently coordinating the development of a comprehensive National Quality Standards Framework for homeless services on behalf of all housing authorities. Consultation with service users and key stakeholders has been undertaken and the draft standards were piloted in selected services during 2016. These standards, which will provide providers with a framework for continuous quality improvement in their services, will be implemented nationally during 2017 .
261. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if property owners residing outside Ireland can allow their properties to be rented under the HAP scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7311/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder HAP, one of the key principles of the scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector and as with other private rental tenancies; the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as amended) governs the relationship between the landlord and the tenant. The HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages the collection of all HAP tenants' differential rents, on behalf of the relevant local authority, and the payment of all HAP rents to landlords on behalf of tenants supported by the HAP scheme. Monthly HAP payments are made directly to landlords on behalf of tenants in respect of rent, subject to rent limits and conditions of the scheme. HAP tenants are required to sign a rent contribution agreement to pay a weekly rental contribution to the relevant local authority. There are also a number of conditions landlords must agree to under the HAP scheme. Among these is the provision of details of nominated agents, where applicable, and also the declaration of tax compliance by supplying supporting evidence.
HAP payments can be made to a non-resident landlord, subject to compliance with the relevant tax obligations .
262. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if it will require an amendment to existing legislation to put the new national planning framework on a statutory footing; if so, the anticipated timeframe for this legislation; and if the Houses of the Oireachtas will get to vote on the plan in its entirety for it to be put on a statutory footing. [7318/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe placing of the National Planning Framework (as successor to the 2002 National Spatial Strategy) on a statutory footing was recommended by the Final report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments (the Mahon Tribunal) which was published on 22 March 2012.
To give effect to this recommendation, which requires an amendment to the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, section 7 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016 - which was published in January 2016 - provides that:
- the Government shall submit the draft of the revised, or any new, National Planning Framework, together with the Environmental Report and Appropriate Assessment Report for the approval of each House of the Oireachtas before it is published, and
- in preparing or revising the National Planning Framework, the Government shall have regard to any resolution or report of, or of any committee of, the Oireachtas that is made, during the period for consideration, as regards the proposed strategy or, as the case may be, the Framework as proposed to be revised.
The Bill has commenced its Oireachtas passage and is currently awaiting Committee Stage in the Dáil. It is intended that the Bill will be enacted prior to the summer recess.
263. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to expand the mortgage to rent scheme and improve the conditions for this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7369/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA Review of the Mortgage to Rent Scheme was published on 8 February 2017 and represents the completion of an early action in the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. The Review is available from the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/changes-in-mortgage-to-rent-scheme/.
The Review has explored the avenues and impediments to participation in the scheme and recommends a number of actions to make the scheme work better for borrowers.
Key actions include:
- Lenders will be required to formally communicate with borrowers as to why they are not suitable for the scheme.
- The property price threshold for a house in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow is being increased to €365,000 (from €350,000) while the threshold for an apartment/townhouse in these areas is being increased to €310,000 (from €300,000). For the rest of the country, the threshold for a house is being increased to €280,000 (from €250,000) and for an apartment/townhouse to €210,000 (€190,000).
- Flexibility will be provided in relation to the size of properties which qualify for the scheme. In practical terms, this means that an assessment of the property size suitable to a particular household will allow for a maximum of two additional bedrooms in the property above the actual needs of the household, with the property still being considered eligible.
- There are a number of actions to improve knowledge and understanding of the scheme. A range of state agencies will be facilitated to assist and guide borrowers who could benefit from the scheme. A Step by Step Guide for Borrowers will be produced alongside a range of other targeted information supports.
I am confident that the implementation of the actions put forward in the Review will make the MTR process quicker, more transparent, easier to navigate for borrowers and ultimately, more accessible to more households in mortgages distress.
In addition, the Review concludes that the current financial model of the scheme may not be capable of delivering the scale of successful cases that could benefit from the scheme over time. Currently, the MTR scheme relies on Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to purchase from lenders properties that have been voluntarily surrendered by eligible borrowers. 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 MTR 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 MTR and the borrower would therefore remain in their own home.
One of the outcomes of the Review 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 number of pilot 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.
A detailed financial assessment of the structure of the funding of the MTR scheme will be undertaken in advance of the budgetary process for 2018. The assessment will be informed by the early impact of the other actions proposed by the review, as well as the outcome of the experience with the pilot lease arrangements, and the availability of financial resources overall.
264. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when the full completion of the transfer of commercial water rates to Irish Water will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7422/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and the CER has been given statutory responsibility for protecting the interests of customers.
Any business connected to a public water supply is liable for charges as a non-domestic customer. It should be noted that the arrangements in place for all non-domestic customers on 1 January 2014 are remaining in place with no changes for the time being. On this basis, the local authorities continued to bill for non-domestic water services as agents of Irish Water. Irish Water is in the process of migrating the non-domestic billing system from the local authorities into the utility. I understand that as of 31 December 2016, 24 of the 27 local authority billing systems had migrated to Irish Water.
Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email at oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.
The CER is also progressing a review of all aspects of non-domestic water tariffs and in conjunction with Irish Water will establish an enduring non-domestic tariff framework. The CER has recently published an information note informing customers and interested parties about the project and will shortly engage in a period of public consultation on the enduring tariff framework for non-domestic water and/or wastewater customers of Irish Water.
265. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of single occupancy houses in the Dublin region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7424/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis information requested is collected by the Central Statistics Office , as part of the regular Census of Population. I understand that relevant data from the 2016 census will be available from the Central Statistics Office on 20 April 2017. The figures from the 2011 census for the four Dublin Local Authorities are set out in the following table.
|
Local Authority |
Total Dwellings with a Single Occupant |
|
Dublin City |
63,795 |
|
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown |
17,436 |
|
Fingal |
16,000 |
|
South Dublin |
15,576 |
This table has been extracted from data available at http://www.cso.ie/en/census/census2011reports/census2011profile5householdsandfamilies-livingarrangementsinireland/.
266. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the cost of the HAP in the Dublin region in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7427/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a key Government priority and the accelerated roll-out of the scheme on a national basis is an important early action for completion in the Government’s Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, Rebuilding Ireland.
HAP is now available to all qualified households in 28 local authority areas, including South Dublin County Council where the scheme has been operating since 2015, with over 18,000 households currently being supported by the scheme. The final roll-out of HAP will be completed with the introduction of the scheme to Dublin City Council, Fingal and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council areas from 1 March, 2017.
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) is also managing a HAP Homeless Pilot for the four Dublin local authorities. The Homeless Pilot of the HAP scheme has been operational since February 2015. The focus of this pilot remains the transitioning of qualified households from emergency accommodation, including hotels, into private rented tenancies. To qualify for HAP under the homeless pilot scheme, a household must generally be accepted as homeless within the meaning of section 2 of the Housing Act 1988 by one of the four Dublin local authorities. The Homeless HAP support has also been used to prevent households from entering homelessness and homeless services.
While eligible homeless households may source accommodation for themselves, a dedicated placement team, the Dublin Place-Finder Service, has also been established to engage directly with property-owners and support qualified households to find suitable tenancies and to ensure that any additional supports that may be needed are put in place. This is a particularly important service for households currently residing in emergency accommodation in the Dublin region. The costs of supporting these households and of the Dublin Place-Finder Service are funded through several funding streams across my Department, the Department of Social Protection and Dublin City Council.
The HAP scheme is funded through a combination of Exchequer moneys and tenant differential rents collected in respect of HAP tenancies. The provisional Exchequer outturn for the HAP scheme in 2016 was in excess of €57 million. This funding supported both the ongoing costs of tenancies established in 2015 that continued into 2016, and the costs of the 12,075 additional households supported by the scheme nationally in 2016. Some €14 million of these costs related to tenancies established in the four Dublin local authority areas. 1,791 of these additional tenancies were established in the four Dublin local authority areas in 2016. Budget 2017 has increased the Exchequer funding for the HAP scheme to €152.7 million in order to meet the continuing costs of existing HAP households and the costs of supporting an additional 15,000 households to be supported by HAP in 2017.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review. I am very satisfied with how the HAP scheme is operating and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme under Rebuilding Ireland.
