Written Answers Nos. 131-140
131. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the Development a new National Invasive Species Management Plan; if any legislation is forthcoming on invasives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14212/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, both of which prohibit activities which introduce or spread invasive species. In addition to national legislation, EU Regulation 1143/2014 on Invasive Alien Species also provides for a range of concerted EU wide measures to be taken with respect to listed species of Union concern (the 'Union list').
The development of a national invasive alien species management plan is a priority in my Department and work is already underway on the drafting of this plan. To assist with this work, a steering committee of stakeholders and national experts has been convened. The first meeting of the Committee took place on 8 March 2023. The National Parks and Wildlife Service is leading on this work and will report to me with updates on progress in this matter.
New legislation dealing with invasive alien species is at an advanced stage and is currently being finalised in my Department. This legislation will strengthen the legislative framework dealing with invasive alien species, particularly with regard to those listed species identified as being in trade. It will also give effect to aspects of the EU IAS Regulation (1143/2014) requiring Member State action.
132. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ban the sale of rhododendron ponticum due to the environmental and economic cost of its spread as an invasive species; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14213/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, both of which prohibit activities to introduce or spread invasive species.
Regulation 49(2) of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (SI 477/2011) makes it an offence to disperse, allow or cause to disperse, spread or otherwise cause to grow any plant, including Rhododendron ponticum, listed in Part 1 of the Third Schedule to those Regulations.
I am aware of occasional reports of the presence of invasive alien species in retail outlets and garden centres. While there are several different varieties of Rhododendron generally available for sale, only Rhododendron ponticum is invasive in Ireland.
My Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) does not monitor trade in garden centres. However, the NPWS does undertake awareness raising around invasive alien species to help the public and business owners understand the threats posed to our native biodiversity. Furthermore, where the NPWS is made aware of trade of invasive alien species, immediate action is taken to minimise any potential harm of such trade.
New legislation dealing with invasive alien species is at an advanced stage. This legislation will strengthen the legislative framework dealing with invasive alien species, particularly with regard to those listed species identified as being in trade.
Finally, in the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to develop and implement a National Management Plan for Invasive Alien Species. Work is currently underway on the Plan. The Plan will incorporate measures to increase awareness of invasive alien species among the public and also to put a range of biosecurity measures in place to tackle the introduction and spread of such species.
133. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the species introductions that have taken place over the past ten years; and the reintroductions that are currently being considered for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14214/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish White-tailed Sea Eagle Reintroduction Programme is a long-term initiative to re-establish a population of this once extinct species in Ireland. Phase 1 of this programme saw 100 young eagles released over five years (2007-2011) in Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department has been the lead organiser and manager of the White Tailed Sea Eagle Reintroduction Phase 2 programme since 2020. In 2020, ten were released at two sites, Lough Derg and on the lower Shannon Estuary. The following year, twenty-one eagles were released and last year 16 young eagles were released at three sites across Munster, including a release by the Taoiseach in Tarbert, Co Kerry.
To date, over 40 chicks have fledged from nests in Kerry, Cork, Clare and Galway. In 2021 one nesting pair on Lough Derg produced three chicks – this is uncommon, even in the very extensive wild populations in Norway, and is an indication of the quality of the habitats and the potential for the species in Ireland.
The success of this programme has been bolstered by local landowners and farmers, without whose enthusiastic support in monitoring nest sites and care of birds the Project could not have succeeded.
The NPWS also plans to reintroduce Osprey this year and is collaborating with colleagues in Norway to supply a small number of chicks to be released in the South Eastern part of Ireland during the Summer months.
134. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on each action in the NPWS strategic plan, including if the action is completed, or on track to meet its deadline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14215/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Strategic Action Plan for the renewal of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has its origin in the Programme for Government commitment to review the remit, status and funding of the NPWS. The review was completed in February 2022 and it made fifteen recommendations to renew the NPWS to make it a more resilient, more effective organisation fit to meet the challenges of the twenty first century.
The Strategic Action Plan, which is approved by Government, contains 44 discrete actions to give effect to the recommendation in the review. The actions are to be implemented over the period June 2022 to March 2024. I am pleased that excellent progress is being made in implementing the action plan with all 2022 actions substantially completed and Q1 2023 actions progressing well. In addition work is ongoing to ensure that the remaining actions are completed within the lifetime of the action plan.
135. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the appointment of park manager for each national park has been completed; if he will outline plans for the development of management plans for each of the parks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14216/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is the Executive Agency within my Department with primary responsibility for nature conservation, wildlife protection and the presentation and preservation of our National Parks and Nature Reserves. Our six National Parks, Killarney, Connemara, Wild Nephin, Wicklow Mountains, Glenveagh and The Burren are all managed as Category II National Parks under the criteria set out by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).This Government, in its Programme for Government, committed to reviewing the remit, status and funding of the NPWS. That independent, multi-phase Review was completed in Spring 2022. It culminated in a Strategic Action Plan with fifteen key recommendations to renew the NPWS, establish it as an Executive Agency within a Government Department, and made it a more resilient, more effective organisation, fit to meet the current challenges. This Action Plan was accepted by Government and is now being implemented. One of the actions arising has been the strengthening of the management of our National Parks through the appointment of a dedicated Park Manager for each Park. These Park Managers are currently being appointed and are supported by dedicated teams of regional staff.In 2017 the partnership between the NPWS and Fáilte Ireland was created to achieve the shared goal of further developing quality experiences at our National Parks and Nature Reserves. One major output from the Strategic Partnership with Fáilte Ireland, was a Masterplan for the six National Parks. This provides a high level and integrated blueprint for the NPWS to invest in and better manage the Parks for conservation, biodiversity and visitors alike. In effect, it enables the aligning of conservation objectives of the Parks with increasing visitor appeal and numbers. The Masterplan guides the phased development of these enhanced visitor facilities and improved visitor experiences based on research into international best practice. The Department intends to produce visitor and management plans for its National Parks on an on-going basis, the availability of resources permitting.
136. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline the additional monitoring and protections that have been put in place for the new maritime SACs, the Southern Canyons SAC and Porcupine SAC; the additional funding that has been provided for these measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14217/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe two new maritime sites, the Southerns Canyon cSAC 2278 and the Porcupine Shelf cSAC 2267, were publicly notified as candidate Special Areas of Conservation in November 2022 and are legally protected as European sites from that date, in accordance with the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011. These important designations greatly increase the percentage of Ireland’s marine area which is protected as part of the Natura network.
Detailed information about the sites, including their locations, conservation interests and lists of activities requiring the consent of the Minister (ARCs) before being carried out at the sites may be found at the following link: gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/240824/5b7789cc-e950-45fe-871f-132769fe2107.pdf#page=null.
Following the public notification of a new European site, there are a number of steps to conclude the statutory designation process. Once these are complete, a Statutory Instrument will be published for each site. A range of protections apply at European sites, in accordance with European and national legislation. The requirements for monitoring and management of Natura sites are informed by the scientific and ecological requirements of each site, and the requirements of national and European legislation.
137. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the newly proposed maritime Special Protection Areas, under the EU Birds Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14218/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland designates Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in accordance with the EU Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) for the protection of listed rare and vulnerable bird species.
Our marine SPAs include productive intertidal zones in bays and estuaries that provide vital food resources for wader species; marine waters adjacent to breeding seabird colonies and other important areas for our bird population.
Whilst there are no new maritime Special Protection Areas (SPAs) currently proposed for formal designation, the NPWS is examining a number of important marine sites for the protection of birds. The results of this work will inform proposals for a number of maritime extensions to existing Special Protection Area sites which I intend to bring forward in the coming months, as well as potential new sites to be proposed as SPAs in the future. These will follow the normal designations process for an extension to a European site, including public notification in due course.
The process for designation of Special Protection Areas is distinct and separate to that for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) which are being progressed separately, and which will provide an important new form of protection for our marine natural heritage.
138. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of people in each local authority nationally who have been served with eviction notices that each council is aware of; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14250/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra139. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he plans to publish the review of Housing Aid for Older Persons, Housing Adaptation Grants and Mobility Aids Grants; if he plans to increase the grant amount available through this scheme to reflect the additional costs of the works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14261/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides funding to local authorities in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist eligible people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs.Housing for All commits to reviewing the full suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. A report on the review of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability has been prepared by my Department. Among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds, the grant limits, the application and decision making processes, including supplementary documentation required.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.
140. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will confirm what is meant by the phrase ‘delegated sanction’ in Circular 08/2023 with respect to tenant-in-situ acquisitions by local authorities. [14278/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra144. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can clarify, In relation to the rules and guidelines provided by him to local authorities to purchase homes with tenants in situ; the position of a tenant , in receipt of housing supports, facing eviction on grounds of sale but where the local authority are refusing to consider purchasing the home because the tenant, while registered with this local authority, and is actually housed in the jurisdiction of a neighbouring county and local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14373/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 144 together.
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.
Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026. Our clear focus is to increase the stock of social housing through new build projects delivered by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).
Under Housing for All, there was provision for 200 social housing acquisitions each year. However, with increased pressures on housing and the exit of landlords from the market, I reinstated delegated sanction to local authorities in April 2022 to acquire social housing properties for a number of specific categories including properties that allow persons to exit or prevent homelessness.
For 2023, the Government has agreed that there will be increased provision for social housing acquisitions and my Department will fund local authorities to acquire up to 1,500 social homes and my Department will keep this number under review. The additional acquisitions will be focused on properties where a tenant in receipt of social housing supports has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. A circular letter issued to all local authorities on 14 March, setting out details of these arrangements.
Local authorities have delegated sanction to deliver the 1,300 additional acquisitions, subject to those acquisitions being within Acquisition Cost Guidelines issued by the Department. The delegated sanction provides local authorities with the authority to proceed with an acquisition, subject to specific criteria set out in the relevant circulars, without seeking the prior approval of my Department.
Where is on the housing list in one local authority but has secured a HAP tenancy in another local authority area, the arrangements in place will support the acquisition of the property, where appropriate. The City and County Management Association (CCMA) has assured me that local authorities will collaborate on such situations and my Department will work closely with local authorities on this measure.
