Written Answers Nos. 47-54
48. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the NERI report Ireland's Housing Emergency: Time for A Game Changer, asking the Government to set up a semi-State company to become the main supplier of rental housing, and which would use a cost rental system similar to the one in place in Austria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17100/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra68. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he and his officials have examined the recently published European cost rental model by the Nevin Economic Research Institute; the cost rental pilot he will introduce and the timeframe for this pilot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16810/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 68 together.
The recent NERI report Ireland's Housing Emergency: Time for A Game Changer is to be welcomed as an important addition to the debate on housing in Ireland. I note that there is considerable common ground between the NERI report and the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan and Strategy for the Rental Sector.
For example, and in line with Rebuilding Ireland, the NERI report concludes that:
- Supply is the most significant challenge at present;
- There is a need to increase public investment in new permanent social housing stock;
- Traditional patterns of demand are changing: increased labour market mobility and wider economic factors are encouraging a lesser reliance on home ownership;
- A significant proportion of the required new stock needs to be provided specifically for rental;
- The State needs to create the right conditions for investment in the delivery of rental accommodation;
- Local authorities, approved housing bodies and the Housing Finance Agency all have a key role to play in the delivery of housing.
Through Rebuilding Ireland, the Government is progressing a range of actions to meet these challenges. Over the lifetime of the plan, the overall social housing stock will be increased by providing 47,000 social housing units through local authorities and approved housing bodies using €5.3billion in capital funding and Housing Finance Agency loan finance.
In addition, under the strategy for the rental sector, a range of supply side measures are being progressed including:
- build to rent models;
- use of State-owned lands to deliver affordable rental in areas of high demand;
- measures to increase the supply of dedicated student accommodation to free-up units in the general rental market;
- supports to bring vacant stock into use;
- consideration of tax and fiscal incentives to encourage additional supply.
In addition to the commitment to advancing projects to deliver additional rental accommodation, the strategy for the rental sector noted that the Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to develop a "cost rental" option, taking account of work already completed in this area, including by NESC and others. This is also the central recommendation in the report by NERI.
In line with this commitment, action 12 of the strategy for the rental sector provides that my Department will lead an expert group to develop a cost rental model for the Irish rental sector, addressing issues such as funding mechanisms, the need to grow the necessary institutional capacity, particularly within the AHB sector - whether through mergers, new entrants or strategic partnerships - the households to be targeted and the appropriate regulation mechanisms. The expert group will consider the proposals put forward by NERI - including the proposal to establish a semi-State company to progress the cost rental model - in the course of its work, which is scheduled to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2017.
49. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if approval will be provided to owners of vacant properties for refurbishment scheme to apply directly to local authorities rather than AHBs to avail of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17120/17]
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 up-front 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. The local authority will determine the eligibility for the scheme, having regard to the location and the suitability of the property for social housing and also taking into account the extent of repairs that may be required.
Depending on the manner in which a local authority elects to operate the scheme in their administrative area, property owners may apply directly to their local authority in respect of the scheme or to a participating AHB. Properties must be vacant for at least one year, and property owners and contractors engaged under the scheme must demonstrate that they are tax compliant through the provision of tax clearance certificates on request. Local authorities retain overall responsibility for ensuring that housing units brought into use under the scheme are required and fulfil social housing demand in their areas, and will have full nomination rights for units delivered through AHB led mechanisms.
51. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of housing completions to date in 2017; if these figures are on target to meet his quarter one rebuilding Ireland targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16811/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, under-supply of housing across all tenures is at the heart of the significant challenges which exist in the housing sector.
The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness of July 2016, which is available at the following link,
http://rebuildingireland.ie/install/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Rebuilding-Ireland_Action-Plan.pdf,
is focused on increasing supply, to achieve total housing output of at least 25,000 homes per year by 2021 and beyond, effectively doubling the output of 12,600 homes recorded in 2015.
While we are still at an early stage of implementation, there is already strong evidence that the actions underpinning Rebuilding Ireland are working. For example, the unprecedented 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 invested in providing some 19,000 social housing supports. Almost 5,300 homes were built, refurbished or acquired and some 12,000 housing assistance payment tenancies were established. In 2017, some 21,000 households will have their social housing needs met.
With regard to the wider housing market, the ambition under Rebuilding Ireland is also to increase and accelerate the supply of homes for those who do not qualify for social housing support. Under pillar 3 of Rebuilding Ireland, I am working across Government and with other stakeholders, using all the levers available, to activate idle sites, particularly in urban areas where demand is greatest, so as to deliver affordable, mixed tenure housing at scale.
While 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 indicators are positive and the latest residential commencements and completions data show that house-building activity is continuing to grow.
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. Importantly, multi-unit developments, that is developments other than one-off houses, currently represent 69% of all housing commencements up from 60% in 2015. My expectation is that some 18,000 homes will be completed nationally this year.
As committed to under Rebuilding Ireland, my Department has developed a monthly housing activity report, which provides monthly updates on a range of statistics. This report is published on the Rebuilding Ireland website, www.rebuildingireland.ie.
I believe that, through the range of actions currently being progressed through Rebuilding Ireland to increase the supply of homes across all tenures, 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 needed.
52. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a wide range of advertisements across social media for multiple beds and bunk bed accommodation in Dublin; the laws that are in place; if legislation is required to combat this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16808/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Strategy for the Rental Sector, published in December 2016, recognises that the quality of rental accommodation is critical to the success and sustainability of the residential rental sector and its attractiveness as a long-term accommodation option for households.
A key commitment in the Strategy was to review the regulations governing minimum standards in rented accommodation, to bring them into line with modern requirements. That review has now been completed and on 27 January, I signed the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017. These new regulations will come into operation on 1 July 2017, replacing the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008 and the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2009. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with the regulations. Responsibility for enforcement of the regulations rests with the relevant local authority.
In addition to the updated regulations, procedures for a more efficient, standardised and transparent inspections and enforcement approach across all local authority areas will be introduced; and specific ring-fenced funding for inspections will be provided from 2018 onwards, with the aim of achieving a 25% annual inspection coverage of rental properties by 2021.
It is important to note that overcrowding and unfit houses are legislated for under part IV of the Housing Act 1966. The Act defines overcrowding in terms of the numbers of persons sharing rooms and room size. Overcrowding may give rise to concerns in respect of fire safety, and may lead to enforcement action by fire authorities. Situations of overcrowding should be reported to the relevant local authority.
Partial use of houses as overnight guest accommodation, essentially for B&B purposes, is provided for as an exempted development under Regulation 10(4) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as long as not more than four bedrooms in a house are used and not more than four persons are accommodated in a bedroom.
Using a residential property as hostel accommodation is not exempted development and constitutes a change of use which would require planning permission.
53. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of cases approved for pyrite remediation under the exceptional circumstances provision in the Pyrite Resolution Act 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16804/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pyrite Resolution Board, with the support of the Housing Agency, is responsible for the implementation of the pyrite remediation scheme. The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of last resort and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website, www.pyriteboard.ie.
The scheme is applicable to dwellings which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave established in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2013 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol. In this regard, it is a condition of eligibility under the scheme that an application to the Board must be accompanied by a building condition assessment with a damage condition rating of 2. Dwellings which do not have a damage condition rating of 2 are not eligible to apply under the scheme. This ensures that, having regard to available resources, the focus of the scheme is on dwellings which are most severely damaged by pyritic heave.
Where a dwelling, otherwise not eligible for inclusion in the scheme, adjoins a dwelling already included in the scheme, such a dwelling may be considered in accordance with the exceptional circumstance provisions set out in section 17 of the Act. Section 17 provides that exceptional circumstances may apply where:
- failure to include a dwelling in the scheme may result in damage to that dwelling or damage to the dwelling being remediated under the scheme, or
- pyrite remediation work is causing or may cause damage to a dwelling.
The Housing Agency will consider if exceptional circumstances apply when the remedial works plan is being drawn up; the board will be informed of any recommendation for a decision in the matter.
As matters currently stand, no dwellings have been included in the pyrite remediation scheme under the exceptional circumstances provisions of the Act.
54. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the numerical breakdown of the various methods local authority housing, rapid builds, family hubs, HAP and so on that he proposes to move the more than 800 homeless persons currently in private emergency accommodation out of hotels and bed and breakfasts by the end of June 2017; his plans for all the persons that will be made newly homeless in that timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17104/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra69. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department will meet its target for the cessation of hotel accommodation for homeless persons; if those persons will be moved to other emergency accommodation or provided with a secure tenancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16796/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Nos. 54 and 69 together.
The target set in Rebuilding Ireland, that by mid-2017 hotels will only be used in limited circumstances to provide emergency accommodation for families, is necessarily ambitious. However, I believe that the significant efforts currently being made by local authorities and other key bodies, supported by my Department, will enable the objective to be achieved.
It is intended that the long-term housing needs of families currently homeless will be met through a mix of social housing solutions, particularly through the enhanced housing assistance payment (HAP) scheme, general social housing allocations and other letting arrangements that the housing authorities consider appropriate. Significant results are being achieved in this regard, with housing authorities achieving over 3,000 sustainable exits from homeless accommodation into independent tenancies during 2016, a record level of exits in a calendar year.
At present, local authorities are also pursuing a range of new emergency accommodation that can be used to accommodate households, as an alternative to hotels, during periods of homelessness. These supported accommodation initiatives will provide temporary accommodation for homeless families with a greater level of stability, services and supports than are available in hotel accommodation, while move-on options to long-term independent living are identified and secured.
Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services, including emergency accommodation, rests with the individual housing authorities. However, my Department continues to engage proactively with the various local authorities in relation to funding the delivery of a range of identified temporary accommodation arrangements for homeless families.
