Written Answers Nos. 646-662
646. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the reason carers who are in receipt of carer's allowance are not allowed to have their allowance income included in the assessment for the Rebuilding Ireland loan (details supplied); and his plans to address the matter. [14120/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is not, as a general rule, available to those in receipt of unemployment or other social welfare benefits. However, where there is a primary income of a waged or salaried nature, long-term State benefit payments may be considered. State benefit payments allowable are:
- State Pension (Contributory);
- State pension (Non-Contributory);
- Widow’s/Widower’s Pension;
- Blind Pension;
- Invalidity Pension;
- Disability Allowance.
The long-term nature of the payment must be confirmed by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. All applications are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and are referred to the relevant local authority's Credit Committee for a final decision.
Further information is available on the dedicated website, www.rebuildingirelandhomeloan.ie.
647. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of his Department's steps to address the classification of approved housing bodies as part of general Government expenditure; the timeframe for actions in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14136/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing the decision in December 2017 by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to reclassify 14 of the 16 largest Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) examined as falling within the public sector, EUROSTAT confirmed its agreement with the decision earlier this month.
Notwithstanding the decision by the CSO, the Government still sees a central role for the voluntary housing sector in contributing to delivery of social housing under Rebuilding Ireland and intends to press ahead with the ambitious plans to use all mechanisms and schemes, including through the AHB sector, to ensure that we maintain our planned momentum towards meeting the 50,000 Rebuilding Ireland social housing target.
Further work is being undertaken to fully assess the implications of the reclassification decision, primarily through engagement between my Department, and the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, with technical support provided by the Housing Finance Agency and the Housing Agency.
The assessment will involve developing a more accurate understanding of the retrospective and prospective fiscal implications of the AHB reclassification, identifying further measures that can be taken in mitigation of the impact of the decision from a Government accounting perspective, and ways to support the AHB sector to deliver on its Rebuilding Ireland targets.
648. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of units covered by the enhanced leasing scheme, by county; the anticipated costs per annum in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14137/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA range of housing options are necessary to ensure a supply of accommodation to meet different types of social housing need. Harnessing the off-balance sheet potential of private investment in social housing is an important objective of the Government and the social housing targets set out in Rebuilding Ireland over the period to 2021 reflect the ambition in that regard.
Of the 50,000 social housing homes to be delivered under Rebuilding Ireland, 10,000 are targeted to be leased by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) under leasing arrangements from a range of different sources, including 3,500 homes targeted using the Repair and Lease Scheme (RLS), and 6,500 homes using a combination of the existing social housing leasing arrangements, and the new Enhanced Lease Scheme. All homes delivered under leasing arrangements, including a new Enhanced Leasing Scheme, will be funded under the Department’s Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP).
The new Scheme is targeted at new build or new to the market properties to be delivered at scale and will complement the existing long-term leasing arrangements, which will continue to be available. There are, however, a number of key differences between the existing long term lease and the enhanced lease, the purpose of which is to facilitate larger levels of private investment in social housing while ensuring that the capital investment is off balance sheet in respect of Government expenditure.
Under the existing long term lease agreement, the owner retains responsibility for the structural maintenance on the property. However, the day to day management and maintenance of the property, e.g. leaking pipes, broken heating etc., is carried out by the local authority or AHB. Under the enhanced lease arrangement, the owner is responsible for both structural maintenance and day to day repairs. This is one of the fundamental differences between the enhanced lease and the existing arrangement and is one of the features of the lease that determined the CSO and EUROSTAT classification of the enhanced lease as an “operating” rather than a “finance” lease, and therefore off-balance sheet.
The owner will be paid up to 95% of the market rate - as opposed to 80% (85% for apartments) under the existing lease agreements. This reflects the reduced responsibility of the local authority in relation to maintenance of the property under this type of contract as compared to standard long term leasing. The local authority will retain the differential rent paid by the tenant.
The market rent must be evidenced by a valuation prepared by a qualified valuer and each valuation must refer to 3 comparable properties in the locality as evidence of the market rent for the property. Rent reviews will be carried out every 3 years, linked to the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP). The term of the enhanced lease is 25 years, rather than the 10-20 year term under the existing agreements.
Local authorities will determine the suitability of the proposed properties, having regard to the standard of the properties, the requirement for social housing in the area and the criteria set out in each authority’s Development Plans, including, in particular, sustainable communities considerations.
The scheme will be governed by my Department and operated by local authorities. It will be funded through my Department's SHCEP. The Housing Agency will manage and administer the scheme on behalf of my Department and will act as a national co-ordinator.
A call for proposals is currently open and the Housing Agency is accepting submissions from interested parties until 12 April 2018. All proposals are subject to a range of criteria as set out in the “Calls for Proposals for Enhanced Long Term Social Housing Leasing Scheme” and the proposals will be assessed and marked in accordance with the terms set out therein. The Call for Proposals is available on the Housing Agency website at the following link: https://www.housingagency.ie/News/Current-News/Enhanced-Long-Term-Social-Housing-Leasing-Scheme.aspx.
Further information with respect to the numbers and locations of the units proposed for leasing under the Scheme will only be available once the individual proposals have been assessed, marked and accepted in accordance with the terms and methodology set out in the Calls for Proposals document.
651. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his Department's policy in relation to the imposition of development levies on approved housing bodies developments; if a circular has issued on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14140/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraDevelopment contributions applied by local authorities are levied on the basis of a development contribution scheme adopted by the elected members, which sets out how contributions are to be applied in respect of developments in their respective functional areas. The level of contribution and the types of development to which development contributions should apply, including any exemptions from charging in specific circumstances if that is deemed appropriate, are therefore determined at local authority level, in accordance with the powers vested in elected members in this regard.
My role as Minister is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each local authority. In this context, my Department issued statutory guidelines to planning authorities in January 2013 under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, on the implementation of development contribution schemes to which planning authorities are required to have regard in the performance of their planning functions.
This guidance updated and supplemented non-statutory guidance previously issued to local authorities by my Department by way of Circulars PD 4/2003 and PD 5/2007. Both of these Circulars recommended the waiving of development contributions by local authorities in respect of the provision of social housing generally - including the provision of social housing by voluntary and cooperative bodies approved under Section 6 of the Housing Act 1992. This has been the effective policy in this regard as advocated by my Department since 2003.
652. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to set the date for a referendum on the thirty-sixth amendment of the Constitution; if the date will be set immediately following the Bill passing both Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14172/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 10 the Referendum Act 1994 provides that whenever a Bill containing a proposal for the amendment of the Constitution is passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, I am required to make an order appointing polling day. I will make the necessary polling day order if the Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018 is passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas.
653. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to publicise the deadlines for the supplementary registers for the upcoming referendum on the thirty-sixth amendment of the Constitution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14173/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department plans to advertise the opportunity for eligible voters to apply for inclusion in the supplement to the register of electors following the making of a Polling Day Order. This advertising will be carried out through the main national newspapers, the Department's website, the website of the Returning Officer and at www.checktheregister.ie.
The advertising will draw attention to the requirement that applications for entry in the supplement must be received by the relevant local authority at least 15 days (not including Sundays, Good Friday or Public Holidays) before polling day at a referendum in order to be considered for that referendum. The advertising will also draw attention to the requirement that applications for inclusion in the supplement to the postal or special voters lists must be received by the relevant local authority at least 22 days (not including Sundays, Good Friday or Public Holidays) before polling day at a referendum in order to be considered for that referendum.
654. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when applications will be invited from local authorities for the second-round tranche of the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14185/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of Budget 2018, I announced that an additional €50 million Exchequer funding will be available for a second LIHAF call. As was the case in the original LIHAF call, this will be subject to matching funding by local authorities, where my Department will provide 75% Exchequer funding, with the Local Authorities themselves providing 25% matching funding, bringing the total available to €66.5 million.
The criteria for the second call are currently being finalised and I expect a further call for proposals under phase 2 of LIHAF in April/May 2018. It will be open to all local authorities to submit new projects or resubmit previous projects for consideration at that time. Following assessment and selection of successful projects, it is expected that these LIHAF 2 projects would commence towards the end of 2018, with funding drawdown available from 2019.
655. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund, LIHAF, funding and the associated below-market-value housing to be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14189/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs a key initiative of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund, LIHAF, is designed to fund the provision of public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages and enable housing developments to be built on key sites at scale. Funding of €200 million was originally provided under LIHAF, of which €150 million is funded by the Exchequer and local authorities fund €50 million. Further funding was made available as part of Budget 2018, bringing the total fund to €266 million and there will be a second call for proposals in order to allocate the additional funds.
The total cost of the 34 projects which received preliminary approval under LIHAF in March 2017 was €226 million. When approving proposals, it was considered prudent to approve in excess of €200 million available at the time to allow for instances where a proposal does not proceed due to planning issues or unforeseen delays or where potential savings are secured through tendering or other efficiencies.
As required under the scheme criteria and conditions, a key focus has been to ensure that there is a proportionate dividend for the State’s investment in infrastructure, as demonstrated by either provision of housing at scale at certain prices, a proportionate reduction in house prices across all of the homes being facilitated or a specified number of homes which will benefit from a larger price reduction.
To date, I have given final approval for 30 of the 34 original projects under LIHAF, which will activate supply of almost 20,000 housing units on previously inactive sites, and grant agreements in respect of those projects have been signed. The cost of these projects is €195.7 million, of which €146.7 million will be funded by my Department and €49 million will be funded by local authorities. The remaining four projects are being moved for consideration under LIHAF 2 later in 2018. Summary information on the approved projects will be published shortly, including details of the scale of reduced-price homes being facilitated on these sites as part of the dividend for the funding.
Funding of €1.67 million was drawn down in respect of LIHAF projects in 2017, which was mainly in respect of design costs. It is expected that this will increase substantially in 2018 as projects move to the construction stage. Funding for LIHAF is ring-fenced within the overall housing budget and will be available for local authorities to drawdown over the lifetime of the projects involved. Through proactive management of the broader housing programme, the LIHAF underspend in 2017 was diverted to other housing activities, ensuring that the funding available in 2017 was fully applied to housing priorities.
656. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of hectares of land designated special areas of conservation in counties Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Roscommon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13954/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland, like all other Member States, is required under the EU Habitats Directive to designate special areas of conservation for the protection of endangered habitats and species as listed in the Directive. It has identified and protected 439 sites for designation or designated as special areas of conservation.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table:
|
COUNTY |
Total Terrestrial Area (ha) |
Terrestrial SAC Area (ha) |
|
Donegal |
484,559.33 |
84,982.74 |
|
Leitrim |
158,871.88 |
17,833.85 |
|
Roscommon |
253,753.32 |
13,599.66 |
|
Sligo |
181,235.05 |
25,144.27 |
657. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if an application for a licence to exercise leisure animals, horses and ponies in Ballykeeffe Woods, County Kilkenny will be granted to a person (details supplied); and if she will expedite same. [13730/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe area in question is a Nature Reserve. My officials are not aware of any application for such a permission having been made for this area. However, it is unlikely that such an activity could be permitted given the nature of the site and also associated public health and safety considerations.
658. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of foreign visits taken by Creative Ireland personnel and or staff within her Department for purposes related to Creative Ireland; the destination of these visits; the duration of these visits; the identity of the personnel who travelled on each visit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13815/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra659. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the cost of each individual foreign visit taken by Creative Ireland personnel and or staff in her Department for purposes related to Creative Ireland including but limited to the cost of travel, accommodation, per diem and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13816/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 658 and 659 together.
There were a total of eight foreign trips taken by Creative Ireland Programme staff in 2017. Full details and costs (including flights and subsistence) are contained in the following table. All travel and subsistence costs incurred were in line with DPER regulations in place at the time of travel.
|
Dates |
Destination |
Personnel |
Purpose |
Costs (rounded) |
|
11-16 Jan 2017 |
New York |
Director Creative Ireland |
Launch of the Creative Ireland Programme in the USA |
€687 |
|
7 - 8 Feb 2017 |
London |
Director Creative Ireland |
Meeting with Irish Embassy in London in respect of launch of the Creative Ireland Programme in the UK |
€258 |
|
27 - 28 Feb 2017 |
London |
Director Creative Ireland |
Launch of the Creative Ireland Programme in the UK |
€979 |
|
27-28 Feb 2017 |
London |
Principal Officer Creative Ireland |
Launch of the Creative Ireland Programme in the UK |
€391 |
|
14- 17 March 2017 |
Washington and New York |
Director Creative Ireland |
Launch of Ireland.ie website |
€3,118 |
|
30-31 March 2017 |
London |
Director Creative Ireland |
Meeting with Embassy and UK Ireland Event |
€1,019 |
|
21- 24 May 2017 |
Paris & Brussels |
Director Creative Ireland |
Attending the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council Meeting in Brussels with Minister and launch of the Creative Ireland Programme in Paris at the Centre Culturel Irlandais |
€1,552 |
|
9 - 10 Sept 2017 |
Cambridge |
Director Creative Ireland |
Presentation on the Creative Ireland Programme at the British-Irish Association Conference, University of Cambridge |
€514 |
|
Total |
€8518 |
* Flight to Washington had to be rebooked due to incorrect departure time being notified.
660. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the ongoing archaeological monitoring that has taken place during each of the past ten peat extraction seasons along the routes of two 3,000 year old ancient trackways discovered at Mayne, County Westmeath in 2006 (details supplied). [13869/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra661. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 426 of 7 March 2017, the result of her Department's examination of the designation for protection of the untouched areas of high bog at Mayne, County Westmeath (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13885/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 660 and 661 together.
In line with general practice for peat extraction, a rolling series of survey work, investigation and excavations have been carried out at Mayne Bog over a number of years. In 2006, with the co-operation of the landowners, my Department commissioned a full survey of the then known togher (constructed of planks) followed by the excavation of a single cutting across the togher. During the course of this excavation, a second togher (of brushwood construction) was identified slightly to the north of the plank togher and running parallel to it. This was also surveyed and recorded.
In 2013, the landowners commissioned an environmental impact statement in connection with a peat extraction licence application to the Environmental Protection Agency. As part of the assessment process, the peatlands were fully examined by a qualified archaeological consultant and, aside from the plank togher, no further finds or features of archaeological significance were identified at that time.
In 2014, at my Department’s request, another inspection was commissioned by the landowners to assess the status of both toghers. During 2015, and also at the request of my Department, the landowners commissioned a series of excavations which were carried out at three separate locations on both toghers.
In 2016, with the permission of the landowners, my Department commissioned an Induced Polarisation Survey (an advanced geophysical technique) to examine an area of high bog to the east of the open industrial bog at Mayne. This methodology was previously used successfully at Edercloon, County Longford, to identify wooden structures outside the road corridor where other parts of the structures were under excavation by the National Roads Authority. Due to the heavily waterlogged nature of the high bog at Mayne, the geophysical survey was inconclusive in tracking the togher into the higher peatlands. During 2017, my Department commissioned a further survey using metal probes inserted through the peat, as developed and employed successfully in research at Céide Fields in North Mayo. The survey successfully identified that the togher continues to the east from the edge of the high bog for a minimum distance of 200 metres at depths from the surface varying from 1 to 2.4 metres.
All the information referred to will assist in the protection and preservation of these toghers. In that context, my Department is continuing to engage with all stakeholders, including the local authority and the landowners, to progress the preservation of the togher in the high bog.
I am satisfied that the measures being taken with regard to the protection of the toghers uncovered at Mayne represent the best approach to securing an optimal outcome. Unlike cases involving delivery of key infrastructure which are supported by the Codes of Practice agreed and in place between my Department and the various State utility providers, archeological discoveries arising from private development have to be dealt with on a case by case basis. In such instances, the practice is to seek the co-operation of private landowners with the protection and recording of monuments in line, for example, with my Department’s engagement with farmers under GLAS, the current agri-environmental scheme. Such engagement is undertaken in a collaborative and transparent manner and I am satisfied that it is proving to be the best mechanism for guaranteeing the preservation of these monuments into the future.
662. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department will conduct a review of the decision to remove the contract from a company (details supplied) that operates a ferry service to and from Tory Island; if her Department will consult with the community of Tory Island in order to ascertain their opinions on the type of service that should operate on the island; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14103/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe contract with Turasmara is a five year contract, which expires on 31 March 2018. In accordance with public procurement rules, the Department ran an open tender competition for the provision of a passenger and light cargo ferry service for Toraigh Island. Prior to seeking tenders, my Department consulted with the island co-operative in order to obtain the views of the island community regarding the service.
Two tenders were received and, following evaluation, the contract for this service was awarded to the company, Réalt na Maidne Teo, using the vessel, MV Queen of Aran. This contract will come into effect from 1 April 2018 and will run for a 5 year period.
