Written Answers Nos. 514-531
514. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for carer's allowance; and when the person can expect a decision. [40497/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 19 April 2017.
The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 22 July 2017 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. Once the SWI has reported, a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
515. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated net cost in 2018 if the eligible age for the State pension was reduced from 66 to 65 years of age, taking into account the savings that would be made on jobseeker's allowance or benefit. [40513/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition), which had been available from 65 for those who satisfied the qualifying conditions, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years. This is the current State pension age. It will increase to 67 in 2021 and to 68 in 2028.
Reversing the abolition of State pension (transition) would have a significant Exchequer cost. In 2013, the cost of the State pension (transition) was €137 million. Its abolition was not expected to save that amount of expenditure in full, as some people who were affected would alternatively claim working age payments such as Jobseeker's Benefit (albeit at a lower rate than the rate of the State pension), or may claim an Increase for a Qualified Adult in respect of their spouse’s pension. However, it is estimated that well over half of the gross cost has been saved each year as a result of this measure, and this would be expected to increase as (a) the number of 65 year olds increases, (b) the change results in a higher percentage of people working while aged 65, and (c) there have been two Budget increases in the rate of the State pension since then. It has been estimated that the net saving in 2018 is likely to be in the region of €84 million.
However this would not be the total cost of reducing the State pension age. If the age for the State pension (contributory) was reduced to 65 from 66, rather than the reintroduction of State Pension Transition, there would be an additional cost as the State Pension (contributory) does not have the retirement criterion that the State Pension Transition did. There would, therefore, be an additional cost to the Social Insurance Fund, paid in respect of people who would still work while aged 65, in addition to receiving the State Pension (contributory), payments which did not arise under the State pension (transition). It is unclear what that additional cost would amount to, but it would mean that the cost would be significantly higher than the €84 million estimated for re-introduction of the State pension (transition).
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
516. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the eligibility for back to education allowance in the case of a person (details suppled); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40554/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) process, each participant is issued with a form at the end of the academic year, this is to confirm the finish date of their course and to determine a participant’s intentions for the future academic year. This form issued to the person concerned in April 2017 and was due to be returned before the end of May. To date, no form has been received by the Intreo Centre and it is therefore unable to establish whether or not the person concerned is eligible for a jobseekers payment, an essential qualifying criteria for BTEA. If the person concerned submits the necessary documentation to their local office a decision can then be made on their application.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
517. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of community employment scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors employed by sponsor companies operating community employment schemes on behalf of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40579/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra518. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons employed on community employment schemes as of 20 September 2017; the cost to her Department for each of these persons; the estimated cost of welfare payments to these persons if they were still in receipt of their qualifying social welfare payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40580/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 517 and 518 together.
Community Employment (CE) schemes provide part-time temporary work in local communities, including opportunities for training and development as a stepping-stone back to employment, for people in receipt of a qualifying of social welfare payments. These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. My Department is also conscious of the valuable contribution the schemes are making in the provision of services to individuals and communities across Ireland.
The table outlines the position in relation to the number of Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors employed on CE schemes at end June 2017 (figures at the end of June are the latest available):
|
@ end June 17 |
|
|
CE Supervisors |
1126 |
|
CE Assistant Supervisors |
254 |
|
Total |
1380 |
The total number of CE participants at end June 2017 was 22,053. The average weekly cost for each CE participant is €303.98 and the estimated average weekly payment value for Jobseekers Allowance is €198.94.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
519. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans for reintroducing the bereavement grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40597/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn recent Budgets my Department has protected primary social welfare rates. Abolishing the bereavement grant provided a significant annual saving and allowed my Department to protect other core social welfare payments such as the State pension.
Any decision to reinstate the Bereavement Grant would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
It is worth noting that there are a range of supports available for people following bereavement which provide more significant support than the grant. These include weekly paid widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner’s (contributory and non-contributory) pensions, which are based on contributions or a means test, and a once-off widowed or surviving civil partner grant of €6,000 where there is a dependent child. A number of social welfare payments, including State pension, continue in payment for six weeks following a death. In Budget 2016, the Government increased the payment after death period to 12 weeks for carer’s allowance. Guardian payments are available where someone cares for an orphaned child. A special funeral grant of €850 is paid where a person dies because of an accident at work or occupational disease.
Additionally, the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. Under the SWA scheme, the Department of Social Protection may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income, which may include help with funeral and burial expenses. The Government has provided €31.5 million for exceptional and urgent needs payments in 2017.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
520. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made in respect of a carer's allowance application submitted by a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in making a decision on this application, in view of the fact that the application has been lodged since May 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40618/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 26 May 2017.
The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied.
Once the SWI has reported, a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
521. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1805 of 11 September 2017, if she will clarify that the overpayment occurred as a result of departmental error and, consequently, a person (details supplied) should not be penalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40640/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing an investigation undertaken by the Special Investigations Unit and based on the information available to the Department, a departmental error is not considered to have occurred in this case. The person concerned has been informed of her right to appeal the decision of the Deciding Officer to the Social Welfare Appeals Office which functions independently of the Department.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
522. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a person is liable for a full month's car tax if he or she purchases a car part way through the month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40169/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraLiability for motor tax arises from the first day of the month in which the vehicle is entered in the central vehicle register, the National Vehicle and Driver File. Motor tax is payable annually, half-yearly or quarterly on the basis of whole calendar months.
523. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount of subvention to Irish Water in 2017; the estimated subvention for 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40311/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services was published on 12 April 2017 and approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Government recently approved the recommendations of the Report of the Working Group on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services, which, consistent with the recommendations of report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee, primarily involve, inter alia, all State funding to Irish Water in respect of domestic water services as determined through the regulatory process being channelled in future through my Department's Vote. The future funding of Irish Water in respect of domestic water services will therefore be from general taxation, in the form of a payment for domestic water services, based on the purchase of water covering the entirety of domestic water consumption other than excessive use and a contribution to replace the financing of the domestic component of capital investment previously funded by debt, and a capital contribution from Central Funds.
The amount of subvention to be provided to Irish Water in 2017 is estimated to be €753 million. Funding of Irish Water in 2018 in respect of domestic water services is being determined as part of the normal budgetary and estimates process.
524. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the savings made to the Exchequer each year following the amalgamation of Tipperary north and Tipperary south county councils in 2014, taking into account the abolition of local town councils in the county; the way in which this equates to investment and the provision of funds to Tipperary County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40557/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe dividend for local authorities, including Tipperary, from the reformed structures introduced in 2014 cannot be measured solely in terms of a reduction of overall expenditure or savings. The reforms have resulted in many non-financial benefits due to the single administrative structure across each county which has reduced duplication with improved services which will bring about cost reduction over time.
In the case of the merged authority in Tipperary, independent review groups identified potential savings of around €6m in addition to the non-financial benefits. Separately, a report prepared by the Institute of Public Administration on the merger of the two councils has indicated that in Tipperary payroll savings alone are already estimated at around €3m per annum.
In 2015, after one full year of the operation of the revised structures, a broadly based Advisory Group was convened to carry out a review of their operation, in conjunction with a Local Government Forum for engagement with the Association of Irish Local Government. The results of the review will be incorporated into a report for Government and the Oireachtas under the Programme for a Partnership Government, which will be completed shortly.
525. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the extent to which his Department can offer further latitude for immediate expenditure by the various local authorities on measures to address the housing crisis by way of direct build; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40742/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA funding investment of €5.35 billion is being provided over the period 2016-2021 to support the implementation of Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness - Rebuilding Ireland. This comprises some €4.5 billion in capital funding and a further €844 million in support of programmes funded from current expenditure. In addition, €200 million is being provided under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund towards the capital costs of public infrastructure which, when provided, will secure the early delivery of additional housing at a considerable scale.
Rebuilding Ireland aims to deliver 47,000 social housing units over the period 2016 to 2021. Almost €1.7 billion was expended on the implementation of a range of housing programmes over the period 2015-2016, with €0.935 billion being expended in 2016 alone - this facilitated the delivery of some 13,400 social housing units in 2015 and over 19,000 units in 2016.
In Budget 2017, an increased investment of €1.3 billion was provided for housing, which is supporting the delivery of over 21,000 social housing solutions this year. This level of national funding provision to implement Rebuilding Ireland's targets means that funding is available to be drawn down as it is required by local authorities. Indeed the evidence this year is of a much accelerated level of funding draw down by the local authorities, reflecting an acceleration in the scale and rate of construction and in other means of housing delivery. Capital funding to date in 2017 from my Department in respect of housing programmes amounts to €432.66m, compared with the same point last year when the capital spend level was €130.25m.
My Department now publishes, on a quarterly basis, a comprehensive status report of all social housing construction schemes for all local authority areas showing details such as their locations, a range of information relating to their advancement, including those delivered and those progressing through planning, design and construction. The most recent of these reports covers the period up to the end of Quarter 1 of 2017 and lists circa 600 approved social housing construction schemes, delivering over 10,000 units. The report can be accessed at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/social-housing-construction-projects-report-2017/. Details in respect of Quarter 2 of 2017 will be published shortly.
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. The precise timing for the advancement of each of these projects, including completion dates and tenanting, is a matter for the relevant local authorities and approved housing body concerned, in the first instance.
Further project approvals are being added to the construction programme as they are developed by local authorities and approved housing bodies. 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. Indeed, I announced recently that the available funding for social housing is to be reorientated further towards direct build projects. In 2018 alone, this will see the target of 3,000 newly build social housing units increase by almost 30% to 3,800 and this reorientation will continue over the life of Rebuilding Ireland to end 2021.
526. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the funding allocated to local authorities for the mobility scheme for council tenants in 2017 in tabular form; his plans to increase funding in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40151/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Disabled Persons Grant Scheme provides funding for adaptations to existing social housing stock such as grab rails, disabled access ramps, wet rooms, etc. The Scheme also provides for extensions in cases of overcrowding. On top of the exchequer funding amounts, the local authority makes a further 10% contribution in respect of these grants. The detailed administration of these grants, including the assessment, approval and prioritisation of applications is the responsibility of the local authorities.
In order to ensure that there were no delays for priority and urgent cases, all local authorities were advised on 24 March 2017 that they could undertake works of up to 65% of their 2016 allocation in advance of the full 2017 allocation being determined. This was to allow local authorities to plan and progress works under the scheme and allow for the maximum use of the 2017 allocation throughout the year. My Department recently advised local authorities of their full 2017 DPG allocations, which are set out in the Table.
I am conscious of the social benefit accruing from the Scheme and consideration will be given to the level of funding in 2018 in the context of budgetary provision in due course.
Table: 2017 DPG Allocations
|
Local Authority |
Department Contribution 90% € |
Local Authority Contribution 10% € |
Total (Department and LA contribution) € |
|
Carlow County Council |
265,707 |
29,523 |
295,230 |
|
Cavan County Council |
318,338 |
35,371 |
353,709 |
|
Clare County Council |
274,702 |
30,522 |
305,224 |
|
Cork City Council |
613,296 |
68,144 |
681,440 |
|
Cork County |
811,365 |
90,152 |
901,517 |
|
Donegal County Council |
304,047 |
33,783 |
337,830 |
|
Dublin City Council |
1,405,175 |
156,131 |
1,561,306 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council |
327,488 |
36,388 |
363,876 |
|
Fingal County Council |
374,218 |
41,580 |
415,798 |
|
Galway City |
271,108 |
30,123 |
301,231 |
|
Galway County Council |
313,776 |
34,864 |
348,640 |
|
Kerry County Council |
255,299 |
28,367 |
283,666 |
|
Kildare County Council |
394,879 |
43,875 |
438,754 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
304,047 |
33,783 |
337,830 |
|
Laois County Council |
218,405 |
24,267 |
242,672 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
207,992 |
23,110 |
231,102 |
|
Limerick City and County Council |
567,547 |
63,061 |
630,608 |
|
Longford County Council |
244,317 |
27,146 |
271,463 |
|
Louth County Council |
453,985 |
50,443 |
504,428 |
|
Mayo County Council |
261,011 |
29,001 |
290,012 |
|
Meath County Council |
385,664 |
42,852 |
428,516 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
158269 |
17585 |
175,854 |
|
Offaly County Council |
280,519 |
31,169 |
311,688 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
141,671 |
15,741 |
157,412 |
|
Sligo County Council |
376,212 |
41,801 |
418,013 |
|
Sth Dublin County Council |
533,685 |
59,298 |
592,983 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
411,695 |
45,744 |
457,439 |
|
Waterford City and County Council |
285,756 |
31,751 |
317,507 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
242,884 |
26,987 |
269,871 |
|
Wexford County Council |
354,467 |
39,385 |
393,852 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
642,476 |
71,386 |
713,862 |
|
Total |
12,000,000 |
1,333,333 |
13,333,333 |
527. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to reintroduce the improvement works loan scheme in lieu of rehousing; the timeframe for the scheme to start; the amount of funding that will be provided for the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40168/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Improvement Works in lieu of Local Authority Housing (IWIL’s) scheme provides funding to local authorities to improve or extend privately-owned accommodation, which is occupied or intended to be occupied by an applicant approved for social housing, as an alternative to the provision of social housing.
Funding for IWIL’s has not been discontinued and is available to all local authorities. IWIL’s are administered under the Disabled Persons Grant scheme and it is a matter for each local authority to prioritise their spending in this regard.
My Department advised all local authorities of the full 2017 DPG allocations on 12 September 2017. €12m has been provided for the scheme in 2017, with a further €1.33m provided by the local authorities.
528. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number and cash value of new CALF loans provided to approved housing bodies in each of the years from 2000 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form. [40193/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Capital Advance Leasing Facility, CALF, introduced in 2011, is a facility which is exclusively available to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to assist them in accessing private or Housing Finance Agency (HFA) finance for the purchase, construction or refurbishment of units that will then be made available for social housing purposes under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP). Essentially, the facility works by providing AHBs (where approved) with a small capital advance in the form of a loan, limited to 30%, that will be made available by the Department through local authorities to AHBs.
The facility is only available as part of a project where the AHB makes units available under a payment and availability (P&A) agreement to nominees of the housing authority for a set period of time. Repayments on the loan (capital advance) are not required during the term of the P&A agreement but the amount will remain outstanding at the end of the agreement. The purpose of this, and indeed the whole facility, is that the capital advance should assist AHBs in securing finance to purchase/construct units and make projects more viable for AHBs from a liquidity or cash flow perspective, particularly in the initial years.
The table sets out the number of CALF proposals and units approved by year since 2011 in addition to corresponding CALF funding approved. The table does not include proposals which were approved and subsequently withdrawn or CALF proposals under the Mortgage to Rent scheme.
Loans are provided to Approved Housing Bodies by Local Authorities and subsequently recouped from my Department. Unit delivery and drawdown may occur in a different year to approval, and may be drawn in phases depending on the structure of the scheme. To date almost €94m has been drawn down by AHBs from Local Authorities.
|
Year |
No. of CALF proposals approved |
No of CALF units approved |
CALF amount approved |
|
2011 |
5 |
59 |
€3,366,418 |
|
2012 |
18 |
327 |
€10,945,407 |
|
2013 |
17 |
274 |
€5,151,394 |
|
2014 |
17 |
274 |
€6,479,142 |
|
2015 |
71 |
863 |
€39,005,585 |
|
2016 |
102 |
1624 |
€84,509,339 |
|
2017 (to date) |
160 |
2271 |
€131,680,289 |
|
Total |
390 |
5692 |
€281,137,574 |
529. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a landlord is permitted to refuse to sign a housing assistance payment form for an existing tenant who started out the tenancy without rental support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40199/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. There are currently more than 27,000 households being supported by HAP across the State, involving more than 20,000 separate landlords and agents. These numbers indicate that the Rebuilding Ireland target of 15,000 households to be supported by the scheme in 2017 will be met. On average in 2017, more than 340 new households are being supported by the scheme each week and are having their housing need met by sourcing private rental accommodation with agreement of landlords and agents.
HAP addresses many long standing issues raised by landlord groups in relation to the operation of Rent Supplement. The HAP payment is made directly to the landlord on the tenant’s behalf and all payments are made electronically directly to the landlord - the landlord does not have to collect the rent. The scheme has a 99% differential rent collection rate, with minimal arrears arising for tenants or local authorities, and a 99% rent payment rate with minimal difficulties arising for landlords. Furthermore, any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for housing support through the HAP scheme. HAP recipients can avail of full-time work and retain their housing support, with an adjustment in their differential rent; under Rent Supplement, these households would lose their housing support payment.
In order to provide access to information on the scheme to interested parties, a new HAP website, www.hap.ie, was launched earlier this year and provides prospective HAP tenants and landlords with the information that they need to understand how the HAP scheme works. Local authorities are also promoting the scheme locally, and engaging with letting agents and landlords who might be interested in entering into a HAP tenancy. HAP provides landlords with many advantages including that the landlord does not have to collect the rent; payments are made electronically directly to the landlord on the tenant's behalf; landlords who rent to tenants in receipt of HAP may avail of increased tax relief; and changes in a tenant's employment circumstances do not affect the rental payments made to the landlord.
A landlord or an agent acting on behalf of a landlord is not legally obliged to enter into a tenancy agreement with a HAP recipient. However, since 1 January 2016, a person cannot be discriminated against when renting because they are in receipt of certain payments, including HAP. If a person feels that they have been discriminated against by a landlord or their agent, they can make a complaint under the Equal Status Acts to the Workplace Relations Commission. Further information is available on the Commission's website, https://www.workplacerelations.ie.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review. In general, I am satisfied with the operation of HAP and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme outlined under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.
530. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the income limit in the housing assistance payment includes all employment related income, such as commission, bonus and so on; the legal obligations facing the tenant and landlord in the event that the tenant's income exceeds the HAP threshold while the tenant is renting under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40200/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraHAP is an immediate and flexible form of housing support available to the approx. 91,000 households with a long-term housing need, including those already in receipt of Rent Supplement (as per the 2016 National Social Housing Assessment). One of the key objectives of the HAP scheme is to facilitate the removal of barriers to return to work for persons who are reliant on Rent Supplement for their long-term housing needs.
Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for housing support through the HAP scheme. Once in receipt of a social housing support, like HAP, the eligibility of households is not reassessed. HAP recipients can avail of full-time work and retain their housing support, with an adjustment in their differential rent; under Rent Supplement, these households would lose their housing related support payment. As the tenant’s income increases, their rent contribution to the local authority will also increase. Tenants must notify the local authority of any changes in their income. This occurs in the same way all social housing supports, including local authority owned properties. There is no statutory obligation for a landlord in receipt of a HAP payment on behalf of their tenant to inform a local authority if there is a change in a tenant’s income; the HAP payment to the landlord will not change and the tenant's rent contribution to the local authority will be amended.
The making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of local 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. It is a matter for local authorities, when assessing individual households, to consider whether rents payable are in accordance with the authority’s rent scheme. Therefore, decisions on whether or not to disregard either a proportion of income or particular sources of income for the purposes of calculating rents are matters for each individual local authority to consider in accordance with their own rent scheme.
The HAP scheme is funded through a combination of Exchequer monies and tenant differential rents collected in respect of HAP tenancies. In 2016, the scheme had a 99% differential rent collection rate, with minimal arrears arising for tenants or local authorities and circa €21.7M was collected in differential rent from HAP supported households.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review. In general, I am satisfied with the operation of HAP and I consider it to be a key vehicle for meeting housing need and fulfilling the ambitious programme outlined under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.
531. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the local election boundary commission will be formed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40210/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra532. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to alter the terms of reference for the new local election boundary commission with regard to the number of councillors to be elected per ward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40211/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 531 and 532 together.
The most recent review of local electoral areas was carried out from November 2012 to May 2013 by a Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee established under the Local Government Act 1991.
The Programme for a Partnership Government sets out a number of commitments in relation to local government reform to ensure that local government funding, structures and responsibilities strengthen local democracy into the future. In particular, the Programme includes a commitment to consider reducing the size of local electoral areas.
The preparatory work in support of a review of local electoral area boundaries is being advanced in my Department. It is intended that the review will be initiated shortly and will be completed in good time before the 2019 local elections.
