Written Answers Nos. 620-637
620. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full year cost of introducing six weeks of parental benefit at €240 per week, which could be taken by either parent at the end of the 26 weeks of maternity benefit. [23661/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMaternity benefit and paternity benefit are paid by my Department and are based on payment of PRSI contributions while working. The current entitlement to paid maternity leave is 26 weeks and the current entitlement to paid paternity leave is 2 weeks. The 2018 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of approximately €264 million on maternity benefit and €16 million on paternity benefit.
The estimated full year cost of introducing parental benefit which could be taken by either parent would depend on the cohort of parents who would avail of it. For example an additional week of maternity benefit would cost approximately €9.6m while an additional week of paternity benefit would cost €5.2m. If those on maternity benefit were to take the additional six weeks the cost would be approximately €57.6m and for those in receipt of paternity benefit, the cost approximately €31.2m. If both cohorts i.e. mother and fathers shared the leave equally (3 weeks each) the cost would be approximately €44.4m.
These estimates are based on the cost for a full year at the current minimum rate of €240 per week for both maternity and paternity benefit and assume that any increase in duration is implemented from the beginning of the year.
This costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2018. It should also be noted that there are additional costs to the Exchequer as these estimates do not include the costs of salary top-ups for public/civil servants.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
621. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for an invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23674/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The department received a claim for IP for the lady concerned on the 14 May 2018. The claim will be processed as quickly as possible and she will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
622. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when arrears will issue to a person (details supplied) in relation to a carer's allowance claim in payment since March 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23686/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care.
I can confirm that arrears of CA due from 30 November 2017 to 28 March 2018, will issue to the nominated post office of the person concerned on 31 May 2018.
The person concerned was notified of this on 23 May 2018.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
623. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to cease using primary schools as polling stations and to use community centres and other local facilities instead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23105/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder electoral law, the appointment of polling stations is a matter for the appropriate returning officer, who is required to provide a sufficient number of stations, conveniently distributed for the accommodation of the electors entitled to vote there. The electoral acts also provide that a returning officer may, for the purposes of taking a poll use, free of charge, any school or any room in a school and any premises (other than a dwelling house) owned or occupied by a local authority. Guidance issued to Returning Officers by my Department in advance of electoral events advises that it is open to returning officers to hire a hall or other premises if they consider it to be appropriate.
While electoral law is subject to ongoing review, there are no proposals to alter the existing arrangements.
624. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the reasoning behind the decision to prevent parliamentary scrutiny by means of parliamentary question of Irish Water and its responsibilities in respect of provision to housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23141/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Water Services Acts 2007-2017 set out clearly the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Irish Water, and for the scrutiny and oversight provisions that apply in respect of these arrangements. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has been designated as the national authority for the provision of public water services, a role previously vested in 34 (now 31) local authorities. Irish Water therefore has statutory responsibility for all aspects of public water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. It is independent in the exercise of its statutory functions and in relation to day to day operational matters. I, as Minister, and my Department must respect the statutory powers and functions which the Oireachtas has conferred on Irish Water.
The Water Services Acts place specific responsibilities on me as Minister, including responsibility for matters relevant to water policy, funding and in the making of regulations. The Water Services Acts also put in place a variety of legislative and regulatory controls to ensure governance, oversight and accountability in relation to water services.
Irish Water’s Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP) published in 2015 sets out the strategic objectives for its delivery of water services over 25 years up to 2040 in order to ensure the provision of clean safe drinking water, effective management of wastewater, environmental protection and support for social and economic development. The Irish Water Business Plan, Transforming Water Services in Ireland to 2021 (also published in 2015), sets out its short to medium term planning in implementing the first phase of the Water Services Strategic Plan.
Irish Water is regulated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) as the independent economic regulator. The CRU is responsible for setting the total level of revenue which Irish Water can receive, through Government subvention and from customers, to cover its efficiently incurred costs. This CRU process involves, inter alia, reviewing submissions from Irish Water, including on its investment plan, and thereafter setting appropriate revenue allowances for operating costs, capital costs and other items for given regulatory periods. Consequently, the actual allowed operational expenditure and capital investment is decided by the CRU.
On 21 May 2018, I published the Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025 following its approval by Government. The Policy Statement gives clear direction to strategic planning and decision making on water and wastewater services in Ireland. The Policy Statement sets out a series of high-level policy objectives across the three thematic areas of Quality, Conservation, and Future Proofing, which must be pursued when planning capital investment and framing current spending plans. The Policy Statement is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/water_services_policy_statement_2018-2025_0.pdf.
In relation to housing provision, the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness published in July 2016 is designed to accelerate housing supply and gives rise to an associated need for investment in water infrastructure and the provision of water services. The Water Services Policy Statement acknowledges that the objectives of the Government’s strategic approach to housing identified in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan and in the National Planning Framework will need to be provided for in terms of both treatment and network capacity. It is further acknowledged in the Policy Statement that related initiatives such as the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) and the Major Urban Housing Delivery (MUHD) sites are to be supported.
Within 3 months of publication of the Water Services Policy Statement, Irish Water must prepare a ‘Strategic Funding Plan’ setting out proposed operational and capital expenditure. Subject to its approval by me as Minister, the Strategic Funding Plan will ultimately feed into annual Exchequer decisions on spending. This Strategic Funding Plan will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Based on this Strategic Funding Plan, Irish Water’s next Capital Investment Plan for the five year period from 2020 to 2024 will set out the financial plan for capital investments to support Irish Water’s strategic objectives, as set out in the WSSP and in its Business Plan, to deliver improvements to water services where they are needed most. Irish Water will also take account of developing subsidiary programmes within its investment plan to assist in implementing the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan including the forthcoming Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies as well as ongoing reviews of local authority statutory land use plans. It is in this context that investment decisions in relation to individual projects will be made, including in respect of water services infrastructure that supports the development of housing.
In order to ensure that Oireachtas members may obtain information on issues arising in relation to Irish Water's activities, arrangements have been made for the establishment, within Irish Water, of a team to deal with any such queries efficiently. The team may be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on 1890 578 578.
625. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will address an anomaly in the housing assistance payment whereby private rented properties may be deemed not to qualify for HAP even if the person otherwise qualifies for reasons of sustainable communities and-or tenure mix; the basis upon which decisions relating to sustainable communities and-or tenure mix HAP refusals are made; his views on the case of a person (details supplied); the number of such HAP applications refused due to this policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23324/18]
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 individual 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.
One of the key functions of housing authorities is to provide or manage the provision of social housing support in a way that counteracts undue segregation between persons of different social backgrounds and ensures the provision of an appropriate mix of dwelling types and tenure classes. Accordingly, local authorities may refuse to provide HAP in an area where they consider there to be an over concentration of social housing supports in place.
In relation to the Deputy’s specific query, while I am not in a position to intervene in individual cases, my Department has been advised by the relevant local authority that the family in question have sourced an alternative property and are approved for HAP support.
626. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the free Leap card scheme, which was introduced under Rebuilding Ireland to remove transport costs for children living in emergency accommodation, has been rolled out to counties Cork, Limerick and Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23348/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraArising from the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, my Department is funding an initiative to provide homeless families residing in hotel accommodation and family hubs in the Dublin Region with access to free public transport for essential school journeys.
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive is overseeing implementation of this initiative and, working in partnership the National Transport Authority, has put arrangements in place for the provision of Leap cards to homeless families under this initiative. Given that Leap cards have an inbuilt value-limit, the cards are being made available to homeless families on an on-going basis throughout the academic year, via Focus Ireland’s State-funded Family Homelessness Action Teams.
Outside of this arrangement, the Community Welfare Service of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection considers, on a case-by-case basis, providing for costs associated with the transport needs of homeless families under the Exceptional Needs Payments scheme. This provision is available to all homeless families outside of the Dublin Region.
The limitations of public transport infrastructure in regions outside of Dublin restrict the possibility of Leap cards being usable for transport between emergency accommodation and schools. In light of this, and the availability of other supports as highlighted above, I have no proposals to extend this initiative outside of the Dublin Region.
627. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the efforts being made by his Department to counteract voter fraud and protect the integrity of the electoral register; the details of instances made known to his Department involving persons being added to the register who did not ask to be registered or who were not eligible to be added in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23354/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter in law for each local registration authority my Department does not compile information of the kind referred to. It is the duty of each local registration authority to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. The focus of my Department's work in relation to the Register is to support and assist registration authorities in ensuring that an appropriate legislative framework is in place.
Electoral law provides for significant measures in relation to voter identification and the prevention of personation in order to counteract voter fraud and to protect the integrity of the Register. At the polling station the returning officer or the presiding officer may, or if required by a personation agent shall, request any person applying for a ballot paper to produce a specified identification document. If a person fails to produce the identification required they are not permitted to vote. My Department has recommended to returning officers that at least one in four voters should be asked for the required identification.
Electoral law also provides for a range of offences and penalties in this regard. Section 149 of the Electoral Act 1992 (as applied to referendums by section 6 of the Referendum Act 1994) provides that a person who is not registered or who is registered but not entitled to be so registered shall not be entitled to vote. The Act also provides that it is an offence to vote when not entitled to do so.
628. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of social and affordable houses that have been built in Cork city since January 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23360/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetailed data in relation to social housing delivery by each local authority, for the years 2015 to 2017, is available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/attachments/1a2-sh-2015-2017-brkdn-final_2018_v3_0.xlsx.
The Government is committed to ensuring that housing is affordable, particularly for households on low to moderate incomes, in areas where people are facing the greatest affordability challenge. Recognising that people want a choice of affordable purchase and rental, depending on their stage of life and circumstances, we are progressing both through a range of initiatives.
I announced new measures in January specifically targeted at delivering more affordable homes to households generally with maximum income of €50,000 for single applicants and €75,000 for joint applicants. Importantly, these new measures are specifically targeted at delivering more affordable homes from the public land bank in certain urban areas, including Cork City, where affordability issues are greatest. I will be announcing further details in this regard shortly.
629. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of voids that have been refurbished in Cork city in 2017; the number outstanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23361/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Voids Programme, introduced in 2014 by my Department, provides additional support to local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. The purpose of the Voids Programme is to ensure that vacant units are actively targeted, with a view to minimising the turnaround and re-let time of these units and return them to use in an energy efficient condition.
During 2017, my Department provided funding to Cork City Council to enable them to bring 81 vacant properties back to productive use. Without substantial refurbishment, these social homes would have been left vacant and in turn would not be part of the active social housing stock. My Department does not hold information on the number of outstanding voids in the Cork City Council area, as this number changes according as the refurbishment of some units is completed and others become vacant; information in this regard may be obtained directly from the City Council.
630. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the reason it is taking so long to sign legislation regarding bogs under section 160 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as inserted by section 29 of the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 201,1 that has been served to continue harvesting of peat. [23593/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department, in consultation with the Environment Protection Agency, is actively progressing the drafting of European Union Regulations with a view to putting in place as speedily as possible a robust and effective legislative underpinning for a proposed new regulatory system for the large-scale peat extraction sector. Under the new system, the Agency will be required to carry out environmental impact assessment as part of its examination of licence applications for peat extraction on sites in excess of 30 hectares, and such activity will be exempted from the requirement to obtain planning permission.
The Regulations under preparation do not propose any amendment of section 160 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, relating to planning enforcement.
631. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the spend on the pyrite remediation scheme for each year since its introduction; the number of units remediated in each year; and the estimated future costs for homes approved for the scheme but at which work has not yet taken place. [23637/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency.
The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive pyrite in the subfloor hardcore material and not to damage arising in any other circumstance, e.g. such as pyrite in concrete blocks.
The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” for affected homeowners who have no other practical option to obtain redress and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website, www.pyriteboard.ie.
The scheme is applicable to dwellings, which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave established, in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2017 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol. In this regard, it is a condition of eligibility under the scheme that an application to the Board must be accompanied by a Building Condition Assessment with a Damage Condition Rating of 2. Dwellings which do not have a Damage Condition Rating of 2 are not eligible to apply under the scheme. This ensures that, having regard to the available resources, the focus of the scheme is on dwellings which are most severely damaged by pyritic heave. I have no proposals to amend this eligibility criterion.
Some €2.2 million was provided to the Housing Agency in 2014 to meet expenditure incurred under the scheme in respect of design work, contractors, expenses to homeowners, operational costs, and the administrative costs to the Housing Agency. The remediation of 5 dwellings was completed in the final quarter of that year.
An additional sum of €10 million was made available in Budget 2015 to fund the operation of the scheme in 2015, when a further 148 dwellings had remedial works completed under the scheme.
€26.6 million was provided for the scheme in 2016 and some 400 dwellings were remediated under the scheme that year. Last year, some €25 million was provided, facilitating the remediation of some 400 additional dwellings, giving an aggregate total of 945 dwellings completed from when the scheme was first introduced up to the end of 2017.
A sum of €30 million was announced under Budget 2018 to fund the operation of the pyrite remediation scheme this year, of which €9.25 million has already been drawn down by the Housing Agency. This allocation will facilitate the remediation of some 430 additional dwellings and is a clear signal of the continuing importance attached by Government to addressing the issue of significant pyritic damage in private dwellings.
The latest figures available indicate that a total of 2,058 applications have been received under the pyrite remediation scheme. Of these, 1,622 dwellings have been included in the scheme and the applicants notified accordingly. A further 94 applications have been validated and referred to the Housing Agency for the Assessment and Verification Process, while another 212 applications are at the initial Application and Validation stage. 130 applications under the scheme were not successful.
Of the 1,622 dwellings that have been included in the pyrite remediation scheme:
- 235 are at remedial works planning stage,
- 111 are at tender / tender analysis,
- 51 are at tender decision,
- 167 are under remediation, and
- 1,058 are complete.
Applications under the scheme continue to be received at a rate of approximately 10 per week; this rate is likely to be maintained over the course of 2018. It is likely that by the end of 2018, approximately 2,400 applications may have been received under the scheme and in the region of 1,400 dwellings will have remedial works completed; this would suggest that approximately 1,000 dwellings may still be in need of remedial works. It is unlikely that applications will cease entirely post end-2018 but will begin to reduce at a gradual rate over time.
The average all in cost of remediation in 2016 was in the region of €70,000 per dwelling. There can, however, be significant variation in costs, with one-off houses generally having larger ground floor areas being the most expensive.
Ultimately, the Pyrite Remediation Board, together with the Housing Agency, will arrange for all eligible dwellings to be remediated to a high standard and at no additional cost to the affected homeowners. Remediation works will continue to be carried out at the earliest possible opportunity having regard to the existing demands of the scheme and the optimum use of available resources.
632. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of housing units brought into social housing use via NAMA by year and local authority; the number by local authority purchase, approved housing body purchase and narrows lease; the annual cost each year to secure these units for social housing use; the estimated future annual costs arising from these units that are part of ongoing leasing arrangements; and the length of time these leases are expected to continue. [23638/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo end Quarter 1 2018, the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) had identified 6,984 units, associated with the security for loans that NAMA has acquired, that could be made available for social housing. Many of these units were in unfinished housing developments or developments that required significant remediation work. All of the units identified by NAMA, regardless of their condition, location or circumstance were offered to local authorities in the first instance.
To date, demand has been confirmed by local authorities for 2,717 of the properties that NAMA has identified as potentially available. Local authorities have confirmed that 2,424 of the properties are considered unsuitable by reference to sustainable planning and housing policy, or are located in areas with no social housing demand. A further 1,843 properties have been sold or privately let by the owners or receivers since the initial offer was made to the local authority.
These and other statistics are available on the website of the Housing Agency at www.housingagency.ie/NAMA.
The figures are available on a cumulative basis and a breakdown per annum is not available. However, previous status reports, which are published on a quarterly basis, are available on the website of the Housing Agency at www.housingagency.ie/our-services/housing-supply-services/nama/previous-status-reports.aspx.
There is no specific funding stream in my Department for properties purchased or leased through the NAMA process but it is integrated as part of the normal funding programmes. Where the dwelling is purchased by an AHB or local authority, it is delivered as a subset of the capital programmes depending on the delivery model - i.e. local authority acquisition under the Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP) or AHB acquisitions under the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF). Where a property is leased, this is funded under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP).
Information in relation to the number of local authority and AHB purchases and the number of leases is available on the NAMA website (updated to end-December 2017), at the following link:
www.nama.ie/social-initiatives/social-housing/.
Where a dwelling is purchased or leased by an AHB, it is made available to local authorities for social housing use under long-term lease arrangements known as Payment and Availability Agreements (P&As). In addition, NAMA has established a special purpose vehicle (National Asset Residential Property Services Limited ‘NARPS’), to take ownership of properties where there is an established demand and then lease them long-term to an Approved Housing Body (AHB) or local authority. All NARPS leases are 20 years and 9 months in duration and rents are adjusted in years 7, 10, 13 and 16 in accordance with changes in the CPI Rental sub-indices.
The on-going costs of both P&A Agreements and NARPS agreements are funded by my Department under the SHCEP.
Information in relation to the annual costs of NARPS dwellings and P&A agreements in respect of NAMA dwellings is set out in the table below. This data is based on operational units at end Q1 2018.
|
Local Authority/AHB NARPS Dwellings |
|
|
No. of units |
1174 |
|
Annual cost |
€11,709,992 |
|
Length of leases |
20 years 9 months |
|
AHB NAMA Purchased Dwellings - CALF |
|
|
No. of units |
292 |
|
Annual cost |
€3,016,976 |
|
Average length of P&A |
28 years |
In addition to NARPS type leases, a small number of direct leases were entered into between property owners and AHBs/local authorities via NAMA and are operational under the SHCEP programme. Details of the number of these leases, broken down by AHB and local authority, are available on the NAMA website.
633. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans for the establishment of a new national regeneration and development agency as provided for in the National Development Plan 2018-2027; when the new agency will be operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23703/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra634. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the new urban regeneration and development fund will be open for applications; when the first funding allocations will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23704/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 633 and 634 together.
Project Ireland 2040 signals a significant policy shift towards securing more compact and sustainable urban and rural development, which requires significantly more effective land management in key development areas. Against that background, it is proposed to establish a National Regeneration and Development Agency to assist in ensuring a more effective approach to strategic land management, particularly in terms of publicly owned land.
The Agency will act as a national centre of expertise, working with and supporting local authorities, public bodies and other interests, to harness public lands as catalysts to stimulate regeneration and wider investment and to achieve compact, sustainable growth, with a particular emphasis on complex regeneration projects. The Government is currently working on finalising arrangements for the establishment of the Agency.
Project Ireland 2040 also provides for the establishment of €3 billion in urban and rural focused regeneration and development funding: €2 billion for urban regeneration and development purposes, focusing on cities and towns in excess of 10,000 in population, complemented by a €1 billion fund for rural regeneration of smaller towns and villages, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development.
The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) will be a competitive, bid-based programme, that will operate on a multi-annual basis over the period to 2027.
An outline of the approach that the Government intends to take in relation to the URDF along with other complementary NDP funds will be published shortly. URDF bids for funding will be invited focused on an initial three-year period to 2021, with the scope for further bids in 2019 and subsequently over the life of the NDP.
635. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of his Department's policy on direct housing acquisition from the private sector for social housing proposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23753/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraOver the period 2016-2021, under Rebuilding Ireland, 50,000 additional social homes are to be delivered through build, acquisition and leasing schemes. Through the supports made available from my Department, funding is available to all local authorities to deliver additional social housing stock through a range of initiatives, including, where appropriate, the acquisition of new and previously owned houses/apartments from the private market.
As housing authorities, it is a matter in the first instance for each local authority to determine the suitability of any units for acquisition. Indeed, responsibility for identifying and undertaking such social housing acquisitions is largely delegated to local authorities, so that they may respond flexibly to all opportunities to provide new social housing in their functional areas. Funding is provided on the basis that the houses are suitable for social housing use and are suitable also in terms of a range of other considerations, including sensitivity to local markets and value for money. Details on the number of social houses purchased by all local authorities are available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision .
In addition to direct acquisitions by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) may acquire properties for social housing under the Capital Assistance Scheme and the Capital Advance Leasing Facility.
Harnessing the capacity of existing vacant properties for social housing is a high priority for the Government. The establishment of the €70m Housing Agency fund for the acquisition of vacant properties from banks and investors for social housing use is an innovative new delivery stream and, through providing the Housing Agency with direct access to capital funding, the acquisition process for portfolio properties has been streamlined. The Housing Agency have made significant advances in terms of acquisitions to date and have been liaising with local authorities and AHBs nationwide. To date, the purchase of 383 properties has been completed.
A key priority under Rebuilding Ireland is to increase the level of newly built social housing on a year by year basis. In 2016 and 2017, delivery programmes focussed on harnessing the best options available to secure early and increased delivery. This included acquisitions of vacant stock nationally, completions of unfinished estates, advancing straightforward build projects that could proceed quickly and ensuring that maximum use was secured from existing local authority housing, while in parallel the new-build pipeline was expanded significantly to underpin the much increased delivery projected for the years 2018 to 2021.
In 2018, we will see the results of enhanced building capacity across Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, which will further enhance our scope to meet individuals’ and families’ needs across the country through additional stock. The total target for all the building programmes in 2018 is 4,969 units, which is more than 50% higher than the corresponding 2017 target.
636. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount spent on the rental accommodation scheme in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23754/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra637. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of recipients of the rental accommodation scheme in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23755/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 636 and 637 together.
At the end of 2016 local authorities reported that there were 20,306 Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) tenancies in place, with total expenditure in 2016 for the scheme of just under €131 million. My Department is currently collating 2017 RAS data, which includes the number of tenancies in place at the end of 2017, received from local authorities. Expenditure on the scheme in 2017 was just under €143m. Exchequer funding of €134m has been allocated to RAS in 2018, which is expected to be expended in full. Data for the years 2011 to 2016 on the number and cost of tenancies funded under the RAS scheme, broken down by local authority, are available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
RAS continues to be an effective and secure form of social housing support. As the House Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is rolled out nationally and replaces rent supplement completely, the number of households transferring to RAS will decrease. In order to reflect the expected decrease in households being housed through the RAS scheme in the coming 3 years, a national target of 600 new RAS transfers has been set for each of the next 3 years 2018-2020, totalling 1,800 new transfers. This is a reduction on the previous national RAS target of 2,000 for the period 2016/2017, which was achieved by Local Authorities. A combined total of 17,600 tenancies are targeted to be supported under HAP and RAS in 2018.
