Written Answers Nos. 326-339
326. Deputy Frank O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to provide funding to extend the Clane ring road in County Kildare, in view of the increased number of housing units being developed in the town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16442/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI assume the Deputy is referring to the recent announcement of funding under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF). The aim of LIHAF is to relieve critical infrastructural blockages in order to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in urban areas with high demand for housing.
A call for proposals was issued to all local authorities in August 2016. It was open to all local authorities to apply for funding towards the capital cost of the public infrastructure, which when provided, would secure the early delivery of additional affordable housing at considerable scale, with developments in excess of 500 units in the Dublin area, or in excess of 200 units in areas outside Dublin.
21 local authorities submitted a total of 74 proposals in October 2016. Kildare County Council submitted 7 proposals in respect of Naas, Kildare, Maynooth, Newbridge, Celbridge, Leixlip and Sallins. No proposal was received in respect of extending the Clane ring road and the funding of roads in general is a matter for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and its agencies.
On 28 March 2017, I announced funding for 34 projects under LIHAF. The cost of these projects is €226.46 million, of which €169.65 million would be funded under LIHAF, with local authorities funding the remaining €56.81 million. These public infrastructure projects will be key to the delivery of 23,000 housing units over the next four years, with a longer term projection of up to 70,000 units as the selected sites are fully built out. Kildare County Council received approval for the proposals at Maynooth, Naas and Sallins, which have an aggregate allocation of €21.4 million.
327. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the status of a CAS2 application by a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16518/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Approved Housing Body (AHB) has made an application for funding under my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme for the acquisition and refurbishment of a facility to provide 8 units of accommodation.
The AHB has been requested by Wexford County Council to provide additional information in support of this application, which on receipt, my Department will review promptly.
328. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if a landlord who avails of the repair and lease scheme can also avail of the home renovation incentive when carrying out the refurbishment works on a rental property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16572/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) has been developed under Pillar 5 of Rebuilding Ireland to assist private property owners and local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in certain vacant properties across Ireland. The scheme is targeted at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their properties up to the required standard for rental property.
Subject to the suitability of the property for social housing, and the agreement of the property owner, the cost of the necessary repairs will be met upfront by the local authority or an AHB. This allows for the property owner to sign-up to a lease arrangement for a length that is linked to the value of the repairs, subject to a minimum period of 10 years. The value of the repairs will then be offset incrementally against the agreed rental payment over a defined period within the lease. The scope and cost of the works required, and the recoupment of the works cost through the lease payments, will be agreed between the property owner and the local authority or AHB. The maximum cost of repairs allowable under the scheme is €40,000.
A property owner can either choose to arrange for a contractor to carry out the repairs themselves, or the local authority or AHB can arrange this instead. Property owners will not be required to take on landlord responsibilities; the local authority or AHB will be the landlord and will have on-going management and maintenance responsibilities in respect of the properties.
Property owners availing of the Repair and Lease scheme may qualify for other schemes such as the Home Renovation Incentive or the Better Energy Homes scheme for the works done to bring their properties to the required standard. In this regard it is important to note that the capital advance for payment of the repairs works is not a grant payment and will be fully repaid by the property owner through the offset arrangements agreed under the lease for the property. While local authorities and AHBs may be in a position to provide information in relation to other funding opportunities, it is the responsibility of the property owner to consider the requirements of any such scheme and apply for same. In making any such application, the property owner should advise the relevant scheme administrator of their participation in the Repair and Leasing Scheme.
330. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when local infrastructure housing activation funding will be made available for projects in south Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16586/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe aim of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is to relieve critical infrastructural blockages in order to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in urban areas with high demand for housing.
A call for proposals was issued to all local authorities in August 2016. It was open to all local authorities to apply for funding towards the capital cost of public infrastructure, which when provided, would secure the early delivery of additional affordable housing at considerable scale, with developments in excess of 500 units in the Dublin area, or in excess of 200 units in areas outside Dublin.
21 local authorities submitted a total of 74 proposals in October 2016. Kildare County Council submitted 7 proposals in respect of Naas, Kildare, Maynooth, Newbridge, Celbridge, Leixlip and Sallins.
On 28 March 2017, I announced funding for 34 projects under the LIHAF. The cost of these projects is €226.46 million, of which €169.65 million would be funded under LIHAF with local authorities funding the remaining €56.81 million. These public infrastructure projects will be key to the delivery of 23,000 housing units over the next four years, with a longer term projection of up to 70,000 units as the selected sites are fully built out. Kildare County Council received approval for the proposals at Maynooth, Naas and Sallins.
I am seeking additional funding for LIHAF under the Capital Mid-term Review 2016-2021, but it will be a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to consider in the context of other demands for the available funds. In the event that more funds are secured, local authorities will be able to resubmit proposals that did not receive funding or to advance other new proposals that would meet LIHAF objectives.
331. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the status of the review of guidelines on welfare standards for dog breeding establishments which commenced in January 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16606/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn late 2015, the then Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government agreed to begin a process of review of the current Dog Breeding Establishment (DBE) Guidelines, under the auspices of the County and City Management Association (CCMA) Dogs Working Group. The work undertaken to date has been to produce a first draft revision of the Guidelines.
I considered it essential to broaden the review of the Guidelines to a more formal public consultation, both for quality assurance and to address the need for openness and inclusiveness. A wide-scale formal public consultative process commenced on 1 December 2016 and closed on 28 February 2017. My Department is currently reviewing the feedback received through the process before submitting the findings to me.
333. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of land in public ownership or held in trust for the State, such as, but not exclusively, schools, third level institutions, local authorities, State and semi-State bodies in the constituency of Dublin North West. [16667/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) has the central role in managing the State’s diverse property portfolio, and is responsible for co-ordinating policy in maintaining and efficiently organising the property asset portfolio of the State. However, I presume that the Deputy's question refers to lands in public ownership or held in trust by the State, specifically in the Dublin North West constituency, which may be suitable for housing.
The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness sets out a number of actions to increase and accelerate housing delivery, across all tenures, to help individuals and families find homes. There is a broad suite of actions proposed under Pillar 3 of the Action Plan, entitled Build More Homes, which provides for the use of publicly owned land banks for provision of housing in a more pro-active and strategic way.
In particular, Action 3.5 of Rebuilding Ireland commits to the establishment of a centralised database of publicly owned lands, that are potentially suitable for the development of housing, whether by the State or by private sector housing providers.
Initially, the exercise involves identifying and mapping sites in local authority and public ownership, with appropriate lands to be master-planned to deliver increased mixed tenure housing, including social and more affordable homes, to meet demand.
The map will form part of the broader National Land Supply Management Strategy, which is being developed within the context of the new National Planning Framework, to be titled Ireland 2040: Our Plan. Once established, the map will be updated regularly to record the development and use of these lands, including those located in the Dublin North West constituency, to ensure that the best possible information is publicly available. The project is an iterative process and will be completed in phases.
Phase 1 of the mapping project is well underway and involves the mapping of approximately 700 sites in local authority ownership and those held by the Housing Agency under the Land Aggregation Scheme, showing their location, size, boundaries and other information. I expect to be in a position to publish this mapped data set, together with lands zoned for residential development, in the coming weeks.
Phase 2 of the project involves the mapping of other publicly owned lands with housing potential. In this regard, my Department is currently working with some of the associated key stakeholders of these lands to identify all potentially suitable sites, with the initial focus on lands in the main urban areas where demand is highest, i.e. Dublin, and the cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.
A third phase of the project will involve the mapping of local authority and approved housing body social housing construction projects. This will include new build projects under the Social Housing Capital Investment Programme, the Capital Assistance Scheme, the Capital Advance Leasing Facility as well as regeneration projects.
At its heart, Rebuilding Ireland is focused on increasing and accelerating housing delivery, across all tenures. The active pursuit of housing provision on State lands, including local authority lands, will continue to be an important part of delivering on this overall ambition.
334. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of local authority new builds for 2016 and to date in 2017; the proposed builds and number of dwellings in 2017, by county, in tabular form; if he will include proposed completion dates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16677/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have published a comprehensive status list of social housing schemes that are advancing nationwide, which can be accessed at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/social-housing-developments/. This status report lists the 504 approved social housing construction projects and their locations and contains a range of information relating to their advancement, including those delivered in 2016 and those progressing through planning, design and construction.
These 504 projects, when completed, will deliver circa 8,430 new social houses, some of which were completed in 2016, with the others in the pipeline being completed in 2017 and subsequent years. These projects are funded under a range of different initiatives such as local authority construction/turnkey developments, rapid delivery, regeneration programmes and construction and turnkey developments by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) under the Capital Assistance Scheme and the Capital Advance Leasing Facility. The precise timing for the advancement of each of these projects, including completion dates, is a matter for the relevant local authorities and AHBs concerned, in the first instance. However, within the overall 21,000 social housing solutions targeted for delivery this year, some 4,500 of these will be delivered through new builds/acquisitions and a significant proportion of these will involve new construction.
Further project approvals are being added to the pipeline as they are developed by local authorities and AHBs, details of which will be included in the next quarterly report under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan. I am keen that all local authorities advance their social housing projects as speedily as possible and I have assured them that funding is in place to support their activity in this regard.
335. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason that retained fire fighters have to retire at 58 years of age; his views on whether this is discriminatory; and his plans to change this. [16747/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraInternational research indicates that the retirement age of 55 is the optimum age to ensure that fire-fighters are capable of satisfactorily performing the tasks expected of them. The retirement age of 55 years of age was introduced because of health and safety considerations related to the job. Since the enactment of the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act 1989, underpinned by subsequent legislation, each fire authority, as an employer, has a statutory duty to avoid placing employees at risk.
A collective agreement was reached between the Local Government Management Services Board and the trade unions involved (SIPTU and ATGWU) in November 2002. This collective agreement provided, inter alia, for the appointment of an Expert Group which in turn would advise as to the retirement age for retained firefighters. The Expert Group's Report on Retirement Age recommended that the retirement age for retained firefighters remain at 55, with provision for an annual extension, subject to medical assessment, up to 58 years of age. Following the publication of the report of the Expert Group in April 2003, a circular was issued by my Department in November 2003 setting out the age requirements for retained firefighters. This Circular specifically stated that under no circumstances should any fire-fighter who does not have a written contract of employment with a higher retirement age be employed beyond age 58.
I have no plans to change the age limit.
336. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on holding a right to home referendum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16791/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 8th report of the Convention on the Constitution deals with economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to housing. It raises substantial questions on the balance of rights, proper governance and resources. As stated in the Programme for Partnership Government, the intention is that it will be referred to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government for consideration. It is expected that this will happen shortly.
337. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the rules regarding claims which need to be revised to prevent more spending by bodies such as Dublin City Council and to ensure that these claims are only granted in instances of the utmost seriousness; if he will consider conducting a review of claims granted in 2016 to ensure that all the spending on claims was necessitated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16792/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand the Question refers to the settlement of compensation and public liability claims by local authorities, which are matters for the local authorities concerned. Local authorities are independent in the execution of their powers and the directly elected members are democratically accountable for all expenditure of the authority. Accordingly, I have no function in relation to the matters raised in the Question.
338. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will consider implementing legislative controls on short-term rentals such as those implemented successfully in Berlin and New York City in an effort to rectify short-term rentals such as those by a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16793/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn terms of supply, the focus in the Strategy for the Rental Sector is on maintaining existing levels of rental stock and encouraging investment in additional supply. There are shortages in the supply of rental accommodation in key locations, particularly in urban areas. In some of these areas there is also significant demand for transitory short-term accommodation. In this context, providing short term rentals at higher prices may be an attractive option for landlords. However, a determination by An Bord Pleanála in a particular case has determined that the exclusive use of a residential apartment for short-term holiday lettings is a material change of use requiring planning permission.
The implications of this case have raised a number of regulatory and other related issues, such as tax liability, residential tenancy regulation, support for tourism, and planning. The Strategy for the Rental Sector provides for the establishment by my Department of a working group, comprising representatives of relevant stakeholders including local authorities, relevant Departments, public bodies and other interests in the area, with a view to providing more information on the scale and nature of the issue and full clarity regarding the appropriate regulatory approach to be adopted in relation to short-term tourism-related lettings. The working group is due to report in Quarter 2 2017.
In the meantime, my Department is in active discussions with organisations involved in short term letting with a view to establishing collaborative agreements within the coming weeks to ensure that those involved in such letting have all the required planning permissions.
339. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on whether evidence (details supplied) points to another or looming housing bubble; if so, the actions he will take to address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16794/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, chronic under-supply of housing across all tenures, for several years during the economic downturn, is at the heart of the significant challenges which exist in the housing sector. Housing output fell by over 90%, from peak construction of 93,000 homes in 2006 to just over 8,301 in 2013, and while current levels of house completions are increasing, reaching almost 15,000 new homes in 2016, this level is still well short of the 25,000 homes required each year to meet demand.
Recent reports show that demand for housing remains strong, driven by economic growth and increasing numbers of households as well as pent-up demand built up over years of under-supply, as evidenced by annual average price increases of approximately 9% on a national basis and between 8.7% and 10.2% in Dublin. However, it should be noted that average prices are still well below the peak levels recorded in 2007, according to the CSO’s Residential Property Price Index.
The Government’s multi-stranded Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness is aimed, inter alia, at increasing supply of new homes across all tenures, as well as bringing vacant or under-utilised homes back into use to meet both current and future demand. While we are still at an early stage of implementation, there is already strong evidence that the focus on increasing and accelerating supply in Rebuilding Ireland is starting to work. The latest residential commencements and completions data show that house-building activity is continuing to strengthen. Completions for the 12 month period to end January 2017, stood at 15,256 homes, an 18% increase year on year. Likewise, commencement notices for 13,334 new homes were submitted in the twelve month period to end January 2017, an increase of 44% year on year. Identification and development of key sites in the major urban areas where demand is greatest and the recent announcement of €226 million of enabling infrastructure investment to facilitate construction of some 23,000 homes by 2021 are further initiatives that will significantly impact on supply and thereby help to counteract price inflation.
Furthermore, the very significant increase in the Government’s social housing investment programme to €5.35 billion over a six-year period is already ramping up social housing supply. Last year, €935 million was spent providing nearly 18,400 social housing supports. Almost 5,300 homes were built, refurbished or acquired and some 12,000 Housing Assistance Payment tenancies were established. Looking ahead, I have published the Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report - Q4 2016 (available on www.rebuildingireland.ie), detailing the pipeline of over 500 social housing projects, involving the construction of over 8,400 homes at various stages in the process.
While a very significant amount of work has been carried out since the publication of Rebuilding Ireland, I am fully aware of the considerable further progress required to activate housing development sites and to increase and accelerate delivery to the scale required.
The housing market is complex and no one single fix will address all the issues. Nonetheless, I believe that, through the multiplicity of actions currently being progressed through Rebuilding Ireland to increase the supply of high quality homes to at least 25,000 per annum by 2021, the Government has created the conditions required for the restoration of a more sustainable and normally functioning housing market capable of providing homes, at affordable price points to buy or rent, where and when they are required.
