Written Answers Nos. 99-119
99. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of vacancies, by job title, currently at Coimisiún na Meán; and the estimated full-year costs of filling each of the vacancies. [43364/24]
View answerCoimisiún na Meán have an approved staffing sanction of 205 posts of which 10 are currently vacant.
Section 10 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, as amended, provides that Coimisiún na Meán shall be independent in the performance of its functions. Further details as to the level of each vacancy and full year cost of filling these vacancies are operational matters for Coimisiún na Meán. From 2025, almost all of Coimisiún na Meán's costs will be funded through industry levies.
100. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she will clarify when an organisation (details supplied) first contacted Sport Ireland to make them aware of the issues that have been expressed by athletes in its high-performance programme; when the organisation first become aware of the issues that have been expressed by athletes in its high-performance programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43520/24]
View answer101. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she has been provided with a copy of the report that an organisation (details supplied) recently completed following conducting a cultural review; what the key findings are regarding the treatment of athletes within its high-performance programme; if the findings will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43521/24]
View answer102. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media how Sport Ireland plans to ensure transparency and accountability from an organisation (details supplied) in addressing concerns raised by athletes within its high-performance programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43522/24]
View answer103. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she is satisfied that an organisation (details supplied) fully cooperated with Sport Ireland in addressing the athlete welfare concerns expressed surrounding its high performance programme; if she is satisfied that Sport Ireland took appropriate action given the concerns raised by athletes in its high-performance programme; the specific steps that have since been taken to ensure the protection and well-being of these athletes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43524/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 100 to 103, inclusive, together.
Sport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards, including in relation to high performance sport generally.
I have referred the Deputy's question to Sport Ireland for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
104. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to address matters regarding wind energy guidelines (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43384/24]
View answerI refer to Question No. 345 of 15 October 2024, which sets out the position in this matter.
105. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there is provision in legislation to enable local authorities to disregard some income from assessment under the housing adaptation for people with a disability scheme in circumstances of profound disabilities; to outline the legislation and the steps that need to be taken by the applicant to have income disregarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43316/24]
View answerMy Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme, 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 Regulations underpinning the scheme state that the Minister may from time to time issue guidelines to housing authorities in relation to the level and nature of income to be disregarded for the purposes of the operation of the scheme. These guidelines are available on request from local authorities. A number of payments from the Department of Social Protection are disregarded for the purpose of the means test. Typically these payments are paid in respect of individuals who are either caring or financially supporting a third party, for example a child, a relative with an enduring impairment or a child in foster care. Specific payments related to basic needs such as fuel allowance etc. are also disregarded. These disregards are designed to ensure that the provision of financial assistance for living costs or care do not disadvantage an individual applying for grant assistance under the scheme. Payments such as Disability Allowance, Jobseekers Allowance/Benefit or Non-Contributory Pension are not disregarded as they are income subsidies paid directly to an individual, and are therefore assessed as income under the means test in line with the regulations. The applicant can identify the relevant disregards being applied for on the application form.
On the 26 September 2024, Minister O'Brien and I published the Report on the Review of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. Amongst the recommendations included in the Report are a proposed increase in the grant limits by over 30% and the income thresholds by 25% as well as number of other measures in relation to the means test.
The Report on the Review of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability is available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/ef265-ministers-obrien-and-dillon-announce-reforms-following-review-of-the-housing-adaptation-grants/#:~:text=The%20planned%20proposed%20changes%20follow%20today’s
My Department is proceeding to implement the review recommendations through bringing forward a statutory instrument, for consideration and signature, with the aim of introducing a revised scheme together with updated guidelines for local authorities.
106. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an overview of funding allocation, and the fund streams available, to support the Riverbank redevelopment project in Newbridge, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43320/24]
View answer107. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an overview of funding allocation, and the fund streams available, to support the library and archives redevelopment project in Newbridge, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43321/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 107 together.
A flagship element of Project Ireland 2040, the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) was one of four new funds established under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018 – 2027. Launched in 2018 with committed Exchequer funding of €2 billion the review of the NDP in 2021 extended the URDF to 2030.
The URDF was established to support more compact and sustainable development through the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland's five cities and other large towns, like Newbridge, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the NDP.
There have been three rounds of funding provided under the URDF with more than €1.9 billion allocated so far. While Call 1 and 2 was for specific proposals, the latest round of funding (Call 3) is supporting a programme of acquisitions in each local authority to address long term vacancy and dereliction. Under Call 1 and Call 2 there were 132 proposals, comprising of almost 400 projects, approved for funding.
The applications received contained a wide variety of themes and sectoral areas, from urban regeneration and public realm works, enabling strategic infrastructure, to cultural and amenity development.
To date Kildare County Council have been provisionally allocated €21,435,583 in URDF support towards their seven successful proposals approved under Call 1 and Call 2.
Under the Council’s successful Call 1 proposal - Newbridge Cultural and Civic Quarter - the URDF provided €492,000 in Category B funding towards technical assistance/design works for a number of projects, including the Design and Part 8 process for the Kildare Central Library, progression of design plans for Public Realm works to Main Street and funding towards a feasibility study for St Conleth’s Square, which proposes a Climate Action Centre and new public space to the rear of the Town Hall. These technical assistance/design works, which are now completed, outline plans for better linkages along Main Street through an improved public realm between the River Liffey Linear Park, the County Library and the Riverbank Arts Centre.
The intention of this Category B funding was to allow Kildare County Council to provide a proof of concept on these projects, bringing them through various stages of design and planning and having them ready for submission under future URDF Calls for Proposals or other appropriate funding streams.
In relation to the proposed library project, the main source of funding for libraries is provided through the Department of Rural and Community Development’s Libraries Capital Programme. In this instance, as the sponsoring authority Kildare Council should engage with the Department of Rural and Community Development regarding the further delivery of the library project.
An interactive GIS Story Map site, containing details of all successful URDF projects under Call 1 and Call 2, was recently launched to give elected representatives and members of the public access up to date information on all URDF supported projects at a Local Authority level. The site is available through the URDF site www.gov.ie/URDF, or directly via the following link: experience.arcgis.com/experience/98a739a585944cf887f2dffe54c4f129/
108. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the provision of an affordable housing scheme for the Kildare South constituency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43322/24]
View answerThe Affordable Housing Act 2021 established a framework to make affordable housing available, setting up affordable purchase and cost rental schemes for delivery by key partners.
As regards local authority delivery, funding approvals are now in place to support the delivery of over 4,300 affordable homes by 21 local authorities with subsidy from the Affordable Housing Fund. The legislative framework and arrangements in place to support the affordable housing schemes are proving effective.
In implementing the objectives of Housing for All, each local authority, including Kildare, has prepared and published a Housing Delivery Action Plan in respect of local authority supported or overseen delivery from 2022 to 2026.
My Department, in conjunction with the Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office of the Local Government Management Association and the Housing Agency, is available to advise and support local authorities in responding effectively to identified affordability needs.
Kildare has already successfully delivered 19 affordable purchase homes at Grey Abbey, Kildare with the support of the Affordable Housing Fund.
The First Home scheme is also available and actively supporting affordable home purchase nationwide. To date, First Home has delivered affordable home ownership solutions to 680 eligible persons in County Kildare and will continue to be a significant measure in terms of addressing affordability and promoting home ownership in Kildare in the coming years.
Beyond affordable purchase delivery, 331 cost rental units have also been delivered to date in Kildare by Approved Housing Bodies and the Land Development Agency.
The Land Development Agency is also tasked with developing social and affordable homes on over 30 state land sites, including the Devoy Barracks site at Naas, where construction of housing commenced in December 2023. 219 homes in total are expected to be delivered over two phases in Q4 2025 and Q4 2026.
My Department publishes affordable housing delivery reports based on quarterly returns received from all local authorities. These reports are available on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/?#affordable-housing-delivery
109. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the Cork Events Centre proposal; the amount of the funding request that was made and if it was approved [43348/24]
View answerThe Cork Event Centre was included as a Government commitment under the revised National Development Plan in 2021. This underlines the Government’s support for urban regeneration, enhanced amenity and heritage, associated quality of life standards, balanced regional development, and the regeneration and development of Cork City Centre.
It was agreed by Government in the context of Budget 2020 that responsibility for making the grant funding available for the project would transfer from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to my Department. However, responsibility for the advancement of the project remains, in the first instance, a matter for Cork City Council.
As a flagship project under the National Development Plan, €50m of grant funding for the project was approved by Government in February, 2022 to support an investment of €35 million by the successful consortium; a potential additional €7 million of Government funding was also approved at that time to help cover construction cost inflation arising from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic however it was noted that the final additional costs to the State, related to construction cost inflation, could only be determined when the final detailed design of the project was completed.
Following delays since the project began and further engagement with Cork City Council it is clear the only surefooted way of ensuring that an Events Centre is developed in Cork City is to commence the procurement process and State Aid engagement afresh.
In this regard, on 22 October, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to the Cork Events Centre. It is the Government’s intention to appoint a Project Development Board, led by Cork City Council and with representatives from key stakeholder organisations, to ensure that the most appropriate funding and ownership model is chosen and that those preferred models inform the new procurement process. I expect the new procurement process to be completed within 12 to 18 months.
110. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of social homes delivered in each local authority to date in 2024, and, within that, the number of new builds, the number of acquisitions and the number delivered through leasing, in tabular form. [43352/24]
View answerUnder 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. Under the plan, there was provision for 200 social housing acquisitions each year. However, for 2023 and 2024, the Government has agreed that there will be increased provision for social housing acquisitions and the Department will fund local authorities to acquire at least 1,500 social homes. The additional 1,300 acquisitions will be focused on properties where a tenant is in receipt of social housing supports, including Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), and has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property.
Increased delivery of social housing is a key Housing for All objective and is supported through a range of funding streams delivered via local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). The number of completed new build social homes, and the number in the pipeline, continues to grow year-on-year, with new construction projects added to the pipeline regularly.
Comprehensive data on social and affordable housing delivery activity is published on my Department's website up to Quarter 2 2024: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/
My Department also publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), which provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes. The most recent publication was for Quarter 2 2024. All Construction Status Reports are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/
Significant progress is being made to deliver the ambitious targets contained in Housing for All and my Department is working closely with the local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and other stakeholders to accelerate the delivery of social and affordable housing.
111. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of social houses refurbished under the voids programme in each local authority to date in 2024, in tabular form. [43353/24]
View answerThe management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2019.
Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities, I have approved €31 million in funding under the Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme this year.
Since 2020, the Government has spent over €163 million to return 10,820 homes to active use. This is almost half (46%) of the homes returned over the lifetime of the programme since 2014 (23,315 units).
Work in relation to the 2024 programme is ongoing and current indicators show that the targets are expected to be achieved this year.
Data is collated on an annual basis. A breakdown of the funding received by each local authority and the number of properties that were remediated in the period 2014 – 2023 can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme
Details in relation to delivery under the 2024 Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme will be available early in 2025.
112. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of vacant property refurbishment grants applications approved in each local authority to date in 2024, in tabular form. [43354/24]
View answer118. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of grants applied for, and drawn down through, Galway County Council under the Croí Cónaithe fund in 2022, 2023 and the year to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43447/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 118 together.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is a key support, introduced by this Government, to bring vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes. A grant of up to €50,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence and for properties which will be made available for rent. A top-up grant of up to €20,000 is available where the property is derelict, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to €70,000.
The Grant is available in respect of vacant and derelict properties built prior to 2008, in towns, villages, cities and rural areas.
The level of interest in and take-up of the Grant has been significant since it was launched. To date over 10,200 grant applications have been received across local authorities and over 6,800 approved. Payment of grants by local authorities commenced at the end of 2023, as refurbishment works started to be completed, and this has steadily increased. I expect this trend to continue, with the number of grants paid significantly increasing over the coming months as more refurbishment works are completed.
My Department publishes data on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis, which includes a breakdown of the grants paid per local authority and the total amount of grants paid. This data can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/4bbe4-vacant-property-refurbishment-grant-statistics/
113. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage which university has entered into a research agreement with the National Parks and Wildlife Service for studies on bird damage to crops and other topics, as referenced in his response to Parliamentary Question No. 240 of 8 October 2024; and to outline the selection process undertaken in choosing this university for the research project. [43375/24]
View answerThe National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has a long history of collaboration with academic institutions to support the delivery of its key functions. Strengthening links with research institutions is an objective of the NPWS Strategic Plan 2023-2025. NPWS is currently in discussions with a third level institution to develop, an approach to collaborative working to test and inform further opportunities and best practice in ensuring that NPWS has access to leading policy relevant research in appropriate fields across all our third level and research institutions.
The institution in question is a research-led university and has a well-established reputation and commitment to excellence in the biological sciences, including in ornithology. Teagasc, Ireland’s state agency providing research, advisory and education in agriculture, horticulture, food and rural development in Ireland, will also be a lead collaborator on the research into bird damage to crops. It is hoped to complete a Memorandum of Understanding in the coming weeks.
114. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the specific measures in place to independently assess Ireland's compliance with Article 12 of the EU Birds Directive, including compliance with reporting requirements. [43376/24]
View answerArticle 12 of the Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC) requires Member States to report “on the implementation of national provisions taken under this Directive”. The reporting requirements and format are specifically set out by the European Environment Agency and accepted by the EU Member States at each reporting interval, including detailed guidance documents on how exactly reporting templates must be completed. All of this information is available on the EIONET Portal (www.eionet.europa.eu/).
Ireland’s reporting under Article 12 of the Birds Directive is delivered by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department. The reports produced take into account data and information sourced from a variety of sources available at the time, including NPWS staff, NPWS projects, contractors working to NPWS, as well as published literature, including scientific articles, reports and other sources. All reports are reviewed and signed off by NPWS prior to submission. Reports are not accepted by the reporting portal if they do not meet the specified reporting requirements. In addition, an independent quality assurance process is undertaken by the EU Commission on all reports, data and spatial information the NPWS submit as part of Article 12 reporting. Ireland’s recent Article 12 reports have met the reporting requirements and thus have been accepted, and these are openly published and available online (e.g. see cdr.eionet.europa.eu/ie/eu/art12/envxztxxq).
115. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact a recent newsletter (details supplied) highlighted that the survey had no recent data for a very large number of sites across the country as no counter had been assigned to these sites; if he is satisfied that the level of service currently being provided is in line with the requirements of contracts for which large sums of public funding are being provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43377/24]
View answerThe Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS) is the national programme for monitoring population trends of wintering waterbirds. The I-WeBS programme began in 1993 and is one of Ireland’s longest running bird monitoring programmes. It provides comprehensive national coverage, across over 250 wetland sites, including extensive coverage within Ireland’s network of waterbird Special Protection Areas (SPAs).
The scope and ambition of the I-WeBS monitoring programme is such that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department requires the support of external professional services in its delivery. As such, NPWS undertakes an open procurement process, in line with public service tendering requirements, to obtain the necessary services every 5 years. BirdWatch Ireland successfully competed for this contract in 2019, and they currently coordinate the delivery of the I-WeBS monitoring programme. The delivery of the programme relies on staff from NPWS and BirdWatch Ireland as well as an extensive network of hundreds of volunteers of suitably trained/experienced citizen scientists to regularly monitor wetland sites in the winter.
The referenced recent newsletter, I-WeBS News, the newsletter of the Irish Wetland Bird Survey, had an appeal for surveyors in the August 2024 edition to assist with improving the survey coverage at a range of sites. This includes, amongst others, I-WeBS sites for which there is no recent data and for which there is no currently assigned surveyor. As the article was an appeal for improved coverage at sites, it did not display or include those sites that are receiving sufficient survey coverage. For example, it does not detail the approximately 100 I-WeBS sites for which there is a very high level of data available from winter 1994/95 to present, such that it has been possible to generate site-specific population trends for species occurring at these sites. For further information on these trends, see: birdwatchireland.ie/app/uploads/2023/08/iwebs_trends_report.html
The contract for services for the I-WeBS programme details specific tasks and deliverables in terms of survey coverage, with specific requirements for coverage within SPAs. The NPWS Project Officer for the contract regularly liaises and meets with BirdWatch Ireland, with contract requirements for survey coverage discussed in detail, including outlining where improvements in survey coverage are needed and avenues to be pursued to improve the coverage, whether via voluntary citizen scientists, BirdWatch Ireland staff and/or NPWS staff. At times there are challenges to achieving the desired level of coverage and some sites cannot receive the required survey coverage due to, for example, unsuitable weather, surveyor illness, or inability to access sites. Solutions are being implemented to help improve coverage in areas, including appealing for coverage via newsletters.
NPWS is satisfied that the current level of service is in line with the contract requirements.
116. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide details of the results of recent scientific surveys of teal numbers and trends in Ireland; and if there is currently a species action plan in place for teal. [43378/24]
View answerThere is a large population of Teal (Anas crecca) that migrate to Ireland to ‘over-winter’ for the non-breeding period, and a relatively small population that breeds in Ireland and is considered resident.
The Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS) is the national programme for monitoring population trends of wintering waterbirds and the habitats they use. The I-WeBS is delivered under contract by BirdWatch Ireland to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department and is the primary tool to survey and monitoring non-breeding Teal in Ireland. In a 2018 publication, the national population of Teal over-wintering in Ireland during the non-breeding period was estimated to be 27,644 individuals, based on data gathered during the period 2011-2016. A more recent analysis estimated that the over-wintering population of Teal increased by 19.4% from winter 1995/96 to winter 2018/19.
The most recent estimate of the size and trends of the breeding population of Teal in Ireland is from the period 2008-2011, at which point the population was estimated to be between 531 and 885 breeding pairs. At that point, the population was considered stable during the short term (1991-2011) but having declined in the long term (1972-2011). Teal breeding distribution is primarily monitoring through the breeding bird atlas projects, and the breeding distribution was estimated to have increased by 24% between 1991 and 2011, but to have declined by 43% between 1972 and 2011.
There is currently no species action plan in place for Teal in terms of their non-breeding or breeding populations.
For more information, see:
Ireland’s 2019 report under Article 12 of the Birds Directive: cdr.eionet.europa.eu/Converters/run_conversion?file=ie/eu/art12/envxztxxq/IE_birds_reports_20191031-130157.xml&conv=612&source=remote
National population trend analysis from I-WeBS data: birdwatchireland.ie/app/uploads/2022/04/iwebs_trends_00000_National.html#Teal
Burke, B., Lewis, L. J., Fitzgerald, N., Frost, T., Austin, G. & Tierney, T. D. (2018) Estimates of waterbird numbers wintering in Ireland, 2011/12 – 2015/16. Irish Birds 11, 1-12.
117. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to end long-term vacancy and dereliction under the urban regeneration development fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43446/24]
View answerTackling vacancy and dereliction is a key priority for this Government.
The Vacant Homes Action Plan, which I published in January 2023, built on Pathway 4 of Housing for All and set out the various actions that were being pursued to return vacant properties back into use as homes. Earlier this year I published an update on the Action Plan which shows the significant progress that is being made. Both the Vacant Homes Action Plan and related update can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/df86c-vacant-homes-action-plan-2023-2026/
As part of the Action Plan, I announced a €150 million Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) for local authorities to acquire vacant or derelict properties for reuse or sale, using their compulsory purchase powers were necessary.
The URDF Call 3 fund is being used for the acquisition of long term vacant and derelict buildings and sites in URDF towns by local authorities, for onward sale on the open market to purchasers who undertake to return the properties to use within timelines agreed with the local authority.
The URDF Call 3 funding is intended to address the financial barriers and risk faced by local authorities in seeking to tackle long term vacant and derelict buildings and sites across URDF eligible towns and cities. The fund will be available to cover the acquisition and sales costs of a property and any minor works required to make the property more suitable for sale e.g. improving access, tidying up, opening up to facilitate inspections, building condition assessments, reports etc.
Acquired properties are then offered by local authorities for private sale at market value to those who in return will commit to bringing the property back into residential use. Proceeds from the sale of these properties will be used to replenish the fund, allowing a local authority to establish a rolling programme to tackle long-term vacancy and dereliction without a requirement for borrowing and the associated financial risk.
Purchasers of these properties from the local authority will be able to defray the costs of returning them to use by accessing, subject to eligibility, the new Croí Cónaithe Vacant Homes Grant, SEAI energy efficiency grants or the Repair and Leasing Scheme.
In Q3 2023, following a consultation process with the local authority sector, formal approval in principle was issued to each local authority for a programme of property acquisitions. Following assessment of submissions for all 31 local authorities against the relevant criteria, 946 long term vacant (> 2 years) and derelict buildings located in URDF town and city centres were initially approved for acquisition and placed on the approved acquisition programme.
A one-year review on the implementation of the programme to date and an update on the approved acquisition programmes is currently underway, the results of which will be brought to my attention once completed.
The successful implementation of the Call 3 programme will support the Government’s Town Centre First Policy, Vacant Homes Action Plan and the National Planning Framework objectives seeking to provide increased numbers of homes in towns and urban areas where people can live close to local services, amenities and employment.
119. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine the case of a person (details supplied) whose home is affected by mica; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43461/24]
View answerI commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023, which provides for the current grant scheme, and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023.
The scheme facilitates the remediation of existing houses that have been damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks. The construction of new separate additional houses is not grant funded.
The 2022 DCB Act, as set down by the Oireachtas provides that exempt development status shall automatically apply to remediation works approved under the grant scheme subject to certain provisions set out in Section 28 of the Act. Importantly, remediation works shall only be exempt where on completion of remediation works the dwelling house is not inconsistent with or materially different from the appearance and character of the original dwelling house.
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 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.
