Written Answers Nos. 411-428
411. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if the investment of €37.5 million, as outlined in point 50 of the Action Plan for Rural Development, to implement the social inclusion and community activation programme is in addition to the funds previously committed by the Department of Social Protection to the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19742/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) was rolled out across communities, both urban and rural, in April 2015 and will run until 31 December 2017. The aim of SICAP is to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality through local, regional and national engagement and collaboration. SICAP is a key priority of Government and its vision is to improve the life chances and opportunities of those who are marginalised in society, living in poverty or in unemployment, through community development approaches, targeted supports and interagency collaboration, where the values of equality and inclusion are promoted and human rights are respected.
Responsibility for this programme rests with my Department. The SICAP programme delivery budget as approved in the Revised Estimates Volume for 2017 under Vote 34, Subhead D.4, is €37.5 million. This includes an allocation of €3 million under the European Structural Funds (ESF) Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (PEIL) 2014-2020.
SICAP is a separate and distinct programme which complements mainstream service provision through other Departments including, for example, some of the Department of Social Protection’s programmes.
412. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline his plans to review planning legislation to allow the change of use of vacant commercial properties in cities, towns and villages, including vacant or under-utilised areas over ground floor premises, into residential units without going through the planning process as outlined in point 6 of the Action Plan for Rural Development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19744/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOverall responsibility for the Action Plan for Rural Development, which was launched on 23 January 2017, rests with my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. However, as the proposal listed at Action 6 therein relates to a planning matter, its delivery falls to my Department.
The proposed action - allowing for the change of use of vacant commercial premises in urban areas, including vacant or under-utilised areas over groundfloor premises, into residential units without having to go through the planning process - was also reflected in the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness published in July 2016.
My Department is currently progressing the drafting of the necessary revisions to the planning regulations to give effect to this action. It is intended that the new regulations, which will require the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas, will be made before the Oireachtas Summer recess.
413. Deputy Josepha Madigan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the plans the Government and local councils have in place to ensure that all car wash sites are licensed to discharge waste and are compliant with all planning regulations in view of the increasing number of unauthorised pop-up car washes. [19955/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. Section 4 of the Act and Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, set out various exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission, subject to the restrictions specified in Article 9 of the Regulations and the specific conditions set out in each class of exempted development in Schedule 2 of the Regulations. There is no specific exemption for car wash facilities.
Any development that is carried out without planning permission or that does not comply with the terms of a planning permission is unauthorised development and may be subject to enforcement action by a planning authority. Decisions on planning applications and enforcement of the requirements of the Planning Act and Regulations are designated functions of the planning authorities in the first instance and I have no role in relation to either matter.
In addition, under Section 16 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 (as amended), an individual or business may not discharge a trade effluent to a sewer except in accordance with a licence issued under the associated regulations. Therefore, a Trade Effluent Discharge to Sewer Licence issued by Irish Water must be in place where the discharge from a car wash is to a sewer.
Trade Effluent Discharge to Sewer Licences set out conditions that must be complied with. These may include the nature, composition and volume of the trade effluent discharge; the method of treatment, the location of discharge and the periods during which discharge may be made; as well as sampling requirements and applicable charges for the discharging of the trade effluent, as approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER).
Local authorities have a general responsibility for the monitoring, management, protection and improvement of water quality. Irish Water is responsible for the issuing of licences for the discharge of trade effluent to their sewers. The Environmental Protection Agency, through its Office of Environmental Enforcement, exercises general supervision in relation to the performance of these functions by local authorities.
414. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the current legislation and statutory instruments by which groundwater is accessed for commercial bottled water production; if the abstraction of this natural resource is measured and monitored by his Department or local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19959/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra415. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to set out the estimated amount of groundwater that is abstracted for commercial bottled water production for each year since 2000; the amounts earned by local authorities for such water abstraction during the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19960/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 414 and 415 together.
Currently, the abstraction of groundwater does not generally require authorisation and groundwater abstracted for bottled water production is not monitored by local authorities or by my Department to determine its quality or to control abstraction volumes. The European Union (Natural Mineral Waters, Spring Waters and other Waters in Bottles or Containers) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 282 of 2016) places a responsibility on the producers of bottled water to ensure the source is protected and sets the quality and the treatment standards for the final product. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland is the competent authority for enforcement of these Regulations.
The EPA has compiled a database of known water abstractions as part of the development of the draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2018-2021. The database identifies twenty one bottled water plants across Ireland with production volumes ranging between 106 cubic meters per day at the largest plant to just 41 litres per day at the smallest plant. However, these amounts relate to the volume of the final product produced and do not take into account any water abstracted which might be used as part of the production process.
I have indicated my intention in the draft River Basin Management Plan which was published in February this year to bring forward legislative proposals to establish a comprehensive and maintained register of water abstractions greater than 25 cubic meters per day, and also to consult on a proportionate and risk-based framework for the regulation of water abstractions to ensure the continued sustainable use of our water resources. The draft River Basin Management Plan is currently undergoing public consultation which remains open until 31 August 2017. The draft plan is available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/water/water-quality/river-basin-management-plans/public-consultation-draft-river-basin-management.
416. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to set out the number of housing units that have been purchased in County Cork for a specific reason (details supplied). [20302/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme, funding is provided to local authorities for the acquisition of suitable new and second-hand housing and apartments for social housing use. The selection of such units for acquisition is a matter for local authorities, as the housing authorities for their areas, with the clear expectation that such acquisitions meet priority housing need, are suitable, good quality, value for money, sustain balanced tenure mix and are part of a broader approach to the development of new social housing for the area. These acquired properties are allocated to tenants based on their needs, as determined through the individual local authority's scheme of letting priorities. My Department does not have access to information on individual tenants accommodated in such properties.
417. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to set down by county the amount of the €28 million allocated to the BMW region in 2016 that was drawn down. [20678/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra418. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to set down the amount spent in each sector of the €28 million allocated to the BMW region in 2016. [20679/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra419. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to set down the amount spent on administration of the €28 million allocated to the BMW region in 2016. [20680/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 417 to 419, inclusive, together.
It is assumed that the allocation referred to in the questions relates to the Designated Urban Centres Grant Scheme announced in January 2015 which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is administered in Ireland by the two Regional Operational Programme Managing Authorities: the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, formerly known as the Border, Midlands and Western (BMW) Region; and the Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly.
In this regard, an amount of €40 million in ERDF funding has been allocated for urban development projects in Ireland in the current EU Budget cycle period of 2014 to 2020, which has been apportioned as follows:
- €14m to the Northern and Western Region, and
- €26m to the Southern and Eastern Region.
In line with the ERDF requirements, the urban development projects approved for funding under the grant scheme are required to be at least match-funded from local authority own resources, thereby guaranteeing a minimum spend of €28 million on the approved projects in the Northern and Western Region in the period to 2020. However, local authorities in the Region have in fact committed to €38.5 million in match-funding from their own resources under the scheme, bringing the total investment on qualifying urban development projects in the Region to €52.5 million.
Information on the costs incurred by the Northern and Western Regional Assembly in administering the grant scheme in 2016 is not available in my Department; details of such administration costs may be sought directly from the Assembly itself.
None of the €14 million of ERDF funding in respect of qualifying projects in the Northern and Western Region was drawn down in 2016 but this may be explained by the fact that work on the projects has only recently been initiated or has not yet commenced.
420. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the way in which families may avail of family-friendly temporary accommodation units; the way in which these units are being allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20820/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra421. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the way in which homeless persons in commercial hotel and bed and breakfast emergency accommodation will be allocated housing before the mid-2017 deadline to cease the use of these facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20821/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra422. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the proportion of HAP, rapid build and social housing units that will be used to provide housing for homeless families in order to meet the mid-2017 deadline to cease the use of commercial hotel and bed and breakfast emergency accommodation for homeless persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20822/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 420 to 422, inclusive, 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 that are 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 already 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.
Local authorities are also pursuing a range of new emergency accommodation facilities that can be used as an alternative to hotels, to accommodate households 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. In that context, it will be a matter for housing authorities, in the first instance, to consider the appropriate accommodation solutions for each individual family. 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.
423. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to set down the number of multi-unit commencements in the four Dublin local authorities from the first quarter of 2014 to the second quarter of 2017; the name of the owners, builders and designer of these commencements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19156/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics, including information on Commencement Notices, which are available on the Department's website at http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/house-building-and-private-rented/construction-activity-starts.
In addition, Building Control Authorities are required to keep certain information pertaining to building works that come under the Building Control Regulations 1997-2015 on a statutory register. The purpose of the Building Control Management System (BCMS) is to facilitate building control authorities, building owners, builders and construction professionals in discharging their separate responsibilities under the Building Control Act 1990. The system provides a common platform for clear and consistent administration of building control matters across the local authority sector.
BCMS is centrally hosted by the Local Government Management Agency on behalf of the 31 Local Authorities and has enabled this information, which includes the names of owners, builders and designers, to be hosted on a central nationwide register, readily available and updated quarterly at https://www.localgov.ie/en/link-type/bcms.
424. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to set down the number of multi-unit completions in the four Dublin local authorities from the first quarter of 2014 to the second quarter of 2017; the name of the owners, builders and designer of these completions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19157/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra468. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to set down the number of houses completed in the greater Dublin area from June 2016 to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19894/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 424 and 468 together.
In respect of completions data, since the 1970’s, my Department has published ESB data on residential homes connected to the ESB grid as a proxy for house completions, as it represents the best available indicator that a residential unit is becoming available for occupation. This dataset includes recently completed once-off homes, multi-unit scheme developments and apartments as well as some re-connections to the grid, where properties that have been unoccupied for over two years are being brought back into use.
The data requested is available on a dataset published on the Department's website and updated monthly; this can be accessed by clicking on the following weblink - http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/house-building-and-private-rented/construction-activity-completions.
The data is broken down into individual houses, scheme houses and apartments across each local authority.
In relation to data on the owners, designers and builders of houses, Building Control Authorities are required to keep certain information pertaining to building works that come under the Building Control Regulations 1997-2015 on a statutory register, which may include particulars in relation to owners, builders and designers and Certificates of Compliance on Completion, where relevant, to specific buildings or works. The register is published on the Building Control Management System, which is centrally hosted by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) on behalf of the 31 Local Authorities, and can be accessed by clicking on the following weblink - https://www.localgov.ie/en/link-type/bcms.
425. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Kildare County Council is unable to begin the repair and lease scheme citing staffing issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19174/17]
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.
Following on from the success of the initial RLS pilot in Waterford and Carlow local authorities, the pilot was expanded on a national basis from 23 February 2017. In recognition of both the critical demand for additional units and the potential the RLS scheme has to offer, I have assigned additional funding to the scheme in 2017, bringing the total amount of investment available this year to €32m, which will facilitate up to 800 vacant properties being brought back into use as new homes for families on local authority waiting lists.
In the period since the launch of the scheme, my Department has been engaging bilaterally with local authorities and AHBs, including Kildare County Council, to provide support and assistance in the implementation of the scheme. Two workshops have been convened to introduce the scheme to local authority and AHB staff and to provide practical information and assistance on how best to develop the RLS in their areas. A detailed guidance document, template legal agreements, application forms and other resources have also been made available to local authorities and AHBs in order to assist in the implementation of the scheme and minimise the impact of the scheme on existing resources.
In addition, the RLS has been designed to draw on the expertise and experience gained by AHBs on social housing acquisitions and leasing in recent years and it is open to local authorities to work in collaboration with AHBs in their areas to maximise the potential impact of the scheme. However, local authorities retain overall responsibility for the implementation of the scheme in their area and for ensuring that housing units brought into use under the scheme are required and fulfil social housing demand in their areas. Where collaboration with AHBs is facilitated, local authorities then have increased capacity to focus on core construction programmes, land management and mixed tenure goals. The delivery of social housing under Rebuilding Ireland is focussed on a need to acknowledge the blend of delivery routes available and to harness the maximum capacity of all stakeholders operating in the sector.
Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. It is therefore, a matter for each individual Chief Executive to apply for sanction from my Department and, once approved, to recruit and assign staff to specific divisions within their organisation.
My Department works closely with all local authorities in relation to their staffing requirements. Staffing sanction requests are examined on a case by case basis having due regard to the continued delivery of key services in the context of staffing and budgetary constraints.
I understand that no requests for additional staffing related to the implementation of the RLS have been received in my Department from Kildare County Council. However, my Department would look favourably if any such request was to be received, and is happy to continue working closely with the local authority as the scheme continues to establish momentum.
426. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline his views on Irish Water's engagement with local authorities in view of its capital investment project prioritisation. [19186/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. Irish Water as a single national utility is taking a strategic, nationwide approach to asset planning and investment, and meeting customer requirements.
Under the Water Services Act (No. 2) 2013, Irish Water is required to consult with a number of stakeholders, including local authorities, when preparing an Investment Plan. Accordingly, Irish Water undertook formal consultations on the emerging Investment Plan with a wide range of stakeholders, including all statutory consultees such as local authorities, the Public Water Forum, and those recommended by the Commission for Energy Regulation. In addition to the formal consultation with local authorities, I understand that workshops were held with water services personnel during the summer of 2016 as part of the development of the Investment Plan, which contributed to the development of Irish Water’s understanding of the asset base and identification of needs across the water supply and wastewater infrastructure.
Irish Water’s primary function is to provide clean drinking water to customers and to treat and return wastewater safely to the environment. In providing these services Irish Water plays a central role in enabling economic growth, protecting both the environment and the health and safety of its customers and the public.
Following decades of under-investment, there are now many competing investment needs across the State. Irish Water’s Capital Investment Plan is an important part of the process of meeting this investment need in a balanced way. In a constrained funding environment, Irish Water needs to understand and consider all available views in order to ensure that available investment is appropriately balanced across competing areas. Consequently Irish Water must take a number of considerations into account when weighing up the relative merits of investment needs.
It is an objective of Irish Water that the interventions in its Investment Plan should be balanced across the various drivers including supporting future population growth, economic development, provision of safe and secure drinking water supplies, minimising the impact of wastewater discharges on the environment and maintaining the Irish Water asset base.
The Investment Plan sets out the approach taken to optimise intervention options by examining their contribution to specific performance targets. Irish Water has taken on board and responded to the consultation process undertaken in setting very challenging targets for the Investment Plan 2017-2021, such as:
- reducing the number of Boil Water Notices in place for greater than 200 days from over 4,000 to zero;
- reducing the number of schemes on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Remedial Action List from 71 to zero;
- increasing compliance with the parameters for Lead in Drinking Water from an estimated 85% to 98%;
- reducing network leakage volume by 180 Megalitres per day;
- rationalisation of 105 Water Treatment Works;
- increasing the Population Equivalent (PE) served by Wastewater Treatment Works compliant with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive from 2.4m to 4.8m;
- reducing the number of public wastewater agglomerations with no-treatment from 37 to zero.
This investment balancing process towards the achievement of challenging targets is a key element of the value Irish Water brings as a single national utility.
427. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the reason only nine working days have been granted from the date of public notification, 24 March 2017 to 6 April 2017, regarding a licence (details supplied) on Galway Bay; if this period meets his Department's regulations on timeframes for public observations to be made on foreshore licence applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19225/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA foreshore licence application was received in my Department in September 2016 to retain the existing linear acoustic telemetry array spanning Galway Bay for the purpose of studying marine migrations of salmonoids in the bay and the monitoring of marine animals tagged in other studies with a view to contributing to spatial planning and conservation management.
The details of this application were published in Irish and English in the Irish Examiner on 29th September 2016 and the Connaught Tribune on 30th September 2016. The application with supporting documents was published on my Department's website and was made available for inspection at Mill Street Garda Station for a period of 21 working days. No submissions were received during this period.
In late February 2017 the applicant, having met with fishermen's representatives and reviewing the tracks taken by trawlers, advised that they considered it best to rotate the proposed location of the array slightly east from the middle point to avoid any potential contact by fishermen's gear. That communication also advised that receivers need to be deployed by early April, before the salmon smolt are present in the Corrib prior to their annual migration.
The applicant was instructed to advertise the revised proposal and given the short time available the public consultation on the revised proposal was reduced from the normal 21 working days.
Some 26 observations on the revised proposal were received.
This application has yet to come before me for determination so I am unable to comment further at this time.
428. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to set down the amount that has been spent to date on the consultation, communication and engagement strategy associated with Rebuilding Ireland; and the cost associated with holding press conferences to launch each pillar of the programme. [19256/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe overall cost to date of the consultation, communication and engagement strategy associated with Rebuilding Ireland is approximately €95,700 (incl. VAT).
The main aim of the consultation, communication and engagement strategy is to ensure that the momentum for implementation is maintained throughout the life of the Plan. A key part of the successful implementation of Rebuilding Ireland is to ensure that all stakeholders and the wider public are fully aware of the commitments, understand the range of initiatives and actions being rolled out and can access relevant and up-to-date information on progress.
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.rebuildingireland.ie, has been put in place and a dedicated email address, rebuildingireland@housing.gov.ie has also been created. The total investment to date in the development and management of this website has been approximately €54,600 (incl. VAT).
In addition to the standard provision of text and graphic information to view and download, the website facilitates engagement with the general public through the use of video presentations, social media and the inter-active State land map, at a cost of approximately €38,900 (incl. VAT) to date. It is important to note that the video production costs include filming and content generation resources that may be used in future video presentations, thus potentially reducing the costs of future requirements in this area.
Pillar specific launches have also taken place to build implementation momentum by allowing for a deeper focus on a specific pillar area, and elaboration of the actions being taken. Four Pillar launches have taken place to date and the location and cost of each is set out in the following table. A similar launch for the Pillar 5, Utilise Existing Housing, will take place in due course.
|
Pillar |
Launch Date |
Venue |
Cost |
|
1: Address Homelessness |
22 September 2016 |
Government Press Centre |
Nil |
|
2: Accelerate Social Housing |
6 October 2016 |
Charlemont Community Centre, Dublin 2 |
Nil |
|
3: Build More Homes |
10 November 2016 |
Green Isle Hotel, Naas Road, Dublin 22 |
€2,200 (room hire and associated costs) |
|
4: Improve the Rental Sector |
13 December 2016 |
Government Press Centre |
Nil |
There has also been a series of local authority-hosted regional events to stimulate and encourage active involvement and early engagement by all key stakeholders at local and regional levels.
Further requirements in terms of the website, video production and social media services for the next twelve-month period, are currently being considered. All efforts will continue to be made to keep expenditure in connection with Rebuilding Ireland to a minimum.
Further information in relation to the Consultation, Communication and Engagement Strategy and in relation to progress more generally under Rebuilding Ireland is available in the Second Quarterly Progress Report on the implementation of Rebuilding Ireland, which was published on 7 February 2017 and can be accessed at: http://rebuildingireland.ie/install/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Second_Quarterly_Progress_Report_-RBI-Final-1.pdf.
