Written Answers Nos. 681-700
683. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of taxi drivers and PSV licence holders currently in receipt of the Covid-19 payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10425/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra684. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will maintain the Covid-19 pandemic payment for taxi drivers until the industry recovers but allow drivers to top-up their income by doing some work without losing the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10426/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 683 and 684 together.
The COVID 19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced as an emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Self-employed people must have experienced a collapse of income and be available to take up other full-time work if it was available to them in order to qualify. Government has announced the continuation of this payment until 10th August which provides financial certainty as we move further, and at a faster pace that expected, towards re-opening our society.
Where a self-employed person does not qualify for this emergency payment they can apply for a jobseekers payment. If a person's business has ceased trading they can avail of jobseekers benefit (self-employed) which I introduced in late 2019. If a person’s business is operating at a reduced level they may be eligible to apply for support under the means tested jobseekers allowance scheme.
Where a person is experiencing financial hardship they can apply for other financial support through the means tested supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
I am advised that my Department does not have detailed industry breakdowns of the number of people in receipt of the COVID 19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment such as taxi drivers or PSV licence holders. However, recipients are categorized under a number of broader sectors. Taxi drivers are categorized as being in the Transportation and Storage sector and the number of people in this sector in receipt of the COVID 19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment since 2 June 2020 is 16,200.
I trust that this clarifies the situation.
685. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1287 of 20 May 2020, if she will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10437/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is an income support payment for both employees and the self-employed who have become fully unemployed due to a downturn in economic activity related to Covid-19. The Coivd-19 PUP is payable where a person meeting the qualifying criteria became unemployed on or after 6/3/2020.
A person is eligible to apply for the Covid-19 (PUP) if they:
- are aged between 18 and 66 years old and
- are currently living in the Republic of Ireland and
-have lost their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic or
- have been temporarily laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic and
- worked in the Republic of Ireland or were a cross border frontier worker and
- are not in receipt of any employment income.
The PUP is not available to people who self-isolate due to an underlying medical condition.
In order to receive a Covid Illness Benefit (IB) payment a person must be diagnosed with Covid-19 or be medically certified as a probable source of infection in order to be eligible for Covid IB, in addition to having worked in the pervious four weeks.
If medical certification is provided by a doctor of a non-Covid-19 illness and if a person is eligible, payment is awarded at normal rate of IB.
I am advised that the records of my Department reflect that the person concerned is currently in receipt of an Illness Benefit payment at the normal rate of IB. This payment has been certified up to 8/6/2020.
When the person concerned is certified medically fit to return to work and if he is concerned about returning to work due to Covid-19, he should contact his employer regarding this matter. There are a number of steps an employer can take in line with social distancing guidelines to facilitate employees during this period including, introducing/altering shift patterns, allow employees to take time worked up, work remotely from home or bring forward annual leave entitlements from future work periods. Many employers can and do agree to compassionate leave in certain circumstances.
If the person concerned is experiencing financial difficulties at present, it is open to him to contact his local Community Welfare Service in Maynooth where his circumstances will be assessed. Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department can make a single Exceptional Needs Payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. There is no automatic entitlement to these payments which are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case, in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance. The Community Welfare Service may be contacted by phone at 01 6016360.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
686. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there are delays being experienced to the processing of PPS number applications as a result of Covid-19 compared to the pre-crisis period; the average processing time for an application to be processed compared to the pre-crisis period; if additional resources will be made available if there are delays being experienced; and the recourse available to applicants. [10462/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe SAFE registration process, which involves the authentication of a person's identity in a face-to-face interview, is the normal method of processing an application for a Personal Pubic Service Number (PPSN).
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department has temporarily suspended the SAFE registration process. This decision was taken in order to comply with HSE and World Health Organisation guidelines in respect of social distancing.
My Department has introduced an email and a postal application service for people who require a PPSN. While I am advised that there are no significant delays in relation to this new application service, there can sometimes be delays where a person does not submit all of the required documentation.
The face-to-face process involved, in many locations, the person setting up an appointment for a date in the future. The current process does not involve appointments and this means that it is not possible to realistically compare the time taken to process application across each service.
With regard to the actual process of allocating a PPSN, once all of the relevant documentation is provided, the PPSN is allocated overnight and issued to the person concerned via post.
My Department is moving towards a resumption of the SAFE registration process over the coming weeks on a phased basis and this will be done in accordance with all relevant HSE and Government guidelines to ensure the health and safety of the Department's customers and staff.
In the meantime, any person who wishes to talk to someone about their application for a PPSN can call my Department on LoCall 1890 927 999.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
688. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the time frame for the commencement of the protection afforded under section 5(7)(c) of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9684/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe emergency period referenced in Part 2 of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 commenced on the date of enactment of the legislation, which was 27 March 2020.
I understand that the provision referred to commenced at the same time.
The text of the Act and the particular provisions queried is set out at the following link http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2020/act/2/enacted/en/html?q=emergency.
The interpretation of the legislation and how it applies in particular situations, is a matter for the Courts.
689. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10022/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority projects.
In February 2016, my Department announced a five-year Fire Services Capital Programme with an allocation of €40 million, based on an annual €8 million allocation, to be used for the purchase of fire appliances and specialist equipment, building or upgrading of prioritised fire stations, an upgrade of the communications and mobilisation system, and improvements to training centres.
Macroom Fire Station is included in the programme of fire stations for construction within the five-year allocation announced in February 2016. Draft designs for the new station have been received and reviewed by my Department, and approval issued to Cork County Council on 19 February 2020 to proceed to seek tenders for the project.
On 26 May 2020 the Council submitted a tender proposal to my Department for approval prior to contract. This proposal is under review and a response will issue to the Council as soon as possible.
690. Deputy Stephen Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the Property Registration Authority and or Land Registry will be operational again (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9758/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Property Registration Authority (PRA) is upscaling its operations in line with Covid-19 recovery planning. As part of a phased recovery plan, the PRA is implementing a graduated increase in the level of applications processed for registration. New work practices and projects are being successfully incorporated into this phased increase.
Applications are being dealt with in order of priority. However, urgent applications, such as cases in which a delay would hold up the sale of a property, are being processed expeditiously upon request on a case-by-case basis.
The upscaling of operations will continue to be reviewed and implemented in line with recovery planning, the Roadmap for Re-opening Society and Business, the Return to Work Safely Protocol and public health guidance.
In relation to any specific case, arrangements have been put in place by all State bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. Further information in relation to any specific case may be obtained by contacting the dedicated e-mail address in respect of the PRA at reps@prai.ie.
691. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if local authorities will be encouraged to provide more space on roads and footpaths and in public open spaces in the suburbs of Dublin for pedestrians and cyclists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9796/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for public roads is an independent function of the relevant road authority. Overall national policy in relation to roads and transportation is a matter for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.
692. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if capital expenditure by the Land Development Agency is not subject to the Public Spending Code, Cost Effectives Analyses or his Department’s four stage approval process; and if so, the reason all of these public spending control mechanisms apply to local authorities when developing social and affordable housing but not to the Land Development Agency. [9877/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra693. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the details of and measures to be undertaken of the capital allocation to the Land Development Agency of €16,500,000 in 2019 and €13,500,000; the controls in place to ensure that this expenditure conforms with value for money and spending code rules; and the details of the spending made in 2019 and to date in 2020 of the funding drawdown of €467,000 and €2,500,000, respectively. [9891/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 692 and 693 together.
The day to day management of the Land Development Agency (LDA), including spending on capital projects, is a matter for the Chief Executive and his management team reporting to the LDA Interim Board. In line with all commercial and non-commercial State bodies, the LDA is required to comply with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, including ensuring that robust and effective systems are in place to ensure compliance as appropriate with the Public Spending Code.
The LDA Board is required to ensure that it has regard to appropriate models for investment appraisal for the appraisal and management of all investment proposals, including the Project Lifecycle introduced in the new Public Spending Code. In addition under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, the Chairperson of each State body, including the LDA, should confirm in its annual report that the organisation is adhering to the relevant aspects of the Public Spending Code.
My Department has responsibility for the safeguarding of public funds expended from the Department’s Vote and in accordance with the Code of Governance, is required to be satisfied that the requirements of the Code are being properly implemented and observed. It is intended that my Department will be assisted in this regard by the advice provided by NewERA in exercise of its statutory advisory role under the National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2014. At present there is a Memorandum of Understanding between my Department and the LDA. Once the legislation to establish the LDA as a commercial state body is enacted, the LDA will be subject to the usual Departmental oversight arrangements for Commercial State Agencies as set out under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. In line with other commercial state bodies, when capital commitments are being entered into, the LDA will be required to seek Ministerial consent.
At present, funding is provided to the LDA through my Department's Vote to meet its operational costs as well as initial capital funding in relation to the development of its projects. Following enactment of the LDA's primary legislation, it will be capitalised through the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). This ISIF financing will be used to progress the LDA's portfolio of projects and it is not envisaged that the LDA will receive funding allocations from my Department's Vote at that stage. In line with other State agencies, the LDA is responsible for ensuring it has its own systems in place in line with the Public Spending Code as set out above.
€13.5 million of the LDA's 2019 capital allocation of €16.5m was rolled over into 2020 as the LDA's projects were at initial pre-planning stages during 2019 and thus did not incur significant expenditure. The capital funding to date has been used by the LDA to undertake pre-construction works in relation to their sites, including feasibility appraisal and master-planning and the details of this expenditure is an operational matter for the LDA.
As with all State bodies operating under the aegis of my Department, arrangements have been put in place by the LDA through which Oireachtas members can request information directly from the Agency in relation to operational matters - in this regard, the LDA may be contacted directly at oireachtas@lda.ie for detailed information in relation to their expenditure.
694. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the average length of time of the 733 Part V leases delivered in 2019; the average cost of the leases; the number of these leases in which the property will be owned by a local authority or approved housing body when the lease expires; and the number of these leases in which the ownership will remain in private hands when the lease expires. [9929/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraOf the 733 Part V dwellings delivered in 2019 and supported under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP), 719 were delivered under the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) Part V and are owned by the relevant Approved Housing Body. The remaining 14 dwellings were delivered under a Part V Lease and will revert to the private owner at the end of the lease term. The relevant local authority may seek to renew the lease or acquire the property at the end of the lease term.
The estimated average annual cost in 2020 and the duration of the agreements, for these 733 properties, are set out in the following table.
Table: SHCEP Part V Delivery 2019 – Average Annual Cost and Duration
|
Source |
No. of Dwellings |
Average Annual Cost |
Average Agreement Length (years) |
|
CALF Part V (AHB Ownership) |
719 |
€15,273 |
26 |
|
Part V Lease (Private Ownership) |
14 |
€23,239 |
20 |
|
Total |
733 |
€15,425 |
26 |
695. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the position in relation to the Sienna Valley urban regeneration development fund project submitted to appeal by Louth County Council; if a decision has been made; if not, when a decision will be made on this application for Drogheda, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9939/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn July 2018 bids for URDF funding support were invited from public bodies, and as a result a total of 189 applications were received by my Department.
The application process was competitive and in the event, the call was oversubscribed in terms of potential value of proposals compared to the available annual URDF provisions. In this context all proposals went through a rigorous assessment including consideration by a Project Advisory Board (PAB), which consisted of representatives from my Department, other relevant Government Departments, agency representation and independent national and international expert representatives.
Following this process, on 26 November 2018, I announced initial URDF support of €100m for a total of 88 projects throughout the country.
All applicants both successful and unsuccessful received a detailed breakdown of the assessment of their proposal. Where the decision in respect of a proposal was unfavourable, applicants were offered the opportunity to request a review of the Departments decision.
As a result, requests for a review were submitted in respect of seven proposals. Each of the proposals involved was reviewed, having regard to the PAB's original evaluation and scoring of the proposal against the URDF programme criteria.
In all cases, including the case of the Northern Cross Route, Drogheda it was found there was nothing to support an outcome that would be materially different from that arrived at through the PAB process.
Louth County Council recently submitted an application for funding support for this project under Call 2 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund. The final date for the submission of applications under Call 2 was Friday, the 29th May. The application in question will be considered in due course as part of a rigorous assessment process including consideration by a Project Advisory Board .
696. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a Land Registry application by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9955/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to any specific cases with the Property Registration Authority, arrangements have been put in place to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. Further information in relation to the specific case referred to may be obtained by contacting the dedicated e-mail address in respect of the PRA at reps@prai.ie.
697. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when a person (details supplied) will be offered a home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9956/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraOversight and management of housing waiting lists is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations. Specifically, section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions.Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, requires all local authorities, as a reserved function, to make an allocation scheme determining the order of priority to be accorded in the allocation of dwellings to households qualified for social housing support, the allocation of which would, in the opinion of the authority, meet the accommodation needs and requirements of the households.
Decisions on the qualification of specific persons for social housing support and the allocation of that support are matters solely for the local authority concerned. As Minister, I am precluded by law from becoming involved in individual cases.
698. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he is considering an exemption for self-catering holiday homes that have been inadvertently affected by planning rules introduced to reduce the impact of a company (details supplied) on the available housing stock in general; and his views on the position taken by an organisation which is seeking a fair exemption from these planning laws for those that have been legitimately operating in tourism accommodation for at least the past five years [9965/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra706. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will consider amending the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2.) Regulations 2019, SI No. 235 of 2019, to exempt from the requirement of getting a new planning permission all those properties that have been used for the purposes of tourism accommodation for five years prior to 2019 and in circumstances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10201/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 698 and 706 together.
The Planning And Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No 235 of 2019) - otherwise referred to as the Short-Term Letting Regulations - came into effect on 1 July 2019 with the aim of addressing the longer term rental issues arising from the use of properties for short-term letting purposes in designated Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs), which are areas of high housing demand. These Regulations, which are operable until 31 December 2021, only apply within the designated RPZs and therefore do not apply to properties in other parts of the country.
Under the Regulations, the owner a property in a RPZ which is not their principal private residence and who lets it for short-term letting purposes can, in order to continue such use of the property, apply for planning permission under section 34 of the Planning And Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), with a decision generally made by the planning authority within 8 weeks of receipt of the application. This applies to all short-term letting properties in RPZs which are not principal private residences.
Where the owner of a property is unsure whether planning permission is required for short-term letting in their property, they can seek a declaration from the planning authority under Section 5 of the Act as to what, in any particular case, is or is not development or is or is not exempted development.
Responsibility for making determinations in individual cases in this regard is an independent function of the relevant planning authority. Under Section 30 of the Act, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned, save in specific circumstances which do not apply in this case.
I recognise the tourism benefits that the self-catering sector brings to many parts of the country, and am not opposed to the broader regulation of tourism activity, including the possible development of a new regulatory or licensing/registration system for commercial platforms and short-term letting agents which was recommended in the final Working Group report on the regulation of short-term lettings. However this is beyond the scope of the planning code and my remit. I corresponded with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport regarding the possible implementation of the recommendation which would fall to him to progress. I remain of the view that the possibility of developing a more nuanced approach to the regulation of short-term letting through regulation of online platforms rather than the regulation of properties in RPZs merits consideration, thereby enabling parts of the country that benefit from the tourism that comes from short-term letting to be able to continue to do so.
I have no plans to amend exempted development regulations with regard to short-term letting at this time.
699. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of persons that availed of and the costs incurred by his Department regarding the cycle to work scheme since it was introduced to date by year and cost in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9986/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s Workplace Travel Plan encourages staff to use sustainable transport when:
- travelling to and from work, and
- conducting business on behalf of the Department
Participation by staff in the Cycle to Work scheme was facilitated initially under this Plan before the operation of the scheme transferred to Peoplepoint at the National Shared Service Office in 2016. The costs listed were upfront costs, subsequently recouped as provided for under the scheme.
|
Year |
Staff Numbers |
Total |
|
2009 |
50 |
€37,153.31 |
|
2010 |
87 |
€65,017.57 |
|
2011 |
68 |
€51,398.52 |
|
2012 |
52 |
€41,853.08 |
|
2013 |
41 |
€29,278.08 |
|
2014 |
32 |
€26,126.12 |
|
2015 |
37 |
€29,031.80 |
|
2016 |
28 |
€22,191.46 |
|
2017 |
27 |
€22,388.45 |
|
2018 |
35 |
€28,212.53 |
|
2019 |
39 |
€31,493.89 |
|
2020 |
8 |
€ 7,007.98 |
|
Total |
504 |
€391, 152.79 |
700. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the breakdown of the 6,074 social housing builds in 2019 by category (details supplied). [10000/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department publishes extensive data each quarter relating to the delivery of social homes across the country. Detailed information on the various components of the 6,074 social homes delivered through the Build stream in 2019 can be accessed at the following links:
LA and AHB Build, which can be disaggregated into Direct Build & Turnkeys: Open Data Portal (configurable files): https://data.gov.ie/dataset/social-housing-construction-status-report-q4-2019
Voids are detailed in the overall social housing delivery outputs: https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/attachments/social_housing_delivery_by_local_authority_2019_2_0.xlsx
Part V split between LA and Voluntary and Co-operative (AHB):
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/attachments/part_v_output_by_area_2014-2019_0.xlsx
