Written Answers Nos. 44-63
44. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of HAP applications that have been rejected or not processed due to the quality of the accommodation being at an unacceptable standard. [16897/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraA key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector, which best suits their needs, in their area of choice
The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these Regulations. Responsibility for enforcement of the Regulations rests with the relevant local authority.
The HAP scheme is underpinned by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. Under section 41 of the 2014 Act, local authorities are required to commence the inspection process within 8 months of HAP support being provided in relation to a particular dwelling, if the dwelling was not already inspected within the previous 12 months. Local authorities carry out HAP inspections as part of their overall private rented inspections programme.
The HAP legislation provides a very structured, time bound system where serious lack of compliance exists and can result in termination of HAP payment.
Failure to comply with the minimum standards can result in penalties and prosecution. Local authorities can issue Improvement Notices and Prohibition Notices to landlords who breach the minimum standards regulations. An Improvement Notice sets out the works that the landlord must carry out to remedy a breach of the regulations.
In the case of a Prohibition Notice being enforced, a local authority may provide, or continue to provide, HAP in respect of that property for a period of 13 weeks, to enable the household to find an alternative dwelling.
45. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that the relevant officials in his Department will view the recording of the recent European Parliament webinar on the impact on family homes of defective concrete products organised by two affected homeowners from County Donegal and academics (details supplied); and if those officials will act on the international expert findings from that webinar when overseeing the current review of IS 465 of 2018. [17097/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra46. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will identify the experts who are currently reviewing IS 465 of 2018 in conjunction with the National Standards Authority of Ireland; if this review will seek the input of the Irish and international experts who presented at the recent European Parliament webinar, the impact on family homes of defective concrete products organised by two affected homeowners from County Donegal and academics (details supplied). [17098/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra47. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that the current review of IS 465 of 2018 by the National Standards Authority of Ireland will widen the scope of the standard and protocol to detect all deleterious minerals including pyrrhotite in the concrete blocks and foundations of affected homes in line with best international practice. [17099/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 45 to 47, inclusive, together.
I brought a Memorandum on an enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme to Government on the 30 November 2021 and it included an unprecedented suite of improvements to the current scheme. Government approved the enhanced scheme which it is estimated will cost approximately €2.2Bn.
Full details in relation to the changes announced are available at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/press-release/e365e-minister-obrien-announces-enhancements-to-the-defective-concrete-block-scheme/
Following the Government decision on the enhanced scheme, officials from my Department met to discuss the terms of reference for further engagement on the issue of IS 465: 2018 which can be used to assess and categorise the damage in properties where the concrete blocks are suspected to contain mica or pyrite.
A steering group, NSAI Standardisation Program - Mansory Construction, has now been established to oversee a review of certain standards. Part of its work is to examine the current IS465 standard and its application and the standard for concrete blocks (including aggregates). The group includes representatives from the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), the Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) and representatives from my Department. As part of this review it will also consider any necessary liaison with the EU Commission and or CEN in respect of the harmonised European Standards and any changes that may be required on foot of this program of work. The NSAI do not operate under the auspices of my Department and are under the auspices of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
48. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to address the issue of legacy debt in rural group water schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17103/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI assume that the Question is referring to legacy debt issues where group water schemes are seeking to be taken in charge by Irish Water.
Group water schemes are community-owned and community-run and they remain fully the responsibility of the scheme right up until such time as they are formally taken in charge by Irish Water.
Irish Water and the local authority are actively working to resolve the issues around debt in some schemes and this also requires goodwill and a proactive approach by the schemes involved.
An annual subsidy is available from my Department via the local authorities. This subsidy funds and supports the maintenance and operation costs of schemes providing water for domestic use, thus facilitating their upkeep until they are taken in charge.
49. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when strand 2 of the Rural Water Working Group will begin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17104/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra50. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will publish strand 1 of the Rural Water Working Group as soon as it is finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17105/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 50 together.
In April 2018, a Working Group was established to conduct a review of the wider investment needs relating to rural water services. The aim of the group is to recommend measures that ensure an equality of outcome between those who receive water services from Irish Water and non-Irish Water customers. The terms of reference for the review provide for a two-strand approach. Strand 1 is considering the composition and distribution of funding for the upcoming Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme. Strand 2 is considering the more complex longer-focus issues surrounding the long-term future resourcing of the Rural Water Sector.
While Strand 2 of the considerations by the Working Group is underway, deliberations on Strand 1 are currently being finalised. Strand 1 work will be completed in the coming weeks, with recommendations on the measures to be considered for funding under the upcoming multi-annual programme. Once I have had an opportunity to consider these recommendations, I expect to announce details of the programme priorities and an invitation to local authorities to submit bids will follow. An Expert Panel will evaluate all appropriate bids received and the recommendations of the Panel will then be submitted for my consideration and approval later this year.
51. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport renewal by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16736/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra53. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16759/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra61. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport (details supplied) will issue in time for booked travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16938/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra62. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will be issued for a child (details supplied) in County Donegal in time for booked travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16939/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra64. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and an update provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17010/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra65. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue for a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17046/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 51, 53, 61, 62, 64 and 65 together.
With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport application to the applicant.
52. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be examined and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16741/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra54. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress to date in the determination of an application for a passport in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16809/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 54 together.
With regard to the specific application about which Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has issued a passport to the applicant.
55. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason for the delay in processing a passport application for a child (details supplied) in County Donegal; if additional documents are required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16839/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has contacted the applicant's parent directly to advise that the application has now expired, and that a refund will issue to them in due course. The Passport Service has advised the applicant's parent on what is required to submit a new application for their child.
56. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of urgent passport query forms his Department has processed per month in 2021 and to date in 2022 from Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16893/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra57. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of calls to the Oireachtas members query line that were processed per month in 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16894/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra58. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of parliamentary questions he has answered in regard to individual passport applications as opposed to systematic processing queries in 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16895/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 56 to 58, inclusive, together.
The monthly figures requested by the Deputy for parliamentary questions and calls to the Oireachtas Passport Line are outlined below in tabular form. In addition, a table outlining the number of representations received by the Passport Service in relation to passport applications is also included.
The Passport Service does not track the number of urgent passport query forms received as these can be received through multiple channels, including as attachments to representations and to parliamentary questions.
In response to the high volume of applications being submitted to the Passport Service, a temporary phone line was established in October 2021 to respond to Oireachtas Members' queries on urgent passport cases.
In each case raised by an Oireachtas Member, the Passport Service reviews the application in question. However, applications can only be expedited in cases of genuine emergency such as a need for urgent medical treatment overseas or the death of a family member abroad. Such applications are expedited through the Travel Emergency service.
In cases where the estimated issue-by date has passed and the application is fully complete, the Passport Service will prioritise the application to ensure that no further delay is experienced.
Parliamentary Questions relating to individual passport applications
|
2021 |
PQs received |
|
January |
13 |
|
February |
8 |
|
March |
19 |
|
April |
18 |
|
May |
21 |
|
June |
26 |
|
July |
71 |
|
August |
0 |
|
September |
86 |
|
October |
70 |
|
November |
92 |
|
December |
39 |
|
2022 |
|
|
January |
29 |
|
February |
73 |
|
March (to date) |
174 |
Passport Service Oireachtas Line Calls and Queries
|
Date |
Calls Handled |
Total Number of Queries |
|
October 2021 |
407 |
807 |
|
Nov 2021 |
1197 |
1504 |
|
Dec 2021 |
1099 |
1390 |
|
Jan 2022 |
1033 |
1360 |
|
Feb 2022 |
1689 |
2686 |
|
As of 25 March 2022 |
1181 |
1856 |
Representations related to passport applications
|
Date |
Number of representations received |
|
2021 |
|
|
January |
300 |
|
February |
200 |
|
March |
160 |
|
April |
259 |
|
May |
311 |
|
June |
257 |
|
July |
1672 |
|
August |
1777 |
|
September |
2262 |
|
October |
2506 |
|
November |
1686 |
|
December |
1074 |
|
2022 |
|
|
January |
2371 |
|
February |
2630 |
|
As of 25 March 2022 |
2371 |
59. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport applications received and open from persons in counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16925/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe numbers of passport applications with the Passport Service from counties Cavan, Meath and Monaghan are outlined below in tabular form.
Passport Service figures show that of the total of 182,000 passport applications in the system, 61% are fully complete and are being processed by the Passport Service. The other 39% of applications are incomplete, which means the Passport Service is waiting for the applicant to submit the necessary documentation required. While the Passport Service makes every effort to contact applicants in such circumstances, their experience is that many applicants take weeks and sometimes months to send in the necessary documents. Applications that are incomplete cannot be processed within the average turnaround times.
The table below outlines the total number of online passport applications in the system by county as well as the number that are currently being processed by the Passport Service and the number of applications that require further action from the applicant, such as the submission of additional documents.
|
County |
Applications being processed by Passport Service |
Applications requiring additional action by applicant |
Total Online Passport Applications |
|
Cavan |
584 |
511 |
1,095 |
|
Meath |
2204 |
1498 |
3,702 |
|
Monaghan |
493 |
330 |
823 |
60. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if passports will issue for persons (details supplied) in County Donegal to allow for travel to a family wedding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16937/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the specific applications about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.
63. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Passport Office can provide a person (details supplied) in County Mayo with information pertaining to their previous passport. [16943/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the passport number about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has contacted the citizen directly to provide the requested information.
