Written Answers Nos. 361-382
361. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will act in relation to correspondence (details supplied) regarding the mistreatment of staff and racism in the tourism industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25268/24]
View answerThe Government is fully committed to the fight against racism, and strongly condemns the actions of those who abuse and attack others because of their own prejudices regarding a person’s religion, ethnic origins, sexual orientation or any other part of their identity as a human being. Any such behaviour is not acceptable.
If an employee within the tourism sector, or indeed any other sector, believes their employment rights have been breached, they have the right to refer complaints to the Workplace Relations Commission for adjudication and compensation where appropriate.
In terms of the tourism sector, Fáilte Ireland is already collaborating with employers to drive best practices and build employer capability in areas such as effective people management, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, Dignity at Work, and Meeting Employer Obligations, including guidance on the new national code for preventing bullying and harassment.
362. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the Minister will outline her Department's plans to improve funding to grassroots football; if she is aware of the lack of funding for this and that there is on average between 0 and 1 full time coaches per club; if she agrees that there is a need to invest in better facilities, provide more funding for coaches, offer more grants to local teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25377/24]
View answerGovernment funding for the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is primarily aimed at supporting the delivery of programmes at local level.
Considerable additional financial support has been provided by the state for the development of football in Ireland, particularly through the 2020 - 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the government and the FAI. The MOU provided for a package of funding of €5.8 million per annum to the FAI during that 4-year period up to 2023 for football development.
The Department has recently received proposals from the FAI regarding additional funding support for another period and also in relation to the development of academies. These proposals are being examined by my officials, in consultation with Sport Ireland, and they will make recommendations to myself and Minister Catherine Martin in due course.
I acknowledge the important role of grassroots sport and the government is committed to supporting football at grassroots level and to investing in football. In that regard, over €68.7 million has been allocated to the FAI between 2019 and 2023, including €24.4 million specifically to support football development and aimed at promoting participation in football by young people. I will continue to encourage all sporting organisations, including the FAI, to develop their sports and to ensure that opportunities exist at grassroots level for people to participate in sport.
The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Since 1998, over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion. The Programme for Government commits to continuing the SCEP and to prioritising investment in disadvantaged areas and groups that are currently underrepresented in terms of participation.
For the 2020 round of the programme alone, almost 2,900 different projects received a grant offer, with over €166.6 million allocated. The main field sports such as GAA, soccer and rugby fared very well.
Examination of the submitted applications demonstrates that the 2023 Programme has again generated a very large number of applications. The total number of 3,210 applications exceeds the record number submitted under the previous 2020 round and the total funding applied for is €359 million representing an 80% increase over the amount applied for in the 2020 SCEP.
The Scoring System and Assessment Manual for the 2023 round has been published along with a list of all applications received by county including the relevant sport type for each application received. The detailed assessment work has commenced and "equipment-only" applications were assessed first.
On 9 May 2024, Minister Martin and I announced over €26 million in equipment grants under the latest round of the SCEP. The grants have been provisionally allocated to organisations across the country and to over fifty sports and activities.
Soccer proved to be the greatest beneficiary by far of the ‘Equipment Only’ allocations accounting for 136 allocations totalling €4.4 million. This includes an allocation of €500,000 to the FAI itself to fund a nationwide schools football scheme.
Further allocations, including those for capital works and capital works with an equipment component, will be announced by Autumn. As for the likely scale of the budget available for the current round, Minister Martin and I were pleased to recently confirm that at least €250 million is to be made available for the 2023 round of the SCEP. This is on foot of positive recent engagement on revised allocations for the National Development Plan with Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, which has facilitated this largest-ever investment in sports facilities across the country.
The funding now available represents a 50% increase on the funding allocated in early 2022 under the 2020 round of the SCEP and it should mean positive allocation decisions for all valid applications, including many for soccer, under the current 2023 SCEP.
363. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will provide a schedule of all contracts they have and/or had with a company in the past 25 years to date (details supplied); the agreed contract cost; the ultimate contract cost including extras, design changes, conciliation, claims etc; project name/title; and the name of the body responsible for the delivery of projects where responsibility has been devolved. [25484/24]
View answerMy Department in its current configuration was established in September 2020. I am advised that my Department has not entered into any contracts with the company in question in the period since then.
364. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media what direct financial supports, if any, are available to encourage people to invest in hostel-type accommodation in vacant units in areas with bed shortages in the tourism sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25517/24]
View answerMy Department's role in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy and implementation of that policy is a matter for the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, as well as certain other bodies.
The importance of the tourism sector to the Irish economy and communities in every corner of Ireland is well understood and it is recognised that the use of tourist accommodation to support the government’s response to the humanitarian crisis has impacted the sector.
In Budget 2024, I secured total funding of €216 million for the tourism sector, which allows for the continued support of tourism development in Ireland for local and overseas visitors. Of this allocation, up to €10 million is available for a specific programme of supports targeted at tourism businesses experiencing particular challenges linked to the reduction in footfall in regions most impacted by tourism bed-stock displacement.
On the wider question of the use of tourism bed-stock for humanitarian accommodation purposes, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth recently secured the Government's approval for a new comprehensive accommodation strategy for International Protection applicants, that will see a move away from full reliance on private providers and toward a core of State-owned accommodation, delivering 14,000 State-owned beds by 2028.
Fáilte Ireland has carried out a number of accommodation audits to establish a baseline for existing tourism accommodation capacity for local authorities in each destination and region. Additional capacity-supply growth projections have been identified for all counties based on best estimates of demand recovery to 2030, the current gaps in the market by location and type, and changing consumer preferences for accommodation categories.
In tandem with the work of Fáilte Ireland, my Department is progressing the development of a new national tourism policy framework that will seek to mainstream sustainability - environmental, economic and societal - across the entire tourism sector. The new framework will shape how our tourism industry develops in the period to 2030. Issues around tourism accommodation stock will be considered as part of the new policy framework and subsequent action plan.
For now, as the specific matter raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland, I have referred your question to that agency for a direct response to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
365. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which Kildare County Council has continued to promote the case for a swimming pool in Maynooth, County Kildare, as previously indicated; the extent to which any changes have taken place in this regard without adequate consultation with the local support group; to outline the degree to which proposals have been made and by whom to alter the priorities; to now indicate that the local authority, her Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are at one in regard to the provision this important facility in a university town with a student population of almost 20,000 and a local population of more than double that; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25602/24]
View answerMy Department operates two capital funding programmes for sport, namely the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). Capital support for new swimming pools is currently being provided through the LSSIF subject to published guidelines and conditions of the scheme.
The National Sports Policy, which was published in 2018, provided for the establishment of a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The aim of LSSIF is to provide Exchequer support for larger sports facility projects where the Exchequer investment would be greater than the maximum amount available under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP).
Minister Martin and I recently announced that funding of up to €120 million is being made available under the new round of the LSSIF which is open for applications until 3pm on Monday 1 July 2024. Assessment of applications, for funding of between €600,000 and €30 million, will take into account such factors as population size, sustainability and ensuring that similar access is provided to accommodate access by men and women to LSSIF-funded facilities.
While this new round of the programme is aimed primarily at National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs) and local authorities it is also open to other bodies (including third level institutions), philanthropic funders, clubs and voluntary organisations to apply but such applications would necessarily have to be made and prioritised by a local authority and/or an NGB. The issue regarding priorities, as raised in the question, are primarily a matter for the local authority in the first instance.
The LSSIF homepage on my Department's website includes the LSSIF guide, frequently asked questions and slides from a webinar that was recently held for NGBs and Local Authorities who will be submitting applications.
I would encourage all eligible projects to consider applying for this competitive application process.
366. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will meet with a group (details supplied), as promised in Dáil Éireann recently; and if so, when he will meet the group. [24520/24]
View answerMy Department is currently undertaking a focused review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. The review is addressing a number of key aspects of the Guidelines including setback distance, noise, shadow flicker, community obligation, community dividend and grid connections.
The aim of the review is to strike an appropriate balance between addressing the concerns of local communities, by ensuring that there is greater, and earlier, community engagement by wind energy developers whilst maintaining Ireland’s ability to deliver on its binding climate and renewable energy policy obligations.
It is envisaged that the revised Guidelines will provide greater consistency of approach in planning for onshore wind energy development and will provide certainty and clarity to the planning system, to the wind industry and to local communities.
My Department, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) which has primary responsibility for environmental noise matters, has been working to advance guidance on the noise aspect of Guidelines, which is highly technical in nature.
The two Departments have been engaging on proposals regarding the measurement and assessment of noise from wind turbines to ensure they are robust and fit for purpose having regard to, inter alia, the revised 2030 target to generate up to 80% of our electricity from renewable sources.
Further to this engagement, DECC appointed noise consultants in May 2023 to inform any amendments to the noise aspect of the Guidelines. This work is substantially complete. My Department, in conjunction with DECC in respect of its environmental noise remit, will make any further changes to the draft Guidelines which are deemed necessary or appropriate in the wake of this work to ensure that the finalised Guidelines, once issued, are fit for purpose to provide guidance in line with renewable energy and climate targets, whilst having appropriate regard to the impacts of wind energy developments on individuals and local communities, including in relation to the key aspects of the review.
With regard to the finalisation of the review of the Wind Energy Development Guidelines, the Climate Action Plan 2024 sets out a timeline of Q4 2024 for publication of the final updated Guidelines and my Department is working towards meeting this commitment. When finalised, the revised Guidelines will be issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended or, subject to enactment of the Planning and Development Bill 2023, as a National Planning Statement, as appropriate. The current 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines remain in force pending the finalisation of the review.
My Department has not received a request for a meeting with the group referred to however, my Department would be happy to facilitate such a meeting and would ask that it make contact to arrange this.
367. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide each local authority that has an animal welfare officer in place; the date from which there has been no welfare officer since 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25442/24]
View answerUnder 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.
368. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the recommendation by the Housing Commission to make rental data and cost publicly available; if this is under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25829/24]
View answer395. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has plans to make rental date public as recommended by the Housing Commission Report including the cost of rents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24955/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 368 and 395 together.
I received the Report of the Housing Commission on 8 May and published it in full very soon thereafter on 22 May. The Commission’s work has taken two-an-a-half years to conclude, culminating in a 400 plus page report (including appendices), and 83 recommendations and 540 or so actions and sub-actions.
Accordingly, it requires measured and comprehensive consideration before action, beyond what is already underway, is taken. I have referred the Commission’s report and proposals to the Housing Agency for a full analysis of costings, implementation timelines and prioritisation of the Commission’s recommendations, as well as the feasibility of proposed actions. These matters were not addressed in the report and are critical for a full and proper consideration of the Commission’s proposals.
The report, together with the Housing Agency conclusions, will help inform consideration of the forthcoming Housing for All action plan update, which I intend to bring to Government with my proposals for next steps in the autumn.
369. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the grants available for the upkeep and maintenance of thatched cottages owned by private individuals. [24606/24]
View answerMy Department’s grant scheme for the renewal or repair of a thatched roof provides funding of up to €6,350 or up to 80% of the approved cost, whichever is the lesser, in respect of necessary works to renew or repair the thatched roofs of private houses situated on the mainland where the private owner holds a medical card. A higher level of assistance of up to €8,252 is available for houses on specified offshore islands, where the owner holds a medical card. In the case of private owners without a medical card, funding of up to €3,810 or two thirds of the approved cost, whichever is the lesser, may be payable in respect of necessary works to renew or repair the thatched roofs of private houses situated on the mainland, rising to €5,714 where the house is situated on a specified off-shore island. Details in relation to this grant scheme is available at the following link: gov - Thatching Grant (www.gov.ie)
My Department also oversees a number of schemes to assist in the conservation of protected structures, which may include repairs to historic roofing. These schemes are the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund, under which a combined total of €9 million is available for 2024. This year, as in 2023, a dedicated €500,000 has been ring-fenced under the BHIS for conservation repairs to historic thatched structures. This aims to maximise the availability of financial assistance to owners of such properties, helping them offset other costs. These schemes are administered through the local authorities and details are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/32ae3-financial-assistance-for-architectural-heritage/
370. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details of any anti-racism or unconscious bias training and presentations made available to staff in his Department during the period 2021 to date; the content of such training and presentations; the provider of any such training and presentations and the costs incurred for each event; if attendance at such training and presentations is mandatory or voluntary for staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24673/24]
View answerMy Department is committed to promoting and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workplace that protects the rights of all employees. To demonstrate our commitment to providing a fully inclusive culture my Department is currently developing an internal Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) policy, in collaboration with staff. This work is in line with commitments made in the Civil Service Renewal Plan 2030 and the subsequent Civil Service Action Plan 2024, which committed to “foster workforce equality, diversity, inclusion and well-being”.
To support this process my Department’s Management Board attended Inclusive Leadership training earlier this year. This training covered the broader fundamentals of equality, diversity and inclusion, with learning objectives that considered the impact unconscious bias can have on culture and organisational processes and the importance of positive role modelling.
Training relating to the key concepts of equality and equity is available to my staff on an ongoing basis via courses provided through the OneLearning Management System, including “Equality and Human Rights in the Public Service” and “Managing for an Inclusive Workforce" and relevant Webinars including “Making Inclusion a Reality”.
Additionally, training and presentations such as interview training, disability awareness and equality, disability and inclusion awareness, organised internally for my staff, have covered the themes of anti-racism and unconscious bias as part of a wider training piece. Unconscious bias forms an important element of the training provided to all interview boards for recruitment and promotion competitions organised by my Department.
371. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the duties listed as part of the general service supervisors agreement under the Better Local Government Agreement of 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24683/24]
View answerThe General Services Supervisor (GSS) is the most senior grade within the general operative and related grades structure in local authorities. It is of its nature therefore primarily a supervisory grade which operates across all of the key functions including Roads, Water and Environment.
The duties assigned to a GSS will vary according to the nature of the role, the number of staff reporting to him/her and the geographical area which he/she is required to cover. The duties will also reflect the individual structure within each local authority and the devolution of responsibility across the grading structure.
Applicants for posts of GSS will receive details of their duties as part of the recruitment process and existing staff members who wish to receive confirmation of their current duties should contact the Human Resources section in their employing local authority.
372. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason equity share monetary values in affordable housing have been limited based on density. [24691/24]
View answerThe equity share in an affordable home purchase arrangement is a function of the gap between the purchasing power of the approved affordable housing purchaser and the open market price of the property concerned.
The provision of affordable purchase housing by local authorities is supported by a capital subvention of €50,000, €75,000 or €100,000 per home from the Affordable Housing Fund towards the development cost of delivering the homes. The subsidy level available relates to density and location as higher density typologies in urban core areas tend to have higher development costs.
Funding enables the local authority to subvent the developments costs of the proposed homes and to offer these to eligible affordable housing applicants at a discounted upfront affordable price they can afford and is only available to a local authority if the subsidy level allows the local authority to offer the homes at an upfront discount of at least 15% below market value.
The price paid is determined with regard to the purchasing power of the applicant. The local authority retains a percentage equity stake in the home equal to the actual discount availed of by the purchaser on the full market value of the home, redeemable by the purchaser at a future date.
373. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department will be prioritising the progression of any specific pieces of legislation prior to the Dáil summer recess; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24705/24]
View answerThe Government Legislation Programme for the Summer 2024 Session, which was published on 16 April 2024, sets out my Department's priority legislation and can be accessed at the following weblink:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/edb3c-government-legislation-programme-2024/
Importantly, the Planning and Development Bill 2023 remains a top priority for me and the Government, and commences Report and Final Stages in the Dáil today, 11 June 2024.
This landmark piece of legislation is the culmination of a comprehensive review by the Office of the Attorney General of the Planning and Development Act 2000, which has been in operation for more than two decades, and itself an update of planning laws that had been in place for forty years at that time. The Bill ensures that the planning system remains fit for purpose to meet the needs of future population, whilst balancing key pillars of the Irish planning system such as public participation, environmental considerations and delivery of key infrastructure such as roads, housing and renewable energy. This is achieved by enhancing clarity, improving consistency and increasing confidence in the planning system as a whole.
374. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households currently renting a house or flat from a local authority. [24724/24]
View answer376. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage of those currently renting a house or apartment from the local authority, the number that have Irish citizenship. [24726/24]
View answer377. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage of those renting a house or apartment from local authority, the number that have non-EU citizenship; and of these, the number that have British citizenship. [24727/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 374, 376 and 377 together.
Statistics in relation to the social housing stock are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in the Local Authority Performance Indicator Report. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including the number of dwellings in local authority ownership and the percentage which were vacant at a given time. The most recent report, relating to 2022, is available on the NOAC website at the following link:
www.noac.ie/noac_publications/8339/#:~:text=The%202022%20Performance%20Indicator%20Report,44%20indicators%20under%2011%20headings
My Department does not hold data on the Citizenship of social housing tenants.
375. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authority homes that have been sold to tenants in the past ten, twenty and thirty years. [24725/24]
View answerBoth the Programme for Government and Housing for All commit to maintaining the right of social housing tenants to purchase their home.
The most recent tenant purchase scheme, the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme was introduced in 2016 and is based on an incremental purchase model. This scheme strikes a balance between increasing the scope for those in receipt of long-term housing support to purchase their local authority home, and ensuring the continued sustainability of the Scheme by not unduly diminishing local authority housing stock.
A breakdown of the number of houses sold by local authorities to tenants in the last ten, twenty and thirty years from 1994 until 2023 is provided below:
|
Years |
Total Number of Houses Sold |
|
1994-2003 |
16,157 |
|
2004-2013 |
9,621 |
|
2014-2023 |
2,409 |
Statistical information on the number of houses sold under the Scheme from 2015 until the end of 2023 may be found on my Department’s website, and can be located at the following link: gov - Other local authority housing scheme statistics (www.gov.ie)
378. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to review correspondence from Monaghan County Council (details supplied); and if he will address the issues highlighted and respond to same. [24729/24]
View answerMy Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, which are 80% funded by my Department, with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. The detailed administration of the scheme including assessment, approval, prioritisation and budgetary apportionment is the responsibility of local authorities.
The Exchequer funding provision of €74.5 million for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme has been increased by €8 million for 2024. Local authorities were recently informed of their 2024 allocations with each local authority receiving an increase on the 2023 allocation, continuing the year on year increases since 2014.
Monaghan County Council received an Exchequer allocation of €1.2 million for 2024, an increase of 14% on the initial Exchequer allocation of €1.05 million for 2023. The Council were in a position to provide further own resource funding during 2023 and my Department approved requests from the Council for additional Exchequer funding of approximately €0.87 million, facilitating an 83% increase in funding on the initial 2023 Exchequer allocation.
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 the 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 Council must provide the 20% match funding from their own resources therefore the Council is also managing the scheme within the resources allocated at the local level.
Housing for All commits to reviewing the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. Among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds that apply and the grant limits. My Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform on the recommendations in the report with a view to bringing forward amendments to the relevant Regulations governing the schemes as soon as possible with a view to also publishing the final report.
379. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider a more flexible approach to the rebuild location under the defective blocks scheme, particularly in relation to families with acute health conditions that wish to stay in their homes during construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24746/24]
View answerI commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023.
The grant scheme, as set down by the Oireachtas, facilitates the remediation of existing houses that have been damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks, but not the construction of separate additional houses on adjoining sites. The construction of new separate additional houses will not be grant funded.
The Act requires rebuilding on the exact position on the land of the existing dwelling. However, there is flexibility in terms of footprint of a rebuild and exact rebuild on the footprint is not required, subject to compliance with Building Regulations and compliance with planning. In this regard, it should be noted that the planning exemption for a rebuild as set out in section 28 of the Act is for a dwelling, which is not inconsistent with, or materially different from, the appearance and character of the original dwelling. In such scenarios homeowners should engage with their Competent Building Professional to consider the possible impact on any energy retrofit work they may be considering and the effect a different footprint may have on such works and/or associated grants.
380. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of a request (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24755/24]
View answerThe National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), within my Department, has confirmed that the issue has been reviewed and the resolution is underway and expected to be in place before the end of this month.
381. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to three previous Parliamentary Questions (details supplied), the status of the investigation into alleged planning irregularities with Wicklow County Council; if an investigation has now taken place; if so, the outcome of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24760/24]
View answerAn assessment and analysis have been carried out of the various allegations raised in correspondence received by my Department in respect of this issue. The Department found that most of these matters had already been subject to review or investigation by an appropriate body external to the Council, including the Courts in some cases. The issue remains under consideration, as necessary.
382. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to provide legislation to regulate light pollution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24767/24]
View answerCurrently, there is no specific legislation in Ireland dealing with light pollution and my Department has no role in this regard. If required, the responsibility for the development of a national strategy or legislation in respect of light pollution would rest with my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications.
