Written Answers Nos 1051-1067
1051. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of properties in Dublin being used for a service (details supplied); the number of these properties that are used entirely for this service, that is, in circumstances in which the owner or family do not reside there; his plans to regulate this market; if so, the timeframe for such regulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12462/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not collate data in relation to accommodation let on a short-term basis for tourism purposes.
Under Action 18 of the Strategy for the Rental Sector, my Department established a Working Group in June 2017, with representatives of all major public stakeholders with a policy interest in short-term lettings, to develop guidance in relation to planning applications, changes of use relating to short-term lettings and to examine the need for new regulatory arrangements.
The proposals under consideration by the Working Group are aimed at facilitating short-term letting of accommodation within permanent residences, known as home-sharing, while protecting existing stock of residential property in areas of high demand, safeguarding neighbourhood amenity and consumer protection, and generating revenue to address any negative externalities of short-term letting.
The Working Group completed guidance for local authorities on planning applications relating to short-term lettings and my Department issued a circular on the matter last October. The Group is now working on proposals for an appropriate comprehensive regulatory approach for short-term tourism-related lettings as well as identification of amendments to legislation that may be necessary to give effect to such regulation. The draft report of the Working Group is currently being finalised and I will consider its recommendations when they are received before initiating a targeted public consultation on the proposals.
1053. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will direct local authorities in Dublin to report monthly and quarterly on the pipeline of social housing they are delivering and have delivered in each administrative area including location and opening dates in order that persons and representatives are given a clear picture of actions to address waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12511/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the second Housing Summit, held on January 22nd, I asked each Local Authority Chief Executive to furnish a report to my Department, confirming and setting out how their Local Authority will deliver on its social housing targets over the coming years. This process will have a particular focus on 2018 delivery profiles.
Templates were provided to Local Authorities for completion and these have now been returned to my Department with the exception of a small number of Local Authorities who are finalising their returns. The returns are being analysed by my Department and bilateral engagement with Local Authorities is ongoing to validate and confirm the detail supplied in respect of 2018 projected delivery.
Once all validations are complete, and the individual Local Authority returns are calibrated against national profiles for delivery in 2018, individual Local Authority targets will be finalised and published. Progress made by each Local Authority in terms of delivery against these targets will then be published on an ongoing basis, providing greater accountability and driving delivery.
It should be noted also that Construction Status Reports, published quarterly on the Rebuilding Ireland website, provide detail on completions in a given area during that quarter, detail on the schemes that are on site, and also detail on the pipeline of schemes progressing through the various approval stages. The latest quarterly report, setting out the position at end Q3 2017, is available at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/quarter-3-social-housing-construction-status-report/ .
In addition, a wide range of information on social housing delivery is published on my Department's website on a quarterly and annual basis at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
1054. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to not to include family income supplement in the calculation of income to qualify for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12559/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy.
The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country. The limits also reflect a blanket increase of €5,000 introduced prior to the new system coming into operation, in order to broaden the base from which social housing tenants are drawn and thereby promote sustainable communities.
Under the Household Means Policy, which applies in all local authorities, net income for social housing assessment is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI and the universal social charge. Most payments received from the Department of Social Protection are assessable, including Family Income Supplement. The policy provides for a range of income that can be disregarded in terms of housing assessment and local authorities have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once off in nature.
As part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports has commenced and I expect the results of this review to be available for publication later this year.
1055. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to introduce an incentive, tax or other, for persons to downsize their homes (details supplied). [12662/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of the possible introduction of tax incentives is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance.
My Department is committed to supporting older people to live in their own home with dignity and independence for as long as possible, as this has the best outcomes both for the individual and for society as a whole. Rebuilding Ireland aims to ensure that older people have a range of housing choices available to them and there is an overall commitment to examine the potential of targeted schemes to meet differing housing needs. To this end, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, is developing policy options for supported housing/housing with care so that older people have a wider range of accommodation choices available to them, options that will enable them to choose accommodation that is appropriate and suited to their needs. It is against this wider policy context that ways to promote the availability of step-down, specialist housing for older people and to incentivise down-sizing, where appropriate, are being explored. Both Departments have been working together with key stakeholders over the past number of months to develop a joint policy statement in this area. I expect that this Statement will be finalised in the near future.
It should be noted that local authorities are already involved in projects to enable older persons to downsize from accommodation that has become too large for them. The financial contribution scheme is a scheme operated by Dublin City Council which facilitated older people to downsize, thus potentially freeing up these larger homes for use as family units. The scheme is currently under review by the City Council. Cork City Council have a similar 'downsizing scheme' for both social housing tenants and private home owners and other local authorities are considering options for similar schemes. The Annamore Court development, completed in Ballyfermot, Dublin in 2017, is a recent example of a scheme that successfully incorporated downsizing options.
1056. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of persons who have taken up the vacant housing repair and lease scheme by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12682/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra1057. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the budget expenditure for the vacant housing repair and lease scheme by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12683/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1056 and 1057 together.
The 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 dwellings across Ireland. The RLS was established on a pilot basis in Waterford and Carlow local authorities in October 2016 and expanded nationwide from 23 February 2017.
The scheme is targeted at owners of vacant dwellings, who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their dwellings up to the required standard for rental property. Subject to the suitability of the dwelling 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 approved housing body (AHB).
I can confirm that at the end of 2017, a total of 820 applications had been received under the scheme. Local authorities were engaging with the property owners in relation to 573 properties, 31 agreements for lease had been signed and 9 homes had been delivered and tenanted. A detailed breakdown of the RLS scheme data up to end Q4 2017 is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision .
Total capital expenditure under the scheme in 2017 was €196,385; a breakdown of this expenditure is set out in the following table:
|
LocalAuthority |
TotalExpenditure |
|
WaterfordCityandCountyCouncil |
€191,398 |
|
DúnLaoghaireRathdownCountyCouncil |
€4,987 |
|
Total |
€196,385 |
It is clear from the end 2017 output that RLS has not yet delivered the level of new social housing homes envisaged. I have reviewed the operation of the scheme, as part of the review of Rebuilding Ireland, and I have concluded that the scheme has significant potential but there are areas where it can be improved to make it more attractive and effective. At the second Housing Summit held on 22 January, 2018, I announced a number of key changes to the scheme which took effect from 1 February 2018. These include:
- a reduction in the minimum lease term required from 10 to 5 years;
- an increase in the proportion of market rent available to property owners where they take on more responsibilities under the tenancy, meaning that up to 92% of market rent will be available; and
- provision of additional funding for property owners, over and above the current €40,000 limit, where the dwelling is a bedsit type dwelling being brought into compliance with the Standards for Rented Houses Regulations and made available for social housing.
Funding of €32m is available for RLS for 2018 and I expect local authorities and approved housing bodies to continue to implement the scheme locally and to achieve the target of 800 new properties this year.
1058. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans for further social housing projects in counties Cavan and Monaghan. [12684/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraRebuilding Ireland has put in place both the targets and the funding resources to accelerate the delivery of social housing for all local authorities, including Cavan and Monaghan County Councils. There are currently over 12,000 new social homes included in the Status Report on Social Housing Construction Projects, which is now published on a quarterly basis and includes projects that are recently completed, on site, or undergoing planning and design. This list is being added to on an ongoing basis and the most recent version, covering the period to end Quarter 3 of 2017, is available at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/quarter-3-social-housing-construction-status-report/.
The Status Report includes construction projects of various scale in Counties Cavan and Monaghan and these will be advanced as quickly as possible, as will further new projects brought forward by the local authorities.
As well as new construction projects which the Councils are undertaking themselves or in co-operation with Approved Housing Bodies, other social housing delivery approaches are also being used, including housing acquisition, long-term leasing and the Housing Assistance Payment scheme. As with construction projects, my Department will continue to work with Cavan, Monaghan and other county councils to deliver new social homes through these programmes.
1059. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when he plans to publish the updated wind farm planning guidelines; if the tip height required in such guidelines has been decided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12697/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. In this regard, a “preferred draft approach” to the review of the Guidelines has been developed to address a number of key aspects, including sound or noise, visual amenity setback distances, shadow flicker, consultation obligations, community dividend and grid connections. This draft approach was announced in June 2017 by my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment and a copy of the announcement is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/guidelines/wind-energy/coveney-and-naughten-announce-key-development-review-wind-energy-development-guidelines .
As part of the overall review, a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is being undertaken on the revised Guidelines before they come into effect, in accordance with the requirements of EU Directive 2001/24/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment, otherwise known as the SEA Directive.
SEA is a process by which environmental considerations are required to be fully integrated into the preparation of plans and programmes which act as frameworks for development consent, prior to their final adoption, with public consultation as part of that process. Following a tendering process, my Department appointed SEA experts in December 2017 to assist in this regard. It is expected that a public consultation on the revised draft Guidelines, together with the comprehensive environmental report, will be undertaken during the second quarter of this year, with the aim of issuing the finalised Guidelines, following detailed analysis and consideration of the submissions and views received during the consultation phase, in Q3 2018.
When finalised, the revised Guidelines will be issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. Planning authorities, and, where applicable, An Bord Pleanála must have regard to guidelines issued under Section 28 in the performance of their functions generally under the Planning Acts. In the meantime, the current 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines remain in force.
1060. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the detail of his Department's advice to homeowners who have homes which have mica defective concrete blocks which require urgent repair; the advice his Department issues to homeowners proceeding with emergency remediation works; if works undertaken will be eligible for funding under redress schemes that will be established; if the undertaking of temporary emergency repair works precludes them from inclusion in the future redress scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12770/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra1067. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to ensure that a State-funded mica redress scheme will be provided as part of the approach to the issue to be announced in April 2018; the extent to which his response will include local authority homes affected by mica in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12972/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1060 and 1067 together.
The Expert Panel on concrete blocks was established by my Department in 2016, to investigate problems that have emerged in the concrete blockwork of certain dwellings in Counties Donegal and Mayo.
The panel had the following terms of reference:
(i) To identify, insofar as it is possible, the numbers of private dwellings which appear to be affected by defects in the blockwork in the Counties of Donegal and Mayo;
(ii) To carry out a desktop study, which would include a consultation process with affected homeowners, public representatives, local authorities, product manufacturers, building professionals, testing laboratories, industry stakeholders and other relevant parties, to establish the nature of the problem in the affected dwellings;
(iii) To outline a range of technical options for remediation and the means by which those technical options could be applied; and
(iv) To submit a report within six months.
On 13 June 2017, the report of the Expert Panel was published and included eight recommendations which my Department are actively progressing with the relevant stakeholders.
My Department is prioritising the implementation of Recommendations 1 and 2.
With regard to Recommendation 1, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) Technical Committee, established to scope and fast track the development of a standardised protocol, held its inaugural meeting on 11 September 2017 and has held several further meetings since. The standardised protocol will inform the course of action in relation to remedial works for all affected householders. My Department understands from the NSAI that the Technical Committee is in the process of finalising the standardised protocol, which will be available for public consultation shortly.
With regard to Recommendation 2, my Department has been in contact with Engineers Ireland in relation to the establishment of a register of competent engineers for homeowners/affected parties’ reference. Engineers Ireland have provided assurance that they will collaborate with the Department, the NSAI and others on measures to establish such a register once the standardised protocol is in place.
Last year I visited Donegal and Mayo and met with key stakeholders, including affected homeowners, elected members and officials of the local authorities and other interested parties.
On 18 December 2017, I again visited Donegal and met with key stakeholders to provide an update on the progress to date. I made a similar visit to Mayo on 26 January 2018.
In addition, and in light of the information contained in the report, I am currently considering what further actions may be required to assist the parties directly involved in reaching a satisfactory resolution to the problems that have emerged in the two counties.
1061. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on a matter (details supplied); his further views on the fact that those in receipt of the housing assistance payment for homeless households in the building are continuing to receive the payment and have their rent paid leading to a discrepancy between those on the normal payment and those on the homeless payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12808/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAny household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for housing support through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. Once a household has been deemed eligible for social housing support, it is a matter for the local authority to examine the suite of social housing supports available, including the HAP scheme, to determine the most appropriate form of social housing support for that household in the administrative area of that local authority. Decisions in relation to HAP, including the suitability of HAP accommodation is a matter for the local authority concerned.
A key principle of the HAP scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector and the tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and is governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as amended).
After agreeing a tenancy with the landlord, the tenant needs to return a valid and complete HAP application to the relevant local authority. The local authority may not approve a HAP application if the accommodation is not suitable. HAP support will only commence once the local authority approves a valid application.
In relation to the Deputy’s specific query, my Department has been advised by the relevant local authority that a number of applications were recently submitted seeking approval for HAP in respect of units in the area referred to. Prior to approving these applications, I am advised that concerns were raised regarding planning compliance on the particular scheme and that pending the outcome of an enquiry into these allegations the local authority have taken the decision not to approve HAP applications at this location. In these cases, the applicants can source alternative accommodation and retain their eligibility for HAP support.
The Homeless HAP scheme has been operational since February 2015 across the four housing authorities in the Dublin Region, and is being implemented through the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE). The focus of this scheme is to transition qualified households from emergency accommodation, including hotels, into private rented tenancies. A number of DRHE Homeless HAP tenancies had been approved prior to the planning compliance issue being raised. No new Homeless HAP or ordinary HAP will be accepted on these properties and my Department will continue to liaise with the local authority on the situation for existing units.
1062. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of homes built by each local authority; the number built for use as public housing by other bodies and various bodies; the number of private homes built; the percentage of private homes built that were subsequently used as public housing via Part V or other mechanisms in each of the years since 1970, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12846/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department compiles a wide range of statistics on housing output and schemes, and publishes the available data on the Department’s website. Data is not available across the entire time horizon requested for all elements mentioned in the question.
Historical data from 1970 onwards, where available, relating to contribution of Local Authority and the Social and Voluntary Sector is available under the heading ESB Connections by Sector Annually on the following webpage:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/house-building-and-private-rented/construction-activity-esb-connections
More detailed data in respect of overall delivery of social housing, local authority construction and acquisition, Capital Assistance Scheme, Capital Loan Subsidy Scheme and the recently introduced schemes under the Current Housing Expenditure Programmes can be found on the following webpage:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision
Data in respect of the delivery of units under Part V and Affordable Housing Schemes can be found on the following webpage:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/affordable-housing/affordable-housing-and-part-v-statistics
1063. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the report on the boundaries for the local election wards will be published. [12864/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI established two Local Electoral Area Boundary Committees on 13 December 2017 to review and make recommendations on local electoral areas. The review is being undertaken having regard to the results of Census 2016 and the commitment to consider reducing the size of territorially large local electoral areas in A Programme for Partnership Government, published in May 2016. The Committees are tasked with reporting to me within six months, that is by June 2018.
1064. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of vacant or derelict hotel and guest house properties in each county. [12866/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is not collected by my Department. The vacant site registers and derelict sites registers established and maintained by local authorities, as required under the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 and the Derelict Sites Act 1990 respectively, do not contain information on the previous use of vacant or derelict sites or buildings.
1065. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the existing fire-based emergency medical services system will be provided funding and fully retained to enable the members of Dublin Fire Brigade to continue with the service it delivers (details supplied) further to concerns raised by members of Dublin Fire Brigade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12924/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for the provision of emergency medical services, including pre-hospital emergency care, rests with the Health Service Executive (HSE) which operates the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and emergency departments in hospitals in accordance with health sector legislation and national policy. The HSE operates under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Health.
As Minister with policy and legislative responsibility for fire safety and the provision of fire services by local authorities, I am primarily concerned that local authority provided fire services are meeting their statutory obligations in respect of provision of fire services and fire safety, as set out in the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003.
Dublin City Council provides fire services for the city and county of Dublin, which are resourced by the four Dublin Local Authorities, through Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB). Dublin City Council, through DFB, also provides an emergency ambulance service on behalf of the HSE on an agency basis in the greater Dublin area. Any amendment to this arrangement is a matter for Dublin City Council and the HSE in the first instance.
1066. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if it is Government policy to encourage city and county councils to apply for European Investment Bank loans which are subject to interest for capital projects rather than having Exchequer funding made available to them for same; and if this policy is being pursued to keep capital investment by city and county councils off balance sheet. [12936/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe elected members of local authorities have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, including adopting the annual budget and authorising borrowing, and are democratically accountable for all expenditure by the local authority. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process, having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. In this context, the reference to available resources includes having recourse to borrowing and it is a matter for individual authorities to decide the purpose for which it wishes to borrow and the preferred lender.
My Department is responsible for monitoring the local government sector’s overall compliance with fiscal rules set out as part of the management of the Stability and Growth Pact. These include the contribution of the local government sector to the General Government Balance and controls exercised under the Expenditure Benchmark requirements.
Arising from the Government’s effort to meet commitments in relation to the general government deficit limit, local authorities have been directed that, similar to their revenue account activity, capital expenditure should not exceed capital income within the reporting year. The precise manner in which capital and current accounts are managed in order to achieve the overall balance necessary is a matter for individual local authorities themselves.
However, within these overall limits, there is capacity for the expenditure of built up capital balances and own resources, or expenditure supported by borrowing, which must be sanctioned by the Minister with policy responsibility for the specific programme involved. In reviewing requests for sanction, consideration is given to ensuring that priority infrastructural investment can proceed, that contractual commitments and on-going projects can proceed; and that development contributions already collected and aligned to specific capital projects can be utilised efficiently.
The term "off-balance sheet" is understood to mean activity which is outside of general government and therefore does not add to general government debt or impact on the general government balance. As local authorities are classified within the general government sector, local authority borrowing from third parties, such as the EIB, increases general government debt. Regardless of the source of the funds, once spent by local authorities (when the transaction is with a non-general government counter party), such expenditure is generally counted as general government expenditure and impacts on the general government balance.
It is possible that investments in capital and infrastructural projects may be undertaken in an off-balance sheet manner, e.g. public private partnerships, which are subject to specific features and conditions. The classification of such investments is a matter for the Central Statistics Office.
Against the background of the affordability pressures which exist in the rental market, particularly in cities and other major urban areas, the Government is determined to make cost rental a major part of the Irish housing system. To this end, a number of pilot cost rental projects are currently being progressed in Dublin and, in parallel, discussions are ongoing with the European Investment Bank to leverage its experience and knowledge in developing and supporting cost rental and other affordable models, with a view to developing further projects in Ireland.
