Thomas Gould
Ceist:297. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the review into housing adaptation grants. [11160/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraGrant Payments
Ceisteanna (297, 298, 311, 312)
Eoin Ó Broin
Ceist:298. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there is any flexibility in relation to grant awards, particularly adaptation grants, given the increase in construction inflation; and, if not, if consideration will be given to providing flexibility. [11161/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Mattie McGrath
Ceist:311. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase the income threshold for eligibility for housing adaptation grants from local authorities to support working families who encounter illness or life-changing physical disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11412/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMattie McGrath
Ceist:312. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase the maximum grant awards available under the housing adaption grants from local authorities to reflect the increasing costs in construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11413/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 297, 298, 311 and 312 together.
My Department provides funding to local authorities to enable them to administer the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. These schemes assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs.
The schemes provide grant funding, as set down in Regulations, to assist in the carrying out of works which are reasonably necessary for the purposes of rendering a house more suitable for the accommodation of a person with a disability which includes an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment. The schemes are means tested and operate on a sliding scale with the highest percentage grants available to those with the lowest incomes and vice versa.
Housing for All commits to reviewing the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. Among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds, the grant limits, the application and decision making processes, including supplementary documentation required. A report on the review of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability has been prepared by my Department. I will be giving careful consideration to the review report and expect to make a decision on the recommendations in the report as soon as possible.
Question No. 298 answered with Question No. 297.
Housing Provision
Ceisteanna (299)
Mick Barry
Ceist:299. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of homes ]built by local authorities in 2022; the number built by approved housing bodies in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11171/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Housing 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/
Data for Quarter 4 2022 is currently being collated and will be published in due course.
National Parks and Wildlife Service
Ceisteanna (300)
Alan Kelly
Ceist:300. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of district conservation officers, wildlife inspectors, conservation rangers and ecologists recruited for the National Parks and Wildlife Service in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [11226/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The number of staff recruited for the National Parks and Wildlife Service in the grades requested for the years 2022 to date in 2023 is set out in the table below.
|
2022 |
1 Head of Ecological Guidance and Advisory Unit |
|
1 Head of Ecological Assessment Unit |
|
|
10 Wildlife Inspectors Grade 1 |
|
|
12 Wildlife Inspectors Grade 2 |
|
|
11 Ecologists/Wildlife Inspectors Grade 2 |
|
|
6 Ecologists/Wildlife Inspectors Grade 3 |
|
|
1 District Conservation Officer |
|
|
7 Conservation Rangers |
|
|
2023 |
4 District Conservation Officers |
|
1 Conservation Ranger |
Regeneration Projects
Ceisteanna (301)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Ceist:301. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the URDF plan for Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11242/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is currently providing part-funding to applicant-led projects, enabling more compact and sustainable development within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and large towns.
To this end, the URDF has already provisionally allocated in excess of €1.6 billion under two separate calls for proposals since its inception in 2018. Providing assistance to 132 proposals, comprising of almost 400 subprojects, URDF projects are now active in every local authority area in the country.
In 2021, following a second call for proposals under the URDF, I announced a provisional allocation of €15,611,051 in URDF support for Carlow County Council’s Public Realm and Pedestrian Linkage Project in Carlow Town. This Call 2 project will provide Carlow Town with accessible public spaces, improving town centre linkages and increasing pedestrian mobility between the town Centre, Carlow College and the Railway Station. The project has been developed from the Council's Masterplan for the town centre, for which URDF support of €580,000 towards technical assistance was provided under the URDF’s first call for proposals in 2018.
In June 2022, my Department approved a Preliminary Business Case for the project together with an increase in the URDF support of €1,473,976. This represents Decision Gate 1 in the project lifecycle of the Public Spending Code. In addition, my Department has recently agreed to the Council’s proposal to progress the works through the remaining Decision Gates as two separate subprojects - the Town Centre Public Realm and the Rail Link - as in this instance, it represents the most cost efficient and timely way to deliver the overall project. The Council is now approved to proceed with the development of a Detailed Project Brief and Procurement Strategy for each subproject for submission to the Department as part of the approval process for the next decision gate (Decision Gate 2 – Pre Tender Approval).
While my Department works closely and communicates regularly with Carlow County Council in respect of project development, responsibility for the advancement of these URDF supported projects through the various stages of planning, development and completion is, in the first instance, a matter for Carlow County Council. Accordingly, detailed queries regarding the projects should be directed to the Council.
It should be noted that all URDF supported projects must be carefully developed and managed by the Sponsoring Agency in accordance with the normal conditions and arrangements that apply to public sector managed projects including, exercising appropriate cost control and delivering projects as approved, and in full compliance with the Public Spending Code.
State Bodies
Ceisteanna (302)
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Ceist:302. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are plans to address communication issues with the RTB, including delays in response times to queries from the public, landlords and renters; if there are adequate staff allocated to the board to address issues arising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11244/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as a quasi-judicial independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2022 (RTA) to regulate the rental sector; provide information to tenants and landlords; maintain a national register of tenancies; resolve disputes between tenants and landlords; and conduct research and provide information to inform policy). The remit of the RTB covers the private rental sector, the not-for-profit housing providers commonly known as Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and Student-specific Accommodation providers (SSA).
Following the passing of legislation in 2019, with effect from 4 April 2022, landlords are required to register their tenancies with the RTB every year, within one month of the anniversary of when the tenancy began. This applies to both new and existing tenancies.
Following recommendations in the RTB Workforce Plan (2018 – 2021) and engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPER), the RTB received sanction for significant additional staff over the past three years. The RTB has a sanctioned staffing compliment of 110. It currently has 100 permanent staff and is carrying 10 vacancies. The RTB is actively recruiting to fill the remaining vacancies and to date this year, the RTB has appointed 15 new recruits to permanent positions. Separately, on 18 January 2023 DPER sanctioned an additional Principal Officer post, who will have responsibility for Digital and Data Services, within the RTB Executive Management Team Structure which is now advertised on the RTB website. Additional funding of €2m will be provide to the RTB for 2023, bringing its total allocation to €13.37m.
The RTB is also supported by a third party outsourced service provider who carries out the RTB’s call centre, document management and data entry functions. This contract gives the RTB the flexibility to increase resources as and when required. The outsourcer’s staff are not RTB employees. The RTB has recently almost doubled the staffing in its outsourced call centre to deal with the issues that have arisen following the introduction of annual registration and it has been working hard to find the right balance between ensuring contracted staff are adequately trained and capable of assisting customers with their queries, ranging from linking tenancies, verifying accounts, and data-inputting paper applications. My Department will continue to work with the RTB to ensure it is sufficiently resourced to deliver on its expanded mandate, including any specific requests with regard to annual registration.
Housing Policy
Ceisteanna (303)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:303. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if local authorities have discretionary powers to waive social housing income limits where the applicant for social housing is less than €10 over the income limit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11251/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Equitable and consistent treatment of all applicants requires an objective framework and conditions for effectively and fairly assessing eligibility for social housing. While flexibility allows for some subjective reasoning in atypical cases, it also increases the risk of unfair and inconsistent treatment between applicants.
Accordingly, local authorities are statutorily prohibited from exceeding the relevant social housing thresholds. That said, they have scope when assessing an applicant's income eligibility to disregard once-off, temporary or short-term income and which is outside the regular pattern of a person’s annual income.
My Department has increased the baseline social housing income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities with effect from 1 January 2023. The thresholds increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively. These changes will bring an estimated 16,000 additional households into the social housing eligibility net.
Moreover, my Department is currently scoping options for a new social housing income eligibility model. Among other things, this work is considering how best to mitigate inequities between recipient and non-recipient households, including measures to avoid cliff-edge thresholds. I expect proposals for a new model to be submitted for my consideration before the end of Q1 2023.
Departmental Policies
Ceisteanna (304)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:304. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department supports the use of gender-neutral pronouns in the drafting of legislation or policies initiated by or originating in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11274/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department is committed to serving our customers properly, fairly, impartially and with courtesy. This includes ensuring accommodating diversity and ensuring that rights to equal treatment established by equality legislation are upheld in the delivery of our services.
The drafting of legislation in my Department, generally follows the approach set out in Chapters 4 and 5 of the Cabinet Handbook which is available at www.gov.ie/en/publication/05c2e2-cabinet-handbook/ Most Bills and some secondary legislation are drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC), part of the Office of the Attorney General. My Department works closely with, and takes direction from, that Office in relation to legal advisory and drafting input provided as part of that process. The final wording of any legislation is a matter for the Oireachtas with any subsequent policies reflecting that legislation.
Traveller Accommodation
Ceisteanna (305)
Eoin Ó Broin
Ceist:305. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding the Traveller Accommodation Expert Review, if his Department intends to act on a recommendation (details supplied) provided in the report. [11316/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department is engaging with the Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) sector, including Cena, on its capacity to deliver Traveller specific accommodation as part of the ongoing work of the Programme Board, established to oversee the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Expert Group Review report.
My Department funded Cena, through a service level agreement, to employ a part-time Tenant Liaison Officer in Carlow from July 2021 to June 2022 to guide and assist Traveller families in taking up new tenancies. In addition, Offaly County Council engaged the services of Cena to support tenants through a service level agreement, which was also funded by my Department.
The recommendation referred to is being kept under review in light of the ongoing work of the Programme Board in overseeing the implementation of the recommendations.
Grant Payments
Ceisteanna (306)
Thomas Pringle
Ceist:306. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if information on the septic tank grant will be provided to a person (details supplied) who was unaware of the need to register the septic tank in 2013, has registered the tank since but has to wait for the seven-year period to be up before they can access the grant; how much funding was made available in 2022 for the septic tank grant; the average amount in euro awarded to householders in the form of a septic tank grant; how much of the 2022 available funding was unspent at year end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11332/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department provides funding for Domestic Waste Water Treatment System, commonly known as a septic tank, through a grant scheme. The Domestic Waste Water Treatment System grant is administered by the local authorities and all matters relating to its day-to-day operation, including applications and payments are a matter for the relevant local authority. Under the scheme, an appeals process is available for applicants who may have been dissatisfied with a decision of a local authority.
The scheme is demand led with applications made directly to the relevant local authority and therefore there is no specific amount of funding allocated by my Department on an annual basis. I can confirm that the value of funding provided in 2022 was in excess of €980,000, with the average grant paid to individual householders approximately €4,700.
The Water Services Act 2007, as amended, requires all owners of premises served by an individual domestic waste water treatment system to register their system with their local authority by 1 February 2013. Having a cut-off date before which owners must register helped to ensure that an estimated 95% of systems were registered before that date.
I can further confirm that my Department has undertaken a review of the Domestic Waste Water Treatment grant which is expected to be completed in the coming months.
Question No. 307 answered with Question No. 285.
Meteorological Services
Ceisteanna (308)
Michael Ring
Ceist:308. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline the staff and details of an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11334/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Met Éireann, Ireland’s National Meteorological Service, is a line division of my Department, and is the leading provider of weather information and related services in the State.
Its mission is to monitor, analyse and predict Ireland’s weather and climate and to provide a range of high quality meteorological and related information to the public and to specific customers in, for example, the aviation and agricultural sectors.
There were 218 staff (214.63 FTE) serving in Met Éireann at the end of January 2023. Details of the organisational structure along with the senior management team and their respective responsibilities is available on the Met Éireann website at: www.met.ie/about-us/met-eireanns-structure
The following table provides a breakdown by grade of the number of staff serving in each location.
|
Professional & Technical Staff |
Belmullet |
Casement Aerodrome |
Cork Airport |
Dublin Airport |
Glasnevin Hill |
Knock Airport |
Malin Head |
Shannon Airport |
Valentia Observatory |
Total |
|
DIRECTOR METEORLOGICAL SERVICE |
1 |
1 |
||||||||
|
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MET SERVICE |
1 |
1 |
||||||||
|
SENIOR METEOROLOGIST |
7 |
1 |
8 |
|||||||
|
METEOROLOGIST |
1 |
64 |
1 |
1 |
67 |
|||||
|
PRINCIPAL METEOROLOGICAL OFFICER |
1 |
1 |
1 |
19 |
1 |
1 |
24 |
|||
|
SENIOR METEOROLOGICAL OFFICER |
1 |
3 |
1 |
27 |
8 |
2 |
42 |
|||
|
METEOROLOGICAL OFFICER |
2 |
5 |
3 |
7 |
16 |
2 |
6 |
5 |
46 |
|
|
POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHER |
1 |
1 |
||||||||
|
Total Professional & Technical Staff |
2 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
136 |
2 |
17 |
9 |
190 |
|
|
General Service staff |
||||||||||
|
PRINCIPAL |
1 |
1 |
||||||||
|
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL |
4 |
4 |
||||||||
|
HIGHER EXECUTIVE OFFICER |
3 |
3 |
||||||||
|
EXECUTIVE OFFICER |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|||||||
|
CLERICAL OFFICER |
10 |
1 |
11 |
|||||||
|
SERVICES OFFICER |
1 |
1 |
||||||||
|
SERVICES ATTENDANT |
1 |
1 |
||||||||
|
CLEANER |
1 |
1 |
||||||||
|
CRAFT FOREPERSON |
1 |
1 |
||||||||
|
GENERAL OPERATIVE GRADE 1 |
1 |
1 |
||||||||
|
Total General Service Staff |
22 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
28 |
||||
|
Grand Total |
2 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
158 |
3 |
1 |
18 |
12 |
218 |
Traveller Accommodation
Ceisteanna (309)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Ceist:309. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the 2023 caravan loan scheme will reopen for applications; whether such a loan will be available to all households residing in caravans that are in bad condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11353/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.
The Act provides that housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas.
The nationwide pilot Caravan Loan Scheme concluded at the end of 2022 and my Department is in the process of reviewing the operation of the pilot scheme with input from local authorities and other stakeholders. A report is being prepared and options for a further scheme are being considered as part of this review.
Gorse Burning
Ceisteanna (310)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:310. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many call-outs of emergency services there were to deal with out-of-control gorse fires nationwide; the costs of same from 1 September 2022 to 28 March 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11409/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act, 1981. My Department supports fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding support for equipment and priority infrastructural projects.
Detailed data on the costs incurred by local authorities fighting gorse and upland fires, is not collected by, and consequently is not available in, my Department. The requested information would be available from the individual local authorities.
Question No. 311 answered with Question No. 297.
Question No. 312 answered with Question No. 297.
National Monuments
Ceisteanna (313)
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Ceist:313. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of a ringfort in Cork (details supplied), which is the largest ringfort in Munster and is designated as a national monument; if maintenance and a clean-up can be arranged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11429/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
While the ringfort in question is a recorded monument in private ownership and subject to a preservation order, the owners may make an application for funding under the Community Monuments Fund grant scheme of the National Monuments Service of my Department. The Community Monuments Fund was established in 2020 to provide investment in Ireland’s archaeological heritage. This funding is prioritised for local authorities, private owners and custodians and community groups for the care, conservation, maintenance, protection and promotion of archaeological monuments that are included in the Record of Monuments and Places under the National Monuments Act 1930 (as amended) and archaeological monuments that are identified in the Sites and Monuments Record which is compiled by the National Monuments Service of my Department.
Applications can be made by local authorities for works to monuments in public ownership where a clear heritage focus and community or public benefit has been demonstrated and projects proposed by a local authority on foot of applications from private applicants who are the owners or custodians of monuments. Total funding available nationally for projects under the Community Monuments Fund 2023 is €6 million. While the closing date for applications for the 2023 fund has recently passed, I hope to announce a similar fund for 2024.
Wastewater Treatment
Ceisteanna (314, 315)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Ceist:314. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the discussions he has had with Teagasc, the EPA, and third level institutions in relation to developing improved wastewater treatment systems for small developments, single houses and businesses to virtually eliminate the risk of ground water pollution and contamination of the environment from this source; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11482/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraÉamon Ó Cuív
Ceist:315. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the level of pollution caused in ground water by wastewater systems from single-house treatment systems; the steps he is talking to eliminate this damage to the environment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11483/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 314 and 315 together.
The Government is taking strong action on Water Quality including: a record investment in Uisce Éireann capital programmes; a new CAP Strategic Plan with measures to protect and improve water quality in agricultural areas; and a new stronger Nitrates Action Programme.
My Department is currently preparing the third River Basin Management Plan for Ireland, to cover the period up to 2027. As part of the preparations, my Department has engaged with various stakeholders. This plan will build on the work of the second-cycle, and will again describe the main pressures and activities affecting water status, set out the environmental objectives to be achieved up to 2027 and identify the measures needed to achieve these objectives, including those highlighted by the EPA.
The Environmental Protection Agency, as the Environmental Regulator, is the key statutory body for investigating complaints of pollution and for the enforcement, both directly and through oversight of Uisce Éireann and local authorities, of environmental legislation, including compliance. The EPA is an independent public body established under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992.
Under the Water Services Acts 2007 (as amended) and 2012 (Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems) Regulations 2012, the owner of a domestic waste water treatment system is responsible for its maintenance and renewal and shall ensure that its parts and components are fit for purpose, operational where appropriate and kept in good order and repair so as to prevent a risk to human health or environment.
Section 70K of the Water Services Act 2007 (as amended) requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare a national inspection plan with regard to the inspection and monitoring of domestic waste water treatment systems, and authorises the water authorities to implement the plan including arranging for inspections.
The EPA publishes an annual report on inspections and enforcement and details on the number of inspections carried out can be found on the EPA's website at the following link: www.epa.ie/environment-and-you/waste-water/
Question No. 315 answered with Question No. 314.
Traveller Accommodation
Ceisteanna (316)
Mark Ward
Ceist:316. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what scheme is in place for halting sites operated by South Dublin County Council for electricity provision; if a subsidised energy scheme was in place over the years 2017 to present; if this scheme has been concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11486/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.
The Act provides that housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas.
It is therefore a matter for the local authority concerned, in this case South Dublin County Council, regarding the provision of electricity on halting sites accommodating Travellers. The information sought is not available in my Department and may be available from the local authority.