Written Answers Nos. 451-464
451. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if training has been delivered in his Department on the use of social media (details supplied); the frequency and cost of this training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14587/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA number of social media accounts are operated by my Department and are managed in accordance with my Department’s Social Media policy. My Department has not spent any money on social media training or consultancy on the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
452. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the value of contracts for services awarded to a company (details supplied) by his Department since 2010 in tabular form; and the type of work undertaken by the company. [14632/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraNo contracts for services were awarded to the Company referred to in the period outlined.
453. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number beds for rough sleepers to be provided to the end of 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14771/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra454. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will report on the closure of homelessness beds opened under the winter initiative in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14774/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together.
My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and associated services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities and accordingly my Department has no function in relation to operational issues, which are a matter for the relevant housing authorities.
I continue to emphasise the need for all housing authorities to have sufficient capacity in emergency accommodation and to have appropriate facilities in place for every person sleeping rough, on any night of the week. As provision will be based on demand, it is not possible at this stage to give a figure for the number of beds that will be provided during 2018.
Cold Weather Initiatives operate across all local authorities to provide additional emergency beds for rough sleepers. These arrangements ensure that additional temporary beds can be brought into use across a range of existing services and facilities, for singles and couples who need them during periods of cold weather. These beds are temporary in nature and it is a matter for individual local authorities to determine the period of their operation.
455. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if additional funding will be provided to Cavan and Monaghan County Councils for the additional costs incurred in the provision of services due to recent storms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14782/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2009, my Department has made financial support available to assist local authorities in meeting the costs of clean-up and necessary immediate works associated with the response to significant severe weather emergency events. This is in recognition of the exceptional nature of activities carried out by local authorities in responding to these types of emergencies and the fact that the costs of these un-programmed activities cannot be met from within existing resources.
In relation to the recent severe cold weather and snow that caused widespread disruption in many parts of the country, my Department is writing to local authorities, including Cavan and Monaghan County Councils, inviting them to submit claims for recoupment of the exceptional costs involved in the response and clean-up.
Funding for repair of public infrastructure is undertaken by the relevant Departments in line with their sectorial responsibility. It is a matter for each Government Department to liaise directly with local authorities in relation to funding of repairs and restoration being carried out through the local government system.
456. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when new criteria for the tenant purchase scheme will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14783/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the commitment given in Rebuilding Ireland, a review of the first 12 months of the Tenant Purchase Scheme’s operation has been undertaken. The review has incorporated analysis of comprehensive data received from local authorities regarding the operation of the scheme during 2016 and a wide-ranging public consultation process which took place in 2017 and saw submissions received from individuals, elected representatives and organisations.The review is now complete and a full report has been prepared setting out findings and recommendations. In finalising the report some further inter-Departmental consultation was necessary and due consideration had to be given to possible implementation arrangements. These matters are now almost completed and I expect to be in a position to publish the outcome of the review shortly.
457. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the income eligibility limits for social housing in areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan will be increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14784/18]
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.
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 in late Summer 2018.
458. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the reforms made to the mortgage to rent scheme; the date on which such reforms were implemented; the number of applications to the mortgage to rent scheme made each month in 2016 and 2017; the number of successful mortgage to rent applications each month in 2016 and 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14828/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing a Review of the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) Scheme, published on 8 February 2017, a range of amendments to the eligibility criteria and administration of the MTR scheme came into effect to enable more properties to qualify and to make the scheme more flexible and accessible to borrowers. The Review, available at the following link http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/changes-in-mortgage-to-rent-scheme/, explored the impediments to participation in the scheme and recommended a number of actions to make the scheme work better for borrowers. My Department and the Housing Agency are working with all stakeholders to ensure that the actions set out in the Review are being effectively implemented to benefit a greater number of households.
The following table gives a breakdown of MTR applications received each month during 2016 and 2017. In terms of changes to the eligibility criteria, the property price thresholds were increased and more flexibility was provided in respect of the size of properties that could qualify for the scheme. The changes to the MTR eligibility criteria and other process changes came into effect on 27 March 2017 and therefore applications received from April onwards should be regarded as applications submitted under the revised MTR scheme. One of the changes to the MTR process is that the borrower must be approved by their local authority for social housing support prior to the submission of a completed MTR application to the Housing Agency. This process change may have impacted the number of MTR applications received by the Housing Agency in the initial months subsequent to the implementation of the process changes arising from the review recommendations.
|
Number of MTR applications received |
||
|
Month |
2016 |
2017 |
|
January |
28 |
47 |
|
February |
47 |
14 |
|
March |
27 |
36 |
|
April |
30 |
4 |
|
May |
63 |
3 |
|
June |
23 |
15 |
|
July |
33 |
31 |
|
August |
24 |
15 |
|
September |
42 |
25 |
|
October |
16 |
29 |
|
November |
38 |
32 |
|
December |
23 |
31 |
|
Total |
394 |
282 |
The Housing Agency publishes, on a quarterly basis, detailed statistical information on the operation of the MTR scheme, including the number of completed transactions. 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 MTR Review also concluded that the current financial model of the scheme may not, in its current configuration, be capable of delivering the scale of successful cases that could benefit from the scheme over time. In order to test the operability of alternative funding models for the scheme, the Housing Agency has been working with a number of financial entities who have expressed an interest in working with the MTR scheme to progress a number of alternative long-term lease arrangements. A call for Expressions of Interest from bodies interested in pursing pilot operating models was initiated by the Housing Agency and the submission(s) received are currently being reviewed by the Agency, who will make recommendations to my Department as to the make-up of the pilots, which can then be initiated.
459. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount that her Department has spent on social media training and consultancy in each year since 2016. [14564/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised that in the period 2016 to date, my Department spent €1,000 on social media training for staff. A breakdown of the year provided, training course, number of staff who attended and cost is supplied in the table below. I am further advised that, while my Department does not engage social media consultants, it has engaged third party service providers to assist with the provision of social media content and a range of other services for the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme and the Creative Ireland Programme.
|
Year |
Training Course |
Number of Staff |
Cost |
|
2016 |
Social Media for Business |
1 |
€500 |
|
2017 |
Social Media for Business |
1 |
€500 |
460. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if training has been delivered in her Department on the use of social media (details supplied); the frequency and cost of this training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14580/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised that, during the period 2012 to 2017, my Department spent €6,383 on social media training for staff. A breakdown of the year provided, training course, number of staff who attended and cost is supplied in the following table.
|
Year |
Training Course |
Number of Staff |
Cost |
|
2012 |
Social Media in the Public Sector |
3 |
€1,337 |
|
2013 |
Social Media for Consultation |
1 |
€433 |
|
2013 |
Social Media Marketing |
1 |
€349 |
|
2014 |
Social Media Training |
20 |
€3,264 |
|
2016 |
Social Media for Business |
1 |
€500 |
|
2017 |
Social Media for Business |
1 |
€500 |
461. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the source of funding support for an event (details supplied) being organised by a local artistic group. [14605/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Arts Council is statutorily independent under the Arts Act 2003 and I have no function in relation to funding decisions by the Council.
I am aware however that Local Authorities fund festivals and events from time to time, and the relevant local authority may be best placed to support an event such as that referred to in the question.
462. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the value of contracts for services awarded to a company (details supplied) by her Department since 2010 in tabular form; and the type of work undertaken by the company. [14625/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised that, since the establishment of this Department in June 2011, no contracts have been awarded by my Department to the company referenced by the Deputy.
463. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the EU directives not yet transposed into law; the deadline imposed by the EU for the transposition of same; the estimated date for transposition into law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14785/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised that there is at present one EU Directive which requires transposition into Irish law by my Department.
Directive 2014/52/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 amending Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment was due for transposition by 16 May 2017. It is currently anticipated that the transposition into law of those elements of the directive which come under the remit of my Department will be completed by end September.
464. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she and the Department Agriculture, Food and the Marine have examined with forestry and farming groups the idea of introducing a new forestry management protocol covering special protection areas important to the hen harrier, which will allow an annual quota of new plantings based on the areas identified as available for planting by National Parks and Wildlife Service. [14858/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is close to completion of its work on the Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan. This has entailed significant engagement with the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, a major stakeholder in this matter.
The draft plan will address various matters relating to the conservation of the Hen Harrier, including the issue of forestry and planting. My Department (and other Departments with responsibilities in this area) will discuss the draft plan with the Consultative Committee, which includes many farming and forest sector representatives, before settling the matter.
