Written Answers Nos. 483-99
483. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount allocated to each county to date in 2017 under the repair and leasing scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20112/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) has been developed 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. 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 and is now available in all local authorities.
In recognition of both the critical demand for units and the potential the RLS has to offer, I assigned an additional €26m to fund the scheme in 2017, which brings the total amount available this year to €32m. This additional investment in 2017 means that delivery under the scheme can be accelerated and up to 800 vacant properties can be brought back into use as new homes for families on local authority waiting lists this year.
Local authorities are best placed to determine the availability of potential units in their local areas. Therefore, funding to support the RLS will be provided based on proposals submitted by local authorities to my Department rather than by individual allocation to each local authority. Local authorities have been provided with delegated authority to enter into contractual arrangements in respect of potential units. My Department will be closely monitoring this activity to ensure that the scheme works well; that the funding I have made available is utilised effectively; and ultimately, that new social houses are delivered using the scheme in 2017.
484. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of houses that will be constructed in 2017 in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20137/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA substantial pipeline of new social housing construction projects, which are being advanced by local authorities and approved housing bodies is now in place. The progress now being made in this area can be seen in the Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report, which I published on 20 February 2017.
The report contains a range of information, including projects due to be delivered in 2017 and those at various stages of advancement through planning, design and construction. It also includes information such as local authority area, project name, approved housing body name where applicable, the number of units and the status of each application in terms of its current level of advancement. The report can be accessed at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/social-housing-developments/. Updates to this report will be published on a regular basis and will be available on the Rebuilding Ireland website http://rebuildingireland.ie/.
I expect that a number of the projects listed for Kerry County Council will be completed in 2017 and others will commence on site during this year, as well as in subsequent years; the precise timing for the advancement of each of these projects is a matter for the Council in the first instance. Further project approvals are being added to the published list as they are developed by Kerry County Council and the other local authorities. 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.
485. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will make available the written submissions made to his Department by organisations (details supplied) and other submissions received relative to the consultation process relating to the Control of Dogs Regulations 1998; if he will initiate an independent review of all existing legislation and regulations relative to the control of dogs and the Act of 1986; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20163/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am satisfied that the specific control requirements for listed breeds provide a balanced and workable arrangement which recognises the rights of dog owners, respects animal welfare to the extent possible, while also taking account of the needs of society to be protected from dogs with a significant capability to inflict very serious injury, or cause death.
I have no plans to amend the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2010 in respect of these matters.
Given the passage of time since the 1998 Regulations were made, I do not intend to make individual written submissions in the matter publicly available.
486. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of housing units bought in County Cork by Cork County Council with the intention of using for social housing purposes; the number of units bought in each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017; the location of each unit; and the cost of each unit. [20275/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Pillar 2 of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, my Department is working closely with all local authorities in relation to increasing and accelerating the delivery of a range of social housing programmes and supports to respond to housing need and meet the needs of homeless people within their areas.
Details of properties purchased by Cork County Council for letting to those on their social housing waiting lists are summarised in the table.
|
Year/Area |
Number of properties |
Sum of Cost |
|
Year: 2014 |
4 |
€611,030 |
|
Ballineen |
1 |
€197,925 |
|
Cobh |
1 |
€106,575 |
|
Mitchelstown |
1 |
€149,205 |
|
Youghal |
1 |
€157,325 |
|
Year: 2015 |
27 |
€4,461,468 |
|
Ballincollig |
1 |
€215,000 |
|
Bandon |
2 |
€249,552 |
|
Carrigaline |
4 |
€928,000 |
|
Charleville |
1 |
€139,000 |
|
Cobh |
7 |
€922,312 |
|
Crosshaven |
1 |
€170,000 |
|
Glanmire |
1 |
€215,000 |
|
Grange |
1 |
€239,000 |
|
Grenagh |
1 |
€180,000 |
|
Kanturk |
1 |
€172,500 |
|
Killeagh |
1 |
€155,000 |
|
Little Island |
1 |
€187,000 |
|
Mallow |
2 |
€220,000 |
|
Midleton |
2 |
€259,104 |
|
Rochestown |
1 |
€210,000 |
|
Year: 2016 |
98 |
€18,265,500 |
|
Fermoy |
1 |
€225,000 |
|
Ballincollig |
3 |
€690,000 |
|
Ballinhassig |
2 |
€345,000 |
|
Ballyclough |
1 |
€200,000 |
|
Bandon |
9 |
€1,716,500 |
|
Bantry |
1 |
€165,000 |
|
Blarney |
1 |
€250,000 |
|
Boherbue |
1 |
€165,000 |
|
Carrigaline |
4 |
€804,500 |
|
Carrigtwohill |
1 |
€225,000 |
|
Castlemartyr |
1 |
€172,000 |
|
Castletownshend |
1 |
€155,000 |
|
Charleville |
2 |
€235,000 |
|
Clonakilty |
4 |
€808,000 |
|
Cobh |
11 |
€1,777,500 |
|
Douglas |
1 |
€165,000 |
|
Drimoleague |
2 |
€293,000 |
|
Dromahane |
2 |
€310,000 |
|
Fermoy |
2 |
€412,500 |
|
Inishmore Park, Cobh |
1 |
€240,000 |
|
Kanturk |
3 |
€437,000 |
|
Killeagh |
1 |
€210,000 |
|
Kinsale |
4 |
€1,025,000 |
|
Ladysbridge |
1 |
€170,000 |
|
Little Island |
2 |
€460,000 |
|
Macroom |
1 |
€210,000 |
|
Mallow |
9 |
€1,527,000 |
|
Midleton |
6 |
€1,205,000 |
|
Millstreet |
3 |
€510,000 |
|
Passage West |
5 |
€1,215,000 |
|
Skibbereen |
4 |
€620,000 |
|
Whitegate |
1 |
€175,000 |
|
Youghal |
7 |
€1,147,500 |
|
Year: 2017 to date |
24 |
€6,240,000 |
|
Bandon |
4 |
€780,000 |
|
Douglas |
13 |
€3,955,000 |
|
Fermoy |
1 |
€225,000 |
|
Glanmire |
1 |
€240,000 |
|
Kanturk |
1 |
€195,000 |
|
Mallow |
1 |
€290,000 |
|
Millstreet |
1 |
€190,000 |
|
Mitchelstown |
1 |
€205,000 |
|
Rathcormac |
1 |
€160,000 |
|
Total 2014 to date: |
153 |
€29,577,998 |
487. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when he expects to publish a new national vacant housing re-use strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20289/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraPillar 5 of the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, published in July 2016, is specifically focused on Utilising Existing Housing Stock, with a key objective of ensuring that the existing vacant housing stock throughout the country and across all forms of tenure, in both the public and private sectors, is used to the optimal degree possible. In this regard, Action 5.1 of Rebuilding Ireland commits to the development of a National Vacant Housing Re-Use Strategy, informed by Census 2016 data, to:
- inform the compilation of a register of vacant units across the country,
- identify the number, location and reasons for longer-term vacancies (i.e. over 6 months) in high demand areas, and
- set out a range of actions to bring vacant units back into re-use.
To this end, the Housing Agency, which has lead responsibility for co-ordinating the development of the Strategy, established a working group in September 2016, comprising senior representatives from my Department, local authorities and from the Housing Agency itself to inform the Strategy. The Working Group is presently concluding its deliberations on recommendations to be incorporated in the Strategy, with a view to facilitating and incentivising the greater re-utilisation of vacant properties. While a short delay arose, as the Group awaited the publication of 2016 Census data on housing on 20th April to ensure access to the most up-to-date and comprehensive data, it is expected that the Strategy will be published later this month.
488. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide on a scheme-by-scheme basis, each local authority and each approved housing body housing scheme which is currently on site and under construction; when each scheme started on site; when each scheme is due to be completed; the number of housing units in each scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20290/17]
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.
491. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he has directed his officials to examine reports that parents in receipt of the one-parent family payment and HAP are losing up to €25 per week due to a higher rent payment; the number of such instances by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20305/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of housing authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions, subject to broad principles laid down by my Department in Circular letter HRT 3/2002 of 6 March 2002.
Rent reviews are also a matter for individual housing authorities. Guidelines entitled “Rent Assessment, Collection, Accounting and Arrears Control” were published by the Housing Unit (which subsequently became part of the Housing Agency) in January 2001. These guidelines, developed in conjunction with my Department and the City and County Management Association, set out good practice in the administration of rent related matters. The Guidelines stated that local authorities should review the rent assessment of all existing tenants at least annually to ensure that all tenants are paying the correct rent and to update rents to reflect changes in tenants’ incomes and in housing management costs.
It will normally be a part of the tenancy agreement that the tenant should inform the local authority of any change in circumstances, including increases in family income. When this is done by the tenant, any change in rent that is warranted can be applied promptly.
The above Guidelines also state that arrangements for the repayment of rent arrears should be determined primarily by the tenants’ ability to pay.
Section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 allows the Minister to make regulations in respect of various matters to be included in a rent scheme. Considerable work has been carried out by my Department in developing a draft framework for a harmonisation of the approach to be taken by local authorities in regard to various aspects of rent schemes. This includes providing for a common set of income disregards to be applied by all housing authorities in determining a household’s assessable income for rent calculation purposes.
These proposals are now being examined further in the light of the broader commitment given in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, to review the disparate systems of differential rents for social housing in place across local authorities. The overall aim is to ensure that housing supports are fair and sustainable, prioritise those on lowest incomes and avoid creating social welfare traps that may prevent people from either returning to work or to the private housing market, taking account of the range of approaches to differential rents that have become established in different local authority areas. This review is scheduled to be completed before the end of Quarter 2 2017.
495. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if assistance is available for persons resident in a housing estate (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20418/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn general, building defects are matters for resolution between the contracting parties involved: the homeowner, the builder, the developer and/or their respective insurers, structural guarantee or warranty scheme. In this regard, it is incumbent on the parties responsible for poor workmanship and/or the supply of defective materials to face up to their responsibilities and take appropriate action to provide remedies for the affected homeowners.
Under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014, primary responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests with the designers, builders and owners of buildings. Enforcement of the Building Regulations is a matter for the 31 local building control authorities who have extensive powers of inspection and investigation. Neither I nor my Department has any role in relation to enforcement matters and it is important to clarify that the Department has no statutory role in resolving defects in privately owned buildings, including dwelling houses, nor does it have a budget for such matters.
However, in the interests of supporting owners and residents living in developments where concerns regarding non-compliance with fire safety requirements arise, a review was undertaken by an independent fire safety expert to develop a framework for general application in such situations. The independent fire safety expert has now completed this task and a report on the matter has been received in my Department. The report remains under consideration pending clarification on a number of issues at which point it is intended that the arrangements necessary for publication will be made.
496. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of known category 1 properties affected by pyrite; the average cost of remediation under the pyrite remediation scheme for each household and for each property type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20477/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme by the Pyrite Resolution Board for certain dwellings affected by significant pyrite damage. 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. 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. I have no proposals to amend this eligibility criterion.
Given that the scheme does not apply to dwellings which have a Damage Condition Rating of 1, the Board does not maintain records on the number of properties that fall into this category. Nevertheless, the Board is aware that 11 dwellings, which had a Damage Condition Rating of 1 when their building condition assessments were first completed, and which were refused under the scheme, have now progressed to a Damage Condition Rating of 2; these dwellings have now been included in the pyrite remediation scheme following the submission of new applications. Further information on the extent of the pyrite problem is provided in the Report of the Pyrite Panel (June 2012).
In general terms, the cost of pyrite remediation is largely dependent on the dwelling type, the number of units in a project, the floor area of the dwellings, the depth of hardcore in the units and the presence or otherwise of under-floor heating systems. Against this background, remediation costs can vary significantly and may not always be directly comparable across projects. While my Department monitors overall expenditure under the scheme, the costs associated with individual projects are determined by on-going competitive procurement processes, which fall within the remit of the Housing Agency. However the average cost of remediation having regard to those dwellings already remediated, is some €59,000, inclusive of the allowances provided under the scheme for alternative accommodation, furniture removal and storage and Building Condition Assessments.
497. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on allegations detailed to him by a person (details supplied) alleging breaches of planning regulations; his plans to address the allegations; if he is satisfied that his Department and the county council have responded adequately to the allegations raised by the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20499/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has been actively engaged in addressing allegations made by the individual referenced. Senior Counsel has been appointed on a non-statutory basis to conduct an independent review in relation to certain allegations made regarding planning in Donegal and I understand that the individual concerned has met with Senior Counsel to discuss his allegations.
I understand that Senior Counsel expects to complete his independent review by mid June 2017. Once I have received his report, I will carefully consider the contents and any recommendations made in order to determine what further actions may be necessary.
498. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of applications received in relation to the mortgage to rent scheme since its inception; the number of applications referred to each housing association and the outcome of each such application whether refused or not; the reason for such refusal; his views on the transparency of the process from the point of view of the person applying; if an appeals process is available or independent assessments available to the person applying if there is a refusal; if the housing association shares assessments of the building survey with the person applying; if not, the reason; his plans to make changes to the present process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20536/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the introduction of the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) Scheme for borrowers of private commercial lending institutions in 2012, a total of 3,672 cases have been submitted under the scheme to the end of March 2017. Of the 3,672 cases submitted, 2,816 were ineligible or terminated during the process. Of the remaining cases submitted, 235 have been completed and the remaining 621 are being actively progressed.
The Housing Agency publishes, on a quarterly basis, detailed statistical information on the operation of the MTR scheme, including the number of properties where there has been no Approved Housing Body (AHB) interest and the number of properties declined by AHBs. This information is available on the Agency's website at the following link:
https://www.housingagency.ie/our-services/housing-supply-services/mortgage-to-rent.aspx.
The reasons why an AHB might decline a property are varied and can include where the lender and the AHB cannot agree a price or where the combined cost of the sale price proposed by the lender and the cost of the repairs required to the property in order to meet private rental standards may mean that the case is not commercially viable for the AHB. The decision to purchase a property under the MTR scheme is a commercial decision for an AHB and I cannot compel an AHB to purchase a particular property.
I published a Review of the Mortgage to Rent Scheme for borrowers of commercial private lending institutions on 8 February 2017 which contains a number of actions to make the MTR process quicker, more transparent, easier to navigate for borrowers and ultimately, more accessible to more households in mortgage distress. The Review is available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/install/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Review-of-the-Mortgage-to-Rent-Scheme-February-2017.pdf.
My Department and the Housing Agency have begun implementing each of the actions set out in the Review and I am confident that these changes will make a significant impact to those households who can benefit from access to the scheme.
499. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when local authorities will be accepting applications for the repair and leasing scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20542/17]
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 and is now available in all local authorities.
My Department has provided local authorities with detailed guidance documents, template legal agreements, application forms and other resources to assist them to implement the scheme together with AHBs, locally. In addition, two workshops for local authority and AHB staff have already been convened which were well attended.
In recognition of both the critical demand for additional units and the potential the RLS scheme has to offer, I assigned additional funding to the scheme in 2017, bringing the total amount of investment available this year to €32m. This will facilitate up to 800 vacant properties being brought back into use as new homes for families on local authority waiting lists. I have urged local authorities to see the opportunity that this scheme offers, and I am keen that properties and property owners interested in the scheme are identified and progress made immediately.
Property owners who wish to avail of the RLS are asked to contact their local authority for further information on the scheme in their area.
