Written Answers Nos. 346-351
346. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the case of persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43134/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraProperty ownership in Ireland is classified as either leasehold or freehold.
Owning the leasehold interest in a property means that you own just the building and not the land it is on and that your ownership is for a fixed number of years. If you own a leasehold property, you must pay a ground rent to your ground landlord - the person who owns the ground it is built on. The amount of ground rent paid varies. The ground landlord is often the Local Authority.
Owning the freehold interest in a property means that you own the land and buildings (if any) outright. There is no period of years attached to the ownership and there is no ground rent to pay.
The amount to be paid when buying out the ground rent can either be agreed with the ground landlord (consent procedure) or else obtained through an arbitration procedure. The amount of ground rent is set by the arbitration procedure if you are buying it out under the Ground Rents Purchase Scheme and cannot agree the amount with the ground landlord. The Property Registration Authority (PRA) will carry out all the legal work for a fee. Details of fees for purchase through consent and purchase through arbitration are available on the PRA website or by contacting groundrents@prai.ie.
With regards to the issue of handover of land to Kerry County Council, this is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Local Authority and one in which I have no function.
347. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she and-or her departmental officials have met a person (details supplied) and-or representatives of companies in the past two years to date; if so, if she will publish a schedule of those meetings and the associated minutes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42817/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised that neither I nor any officials in my Department had meetings with this person or representatives of the companies identified by the Deputy during this period.
For completeness, I would however confirm that I am further advised that the then Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Heather Humphreys T.D. did meet with representatives of Enet in December 2016. The meeting was not with the person referred to by the Deputy and the Minister was accompanied by an official of the Department at this meeting which related to matters now under the remit of the Department of Rural and Community Development.
348. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil i gceist lár sheirbhís aistriúcháin Ghaeilge a bhunú faoi choimirce na Roinne; má tá, cén uair a dhéanfar seo; cá mbeidh an tseirbhís lonnaithe; an mbeidh cian-oibritheoirí fostaithe ar an tseirbhís a bhféadfadh a bheith fostaithe ar an tseirbhís óna mbaile nó ó láithreacha éagsúla ar fud na Gaeltachta; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [42981/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTá an cás gnó atá ullmhaithe i leith bhunú sheirbhís chomhroinnte aistriúcháin don Státseirbhís fós á mheas ag an Roinn. Níl aon amscála leagtha amach do bhunú na seirbhíse, más ann di, ag an bpointe ama seo.
349. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to media reports of the spread of myxomatosis in the UK from rabbits to hares; and if she has initiated an investigation into the potential spread of the disease among the rabbit and hare population here. [43088/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra350. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will consider suspending further meetings of the hare coursing season and ordering an examination of hares being held by coursing clubs to ascertain their exposure to myxomatosis in view of a potential outbreak of myxomatosis among the brown hare population. [43089/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra351. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the veterinary or other measures her Department will implement to protect hares here from exposure to myxomatosis. [43090/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 349 to 351, inclusive, together.
The Deputy's Parliamentary Questions refer to brown hares (Lepus europaeus), which are considered to be present on this island only in mid-Ulster, although there are some old records for Co. Donegal. The Irish or mountain hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus) is the species found in Ireland.
My Department is aware of reports of myxomatosis in brown hares in Britain.
A national hare survey, funded by my Department, is underway across Ireland at present. The survey is using hundreds of camera traps deployed across all habitat types and in every county of Ireland. Image analysis from this survey is ongoing, but to date there has been no sign of myxomatosis in any of the hares photographed. The survey will continue over the coming months and my Department will monitor the results closely.
There are no plans at this time to suspend coursing.
As the disease has not been verified in Irish hares, no veterinary measures are foreseen at this time; furthermore as the hare is a widespread and numerous wild species, it would be particularly challenging to implement effective veterinary measures.
