Written Answers Nos. 273-287
273. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the research his Department has undertaken to examine the experiences and impact of in-work homelessness; if he will outline the supports in place for people who are working whilst experiencing homelessness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43696/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual housing authorities.
My Department does not fund any homeless services directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. Under the funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of services from their own resources. Housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure on homeless related services outside of these funding arrangements with my Department.
Under the Exchequer funding arrangements in place between the Department and housing authorities, decisions on the funding, organisation and range of accommodation and other services to be provided are a matter for the individual housing authorities in consultation with the Statutory Management Group of the relevant regional Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum, and my Department has no function in relation to operational matters. It is a matter for the Management Group to bring forward proposals to my Department that meet the needs of homeless individuals in their administrative area.
Under the Housing Act 1988 it is a matter for each local authority to determine whether a person is regarded as homeless; section 2 of the Act sets out the requirements in this regard. When a household has been assessed as homeless, section 10 of the Housing Act 1988, provides that a local authority may provide accommodation and related services to that household. Any household assessed as homeless may be placed into temporary emergency accommodation without the requirement to undergo a social housing assessment, allowing local authorities the flexibility that is essential to respond quickly and effectively to the various needs of cases that may arise. This applies to all households regardless of their employment status.
My Department is fully committed to supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The budget for 2023 makes provision for €215m in funding for homeless services, an increase from €194m in 2022. The extra funding for Homelessness reflects the priority that this Government is giving to Homelessness. This funding will ensure that the local authorities can provide the best possible supports to those individuals and families experiencing homelessness, until they can be assisted to secure a more sustainable housing solution to their needs.
My Department has not undertaken specific research of the type referred to.
My Department will continue to work with local authorities to ensure sufficient funding is made available to support those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
274. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if Uisce Éireann owns properties or sites which are vacant or derelict; if so, the number and addresses of such properties; if they are recorded on the vacancy or dereliction registers; and the reason for which they are vacant or derelict, in tabular form. [43705/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not hold the information sought in the question.
However, Uisce Éireann has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 0818 578 578.
275. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the way planning permission is granted; if the case of a development (details supplied) will be investigated and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43710/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 40 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) provides that the appropriate period for the completion of a planning permission shall generally be 5 years, unless otherwise specified by the planning authority pursuant to section 41 of the Act.
It is a matter for the individual developer to ensure that a development is completed within the duration of any planning permission granted.
Under section 30 of the Act, in my role as Minister with responsibility for Planning, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case in which a planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned.
Uisce Éireann has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The scope, prioritisation and progression of individual water services projects and operational issues is a matter for Uisce Éireann and is approved through its own Board and internal governance structures. The Minister has no function in relation to Uisce Eireann operational matters or in the resolution of disputes between Uisce Éireann and developers or customers.
Formal complaints in relation to the provision of water services infrastructure or services can be made to Uisce Éireann. Details on how to do so are available at the following links:
www.water.ie/contact/business-customers/complaint/
www.water.ie/contact/general-enquiry/domestic-complaint/.
The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) also provides a free complaint resolution service for customers who have submitted a complaint to Uisce Éireann and are unhappy with the outcome. The details on this process can be found here: www.cru.ie/make-a-complaint/complain-to-the-cru/.
Should any further information be required, Uisce Éireann’s dedicated team is available to deal directly with queries and can be contacted via email at customerservice@water.ie, operations@water.ie, or newconnections@water.ie, or by telephone on this dedicated number - 0818 778 778.
276. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on the new national park; to outline, in tabular form, the rent which the previous owners will pay for continued use of the land for research purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43725/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recently announced my Department’s agreement to purchase the Dowth Hall Demesne in Co. Meath. This 552 acre site contains valuable elements of natural, archaeological and architectural heritage and will be managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) as a new national park to ensure the preservation of these features for the people of Ireland. Contractual arrangements for this purchase are currently being finalised and I am not in a position to comment on future operational matters until this process is concluded.
277. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many staff are employed in each local authority to investigate properties which may be liable for the vacant home tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43747/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe collection of the Vacant Homes Tax (VHT) is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Finance. Local authorities do not have a role.
278. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how many staff are employed in each local authority to investigate properties which may be liable for the derelict sites levy. [43748/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra279. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a breakdown of the number of sites, per local authority, deemed currently liable for the derelict sites levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43749/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra280. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a list of income received by each local authority in 2022 as a result of the derelict sites levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43751/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 278, 279 and 280 together.
Local authorities are required to submit an annual return to my Department providing information on the operation of the Derelict Sites Act 1990 in their functional areas. My Department issued Circular Letter PL 02/2023 on 15 March 2023 requesting the submission of returns on the operation of the Derelict Sites Act in 2022 by end of Q1 2023. In addition, my Department recently issued Circular Letter PL 10/2023 requesting authorities provide an updated data return in respect of 2022, the returns to which are expected shortly.
The table below contains the information requested regarding the operation of the derelict sites levy, as per the returns to Circular Letter PL 02/2023 from local authorities relating to the year 2022.
Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end, my Department gathers aggregate quarterly data on staff numbers in each local authority on a whole time equivalent basis.
However, granular data, in terms of the detailed breakdown of the numbers and grades of staff allocated to specific work areas within local authorities is not collected and consequently is not available in my Department. The relevant information would be available from the local authorities concerned.
2022
|
Local Authority |
No. of Derelict Sites on Register at 1 January 2022 |
No. of Derelict Sites entered onto Register during the year |
No. of Derelict Sites removed from Register during the year |
No. of Derelict Sites on Register at 31 December 2022 |
No. of Derelict Sites levied during the year |
Amount levied during the year |
Amount received in respect of sites levied during 2022 |
Cumulative amount of levies outstanding at 31 December 2022 |
|
Carlow |
25 |
5 |
6 |
24 |
8 |
€ 148,194.00 |
€ 41,430.00 |
€ 328,731.00 |
|
Cavan |
11 |
1 |
3 |
9 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ - |
|
Clare |
39 |
18 |
16 |
41 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ - |
|
Cork County |
67 |
74 |
82 |
59 |
8 |
€ 31,150.00 |
€ 3,300.00 |
€ 27,850.00 |
|
Cork City |
95 |
29 |
15 |
109 |
59 |
€ 1,400,000.00 |
€ 281,564.00 |
€ 4,200,000.00 |
|
Donegal |
18 |
0 |
0 |
18 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ - |
|
Dublin City |
76 |
11 |
9 |
78 |
60 |
€ 1,545,110.00 |
€ 490,029.00 |
€ 5,800,254.00 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown |
10 |
4 |
3 |
11 |
6 |
€ 195,760.00 |
€ 17,500.00 |
€ 637,809.00 |
|
Fingal |
5 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ 7,500.00 |
|
Galway City |
9 |
4 |
4 |
9 |
1 |
€ 8,400.00 |
€ - |
€ 32,300.00 |
|
Galway County |
1 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ - |
|
Kerry |
65 |
11 |
26 |
50 |
45 |
€ 437,568.00 |
€ 2,407.00 |
€ 472,372.00 |
|
Kildare |
26 |
6 |
5 |
27 |
27 |
€ 260,079.00 |
€ 3,150.00 |
€ 489,942.00 |
|
Kilkenny |
13 |
8 |
1 |
20 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ 15,250.00 |
|
Laois |
11 |
8 |
3 |
16 |
4 |
€ 7,650.00 |
€ 3,300.00 |
€ 3,300.00 |
|
Leitrim |
36 |
0 |
15 |
21 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ - |
|
Limerick City & County |
288 |
153 |
55 |
386 |
137 |
€ 794,952.00 |
€ 48,382.00 |
€ 1,510,623.00 |
|
Longford |
36 |
0 |
0 |
36 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ - |
|
Louth |
6 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
4 |
€ 33,300.00 |
€ 6,600.00 |
€ 59,700.00 |
|
Mayo |
281 |
32 |
29 |
284 |
47 |
€ 156,232.00 |
€ 11,024.00 |
€ 145,208.00 |
|
Meath |
30 |
11 |
4 |
37 |
22 |
€ 216,422.00 |
€ - |
€ 403,546.00 |
|
Monaghan |
30 |
8 |
0 |
38 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ - |
|
Offaly |
17 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ 5,400.00 |
|
Roscommon |
3 |
11 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ - |
|
Sligo |
26 |
6 |
2 |
30 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ - |
|
South Dublin |
12 |
0 |
1 |
11 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ 182,050.00 |
|
Tipperary |
42 |
4 |
5 |
41 |
10 |
€ 37,144.00 |
€ - |
€ 131,081.00 |
|
Waterford City & County |
33 |
0 |
3 |
30 |
0 |
€ - |
€ - |
€ - |
|
Westmeath |
87 |
0 |
2 |
85 |
57 |
€ 230,300.00 |
€ 10,500.00 |
€ 2,040,236.00 |
|
Wexford |
64 |
9 |
9 |
64 |
23 |
€ 117,040.00 |
€ 50,700.00 |
€ 367,460.00 |
|
Wicklow |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
€ 19,250.00 |
€ - |
€ 51,350.00 |
|
Total |
1465 |
417 |
299 |
1583 |
519 |
€ 5,638,551.00 |
€ 969,886.00 |
€ 16,911,962.00 |
281. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for a breakdown of income collected in each local authority in 2022 as a result of NPPR charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43754/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended by the Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011, provides the legislative basis for the non-principal private residence (NPPR) charge. The NPPR charge, which has since been discontinued, applied from 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence. The self-assessed charge was set at €200 per annum.
2013 was the last year in which a NPPR liability could be incurred. However, outstanding NPPR liabilities and payments remain payable to the relevant local authority.
NPPR charges, including late payment fees, expire 12 years from the date of liability. This means that for NPPR liabilities incurred from 2009 to 2013 and remaining unpaid, the portion of the liability and charge on a property which related to 2009 expired in 2021, the 2010 portion expired in 2022 and so on until the liability and charge on a property relating to the final year of NPPR in 2013, expires after 31 March 2025.
The amount of NPPR revenue collected in each local authority in 2022 is set out in the table below. The information is supplied by the Local Government Management Agency.
|
Local Authority |
Amount |
|
Carlow County Council |
€195,140 |
|
Cavan County Council |
€455,620 |
|
Clare County Council |
€419,810 |
|
Cork City Council |
€494,390 |
|
Cork County Council |
€1,178,865 |
|
Donegal County Council |
€1,051,345 |
|
Dublin City Council |
€2,671,006 |
|
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council |
€389,765 |
|
Fingal County Council |
€1,050,842 |
|
Galway City Council |
€261,945 |
|
Galway County Council |
€510,230 |
|
Kerry County Council |
€653,285 |
|
Kildare County Council |
€757,010 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
€299,900 |
|
Laois County Council |
€383,270 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
€215,715 |
|
Limerick City and Council Council |
€418,210 |
|
Longford County Council |
€218,160 |
|
Louth County Council |
€645,334 |
|
Mayo County Council |
€675,723 |
|
Meath County Council |
€929,455 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
€245,540 |
|
Offaly County Council |
€258,720 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
€515,712 |
|
Sligo County Council |
€246,505 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
€592,040 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
€539,130 |
|
Waterford City and County Council |
€440,150 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
€389,845 |
|
Wexford County Council |
€533,885 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
€454,330 |
283. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to increase funding of the housing adaptation grants for older persons and those with a disability; his views on the adequacy of funding allocated in budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43814/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra286. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline his plans to address the waiting lists for housing adaptation grants, as reported by several local authorities. [43830/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra307. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider increasing the maximum grants available for housing adaptations, particularly in the case of priority one and priority two cases, to ensure they are fit for purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44071/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra308. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider increasing the maximum grants available for housing adaptations in Budget 2024, particularly in the case of priority one and priority two cases, to ensure they are fit for purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44085/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 283, 286, 307 and 308 together.
My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities to support the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability which support older and disabled people living in private houses to adapt their home to meet their needs.
The grants available operate on a sliding scale with the highest percentage grants available to those with the lowest incomes. The schemes are means tested and grant assistance is not available to applicants whose household income, after disregards and deductions, exceeds €60,000 per annum. The household income approach is intended to spread the benefits of the grant scheme as widely as possible and to ensure fairness and value for money in operation of the scheme towards those with the greatest needs.
The administration of the grants scheme, including the assessment, approval and prioritisation of grant applications under the various measures, is the responsibility of each local authority. Having considered all of the circumstances in any particular case, it is a matter for the local authority to determine grant eligibility. Local authorities, in administering the scheme, work with qualifying applicants to secure the most beneficial outcome possible in line with the applicants' financial circumstances and within the parameters of the Grant Scheme.
The 2023 Exchequer provision of €66.5 million or €83.125 million when accounting for the local authority contribution. The recently announced Exchequer budgetary provision for 2024 is €74.5 million which is an increase of €8 million on last year continuing the year on year increases since 2014.
My Department advises local authorities annually that, as far as practicable, a percentage of the allocation under the schemes should be ring fenced in respect of any emergency applications which might arise under these schemes during the course of the year. Consequently, all local authorities are required to manage their schemes to ensure access to the grants programme is maintained to the extent possible throughout the year in the highest priority cases and further information in this regard would be available directly from the local authorities.
My Department works closely with the local authorities to monitor spend and to achieve a full drawdown of available funding. This means that any underspends that arise on the part of any local authority can be redistributed to other authorities which have high levels of grant activity and my Department makes every effort to redistribute such funding throughout the year. My Department encourages all local authorities to ensure all applications on hand are processed to the degree possible for final payment to ensure optimal spend on their annual allocation. Whilst additional Exchequer funding may become available, the local authorities must provide the 20% match funding from their own resources and therefore the local authorities are also managing the scheme within the resources allocated at the local level. Throughout 2023, my Department has continued to approve additional funding to local authorities, with 10 local authorities receiving approval for additional funding so far and with further requests currently under review.
Housing for All commits to reviewing the grants scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. The review was informed by engagement with external stakeholders, including the Department of Health, the HSE, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the Irish Wheelchair Association. Written submissions were also invited and considered as part of this process. Among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds (including the means test provisions) and grant limits, and the application and decision-making processes including the supplementary documentation required.
On foot of my consideration of the Review report, my Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform on the recommendations in the Review report, and this engagement is ongoing at present.
284. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a progress report on the recommendations of the research commissioned by Government entitled Preventing Homelessness among Care Leavers: Review of the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) for Care Leavers; if he plans to implement the recommendations of this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43821/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraA number of the recommendations of the report 'Preventing Homelessness among Care Leavers: Review of the Capital Assistance Scheme for Care Leavers' are matters for my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, in conjunction with Tusla. These include recommendations regarding the age limits applying to Tusla aftercare support services, additional support for foster care placements and that aftercare planning commences at age 16.
Of the report's recommendations that are appropriate to my Department, one relates to caps on the purchase price of dwellings. I can confirm that such caps on the costs for residences for care leavers are not applied rigidly by my Department. While we anticipate that AHBs and local authorities will always strive to achieve reasonable value for money when acquiring properties and while guide cost figures are shared for this purpose, the fact that a cap does not apply to the purchase price will allow flexibility to acquire properties that are suitable and available.
In terms of recommendations on the continued and expanded availability of the scheme, I have increased the funding availability under CAS for 2023 and am satisfied therefore, that funding to support housing needs for care leavers is fully adequate under CAS going forward.
Furthermore in respect of care leavers, in November last I launched the Youth Homelessness Strategy which sets out 27 key actions to prevent youth homelessness, to improve the experiences of young people accessing emergency accommodation and to assist young people in exiting homelessness. Care leavers are one of six vulnerable cohorts identified in the Strategy as being particularly at risk of becoming homeless and disproportionately represented in the young homeless population and the actions in that Strategy target supports for those particular young people.
285. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if all agricultural land in Ireland could be designated as an ecologically sensitive area with regard to the EU water quality directive, given that the EU nitrates directive is applied on a State-wide basis, while other states have designated vulnerable zones under their respective plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43826/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe primary purpose of the Water Framework Directive is to;
‘Establish a framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater which includes preventing further deterioration and protecting and enhancing the status of aquatic ecosystems and, with regard to their water needs, terrestrial ecosystems and wetlands directly depending on the aquatic ecosystems. ’
The Water Framework Directive includes the objective of achieving compliance with any standards and objectives established for protected areas designated under other separate directives and which are contained in the Article 6 register of protected areas.
This includes ‘nutrient-sensitive areas’, which are areas designated as vulnerable zones under the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) and areas designated as sensitive areas under the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC).
The Water Framework Directive does not have separate provisions for independently designating ‘ecologically sensitive areas’ beyond those listed in the Directive.
287. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the up-to-date position regarding efforts to have a Kerry housing development (details supplied) completed as a turn-key project and allocated as homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43849/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is supporting local authorities in the delivery of their social housing targets under Housing For All through a range of different initiatives and schemes, including the construction of social homes on their own lands, construction delivery in conjunction with approved housing bodies and also, local authorities are working in partnership with private developers to deliver social housing construction through turnkey arrangements.
The selection of Turnkey projects is strictly a matter for local authorities to consider through the assessment and procurement procedures as laid out in Housing Circular 31/2019. My Department has no direct role in this process and any enquiries regarding the selection of projects should be directed to the relevant local authority, in the first instance.
My Department has not received a funding application from Kerry County Council for the development referenced. My Department would welcome such submissions and supports Kerry County Council in working towards achieving their Social Housing targets.
