Written Answers Nos. 359-378
359. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown in 2019 of Part V units acquired or leased by local authority area; the number of units that were leased; the number purchased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36237/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000, with an emphasis on new builds. In 2021, the total funding being made available for the delivery of housing programmes is €3.3bn. This includes funding to deliver 12,750 social homes through build, acquisition and leasing. A major focus of this investment is the delivery of new build, with an overall target of 9,500 new homes. The build target includes the delivery of 5,250 new homes by local authorities, 2,950 by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and 1,300 new homes through Part V.
In 2019, Part V Delivery accounted for 1,326 of the 5,771 New Build Social Housing Units delivered. This included both local authority and AHB Part V Build Delivery. There are detailed statistics specific to Part V delivery available at the following link: https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/affordable-housing/affordable-housing-and-part-v-statistics
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on all social housing delivery activity under Rebuilding Ireland. This is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision
360. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the review on co-living; and when he plans to publish the review. [36245/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 5.0 of Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments Guidelines for Planning Authorities, published by my Department in 2018, provides guidance and policy in respect of ‘Shared Accommodation Developments’, also known as ‘Co-living’.
I have been clear in my intention to review the provisions on Co-living set out in the Sustainable Urban Housing guidelines. It is also the case that the final paragraph (5.24) of the relevant section of the guidance commits my Department to monitor the emerging shared accommodation sector, with a view to issuing further technical updates of the Sustainable Urban Housing guidelines document, given the relatively new nature of this form of accommodation.
Accordingly, I have instructed officials in my Department to review Paragraphs 5.13 to 5.24 of the Sustainable Urban Housing document. This includes analysis of development proposals for co-living that have come forward since publication of the guidelines and in particular, how such proposals compare to apartment development standards generally. My officials have now prepared a report which I am currently considering and I expect to issue a decision on the matter in the coming weeks.
361. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are circumstances in which the commercial rates waiver up to the 31 December 2020 can still be availed of when a person is suffering from serious ill health and has to sell their business during 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36253/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn recognising the difficulties faced by businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Programme for Government – “Our Shared Future”, in the area of “Reigniting and Renewing the Economy,” committed to set out how commercial rates will be treated for the remainder of 2020. One of the earliest priorities of both Minister O’Brien and I was to secure funding to provide a waiver of commercial rates for businesses impacted by the pandemic, while simultaneously supporting local authorities.
€600m was allocated by Government to fund the cost of a six-month waiver of rates from 27 March to 27 September 2020, which took the form of a credit in lieu of rates. To strengthen this support, in Budget 2021, the Government announced an extension of the waiver until 27 December 2020, at an additional cost of €300m. The criteria for the extended waiver remains the same and it is intended that the waiver for the additional three months will be automatically applied to rate accounts that benefitted from the six-month waiver. This brings to €900m the financial support to fund the cost of a waiver of commercial rates, which is an unprecedented measure that offers support to businesses and certainty to local authorities.
The waiver applies to all ratepayers, with a small number of categories excluded (mainly utilities, banks and large supermarkets/corporates). Almost one hundred and twenty thousand ratepayers have been covered by the commercial rates waiver to date. The reason for the limited number of exclusions is to recognise that there is a small number of ratepayers whose businesses have not been affected by the pandemic, these ratepayers will not be eligible for the automatic waiver. However, in acknowledgement that some ratepayers in the excluded categories may have closed during the period of the public health restrictions or been otherwise adversely affected, funding is being provided for ratepayers in these categories who can demonstrate that the pandemic has had a significant negative impact on their business. Any ratepayers negatively impacted as such, have been invited to engage with their own local authorities in relation to their commercial rates on a case by case basis.
362. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department has taken action or entered into correspondence regarding the withdrawal of fire test reports for insulation boards; if he has considered the implications the withdrawal of these fire test reports will have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36309/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand my Department’s National Directorate of Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) has recently received correspondence on this issue, and officials in the Department are currently examining the matter.
363. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the Housing and Planning Development Bill 2019 is proceeding as part of the legislative agenda; if so, the proposed timelines involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36325/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra407. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the housing and planning development Bill will be progressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37088/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 363 and 407 together.
The Programme for Government commits to the review and reform of the judicial review process so that such reforms come into effect upon the establishment of the proposed Environmental and Planning Law Court, while always adhering to EU law obligations under the Aarhus Convention. The Housing and Planning and Development Bill 2019, the General Scheme for which was published in late 2019, contains, inter alia, a range of proposals in this regard.
The General Scheme of the Bill is reflected in the Government's Legislation Programme Autumn Session 2020, among the list of the General Schemes to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny. No arrangements have been set as yet for pre-legislative scrutiny, but given the range of other legislation before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage this is not likely to arise until early 2021.
364. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant housing units in the possession of Dublin City Council. [36334/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal authorities will always have a level of vacancy in their housing stock that will fluctuate over time as tenancy surrender and re-letting of stock is an ongoing process.
The National Oversight & Audit Commission (NOAC) reviews the social housing stock level in local authorities every year, including the number of vacant local authority houses at a particular point in time. NOAC’s activities in this regard are published in its Annual Performance Indicator Reports. The most recent report, relating to 2018, is available on the NOAC website and can be accessed at the following link (see Appendix 2): http://noac.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/NOAC-Performance-Indicator-Report-2018-1.pdf.
My Department actively encourages local authorities to ensure all vacant properties in their stock are brought back into use as expeditiously as possible. Local authorities provide funding from their own resources to address vacant stock but in addition, since 2014, my Departement has been providing funding for this purpose under the Voids Programme. The suite of works being funded under the programme is tailored to encourage swift turnaround. This year, in addition to the normal voids programme, my Department has under the July Stimulus Programme approved Dublin City Council for the remediation of an additional 379 vacant properties at an estimated cost of €5.37m.
365. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to waive commercial rates for the first quarter of 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36335/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn recognising the difficulties faced by businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Programme for Government – “Our Shared Future” committed to set out how commercial rates will be treated for the remainder of 2020. One of the earliest priorities of both Minister O'Brien and I was to secure funding to provide a waiver of commercial rates for businesses impacted by the pandemic, while simultaneously supporting local authorities.
€600m was allocated by Government to fund the cost of a six-month waiver of rates from 27 March to 27 September 2020, which took the form of a credit in lieu of rates. To strengthen this support, the Government subsequently announced an extension of the waiver until 27 December 2020, at an additional cost of €300m. The criteria for the extended waiver remains the same and it is intended that the waiver for the final quarter will be automatically applied to rate accounts that benefitted from the six-month waiver. This brings to €900m the financial support to fund the cost of a waiver of commercial rates, which is an unprecedented measure that offers support to businesses and certainty to local authorities.
Further funding relating to commercial rates and the ongoing impact of COVID-19 in 2021, will be considered in 2021 when there is greater certainty regarding the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic. Any extension of the waiver into 2021, or application of a further waiver to particular sectors, would need to be considered in the context of the public health measures in place and the overall suite of business supports made available by the Government to that point. However, the matter will be kept under review.
367. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will introduce a scheme to incentivise businesses to provide an accessible toilet for use by the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36368/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraNew buildings and extensions or material alterations to existing buildings must comply with the legal minimum performance standards set out in the Building Regulations 1997 - 2019. In this context, the Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2010, and the accompanying Technical Guidance Document M – Access and Use (2010), which came into effect on 1 January 2012, set out the minimum statutory requirements that a building must achieve in respect of access.
The requirements of Part M aim to ensure that regardless of age, size or disability:
- new buildings other than dwellings are accessible and usable;
- extensions to existing buildings other than dwellings are, where practicable, accessible and useable;
- material alterations to existing buildings other than dwellings increase the accessibility and usability of existing buildings, where practicable;
- certain changes of use to existing buildings other than dwellings increase the accessibility and usability of existing buildings where practicable; and
- new dwellings are visitable.
The objective in the case of provision of sanitary facilities is to provide independently accessible facilities that meet the needs of people with a wide range of abilities. Technical Guidance Document M gives detailed guidance on both the provision and the design of sanitary facilities.
The provision of accessible sanitary facilities are required where sanitary facilities are provided in a building, whether this is for customers, visitors, or staff working in the building. Part M does not create a requirement for the provision of sanitary facilities in a building, or for different user groups e.g. for visitors, where provision has only been made for staff.
Part M of the Building Regulations aims to foster an inclusive approach to the design and construction of the built environment. While the Part M requirements may be regarded as a statutory minimum level of provision, the accompanying technical guidance encourages building owners and designers to have regard to the design philosophy of universal design and to consider making additional provisions where practicable and appropriate.
Guidance on how to design, build and manage buildings and spaces so that they can be readily accessed and used by everyone, regardless of age, size, ability or disability is available in 'Building for Everyone, A Universal Design Approach', a National Disability Authority (NDA) publication, which may be accessed at www.nda.ie.
While the latest iteration of Part M of the Building Regulations initially coincided with the general downturn in economic and construction activity, its positive effects on access and use in the built environment can now be seen more widely.
My Department has no role in the provision of incentive schemes for businesses to provide an accessible toilet for use by the public, however, my Department does provide funding to local authorities in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist eligible people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs.
The Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability assists people with a disability to have necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works carried out in order to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. Grants of up to €30,000 are available for works including the provision of access ramps, stair lifts, accessible toilet and shower facilities, wheelchair access and extensions.
Information on Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability is available on my Department’s website at:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/grantsfinancial-assistance/people-disability/housing-grants-people-disability
368. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will extend the pheasant shooting season in view of the delay caused by the introduction of level 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36369/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is not possible to be definitive about future public health developments at this time. There are no current plans to extend the hunting season for pheasants.
369. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of private rent inspections that took place in County Kildare in 2019 and to date in 2020; if the same data as a percentage of overall private rental units will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36372/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. With very limited exemptions, these apply to all private rented residential accommodation.
All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties, regardless of tenancy type, comply with these regulations. Responsibility for the enforcement of the Regulations rests with the relevant local authority.
Data in respect of inspections undertaken by Kildare County Council in 2019 and to the end of September 2020 is set out in the table below. This includes the total number of inspections as a percentage of the total number of Kildare tenancies registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) at the end of the previous year.
|
Year |
Total Inspections |
Kildare Tenancies Registered with RTB |
Total Inspections as a % of Registered Tenancies |
|
2019 |
1,261 |
12,744 |
9.9% |
|
2020 to September 30 |
471 |
13,040 |
3.6% |
While pandemic restrictions have greatly reduced the number of inspections carried out this year, the number of inspections conducted by Kildare County Council almost tripled from 2017 to 2019, increasing from 446 in 2017 to 597 in 2018 and 1,261 in 2019. My Department provided a subvention of €238,300 over this period to assist the Council meet its inspection obligations.
My Department has made significant Exchequer funding available to all local authorities in recent years, with the result that the number of inspections undertaken nationally more than doubled from 19,645 in 2017 to 40,998 in 2019, with a similar increase in the number of properties becoming compliant from 3,329 to 7,206. In order to assist local authorities increase inspection rates further and strengthen compliance, an increased budget of €10m has been approved for 2021.
Detailed information in relation to inspections carried out by each local authority since 2005 is available on my Department's website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/house-building-and-private-rented/private-housing-market-statistics
370. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will bring forward notification from his Department to county councils regarding the amount of grants payable to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36377/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, covering a broad range of functions including local authority housing, voluntary housing, homeless services, estate regeneration, energy efficiency retrofitting, housing grants, rural water schemes, urban renewal/regeneration, and fire services. To achieve its business objectives, my Department allocates significant resources to local authorities and other organisations.
In order to deliver on this broad business agenda, my Department recoups expenditure incurred by local authorities under the terms and conditions of the relevant schemes. Claims from local authorities in respect of such schemes, submitted with the requisite supporting information, are normally assessed, verified and paid on a recoupment basis and processed in a prompt manner.
My Department continues to assist local authorities by bringing forward payments where possible. To this end, all of the Local Property Tax (LPT) allocations for 2020, amounting to €516.8m in total have been paid to local authorities.
I can confirm that the LPT allocation process for 2021 is unchanged from recent years and that my Department informed local authorities of their pre-variation LPT allocations in July, as is normally the case, based on collection data provided by the Revenue Commissioners. This was to ensure that local authority members, in line with their statutory responsibilities, could make informed decisions on LPT variation by the end of September deadline. Taking account of those local variation decisions, local authorities were notified last month of their LPT allocations for 2021, amounting to €530m. I have no plans to revisit the allocation process for either 2020 or 2021 at this point.
Funding allocated by agencies under the remit of my Department is a matter for the bodies concerned. Arrangements have been put in place by each agency under the aegis of the Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. The contact email addresses for each agency are set out below:
|
Agency |
Email Address |
|
An Bord Pleanála |
Oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie |
|
Ervia, Gas Networks Ireland |
oireachtas@ervia.ie |
|
Heritage Council |
vteehan@heritagecouncil.ie |
|
Housing Sustainable Communities Agency |
publicreps@housingagency.ie |
|
Housing Finance Agency |
oireachtas.enquiries@hfa.ie |
|
Irish Water |
oireachtasmembers@water.ie |
|
Land Development Agency |
oireachtas@lda.ie |
|
Local Government Management Agency |
corporate@lgma.ie |
|
Ordnance Survey Ireland |
Oireachtas@osi.ie |
|
Property Registration Authority |
reps@prai.ie |
|
Pyrite Resolution Board |
oireachtasinfo@pyriteboard.ie |
|
Residential Tenancies Board |
OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie |
|
Valuation Office |
oireachtas.enquiries@VALOFF.ie |
|
Waterways Ireland |
john.mcdonagh@waterwaysireland.org |
371. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a family in receipt of rent allowance for a period greater than 18 months and are forced into homelessness and require emergency accommodation will lose their eligibility for the RAS scheme. [36394/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is a targeted scheme to cater for the accommodation needs of people in receipt of long term rent supplement. The qualifying criteria for RAS are as follows:
- A household must be in receipt of rent supplement, in general for a period of 18 months or more, and;
- Are assessed as having a long term housing need by their local authority (i.e. they must be deemed to qualify for social housing support by their local authority and be placed on the local authority housing waiting list).
Once these criteria are satisfied, households are permitted to transfer from rent supplement to RAS, subject to a suitable property being available.
Applications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.
Once a household is 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 RAS scheme, to determine the most appropriate form of social housing support for that household in the administrative area of that local authority.
Oversight 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.
373. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when a decision will be made on a funding application to develop the northern port access route in Drogheda, County Louth; the amount applied for by Louth County Council in the current application round; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36410/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraLouth County Council submitted an application for funding support for the Northern Cross Route under Call 2 of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund. The final date for the submission of applications under Call 2 was the 29th May.
A large number of proposals were received, with every local authority submitting at least one application for URDF support.
Because of the nature of the URDF programme the proposals are very complex, and each will require detailed assessment. As this deliberative assessment process is still ongoing it would not be appropriate to provide details of individual proposals at this time.
It is intended that a new tranche of approved proposals, which will augment the existing pipeline of projects from Call 1 and contribute to the achievement of Programme for Government commitments and the objectives of the National Planning Framework and Project Ireland 2040, will be announced later in the year.
374. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if published planning exemption guidelines for agricultural storage sheds will be reviewed or removed given instances of planning enforcement by local authorities planning departments following the construction of agricultural storage sheds within the guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36411/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra376. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a copy of guidelines issued to local authorities in respect of agricultural storage shed exemptions will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36415/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 376 together.
The planning exemption for agricultural sheds is set out under Class 9 of Part 3 of Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Regulations):
“Works consisting of the provision of any store, barn, shed, glass-house or other structure, not being of a type specified in class 6, 7 or 8 of this Part of this Schedule, and having a gross floor space not exceeding 300 square metres.”
The exemption for agricultural sheds is subject to conditions as prescribed in the Regulations and are as follows:
- No such structure shall be used for any purpose other than the purpose of agriculture or forestry, but excluding the housing of animals or the storing of effluent.
- The gross floor space of such structures together with any other such structures situated within the same farmyard complex or complex of such structures or within 100 metres of that complex shall not exceed 900 square metres gross floor space in aggregate.
- No such structure shall be situated within 10 metres of any public road.
- No such structure within 100 metres of any public road shall exceed 8 metres in height.
- No such structure shall be situated within 100 metres of any house (other than the house of the person providing the structure) or other residential building or school, hospital, church or building used for public assembly, save with the consent in writing of the owner and, as may be appropriate, the occupier or person in charge thereof.
- No unpainted metal sheeting shall be used for roofing or on the external finish of the structure.
In addition to the conditions as set out above, planning exemptions may be restricted or removed in accordance with Section 4 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) and with Article 9 of the Regulations. Any development, which falls outside of the conditions for exemption are subject to the planning process and as such are matters for individual planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála.
If a person wishes to establish whether or not planning permission is required for a particular development proposal, s/he can seek a declaration from his/her local planning authority under Section 5 of the Act.
Under the planning legislation, enforcement of planning control is a matter for the local authority concerned which can take action if a development does not have the required permission, or where any conditions attached to a permission have not been complied with. Complaints regarding planning enforcement should be made to the Director of Planning Services at the local authority concerned.
Under section 30 of the Act, as Minister, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case, including an enforcement issue, with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be concerned.
375. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports available for the maintenance and repair of thatched roofs in owner occupied houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36414/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra377. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the financial supports for the renewal of thatched roofs in owner occupied houses will be reviewed given the fact that the cost of carrying out such work has increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36416/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 375 and 377 together.
Under my Department’s renewal or repair of thatched roof grant scheme, in general a grant of up to €3,810, or two thirds of the approved cost, whichever is the lesser, may be payable in respect of necessary works to renew or repair the thatched roofs of houses. In the case of medical card holders however, a grant of up to €6,350, or up to 80% of the approved cost, may be payable in respect of houses situated on the mainland, rising to €8,252 where the house is situated on a specified off-shore island. Eligibility under the grant scheme is contingent on the house being occupied as a normal place of residence on completion of the approved works.
A total of 89 applications were processed for 2019 with associated funding of €413,000. As of the end of October, 2020 there were some 84 applications processed with €377,988 in grant funding drawn down under the scheme. It is expected that a similar funding provision will be in place for 2021. I have no plans at this time to increase the maximum grant amounts payable under the thatched roof grant scheme.
378. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of units acquired for the homeless by local authorities or by other agencies classified by wet and dry in each town with a population of more than 10,000 persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36422/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at the local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. Decisions on the organisation and range of accommodation services and related homeless services to be provided in a particular region are a matter for the individual housing authorities in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homeless Consultative Forum in the region.
My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. The Reports are available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.
My Department does not collate the specific data requested by the Deputy.
