Written Answers Nos. 338-350
338. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated full-year cost of recruiting 30 additional full-time WTE conservation rangers, in tabular form. [4193/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraBased on the current pay levels for Conservation Rangers, the estimated cost of recruiting an additional 30 Conservation Rangers for the National Parks and Wildlife Service is €892,000. My Department is currently engaged with the Public Appointments Service in recruiting additional Conservation Rangers.
339. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide data associated with his Department's air travel and air travel associated with agencies under the aegis of his Department (details supplied) from 1 January 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4251/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is set out in the table below.
|
Year |
C02 emissions (tonnes) |
Kilometres travelled |
Payment submitted to the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications |
|
2020 |
10.88 |
58,342 |
€220.31 |
|
2021 |
8.23 |
75,364 |
€241.20 |
|
2022 |
104.59 |
1,076,632 |
* |
|
2023 to date |
2.6 |
22,745 |
*Payment will be made in line with the timelines outlined in DPER Circular 01/2020: Procedures for Offsetting the Emissions Associated with Official Air Travel
The information requested in relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the individual bodies concerned. Arrangements have been put in place by each Agency to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. The contact email address for each agency is set out in the following table.
|
State Body |
Contact e-mail |
|
An Bord Pleanála |
oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie |
|
An Fóram Uisce (the Water Forum) |
info@nationalwaterforum.ie |
|
Approved Housing Body Regulatory Authority |
oireachtasqueries@ahbregulator.ie |
|
Docklands Oversight and Consultative Forum |
infodocklands@dublincity.ie |
|
Ervia |
oireachtas@ervia.ie |
|
Gas Networks Ireland |
oireachtas@ervia.ie |
|
Heritage Council |
oireachtas@heritagecouncil.ie |
|
Housing Finance Agency |
oireachtas.enquiries@hfa.ie |
|
Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency |
publicreps@housingagency.ie |
|
Irish Water |
oireachtasmembers@water.ie |
|
Land Development Agency |
oireachtas@lda.ie |
|
Local Government Management Agency |
corporate@lgma.ie |
|
National Oversight and Audit Commission |
info@noac.ie |
|
National Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee |
ntacc@housing.gov.ie |
|
Office of the Planning Regulator |
oireachtas@opr.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 |
|
Valuation Tribunal |
info@valuationtribunal.ie |
|
Water Advisory Body |
info@wab.gov.ie |
|
Waterways Ireland |
ceoffice@waterwaysireland.org |
340. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there is any mechanism, either through the Approved Housing Body Regulatory Authority or any other means, for employees or tenants of an approved housing body to make a report confidentially or a protected disclosure where they believe management is acting in a way that is damaging to the organisation or tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4300/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs provided for in the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 (the Act), the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) was formally established on 1 February 2021.
AHBRA is an independent body tasked with the regulation of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the purposes of protecting housing assets provided or managed by such bodies. The powers and functions of AHBRA, conferred upon it under the Act, commenced on a phased basis beginning on 1 February 2021. Phased implementation of the Act continued through 2021 and were finalised in July 2022.
All AHBs are required to adopt the standards for AHBs that are provided for in the 2019 Act and were developed in conjunction with the sector. I approved the standards in February 2022 and they are available on AHBRA’s website (www.ahbregulator.ie). The standards cover matters relating to corporate governance; financial management and reporting; property and asset management; and tenancy management. The Regulator will monitor compliance by AHBs with the approved standards and has the power to carry out a standards assessment to determine if an AHB is complying or failing to comply with the standards.
Complaints can be submitted to AHBRA via email to concerns@ahbregulator.ie, AHBRA will not disclose the identity of those who raise concerns unless given permission or there is a legal obligation to do so.
It is open to anyone to raise a concern about an AHB with AHBRA, including employees or volunteers, tenants, AHB board members, members of the public, third parties, public representatives, funding bodies or other authorities. All complaints made to AHBRA are evaluated and reviewed following due process. More information about AHBRA's approach to concerns can be found at: www.ahbregulator.ie/contact-us/concerns/
AHBRA are not currently prescribed as a prescribed person under the Protected Disclosures Act, however, the Department has requested through DPER that they be designated as such at the earliest opportunity and this process is ongoing. Pending the designation of ABHRA as a prescribed person, it is open to an employee of an Approved Housing Body, to make a protected disclosure to the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner. The Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner will identify a prescribed person or another suitable person competent to take appropriate action to follow up on the disclosure. Where no other suitable person with the required competence can be identified by the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner, the Commissioner will follow up directly on the report. More information can be found on the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioners website at: www.opdc.ie/how-to-report-wrongdoing/index.xml
341. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has been requested to visit Lough Funshinagh, County Roscommon, by the Minister of State responsible for the OPW; if he has agreed to such a site visit; when he intends to visit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4302/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no proposals to visit the site at this time.
342. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has considered the introduction of central credit register reporting of social housing rent arrears and missed payments to help reduce increasing arrears across all social housing rental schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4303/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe setting and collecting of rents, and the management of rents arrears, are matters for individual local authorities in accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. My Department has no role in this regard.
That said, the Housing for All Action Plan Update (November 2022) commits to developing proposals for a standardised national differential rents scheme in 2023 and this will include consideration of appropriate measures for the effective collection of rent arrears.
The Central Credit Register is a database that stores personal and credit information on loans of €500 or more. It is operated by the Central Bank of Ireland under the Credit Reporting Act 2013 and this legislation is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Finance. Arrears such as rent arrears in relation to social housing or private rented accommodation and arrears on utility bills are not considered loans under the terms of this Act.
343. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm whether a single point of approval for mixed tenure social and affordable housing schemes has been put in place on foot of his Department's review published in January 2022; if so, the name and grade of the person leading this single point of approval; and the number of projects currently accessing this single point of approval, with a breakdown by local authority area and number of units in each project. [4320/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraA new Mixed Tenure Unit was established in my Department in April 2022. This Unit acts as a single point of contact for Local Authorities for mixed tenure developments. The Unit co-ordinates funding applications and responses for projects seeking a combination of funding for social housing, affordable purchase and/or cost rental. The Unit is led by an Assistant Principal Officer, reporting to a Principal Officer in the Social Housing Delivery Division. The role and scope of the Unit is currently being progressed and once confirmed, a Mixed Tenure Circular will issue to Local Authorities in Q1 2023.
The Mixed Tenure Unit has been actively engaged in the pre-construction phases of a number of mixed tenure projects to-date. The Unit is currently working with Local Authorities regarding the co-ordination of a number of mixed tenure projects including:
- Dublin City Council – 5 projects with an estimated 3,800* units across all tenures
- Fingal County Council – 2 projects with an estimated 1,000* units across all tenures
- South Dublin County Council – 2 projects with an estimated 4,000* units across all tenures - Galway City Council – 1 project with an estimated 100* units across all tenures
- Kildare County Council – 1 project with an estimated 50* units across all tenures
*As projects are in planning stage and may not yet have approval for funding or planning permission, the number of units are estimated and may change as projects progress.
345. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can provide an update on the investigations currently being undertaken into an issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4323/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn accordance with section 58 of the Housing Act, 1966 local authorities are legally responsible for the management and maintenance of their housing stock. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.
Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in these Regulations and focus on tenant safety. They specify requirements in relation to a range of matters such as ventilation, structural repair, fire safety, sanitary facilities, heating and the safety of gas, oil and electrical installations.
The Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let, including social housing. All landlords, including local authorities, have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with the standards set down in the Regulations.
Each local authority investigates reported cases of mould and dampness in social housing provided in their area. My understanding is that this is, quite rightly, a matter which is taken very seriously and where necessary is acted upon quickly. I am not aware of any committee or agency that is investigating this matter.
346. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details regarding SI 664 of 2022, Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (Number 5) Regulations 2022; if the process whereby this was introduced will be outlined; the reason for same; and if a detailed explanatory note will be provided to all Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas, supplementary to existing briefing material. [4327/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegulations entitled the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (Number 5) Regulations 2022 were signed on 13 December 2022 by Mr. Peter Burke, T.D., Minister of State at my Department at that time, and came into effect on 14 December 2022.
These Regulations were made under Section 4(4a) of the Planning and Development Act and provide for the insertion of a new Article (Article 8H) into the Planning and Development Regulations 2001. Article 8H provides that the replacement of broadleaf high forest by conifer species in areas less than 10 hectares (in areas other than a city, a town or other specified areas), which is currently under Article 6(3) of the Planning and Development Regulations, remains exempted from the planning system even where an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and/or Appropriate Assessment (AA) is required.
In accordance with Section 4(4A) of the Planning and Development Act, the EIA and/or AA will be carried out pursuant to licensing processes already in place under Section 6 of the Forestry Act 2014. These Regulations were made at the request of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to avoid duplicate consenting regimes with the same purpose as regards environmental assessment being in place concurrently.
As required by Regulation 42A of SI 477 of 2011, as amended, the Environmental Assessment Unit within the Heritage Division of my Department, carried out an Appropriate Assessment (AA) screening of the draft Regulations and confirmed that a full AA was not required. The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) screening process also confirmed that an SEA was not required.
The replacement of broadleaf high forest by conifer species in areas less than 10 hectares (in areas other than a city, a town or other specified areas) is now exempt entirely from planning, including where an EIA and/or AA is required for that development, with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Marine acting as the single consenting authority for any such projects in accordance with section 6 of the Forestry Act 2014.
A Circular issued to planning authorities on 19 December 2022 explaining the changes introduced by the Regulations.
347. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when eligible applicants under the first home scheme for self-build properties can apply, as announced in budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4527/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe First Home Scheme, which is managed by First Home Scheme Ireland Designated Activity Company (First Home DAC) on behalf of scheme founders (the State, Bank of Ireland, Allied Irish Bank and PTSB), launched on 7 July 2022. It supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. Full details of the First Home Scheme, including details of the price ceilings, which were revised on 1 January 2023, are available on the dedicated scheme website: www.firsthomescheme.ie.
Currently, the scheme applies nationwide to newly-built homes in private developments. In line with Action 1.2 of the Housing for All Action Plan Update (November 2022), I have requested the First Home DAC to consider the potential to expand the scheme to cover self-builds. This includes the governance, financial and operational implications and First Home DAC will revert to me on completion of this exercise.
349. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the up-to-date position on the provision of an infrastructural project (details supplied) in County Kildare [4674/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Barrow Blueway Project is a significant initiative which will support communities and create exciting opportunities for recreation and ways to experience interesting places from new perspectives.
Waterways Ireland obtained planning permission for the entire Barrow Blueway Project including the canal side works and the roadside works from Lowtown to Athy, a distance of approximately 46km. Kildare County Council is the Project Manager for the Barrow Blueway Project and is responsible for the overall project delivery.
The project objectives are to:
- Provide upgraded and new physical infrastructure in accordance with planning permission:
- The provision of infrastructure to achieve ‘Accredited Blueway’ status for the route: and
- Co-ordinate marketing activity to maximise the potential of the Blueway.
Waterways Ireland is responsible for the delivery of the canal side works elements only. To date they have completed 30km of towpath, with a further 5.9km of towpath currently under construction with an expected completion date of mid 2023.
Kildare County Council publishes project updates regularly on its website www.kildarecoco.ie.
350. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social and affordable homes completed by Monaghan County Council in 2022; the targeted figure for 2023; the corresponding figures for approved housing bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4691/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of Quarter 3 2022, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/ The Quarter 4 2022 social housing statistics are being collated and will be published in due course.
In September 2021, I issued social housing targets to each local authority for the period 2022-2026. Monaghan County Council has a target to deliver 56 new build social homes in 2023.
Last year represented the commencement of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. A pipeline of affordable housing delivery is being developed by local authorities, by AHBs using the Cost Rental Equity Loan and by the Land Development Agency. Furthermore, local authorities have been begun collating information on the delivery of affordable homes in their area in the same manner as is currently done for social housing.
It is intended that information across all delivery streams will be gathered by my Department and I expect that my Department will be in a position to begin reporting on affordable delivery in national quarterly delivery statistics in Q1 2023.
The Affordable Housing Fund is available to assist all local authorities in bringing forward affordable housing schemes. Following the publication of Housing for All in September 2021, I asked local authorities to prepare Housing Delivery Action Plans. Each local authority was asked to assess the level of housing demand with affordability constraint projected for their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment Tool and plan their provision accordingly. A copy of Monaghan County Council’s Housing Delivery Action Plan is available on its website at the following link: monaghan.ie/monaghan-county-councils-housing-delivery-action-plan-approved-by-department-and-published-online/
Local authorities with the highest levels of affordable housing need were asked to prepare Affordable Delivery Plans as part of their overall Plans and were set five-year Affordable Delivery Targets. Monaghan does not have a specific target as average house price levels in the county are still well below the national median, but I understand that there may be some localised affordability issues in certain areas which the local authority is examining.
Where there are localised challenges, funding can be made available to develop a scheme in line with Affordable Housing Fund criteria. While to date, my Department has not received any application for funding under the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) from Monaghan, my Department were in touch with Monaghan County Council’s Director of Housing last week and advised that they would be happy to meet officials from the Council to discuss potential affordable housing in Monaghan.
In addition, the First Home Scheme which was launched in July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. The Scheme aims to support in the region of 8,000 households in acquiring new homes in the private market in the years 2022 to 2026 with an overall budget of €400 million. The scheme is available nationwide, including Co. Monaghan. Full information on the scheme is available on the First Home Scheme dedicated website, www.firsthomescheme.ie.
Finally, the new Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund is also available in Monagan and it provides for grants for refurbishment of vacant properties of up to €30,000 or €50,000 if the property is derelict. I also announced last year, a new Ready to Build serviced sites scheme under the Fund where local authorities will provide sites at a discount to people who want to build their own home. Information on both of these scheme is available directly from Monaghan County Council.
