Written Answers Nos. 669-687
669. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the way in which the 4,800 SHCEP funded homes listed on page115 of the budget 2019 expenditure report related to the other targets for build, acquisition, long-term leasing, RAS and HAP detailed in pages 114 and 115 of the report. [42301/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra672. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the budget for the social housing current expenditure programme in 2019. [42350/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra673. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the budget for the rental accommodation scheme in 2019. [42351/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra675. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the budget allocation for long-term leases in 2019. [42354/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 669, 672, 673 and 675 together.
All three of the current expenditure funded schemes – the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) - are critical components of the accelerated delivery of social housing envisaged under Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.
The annual cost of the three schemes to the exchequer is made up of the continuing cost of supporting the tenancies and contracts in place at the end of the previous year, and the additional cost of the new tenancies and contracts supported over the course of the year to which the allocation relates. The cost of the schemes in future years is therefore dependent on the number of new social housing homes and tenancies falling to be funded within each of the schemes and the rental or lease payments involved.
The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) is a funding programme that supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the long term leasing of houses and apartments from private owners and developers.
The SHCEP budget funds the ongoing current costs of homes delivered using a variety of different delivery mechanisms, including properties built or acquired by AHBs using funding under the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) and leased to local authorities; properties leased on a longterm basis from private property owners by AHBs or local authorities, including properties secured through specific programmes such as the Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) and the Enhanced Leasing Scheme. Therefore, SHCEP is a complementary funding stream to a range of capital expenditure programmes like RLS, CALF and the Mortgage to Rent Scheme.
The 2019 budgetary provision for the SHCEP is €155 million which represents an increase of €40 million on the 2018 provision. This is expected to fund the ongoing cost of the existing social housing homes secured with support of the Programme at the end of 2018 which will amount to almost 14,000. In addition, over 4,800 new social housing homes, targeted for delivery across the build, acquisitions and leasing streams in 2019 are to be funded under the Programme.
The breakdown of the new social housing homes, by delivery stream, to be funded by SHCEP 2019 is set out in the following table.
|
Delivery Type |
2019 (Target) |
|
Build |
1,988 |
|
Acquisition |
700 |
|
Leasing |
2,130 |
|
Total |
4,818 |
The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) introduced in 2005 placed responsibility on local authorities to meet the accommodation needs of people in receipt of Rent Supplement for 18 months or longer, and who are assessed as having a long-term housing need. RAS has provided a more structured, accommodation-based approach to the use of the private rented sector to meet long-term housing need, thereby eliminating dependence on temporary income support payments through Rent Supplement.
€134.3 million is being provided to support RAS in 2019, and this funding will go towards supporting 600 additional RAS tenancies targeted to be achieved by local authorities in 2019, and the ongoing cost of supporting approximately 19,200 continuing RAS contracts expected to be in place at the end of 2018.
Funding of €422m is being made available for HAP under Budget 2019. This will provide for the continued support of existing HAP households and also enable the additional 16,760 households targeted under Rebuilding Ireland to be supported by HAP in 2019, as well as supporting the roll-out of the Homeless HAP Place Finder Support Service across the country.
The Homeless HAP Place Finder Service is now available to each of the 31 local authorities, with the options to pay deposits and advance rental payments for any households in emergency homeless accommodation, in order to secure accommodation via the HAP Scheme.
670. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the budget for HAP in 2019. [42348/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra671. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the budget for homeless HAP in 2019. [42349/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 670 and 671 together.
Under Budget 2019, the total Exchequer funding available for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), including Homeless HAP, next year is €422m. This funding will provide for the continued support of existing HAP households and also enable the additional 16,760 households targeted under Rebuilding Ireland to be supported by HAP in 2019, as well as supporting the roll-out of the Homeless HAP Place Finder Support Service across the country.
The Homeless HAP Place Finder Service is now available to each of the 31 local authorities, with the options to pay deposits and advance rental payments for any households in emergency homeless accommodation, in order to secure accommodation via the HAP Scheme.
674. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the breakdown of the capital budget for housing in 2019. [42352/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCapital funding of over €1.4 billion has been allocated for housing in 2019, an increase of 24% over the 2018 provision. The provisional breakdown, which will be finalised in the context of the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2019 to be published later this year, is set out in the following table.
|
- |
(€000)* |
|
HOUSING |
1,334,000 |
|
LOCAL AUTHORITY HOUSING* |
747,471 |
|
CAPITAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME |
94,875 |
|
COMMUNAL FACILITIES |
500 |
|
MORTGAGE TO RENT |
23,000 |
|
CAPITAL ADVANCE LEASING FACILITY |
94,400 |
|
TRAVELLER ACCOMMODATION AND SUPPORT |
13,000 |
|
ESTATE REGENERATION/REMEDIAL WORKS |
71,750 |
|
ENERGY EFFICIENCY-RETROFITTING |
30,454 |
|
REPAIR AND LEASING SCHEME |
38,000 |
|
PRIVATE HOUSING GRANTS |
57,000 |
|
MORTGAGE ALLOWANCES |
600 |
|
INFRASTRUCTURE FUND |
130,000 |
|
PYRITE RESOLUTION BOARD |
32,000 |
|
RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES BOARD/INSPECTIONS |
950 |
*An additional €77m is being provided by certain local authorities through LPT self-funding.
676. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if County Sligo will be included as a rent pressure zone in view of the 29% increase in renting costs since 2016 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42393/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 24A of the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2016 provides that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered for designation as a Rent Pressure Zone. Following receipt of such a proposal, the Minister requests the Director of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to conduct an assessment of the area to establish whether or not it meets the criteria for designation and to report to the Minister on whether the area should be designated as a Rent Pressure Zone. For the purpose of the Act, ‘area’ is defined as either the administrative area of a housing authority or a local electoral area within the meaning of section 2 of the Local Government Act 2001. There is no provision for any other type of area to be designated as a Rent Pressure Zone.
For an area to be designated a Rent Pressure Zone, it must satisfy the following criteria set out in section 24A(4) of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as inserted by section 36 of the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016):
(i) the annual rate of rent inflation in the area must have been 7% or more in four of the last six quarters; and
(ii) the average rent for tenancies registered in the area with the RTB in the last quarter must be above the average national rent (the National Standardised Rent in the RTB’s Rent Index Report) in the last quarter (€1,094 per month in Q2 2018).
The RTB Rent Index Report includes a summary in Table 9 of the data used to establish whether each Local Electoral Area fulfils the criteria for designation as a Rent Pressure Zone. This allows everyone to see exactly where their area stands in relation to average rent levels and increases and possible designation.
Further information on Rent Pressure Zones and designations is available on my Department's website at https://www.housing.gov.ie/PUBLICATIONS by searching 'rent pressure zones - information'.
The data from the Rent Index Report for Q2 2018 relating to the 2 local electoral areas in County Sligo is detailed in the following table.
|
Local Electoral Area |
Quarters > 7% |
Average 2018 Q2 (€) |
|
Ballymote –Tubbercurry |
4 |
€548.04 |
|
Sligo |
3 |
€691.40 |
Neither of the local electoral areas in County Sligo has been designated as RPZ’s to date and it remains the position that neither fulfils the criteria for designation.
The Housing Agency continues to monitor the rental market and may recommend further areas for designation. Where, following the procedures set out in the Act, it is found at a future date that additional areas meet the criteria, they will be designated as Rent Pressure Zones.
677. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will publish his Department's annual reviews of the building control amendment regulations; and the outcomes or recommended reforms that have been proposed or implemented as a result of these reviews. [42484/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, known within the industry as BCAR, require owners, builders, and registered construction professionals to demonstrate through the Statutory Register of Building Control Activity that the works or buildings concerned have been designed and constructed in compliance with Building Regulations.
The roles and responsibilities of owners, designers, builders, assigned certifiers, etc. during building works are set out in the Code of Practice for Inspecting and Certifying Buildings and Works (September 2016). This has brought clarity and accountability, a focus on compliance and a new order to bear on construction projects.
31 Local Authorities are designated as Building Control Authorities and they monitor compliance with Building Regulations in their area, and have strong powers of inspection and enforcement under the Acts.
Prior to the Regulations coming into effect on 1 March 2014, the then Minister signalled the intention to review their effectiveness following the first twelve months of operation. This review was announced in April 2015 and an Open Policy Seminar on Building Control was hosted later that month. Written submissions were invited by May 2015. The scope and objectives of the review were:
(a) To review the operation of the Regulations in consultation with industry and local authority stakeholders and members of the public;
(b) To consider in particular the impact of the Regulations on single dwellings and extensions to existing dwellings having regard to specific concerns which have been raised in relation to the cost burden of the regulations and the level of certification required for this sector;
(c) To consider more generally the impact of the Regulations on owners, occupiers and users of buildings having regard to the statutory purposes for which building regulations may be made (i.e. public safety, accessibility, energy efficiency, efficient use of resources and good building practice);
(d) To make recommendations that will strengthen and improve the arrangements in place for the control of building activity in keeping with the principles of good and fair administration; and
(e) To report with recommendations to the Minister as soon as possible, but in any event no later than 30 June 2015.
The final Report on the Building Control Regulations Review 2015 is available on my Department's website at the following link: https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/building-standards/other/20150805-bcar-review-report-final.
A key outcome of this review was the introduction of amending regulations which contain a provision for a single dwelling or single unit development to opt out of statutory certification.
On 13 June 2017, the report of the Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks was published and included eight recommendations, which my Department is advancing. The Panel expressed the view that the introduction of the opt out for new single dwellings, on a single development, as provided for in the Building Control (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2015, was a retrograde step that may contribute to further building failures such as those experienced in counties Donegal and Mayo. The Panel recommended that the opt-out facility under the 2015 Regulations should be reviewed with a view to removing that provision. My Department will be undertaking this review shortly.
678. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when signs regarding the dangers of Lyme disease will be erected at the entrance of Killarney National Park (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41781/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue of Lyme disease is not confined to the National Parks. Ticks are widespread in the country and areas of rough vegetation and forestry and are not at all confined to National Parks, Nature Reserves or state lands. Ticks can be found on a variety of domesticated and wild animals including sheep, goats, horses, cattle, dogs, deer, rodents and various wild mammal species.
With regard to signage and notices, information on ticks for members of the public intending to visit the Park is contained in the health and safety section of the dedicated website http://www.killarneynationalpark.ie/visit/health-safety and is available in the visitor centre at Killarney House.
Information on Lyme Disease is available from the HSE and, their booklet:
http://www.hpsc.ie/a-/vectorborne/lymedisease/informationforthepublic/Lyme%20DL%20April2017%20-%20D2.pdf contains useful information in this regard.
The National Parks & Wildlife Service of my Department would be willing to engage with the Local Authority on any county-wide initiatives they (or the HSE) wish to propose.
679. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the findings of the BIM survey on the seal population at a location (details supplied) in County Kerry will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41905/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am not aware of BIM surveys at the location mentioned in the question.
My Department is processing data on seal populations accumulated over several years, and plans to further survey the Blaskets population in the spring of 2019. I understand that the results will be published as a report in the second part of 2019.
680. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of staff in her Department and bodies under her aegis appointed to principal officer arising from internal competitions since 7 July 2015, by year. [41841/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra681. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of persons appointed from the panels arising from the 2015 open competition and the 2017 open competition for principal officer run by the Public Appointments Service, by year; if a table (details supplied) will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41854/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 680 and 681 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. I am advised that, of the four internal Principal Officer appointments, three were from a special Irish language competition conducted by my Department, having decided in consultation with PAS that this was the most resource efficient way of filling these positions. With regard to PO appointments in agencies under the remit of my Department, I am informed that there was one internal Principal Officer appointment in Údarás na Gaeltachta in 2016. I am further advised that my Department appointed a Principal Officer from the Senior HR Management Opportunities 2017 competition which was run by PAS. For completeness: I am also advised that, during the period 2015-2017, appointments were made at Principal Officer level following external recruitment in the National Museum of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Údarás na Gaeltachta, and the Crawford Art Gallery.
|
Department of Culture Heritage and the Gaeltacht: |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
|
No. of Principal Officer appointments arising from internal competitions since 7/7/15 |
4 |
|||
|
No. of Principal Officer appointments arising from 2015 PO Open competition run by PAS (Campaign ID: 1512210) (Effective 7/7/15) |
1 |
|||
|
No. of Principal Officer appointments arising from 2017 PO Open competition run by PAS(Campaign ID: 17101202) (Effective 23/11/17) |
0 |
682. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil sí ar an eolas go bhfuil go leor oibrithe i bhForas na Gaeilge, atá ar phá laghdaithe ar threoir a Roinne, nach bhfuil ar Aguisín 2A de Chiorclán 22/2017, cé gur fostaíodh iad i ndiaidh 1995 atá ag íoc ÁSPC d’aicme A agus atá ag íoc pinsin; agus an dtabharfaidh sí treoir don Roinn na hoibrithe cuí ar Aguisín 2A a íoc láithreach agus socrú a dhéanamh chun na híocaíochtaí siarghabhálacha a bhaineann leis seo agus a théann siar na blianta a réiteach freisin. [42120/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI dtús báire, ba choir dom a mhíniú go mbaineann ceisteanna maidir le pá fostaithe Fhoras na Gaeilge le cúinsí oibríochtúla inmheánacha na háisíneachta.
Tuigtear dom go mbaineann Ciorclán 22/2017 le státseirbhísigh agus, ag brath ar a gcúinsí, d'fhéadfadh sé nach mbaineann sé le comhlachtaí Stáit eile.
Ar ndóigh, ní hionann socruithe pá agus pinsin na státseirbhíse agus socruithe do na forais trasteorann, ag eascairt as a stádas uathúil ag fostú foirne sa dá dhlínse. Go hachomair, i gcás na bhforas trasteorann, tuigtear dom go bhfuil cúrsaí pá don fhoireann ó dheas ag brath ar chatagóir a mballraíochta sa Scéim Pinsin Thuaidh Theas, sin é, an bhfuiltear sa bhunscéim nó sa scéim le cearta forchoimeáta.
Is féidir liom a rá, áfach, go bhfuil treoir shoiléir faighte ag Foras na Gaeilge, ó mo Roinn agus ón Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe i ndáil le Ciorclán 22/2017 agus go bhfuil an treoir sin á cur i bhfeidhm.
683. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when a reply to a letter initially sent on 20 August 2018 (details supplied) will issue; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42137/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised the subject matter of the Deputy's correspondence is being examined by my Department’s National Monuments Service.
As the Deputy will appreciate, I regularly receive requests to take archaeological sites into State ownership. The care, maintenance and presentation of national monuments in State care is undertaken by the Office of Public Works in consultation and with the advice of the Department’s National Monuments Service. Such monuments already number some one thousand sites at over 760 locations around the country and they require very considerable resource commitments both in terms of funding and personnel. Any proposals for further acquisitions must therefore be carefully considered against that background and in the context of the immediate capital cost of the acquisition.
The site referred to in this case contains a national monument that is already in my ownership, as Minister, and which is managed in all respects by the Office of Public Works. It benefits from the full protections of the National Monuments Acts 1930-2014 as do a number of other recorded monuments on the property.
My Department's examination of the case will be concluded as quickly as possible and I will ensure that the Deputy is informed of the outcome as soon as any decision is made.
684. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad iad na príomhtháscairí feidhmíochta atá ag Foras na Gaeilge don ghearrthéarma agus don fhadtéarma. [42152/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra685. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad iad na príomhtháscairí feidhmíochta atá á mbaint amach go rialta ag Foras na Gaeilge. [42153/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra686. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cé na gníomhartha atá á mbaint amach ag Foras na Gaeilge, ag eascairt as an eolas atá bailithe acu maidir le dul chun cinn, nó a mhalairt, a gcuid príomhtháscairí feidhmíochta. [42154/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra687. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad iad na príomhtháscairí feidhmíochta le haghaidh na n-eagraíochtaí atá ag fáil deontas ón bhForas agus conas a dhéantar a n-aschur a thomhas. [42155/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 684, 685, 686 agus 687 le chéile.
Faoin Acht um Chomhaontú na Breataine-na hÉireann 1999, tá ról reáchtúil ag Foras na Gaeilge chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn ar bhonn uile-oileáin agus feidhmeanna a chur i gcrích mar seo a leanas:-
- úsáid na Gaeilge a éascú agus a spreagadh sa chaint agus sa scríbhneoireacht sa saol poiblí agus sa saol príobháideach;
- comhairle a thabhairt don dá lucht riaracháin, do chomhlachtaí poiblí agus do ghrúpaí eile san earnáil phríobháideach agus dheonach;
- tionscadail tacaíochta a ghabháil de láimh, agus cúnamh deontais a thabhairt do chomhlachtaí agus do ghrúpaí de réir mar a mheasfar is gá;
- taighde, feachtais tionscnaimh, agus caidreamh poiblí agus caidreamh leis na meáin, a ghabháil de láimh;
- téarmaíocht agus foclóirí a fhorbairt; agus
- tacú le hoideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge agus le múineadh na Gaeilge.
Faoin reachtaíocht chéanna, caithfidh Foras na Gaeilge plean gnó bliana agus plean corparáideach trí bliana a aontú leis na Ranna Urraíochta agus leis an Ranna Airgeadais sa dá dhlínse roimh chead na Comhairle Aireachta Thuaidh Theas (CATT) a lorg. Sna pleananna sin, leagtar síos spriocanna agus táscairí feidhmíochta i ndáil le clár oibre Fhoras na Gaeilge agus déantar tuairisc ar an dul chun cinn ag gach cruinniú den CATT. Cé nach bhfuil an CATT ag feidhmiú i láthair na huaire, tuigtear dom go bhfuil Foras na Gaeilge ag feidhmiú de réir na ndréachtphleananna cuí agus go ndéantar tuairisc ar an dul chun cinn ag cruinnithe monatóireachta leis na Ranna Urraíochta gach ráithe.
Tá eolas maidir le gníomhaíochtaí Fhoras na Gaeilge ar fáil ar shuíomh na heagraíochta ag www.forasnagaeilge.ie.
