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Tuesday, 13 Jul 2021

Written Answers Nos. 341-360

Defective Building Materials

Ceisteanna (342)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

342. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the pyrite remediation scheme that encompasses counties Mayo and Donegal and has not as of yet included County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37599/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The cracking of external walls of dwellings in Donegal and Mayo, due to the crumbling of concrete blockwork, came to light in 2013. An Expert Panel was established in 2016 to investigate the matter. It was chaired by Mr. Denis McCarthy and it included representatives nominated by the National Standards Authority of Ireland, Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland, and the Institute of Geologists of Ireland.

The report of the expert panel was published on the 13th June 2017. It concluded that the disintegration of the concrete blocks used in the construction of the affected dwellings in Donegal and Mayo was primarily due to excessive amounts of deleterious materials in the aggregate used to manufacture the concrete blocks. The deleterious material in Donegal was primarily muscovite mica and in Mayo it was primarily reactive pyrite.

On the 31 January 2020, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, made Regulations to provide for a grant scheme to support affected homeowners in Donegal and Mayo. The Department subsequently prepared and issued guidelines on the operation of the scheme to both Councils to assist them in the administration of the scheme. The scheme opened for applications in June 2020.

The goal of the grant scheme is to help a restricted group of homeowners who have no other practicable option to remediate their homes. It is not a compensation scheme but a mechanism for the State to help ordinary homeowners to remediate defects to their principal private residence and return their homes to the condition they would have been in had they not been built with defective concrete blocks.

Budget 2021 provides funding of €20 million to fund the operation of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme for the counties of Donegal and Mayo. At this stage 475 stage one applications (377 in Donegal and 98 in Mayo) have been submitted and nearly 70% have been approved.

Defective Building Materials

Ceisteanna (343, 345)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

343. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will acknowledge the submission from the local authority in County Clare that conclusively outlined the presence of pyrite and the prevalence of defective blocks in the random samples across the county. [37600/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

345. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the direction that has been given by his Department to Clare County Council in respect of the homeowners affected by the pyrite issue; if further information will be provided on the new report that has been requested; the projected timeline for completion of the report; and the level of work required to complete the report. [37602/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 343 and 345 together.

My Department received correspondence from Clare County Council in October 2020, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme to County Clare. A comprehensive reply was subsequently issued to the Council in November 2020.

My Department informed the Council that before any extension of the scheme can be considered, the same rigorous analysis as that put in place prior to the rollout of the scheme to the counties of Donegal and Mayo would have to be undertaken. Following further discussions between my Department and Clare County Council it was agreed that the local authority would take a lead role in determining, in accordance with the IS: 465 protocol, that issues arising in homes in County Clare are in fact due to the presence of excessive amounts of deleterious materials (mica or pyrite) in the aggregate used to manufacture the concrete blocks and secondly quantify the likely extent of the problem in the county.

On receipt of the requested submission from Clare County Council, my Department, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will give due consideration to the requested extension of the scheme.

Defective Building Materials

Ceisteanna (344, 346, 347)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

344. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason homeowners in County Clare affected by the pyrite issue and who have organised themselves into a group (details supplied) have not been included in the recent local property tax exemption that has only included homeowners in counties Mayo and Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37601/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

346. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the engagement his Department has undertaken to date with a group (details supplied); if there is a proposed meeting in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37603/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

347. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will include a representative from a group (details supplied) in further discussions concerning the pyrite remediation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37604/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 344, 346 and 347 together.

Donegal and Mayo are currently the only local authority areas within the scope of the Defective Concrete Blocks grant scheme. 

The proposed LPT exemption being formulated by the Department of Finance is intended to only apply to  homes which have received a Stage 1 approval – Confirmation of Eligibility letter under the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme. Homeowners outside of Donegal and Mayo are not currently entitled to apply for a Stage 1 approval and therefore an LPT exemption. That situation will change if the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme is extended to other local authority areas and a process exists for individual local authorities to take a lead in this regard.

My Department is in ongoing engagement with local authorities and local action groups that are currently within the scope of the scheme and with the relevant local authorities in respect to  discussions on requests for an extension of the scheme to other counties.

In response to concerns being raised about the scheme by homeowners in Donegal and Mayo, I established a time bound working group to review the issues of concern and report to me with recommendations by 31 July 2021. Membership of the working group comprises of three homeowners from Donegal, three homeowners from Mayo, three officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, one official each from Donegal and Mayo County Council and a Housing Agency representative. Many stakeholders sought admittance onto the working group including public representative and engineers. In order to keep the group manageable in the context of a time bound period for reporting, the group was limited to 12. For that reason homeowner representation was restricted to Donegal and Mayo. I am satisfied that the homeowners of Donegal and Mayo, who make up 50% of the working group, can adequately represent the views of all homeowners who may be affected, regardless of their location.

Question No. 345 answered with Question No. 343.
Question No. 346 answered with Question No. 344.
Question No. 347 answered with Question No. 344.

Departmental Reports

Ceisteanna (348, 349, 350, 351)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

348. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the minutes from the four consultative committees established by his predecessor held between 14 June 2019 and 4 April 2020 to examine the impacts of urban seagull colonies on communities and make recommendations have not been published by his Department given that the publication of minutes was promised in a letter to persons who are members of the committee by his predecessor on 15 February 2019 a promise that influenced persons to join same; and when the minutes will be published. [37617/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

349. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the first interim report and the minority report by the consultative committee established by his predecessor in June 2019 to examine the impacts of urban seagull colonies on communities and make recommendations and the recommendations as submitted to him and his Department on 17 April 2020 and 20 April 2020, respectively, have not been published; and when they will be published. [37618/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

350. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason the recommendations of the consultative committee established by his predecessor in June 2019 to examine the impacts of urban seagull colonies on communities and make recommendations in the context of both the 2020-2021 and the 2021-2022 State-wide general derogation declaration in the interests of public health and safety under Article 9.1(a) of the 1979 birds directive, directly pertinent to the declarations are not being implemented; and when they will be implemented. [37619/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

351. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the specific expert advices that were received from independent Irish and UK experts in wildlife ecology (details supplied) by the consultative committee established by his predecessor in June 2019 to examine the impacts of urban seagull colonies on communities and make recommendations; if he considered such advice towards informing his opinion regarding control of wild bird species, particularly urban seagulls when he signed the 2021-2022 State-wide general declaration on 30 April 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37620/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 348 to 351, inclusive, together.

The minutes of the first three meetings of the Committee were only finally agreed at the fourth meeting in February 2020 due to detailed inputs from Committee members which required further record updating and intra-membership correspondences.

The first Interim Report of the Urban Gulls Consultative Committee was finalised and submitted to the Department in April 2020, this was followed up by a Minority Report on the Interim Report from one member of the Committee which subsequently led to the Chairpersons' Review of the Minority Report. The result of this was that the Interim Report was never deemed completed. Subsequently, the Chair of the Committee completed his tenure and stepped down to pursue other work and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) resources were primarily focused on the urgent need to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Through the work of the recently appointed Chairperson to the Committee it is clear that the recommendations in the Interim Report are finally agreed and my Department will now assess those recommendations and determine the resource and other implications (including financial and legal) with a view to putting a plan in place to action them where appropriate. Advice and input will also be sought from the European Commission. These four sets of minutes and the two reports will be published imminently on the NPWS website.

The Urban Gulls Consultative Committee had presentations from the following expert individuals:

- 23rd October 2019 - Associate Professor Barry McMahon on Gulls and Public Health

- 23rd October 2019 - Peter Rock, UK Expert on Gulls on Managing Urban Gull Populations

- 25th November 2019 - Dr Gary Goggins, Environmental Sociologist (NUIG) on The Use of Participatory Approaches for Addressing Human-Environment Concerns

- 4th February 2020 - Dr Dearbhaile Morris on The AREST (Anti-microbial resistance and the Environment – Sources, Persistance, Transmission and Risk Management) Project

Minister O'Brien took all of the information available into account when making the decision to sign the Wild Birds Declaration 2021/22, including the views of the above experts.

Question No. 349 answered with Question No. 348.
Question No. 350 answered with Question No. 348.
Question No. 351 answered with Question No. 348.

Registration of Title

Ceisteanna (352, 353, 354)

Michael Ring

Ceist:

352. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons working in the Land Registry in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37621/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Ring

Ceist:

353. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons working from home in the Land Registry since 30 March 2020 per week, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37622/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Michael Ring

Ceist:

354. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons working in the office of the Land Registry since 30 March 2020 per week in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37623/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 352 to 354, inclusive, together.

The following figures represent the number of staff working in the Property Registration Authority, the statutory body responsible for controlling and managing both the Land Registry and the Registry of Deeds.  

Year 

Headcount

Full-Time Equivalents 

 2016

 526

480.93 

 2017

 544

 500.45

 2018

 553

 508.69

 2019

 572

 529.36

 2020

 571

528.91 

 June 2021

 552

 511.4

 Week

Working from Home

(including those working on a blended basis - combination of office attendance and home working)  

Week ending 3 April 2020 

 91

 Week ending 10 April 2020

 91

 Week ending 17 April 2020

 91

Week ending 24 April 2020 

 91

Week ending 1 May 2020 

 171

 Week ending 8 May 2020

 171

 Week ending 15 May 2020

 171

 Week ending 22 May 2020

 171

 Week ending 29 May 2020

 171

 Week ending 5 June 2020

 171

 Week ending 12 June 2020

 171

 Week ending 19 June 2020

 171

 Week ending 26 June 2020

 163

 Week ending 3 July 2020

 162

 Week ending 10 July 2020

 161

 Week ending 17 July 2020

 170

 Week ending 24 July 2020

 172

 Week ending 31 July 2020

 172

 Week ending 7 August 2020

 171

 Week ending 14 August 2020

 162

 Week ending 21 August 2020

 161

 Week ending 28 August 2020

 149

 Week ending 4 September 2020

 154

 Week ending 11 September 2020

 178

 Week ending 18 September 2020

 181

 Week ending 25 September 2020

 185

 Week ending 2 October 2020

 181

 Week ending 9 October 2020

 181

 Week ending 16 October 2020

 184

 Week ending 23 October 2020

 181

 Week ending 30 October 2020

 203

 Week ending 6 November 2020

 202

 Week ending 13 November 2020

 225

 Week ending 20 November 2020

 250

 Week ending 27 November 2020

 258

 Week ending 4 December 2020

 258

 Week ending 11 December 2020

 258

 Week ending 18 December 2020

 270

 Week ending 25 December 2020

 300

 Week ending 1 January 2021

 300

 Week ending 8 January 2021

 312

 Week ending 15 January 2021

 330

 Week ending 22 January 2021

 342

 Week ending 29 January 2021

 361

 Week ending 5 February 2021

 371

 Week ending 12 February 2021

 371

 Week ending 19 February 2021

 371

Week ending 26 February 2021 

 372

 Week ending 5 March 2021

 372

 Week ending 12 March 2021

 371

 Week ending 19 March 2021

 372

 Week ending 26 March 2021

 371

 Week ending 2 April 2021

 372

 Week ending 9 April 2021

 371

 Week ending 16 April 2021

 371

 Week ending 23 April 2021

 370

 Week ending 30 April 2021

 369

 Week ending 7 May 2021

 369

 Week ending 14 May 2021

 369

 Week ending 21 May 2021

 369

 Week ending 28 May 2021

 369

Week ending 4 June 2021 

 367

 Week ending 11 June 2021

 367

 Week ending 18 June 2021

 367

 Week ending 25 June 2021

 367

 Week

Attending the Office 

 Week ending 3 April 2020

 Office Closed

 Week ending 10 April 2020

 Office Closed

 Week ending 17 April 2020

 492

 Week ending 24 April 2020

 492

 Week ending 1 May 2020

 412

 Week ending 8 May 2020

 412

 Week ending 15 May 2020

 411

 Week ending 22 May 2020

 411

 Week ending 29 May 2020

 411

 Week ending 5 June 2020

 411

 Week ending 12 June 2020

 411

 Week ending 19 June 2020

 403

 Week ending 26 June 2020

 416

 Week ending 3 July 2020

 420

 Week ending 10 July 2020

 421

 Week ending 17 July 2020

 412

 Week ending 24 July 2020

 409

 Week ending 31 July 2020

 408

 Week ending 7 August 2020 

 408

 Week ending 14 August 2020 

 417

 Week ending 21 August 2020

 418

 Week ending 28 August 2020

 430

 Week ending 4 September 2020

 425

 Week ending 11 September 2020

 400

 Week ending 18 Sepember 2020

 396

 Week ending 25 September 2020

 392

 Week ending 2 October 2020

 395

 Week ending 9 October 2020

 394

 Week ending 16 October 2020

 390

 Week ending 23 October 2020

 391

 Week ending 30 October 2020

 368

 Week ending 6 November 2020

 369

 Week ending 13 November 2020

 347

 Week ending 20 November 2020

 322

 Week ending 27 November 2020

 314

Week ending 4 December 2020 

 314

 Week ending 11 December 2020

 314

 Week ending 18 December 2020

 301

 Week ending 25 December 2020

 271

 Week ending 1 January 2021

 271

 Week ending 8 January 2021

 260

 Week ending 15 January 2021

 239

 Week ending 22 January 2021

 228

 Week ending 29 January 2021

 208

 Week ending 5 February 2021

 191

 Week ending 12 February 2021

 191

 Week ending 19 February 2021

 191

 Week ending 26 February 2021

 194

 Week ending 5 March 2021

 194

 Week ending 12 March 2021

 193

 Week ending 19 March 2021

 190

 Week ending 26 March 2021

 190

 Week ending 2 April 2021

 188

 Week ending 9 April 2021

 188

 Week ending 16 April 2021

 187

 Week ending 23 April 2021

 187

 Week ending 30 April 2021

 187

 Week ending 7 May 2021

 182

 Week ending 14 May 2021

 182

 Week ending 21 May 2021

 183

 Week ending 28 May 2021

 182

 Week ending 4 June 2021

 183

 Week ending 11 June 2021

 182

 Week ending 18 June 2021

 183

 Week ending 25 June 2021

 185

The provided figures are inclusive of small numbers on long-term sick leave/Covid 19-related absences.

The Property Registration Authority operates in an environment which is heavily reliant on paper documents to effect registration and has delivered a high level of service throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.  This has been achieved through substantial office attendance and, also, by incrementally building effective remote working processes across all streams of the organisation’s workflow activities.

Question No. 353 answered with Question No. 352.
Question No. 354 answered with Question No. 352.

Registration of Title

Ceisteanna (355)

Michael Ring

Ceist:

355. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a full and comprehensive response will be provided as to the reason a dealing which is in the Land Registry since June 2017 has not been processed in view of the difficulties which this is causing for the applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37627/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

In relation to any specific cases with the Property Registration Authority (PRA), 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.

Approved Housing Bodies

Ceisteanna (356)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

356. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing agencies that are registered in Ireland; if all of these housing agencies are not-for-profit; and the number of employees within this sector. [37636/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I assume that the Question is referring to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Under Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992, housing authorities may provide assistance to bodies approved for the provision and management of housing accommodation.

There are currently 470 bodies with approved status. The register of AHBs can be found on the following website at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/1172c-register-of-housing-bodies-with-approved-status-under-section-6-of-the-housing-miscellaneous-provisions-act-1992/.

To be granted approved status an organsiation must be not-for-profit. AHBs also include organisations with predominantly care and support functions where housing may not their primary function. Information in relation to the number of staff employed by AHBs is not held by my Department.

The 2020 Annual Report and Sectoral Analysis, prepared by the Housing Agency Regulation Office provides further information on the 285 AHBs, which at that time had signed up to the Voluntary Regulatory Code; this report is available at www.housingagency.ie/regulation/publications.

The Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was established on 1 February 2021 to oversee the effective governance, financial management and performance of all approved and co-operative housing bodies. In due course, the AHBRA will have responsibility for establishing and maintaining a register and for registering AHBs. More information is availalbe at www.ahbregulator.ie/.

Animal Culls

Ceisteanna (357)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Ceist:

357. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there were any circumstances in which the culling of seals has been permitted by his Department in Irish waters and the EEZ over recent years. [37640/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Both species of seal in Irish waters - the Harbour or Common Seal and the more numerous Grey Seal - are protected under the EU Habitats Directive and Ireland is obliged to maintain their populations at favourable conservation status.

We are also required to monitor these species and report to the European Commission on their conservation status. A standardised monitoring programme has been in place for both since 2009.

Section 42 of the Wildlife Act, 1976 (as amended) provides, inter alia, that where protected wild animals or birds are causing serious damage, persons affected may on application to the Minister seek a permission to take appropriate steps to mitigate the damage. A very small number of such applications in a given year will concern seal damage. There were no Section 42 licences issued in 2020 in relation to seals.

Applications are investigated by local staff to determine if serious damage is being caused and if so the most practical method of controlling the problem. Consideration of the license applications made under Section 42 includes reference to any conservation issues facing the protected species in question.

My Department has no plans to undertake a general cull of seals.

Defective Building Materials

Ceisteanna (358)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Ceist:

358. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will clarify the process for disposing of the rubble from homes that are demolished due to mica or pyrite in their concrete blocks; and if he will provide an assurance that no quarry that manufactured these blocks will be used for this purpose. [37644/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The local authority has responsibility for the detailed administration of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme. This includes the assessment of applications for eligibility and payment of grants to successful applicants under the specific remediation option approved. 

Where a local authority has approved a homeowner for grant assistance under the scheme the responsibility for engaging a supervising engineer and a contractor to complete the qualifying works rests solely with the applicant. 

Housing Schemes

Ceisteanna (359)

Michael McNamara

Ceist:

359. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of housing projects which will be affected by the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No.3) Bill 2021 if enacted; the number of housing units which will benefit from an extension of time for completion in the context of the disruption and delay compounded by the continuing uncertainties associated with the Covid-19 pandemic; if he will consider extending the proposed two-year additional period for completion of projects to three years; if he has assessed the number of projects and housing units that would be assisted by a three-year extension rather than a two-year one and give those details; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37708/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Section 40(3) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (the Act) provides that the default duration of a planning permission is 5 years however under section 41 of the Act a longer or shorter duration may be specified by a planning authority or the Board having regard to the nature and extent of the relevant development and any other material consideration. Section 42 of the Act currently enables the holder of a planning permission to apply to a planning authority for an extension to the period of permission by an additional period not exceeding 5 years.

If an extension to planning permission has been previously granted, the only circumstance in which the holder of a planning permission may be granted a further extension of duration is under section 42(1A) of the Act in respect of a development that relates to 20 or more houses, where substantial works have been carried out, subject to the development being completed within 5 years of the originally extended permission or by 31 December 2021 (as extended by Government Orders under Section 251A of the Planning and Development Act 2000 in 2020), whichever first occurs.

Section 7 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2021 ('the 2021 Act') provides a temporary provision allowing for applications for further extensions of planning permissions which have already availed of an extension under section 42, or otherwise under section 42(1A), and in circumstances where no further extension is permissible. Where an application is made to a planning authority for a further extension, pursuant to the 2021 Act amendments, setting out the reasons why a development cannot be reasonably completed within the appropriate period as already extended, the planning authority shall further extend that period by an additional period of up to 2 years or until 31 December 2023, whichever first occurs, subject to the planning authority being satisfied of a number of matters, including that the development has commenced, substantial works have been carried out and that the extension is required to enable the development to be completed. This is subject also to the planning authority being satisfied that environmental impact assessment or appropriate assessment would not be required for the proposed extension of the appropriate period.

The specific number of housing projects which will be affected by the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2021 is not available in my Department. It is not be possible for me to speculate as to the number of housing projects, which have already availed of an extension under section 42, or further extension under section 42(1A), and which will also avail of a further extension under the amendments introduced by the 2021 Act. Rather, it will be a matter for the relevant planning authority to determine whether the conditions for granting a further extension are satisfied on a case by case basis. In other words, this provision does not provide a blanket extension of duration for a certain class or classes of developments, but rather must be determined on a case by case basis by the relevant planning authority upon application to that authority.

It is case that construction work has been significantly impacted, with both delays and site closures throughout 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and associated restrictions, and most recently with the closure of non-essential construction sites on the 8 January 2021, which sites could only have reopened in April and May of this year at earliest. It is therefore envisaged that an additional extension of 2 years or until 31 December 2023, which ever first occurs, is an appropriate period to address the disruption and delays to construction caused by Covid-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions. This period not only takes into account the period of restrictions on construction, but also addresses delays and disruptions in logistics, supply chains, and the availability of personnel when restarting construction work after the mandatory and unplanned closure of building sites over the last year.

Tax Code

Ceisteanna (360)

Thomas Gould

Ceist:

360. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities retain 100% of the local property tax paid by them in regard to social housing. [37764/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012, as amended, sets out the position concerning residential properties and liability for the Local Property Tax (LPT). Under the Act, local authorities are, in general, liable for residential properties under their ownership in the same way as any other residential property owner. Local authorities value their residential properties in lowest Valuation Band (€0 - €100,000) for the liability date of 1 May 2013. This gives rise to an annual liability of €90, subject to any 'local adjustment factor' to the LPT basic rate by the relevant Local Authority.

Local retention of LPT began in 2015 and since then the overall principles and allocation methodology have broadly remained the same. 80% of LPT is retained in the area it is collected, with the other 20% supporting equalisation for local authorities with LPT bases lower than their funding baseline.

The Programme for Government 'Our Shared Future', commits to bringing forward LPT reforms. These reforms will involve bringing new homes, which are currently exempt from LPT, into the taxation system as well as providing for all money collected locally to be retained within the county. This will also be done on the basis that those counties with a lower LPT base are adjusted via an annual national equalisation fund paid from the Exchequer, as is currently the case.

My colleague, the Minister for Finance, recently published the Heads of the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021. The Bill will give effect to a package of measures in line with the Programme for Government to address the future of the LPT. Minister Donohue also signalled the Government’s intent to move to 100% local retention from 2023. Any changes to the allocation process may be considered in that context.

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