Written Answers Nos. 101-120
101. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is considering additional funding to the Land Development Agency for a specific purpose of funding acquisition of long-term vacant and derelict buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19524/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Land Development Agency's (LDA) Business Plan 2024-2028 plans to deliver approximately 14,000 homes over its lifetime, including through the adaptive reuse of existing buildings where appropriate such as at the former St. Kevin’s Hospital in Cork and Devoy Barracks in Naas. To deliver housing on this scale, the Government have provided for the investment of up to €2.5 billion from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, €1.25 billion in borrowing capacity and as well as identifying a further €1.25 billion from other sources. This commitment will ultimately enable funding of up to €5 billion for the LDA.
A sub-committee of the Housing for All Investment group has been formed to determine the appropriate longer term funding structure of the LDA. This group will consider a broad range of financing options for the Agency, including the role of debt, additional public funding and the use of self-generated income by the LDA. I will consider additional funding for the LDA once the deliberations of this sub-committee have concluded.
Under the Vacant Homes Action Plan, a new CPO Activation Programme was launched by my Department in April 2023. The Programme supports a proactive and systematic approach by local authorities to bringing vacant properties back into use. It also includes guidance for local authorities to actively use their legislative powers to acquire vacant and derelict properties, where engagement with owners has been unsuccessful.
A €150 million Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is available for local authorities to acquire vacant or derelict properties for re-use or sale, using their compulsory purchase powers were necessary. The Fund will be replenished from the proceeds received from the sale or reuse of a site, allowing a local authority to establish a rolling programme to tackle vacancy. In addition to URDF funding, the Social Housing Capital Funding Programmes (Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP) and the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS)) support local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies to tackle dereliction and vacancy through the repurposing/renewing of vacant buildings and blocks as new social homes. The funding for re-purposing/renewing vacant buildings or blocks as new social homes, including single ‘Buy & Renew’ properties is drawn from the €1.4 billion capital funding available under the SHIP and CAS programmes and is demand-led.
103. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the provision of specialist staff to boost delivery of more affordable homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24310/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraOver 4,000 affordable housing supports were delivered in 2023 representing an increase of 128% on 2022 activity.
To build on the momentum now in place, my Department has been working with the Housing Delivery Coordination Office and the County and City Management Association to identify additional staffing resources required by local authorities to ensure more affordable purchase and cost rental homes are delivered at scale.
I have recently approved 71.5 new specialist and administrative posts across 27 local authorities to help ramp up the delivery of affordable housing throughout the country. This is in addition to 69 specialist and administrative staff approved in 2022, and, once recruitment is completed, will bring the total complement of staff dedicated to delivering affordable housing to 140.5 persons.
These new posts will be solely dedicated to affordable housing delivery and will equip local authorities with increased levels of in-house expertise in key areas such as design, procurement, surveying, engineering and administration.
Last year, over 4,000 affordable homes were delivered, a 128% increase on 2022. I am determined ensure this momentum is sustained so that affordable purchase and cost rental homes continue to be built at scale. My objective is to ensure that local authorities have the capacity to deliver the current robust affordable housing delivery pipeline now in place and to quickly expand and develop this pipeline further in line with Housing For All delivery targets.
104. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to make changes to the enhanced defective concrete block grant scheme to address the concerns of the estimated 3,000 persons who have attended public meetings in Donegal and Mayo and called for a genuine 100% redress scheme similar to that provided to the victims of the pyrite scandal in Dublin and north Leinster;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23799/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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 approach taken under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme was considered in the development of the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant Scheme. However, due to the different scale of both schemes and the flexibility sought by DCB homeowners the DCB Grant Scheme required a different approach.
The Pyrite Remediation Scheme relates to dwellings that have been significantly damaged as a result of pyritic heave caused by the swelling of hardcore under ground floor slabs. In contrast, the DCB Grant Scheme relates to dwellings which are damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. There is only one remediation option under the Pyrite Scheme and the works are repetitive from home to home, which tend to be clustered. Under the DCB Scheme there are five potential remediation options with a bespoke solution potentially required for each affected home.
Arising from the Government Decision of 30 November 2021 in respect of the Enhanced (DCB) Grant Scheme, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) was tasked with delivering a programme of work to address a number of technical items. An interagency DCB Technical Matters Steering Group has been established to inform and guide the NSAI review of a number of relevant standards including I.S. 465:2018, and the impact, if any on foundations and the effect, if any, of full cavity fill insulation on homes susceptible to defective blockwork.
Following the publication of any revised standard published by the (NSAI), the DCB Grant Scheme will be reviewed at that point, in the event that such amendments are required.
The Act also allows for the grant rates and overall grant scheme cap to be reviewed on an annual basis and this will, if deemed appropriate, be considered in due course. My Department recently received an updated cost report from the Society of Chartered Surveyors in Ireland which will inform this ongoing process. The overall cap can be increased or decreased by no more than 10% up to three times. The first such change can only occur after 29 June 2024.
Furthermore section 51 of the Act mandates a review of the operation of the Act to take place within three years of the Act's commencement i.e. before July 2026.
105. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the retrofitting of local authority homes with heat pumps; if he is aware of concerns that this is leading to higher-than-expected bills; if he plans to increase education/spread awareness about heat pump usage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24419/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) aims to retrofit a local authority home to a BER of B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this Programme out to 2030.
Works eligible under my Department's revised EERP include attic/cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where required, windows and doors replacement, heat pump installation and ancillary and associated works. The funded measures achieve the B2 or cost optimal equivalent (BER).
The number of heat pump installs carried out since the newly revised Programme commenced in 2021 is detailed below:
|
Year |
Total Number of Heat Pumps |
|
2021 |
750 |
|
2022 |
1898 |
|
2023 |
2215 |
Heat pumps are extremely efficient and very economical to run offering lower energy costs as well as reduced carbon emissions. The National Heat Study was published in February 2022 and can be accessed on the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) website at the following link: www.seai.ie/data-and-insights/national-heat-study/.
It found, that in terms of reducing the carbon footprint of domestic heating, heat pumps are the optimal decarbonisation path for domestic heating systems, with district heating also identified as a competitive option that can be widely deployed. The Government has established a Heat and Built Environment Delivery Taskforce and will publish a new National Policy Statement on Heat to guide the Government’s overall response to the National Heat Study across all sectors.
On 20 March 2024, the SEAI published two reports on behavioural research on heat pump uptake with several policy recommendations including running a widespread heat pump awareness campaign. The SEAI has also published a Homeowner’s Guide to Heat Pump Systems. Both the reports, and the Home Owners Guide can be accessed on the SEAI website at the respective link:
SEAI launches new behavioral research on heat pump adoption in ‘heat pump ready’ oil-heated homes | News and Media | SEAI
Homeowners-Guide-To-Heat-Pump-Systems.pdf (seai.ie)
106. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the croí cónaithe scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24222/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraPathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. A key action under Pathway 4 was the introduction of the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund in July 2022. The Fund provides for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Ready to Build Scheme. At the outset, the Croí Cónaithe Towns fund aimed to deliver 2,000 homes by 2025. This target has since been increased to 4,000.
The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes. A grant of up to a maximum of €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.
Where the refurbishment costs are expected to exceed the standard grant of up to €50,000, a maximum top-up grant of €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed by the applicant to be derelict or where the property is on the local authority’s Derelict Sites Register, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property up to a maximum of €70,000. The grant is available in respect of vacant and derelict properties built up to and including 2007, in towns, villages, cities and rural areas.
Over 8,000 grant applications have been received to date with over 4,900 approved. Drawdown of grants commenced at the end of 2023 as works started to be completed and this has steadily increased with 360 grants now paid. I expect this to significantly increase over 2024 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 can be accessed at the following link: Vacancy grant statistics
Under the Ready to Build Scheme local authorities make serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build their homes. These sites are available at a discount on the market value of the site for the purposes of building a property for occupation as the principal private residence of the purchaser. To date 17 sites have been made available for sale under the scheme by three local authorities.
The Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme launched in May 2022 supports building 5,000 apartments for sale in our cities to owner-occupiers up to 2026. The scheme aims to bridge the current “viability gap” between the cost of building apartments and the market sale price, where the cost of building is greater. The maximum funding available for each apartment is €120,000 (inclusive of VAT). However, this may be exceeded by no more than 20% (€144,000 inclusive of VAT) in certain cases in regional cities where lower market prices mean that the viability gap is larger
There have been two calls undertaken for expressions of interest under the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme to date. I can confirm five contracts have been signed for the delivery of 582 units in total, with an associated maximum subvention of circa €75m. This is comprised of 372 units that will be delivered in Cork, with a further 210 units in Dublin. A third call for expressions of interest under the Croí Cónaithe Cities Scheme is planned to take place over the summer.
107. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will respond to the growing criticism of the revised defective block remediation scheme from home owners in the impacted counties. [24290/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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 enhanced grant scheme was legislated for following extensive consultation with all relevant stakeholders.
At the time of the Scheme launch, I established an Implementation Steering Group comprised of officials from the relevant Local Authorities, my Department, the Housing Agency, and the Homeowners' Liaison Officer (HLO) who have met several times over the last number of months and will keep the operation of the regulations and guidelines under review. In addition a subgroup of this group met in January and April of this year focusing on the financial aspects of the scheme and following these meetings my Department has issued updated guidance to local authorities that will enable eligible applicants have earlier access to grant funding for certain eligible works.
The Scheme is demand led and I am satisfied that it is being administered in line with the Act as set down by the Oireachtas. The scheme in place delivers significant improvements on the previous scheme for all concerned in remediating their homes and those improvements will continue to be examined by the group, within the current legislative framework, to further assist homeowners.
The Act allows for the grant rates and overall grant scheme cap to be reviewed on an annual basis and this will, if deemed appropriate, be considered in due course. Furthermore section 51 of the Act mandates a review of the operation of the Act to take place within three years of the Act's commencement i.e. before July 2026.
108. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the voids return programme in Cork city. [24430/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. Local authority officials and elected members have a very important role to play in this regard by making adequate budgetary provision for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance utilising the significant housing rental income available to them as part of the annual budgetary process.
Notwithstanding this, my Department provides annual funding support to local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-let under the Voids Programme. This funding was introduced originally to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted to support authorities to ensure minimal turnaround and re-let times for vacant stock.
I have approved €31 million in funding to support the return of 2,300 vacant local authority homes this year. A programme of works has been submitted by Cork City Council under this Programme, with the selection of these properties a matter for each individual local authority.
An annualised breakdown by local authority, of the funding provided and the number of properties remediated under the Voids programme for the years 2014 up to and including 2023 is available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme/.
Work in relation to the 2024 Programmes is ongoing, however, it will be later this year before significant recoupment claims are lodged with my Department. Full details in relation to 2024 output under this programme will be published on my Department’s website early in 2025.
109. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he plans to allocate more funding to Louth County Council in respect of the retrofitting scheme and housing adaptation grant as there is a significant backlog due to funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24297/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department supports local authorities with annual funding towards the management and maintenance of their social housing stock under a number of funding programmes including the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP). My Department also provides funding under the suite of 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 EERP aims to retrofit a local authority home to a BER of B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent. It is expected that 36,500 local authority owned homes will be retrofitted under this programme out to 2030.
Works eligible under my Department's revised EERP include attic/cavity wall insulation or external wall insulation where required, windows and doors replacement, heat pump installation and ancillary and associated works. The funded measures achieve the B2 or cost optimal equivalent (BER).
Earlier this year, I announced funding of €90 million for the upgrade of approximately 2,500 social homes in 2024. Each local authority received an individual allocation along with a minimum target of homes they are required to retrofit.
Under the 2023 EERP programme Louth County Council were targeted at retrofitting 105 homes at an all in cost of €3,570,000. My department supported Louth County Council in completing a total of 205 units at a final cost of €7,193,125 which illustrates a significant commitment and support to both Louth County Council and the EERP scheme overall.
Under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme, the initial Exchequer allocation in 2023 for Louth County Council was over €1.8 million. In June 2023, the Department provided approval for a further Exchequer allocation of over €570,000 to Louth County Council bringing its total Exchequer allocation to over €2.4 million in 2023. Louth County Council claimed Exchequer funding of €1.58 million in 2023.
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, continuing the year on year increases since 2014. Formal notification of 2024 allocations will be issued to local authorities shortly.
110. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the next opportunity will be to add Céide Fields on UNESCO's tentative list for world heritage status, considering its significance as a world-renowned heritage site and its historical evidence of Ireland's first farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24389/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with UNESCO advice that World Heritage Tentative Lists be reviewed and updated at least once every ten years, in January 2019, my Department launched a call for applications to a new Tentative List for Ireland. The Tentative List is an inventory of potential sites that Ireland intends to nominate for inclusion on the World Heritage List. Each site on the Tentative List must demonstrate potential Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), integrity, authenticity, long-term protection, a management frameworks, and evidence of local community and stakeholder support - all critical components of a World Heritage nomination dossier.
My Department's policy is for applications to be sponsored by the relevant local authority or key stakeholders/landowners throughout the nomination process. This is crucial in order to facilitate public consultation and wider stakeholder engagement, particularly in light of the requirement under UNESCO Operational Guidelines for participatory planning and community consultation.
The current Tentative List for Ireland was announced in 2022 and it is envisaged that the Tentative List process will be reopened for review within the next five years to allow my Department assess other sites that may demonstrate potential OUV. This may include sites on the 2010 Tentative List - such as the Céide Fields - for which applications were not submitted in 2021.
The World Heritage Unit of my Department is available at all times to advise prospective applicants on the Tentative List process.
111. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has reviewed the impact of the 2019 work between his Department and the Department of Health on planning accommodation for an ageing population; and his views on whether there is a need to develop new policy tools to drive the elements of that strategy. [24418/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Housing for All, there is a policy objective to increase and improve housing options for older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence. Housing for All builds on and takes forward the ongoing actions in 'Housing Options for Our Ageing Population' policy statement from 2019, published jointly by my Department and the Department of Health, which provides policy options in support of a range of housing and accommodation alternatives for older people.
The actions include the development of a catalogue of housing options that provide a range of choices that meet the diverse needs of an ageing population, spanning owner occupier, private rental and social housing, whilst providing accessible care and the associated support needs. My Department, together with the local authorities and the Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), is successfully guiding and delivering age-friendly housing within this framework.
An implementation group, led by an independent Chair and representative of the two Departments and their agencies as well as older persons was established to oversee and manage the implementation of Housing Options of Our Ageing Population Policy Statement. The Implementation Group published three reports detailing the progress achieved on each of the Actions and these are available at
gov - Housing Options for Our Ageing Population – Policy Statement (www.gov.ie)www.gov.ie/en/publication/83781d-housing-options-for-our-ageing-population-policy-statement/.
My Department continues to collaborate with the Department of Health on the implementation of relevant ongoing actions, together with engagement on advancing the most appropriate framework, under the strategic framework of Housing for All, to ensure the effective integration of health and housing policies at national and local level.
112. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his assessment of the impact of the development levy waiver and Uisce Éireann connection charge rebate on housing commencements to date in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24317/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and waste water connection charges.
The schemes originally applied for 1 year to all permitted residential development that commenced on site between 25 April 2023 (the date of the Government Decision approving the measure) and 24 April 2024, and is completed not later than 31 December 2025. On 23 April 2024, the Government approved an extension for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions in respect of residential development commenced not later than 31 December 2024 and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and waste water connection charges in respect of residential development commenced not later than 30 September 2024.
The date for the completion of development works on qualifying houses under the schemes has been extended from 31 December 2025 to 31 December 2026.
Further to the comprehensive package of measures introduced under Housing for All, including the waiver and rebate schemes, the latest data on housing commencements indicates that the temporary time-limited nature of the waiver and refund schemes has achieved their primary objective of influencing the speedier activation of planning permissions by the development sector since they were introduced last year, including planning permissions that have been granted for a number of years and were not activated.
In this connection, Commencement Notice data in respect of residential construction starts in 2024 shows a significant spike in activity with 18,182 homes commenced in April alone, up 605% on the same period in 2023. This is by far the highest seen in any month since the the collection of Commencement Notice data began in 2014. The previous highest ever monthly figure was 4,969 In May 2021.
In the period from January to end April 2024, 30,138 new homes have begun construction – up 204% on the same four-month period in 2023.
This higher rate of housing commencements - influenced by the time-limited nature of the two schemes - should assist towards the achievement of the Government’s housing delivery targets in the coming years. The schemes have also assisted in enhancing the viability of schemes, particularly in relation to apartment schemes, and thereby influenced the bringing forward of development that might not otherwise have been as financially viable or possible to progress.
113. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider emergency housing measures to increase the supply of housing to those counties particularly affected by the threat of homelessness; if he will take steps to address these increasing housing needs in order to ensure that homelessness does not become an endemic and that families including parents and children have an option to avail of in the event of finding themselves homeless arising from eviction, or through the ongoing increasing demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24347/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraSupporting individuals and families facing homelessness is a priority for Government. Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness and prevent homelessness in the first instance, is increasing the supply of housing. Almost 12,000 new social homes were delivered in 2023, through Build, Acquisition and Leasing, including 8,110 new build homes, the highest level of new build social homes in nearly 50 years. Including HAP and RAS, 21,733 social housing solutions were delivered throughout 2023.
Record state investment of over €5bn has been made available this year to support the largest State home building programme ever, including 9,300 new build social homes. This funding will also support the Tenant in Situ scheme, with provision to acquire 1,500 homes where a social housing tenant has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property. This scheme delivered 1,830 acquisitions in 2023 and was a key prevention measure. For private tenants at risk of homelessness who are not in receipt of social housing supports, the ‘Cost Rental Tenant In-Situ’ scheme has also been introduced.
Budget 2024 allocated funding of over €242 million for the delivery of homeless services. This funding will support the provision of emergency accommodation and related supports, including increased prevention activity. Housing for All also includes measures to enhance family support and prevention and early intervention services for children and their families through a multi-agency and coordinated response. Local authorities and their service delivery partners will work closely with all households in emergency accommodation to support them to secure an exit to a tenancy.
I am continuing to work closely with the National Homeless Action Committee, which I chair, to ensure that there is a continued focus across Government to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness and to ensure that we address both prevention of entries into homelessness and exits from homelessness as a matter of urgency.
114. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which he can avail of modern housing production methods to facilitate the provision of supply of homes to the market in addition to those already in hand in order to address the increasing demand arising from the termination of tenancies or other factors which might make it difficult or even impossible for families to provide housing by other means such as purchase or rental through the local authorities; if he can identify those counties currently trying to face this challenge with a view to increasing the supply within months rather than years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24348/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraModern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address the different housing needs in Ireland and methods to support the development of MMC in Ireland are set out in Housing for All.
MMC is the term used to describe a range of manufacturing and innovative construction alternatives to traditional construction, including modular construction. MMC has the potential to boost productivity, increase efficiency and improve sustainability in the construction sector.
The coordination of initiatives to promote MMC adoption is being led by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), through the inter-departmental MMC Leadership and Integration Group.
These initiatives include the Accelerated social housing delivery programme; the Roadmap for increased adoption of MMC in Public Housing; The Construct Innovate Technology Centre; The National Demonstration Park for MMC and training for industry and public sector professionals.
MMC is central to the Government’s Accelerated Social Housing Delivery Programme. This programme is being led by my Department and will see the delivery by 13 local authorities of at least 1,500 social homes using Modern methods of Construction across approximately 36 sites. It is intended to expand the use of the Design and Build procurement approach to enable greater use of MMC in social and affordable housing delivery.
The table below shows the breakdown of the sites in the Accelerated Delivery Programme by local authority.
|
Local authority |
No of Projects |
No. of Homes (approx.) |
|
Cork City |
1 |
222 |
|
Cork County |
4 |
71 |
|
DLR |
3 |
300 |
|
Fingal |
5 |
263 |
|
Galway City |
1 |
84 |
|
Kerry |
4 |
172 |
|
Kildare |
1 |
65 |
|
Limerick |
1 |
19 |
|
Louth |
5 |
309 |
|
Meath |
1 |
47 |
|
Sligo |
8 |
281 |
|
Waterford |
1 |
35 |
|
Westmeath |
1 |
12 |
115. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of grants approved for the help-to-buy scheme and the first home scheme in Cork city and Cork county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24372/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra134. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of first home scheme eligible homes provided in County Cork since the scheme commenced; the number of times the help to buy scheme has been utilized by persons in County Cork;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24321/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 134 together.
The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, other eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country).
The First Home Scheme Ireland DAC is responsible for the management and oversight of the Scheme on behalf of all shareholders and, as such, is responsible for First Home Scheme reporting.
Updates are published quarterly and annually on the First Home Scheme website. According to the First Home Scheme Q1 Report for 2024, Cork City and Cork County accounts for 14% of all Live Approvals. The most recently report, Q1 2024, is available at the following link: www.firsthomescheme.ie/about-the-company/quarterly-updates/.
I am aware that a monthly statistical report on Help to Buy activity is produced by Revenue and is available online at the following link www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statistics/tax-expenditures/htb/htb-monthly.aspx. As the Help-to-Buy scheme is administered by Revenue and the Department of Finance, they should be contacted directly for more information.
117. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta cén fáth nach bhfuil na treoirlínte pleanála Gaeltachta foilsithe go fóill, cén dáta faoina mbeidh siad foilsithe, agus ráiteas a thabhairt lena dtaobh. [24343/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraTá Grúpa Idir-Rannach (ina bhfuil mo Roinnse, an Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán, agus Údarás na Gaeltachta) fós ag leanúint lena chuid oibre ag forbairt treoir phleanála faoi leith do cheantair Ghaeltachta. Tá Grúpa Oibre eile ann freisin ina bhfuil an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta, an Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán, Údarás na Gaeltachta agus na húdaráis áitiúla ábhartha a bhfuil ceantair Ghaeltachta acu páirteach.
Ag cruinniú an Ghrúpa Idir-Rannaigh an 15 Nollaig 2022, cinneadh go dtionscnódh an Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán staidéar in 2023 maidir leis an modheolaíocht agus leis an bhformáid do Ráitis Tionchair Teangeolaíochta mar phríomhghné treoirlínte pleanála amach anseo do cheantair Ghaeltachta. Tionscnaíodh an staidéar ina dhiaidh sin i mí Feabhra 2023. Tá tograí tosaigh faighte ón sainchomhairleoir, agus a gcuid oibre beagnach críochnaithe, agus tá sé sin mar bhonn eolais don dréacht de threoirlínte pleanála do cheantair Ghaeltachta. Bhí roinnt cruinnithe Grúpa Idir-Rannaigh ar siúl in 2023 agus tá rannpháirtíocht dhéthaobhach na Roinne ar siúl.
Tá na dréacht-treoirlínte pleanála do cheantair Ghaeltachta á dtabhairt chun críche faoi láthair le go ndéanfaidh mé athbhreithniú orthu ar dtús agus ansin scagadh éigeantach faoi dhlí an AE do Mheasúnacht Straitéiseach Timpeallachta (MST), agus chun críocha Measúnachta Cuí (MC) freisin. Tá sé i gceist, faoi réir thoradh na gcleachtaí scagtha, go bhfoilseofar dréacht-treoirlínte ansin le haghaidh comhairliúcháin phoiblí.
Beidh gach eagras áitiúil i gceantair Ghaeltachta agus gach duine den phobal lena n-áirítear grúpaí teanga in ann a gcuid tuairimí a chur isteach maidir leis an dréacht le linn na céime comhairliúcháin sin lena meas ag mo Roinnse.
Tá sé ar intinn agam na Treoirlínte sin a fhoilsiú, ag féachaint don ghá atá ann na hábhair chasta atá i gceist a bhreithniú agus tuilleadh rannpháirtíochta a dhéanamh leis an Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán.
Maidir leis sin, agus ag tabhairt faoi deara an tábhacht a bhaineann le comhairliúchán ar na hábhair sin chun a chinntiú go mbainfear seasamh láidir agus éifeachtach beartais amach, tá sé ar intinn agam cur chuige beartais atá molta a fhoilsiú le haghaidh comhairliúcháin chomh luath agus is féidir chun bonn eolais a chur faoi thabhairt chun críche na ndréacht-treoirlínte.
118. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Government and Heritage if those undertaking remediation of their properties are accommodated under the defective block scheme in County Louth; if there is a redress scheme for those effected by mica/pyrite in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24295/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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 is open to applications in four counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo.
When a local authority that is not designated under the Scheme determines through the established mechanisms that homes within their functional area have been damaged by defective concrete blocks, they can seek to have the scheme extended to include any such county or part of such county.
Section 5 of the Act contains details on this process. This statutory designation process can commence upon a request by a local authority or by myself, as Minister, to the Housing Agency, and whereby the Agency thereafter carries out technical testing of dwellings in a given local authority administrative area. As soon as practicable after the completion of any testing, the Housing Agency shall make a recommendation to me whether an order to designate the whole or part of a local authority's administrative area should or should not be made by the Government.
I understand Louth County Council have been in contact with the Housing Agency as recently as last month but are yet to officially request the commencement of the process for inclusion under the grant scheme.
119. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to detail his plans for the development of the Irish language through the bodies under his aegis such as the Heritage Council and local authorities; if he will consider introducing a dedicated funding stream for local authorities to encourage them to develop an Irish language section staffed by two full-time Irish language officers to assist in increasing the visibility and use of our native language, which is a stated objective of the Programme for Government 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24412/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for coordinating and funding the promotion of the Irish Language rests with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media which coordinates the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030. I have no role in this regard.
Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions. The locus of responsibility at national level for promotion of the Irish language is determined by where the policy responsibility lies, not by the fact that some services may be delivered by local authorities.
120. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage their targets for delivering affordable housing in County Monaghan; and the number delivered in the years 2020 to date. [24036/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra127. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he has taken to ensure this year's social and affordable housing build targets are met in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24390/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 127 together.
Under Housing for All, the Government has targeted delivery of 47,600 new social rented homes and 28,500 new affordable homes from 2022 to 2026.
Each local authority has prepared its own 5-year Housing Delivery Action Plan setting out their planned social and affordable housing delivery. Mayo and Monaghan have published their plans on their own websites.
While Mayo does not have a specific affordability target, it has identified localised affordability need in the key urban locations of Westport and Castlebar where some new households being formed would not be able to access housing for purchase or rent at prices/rents affordable to them.
The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) is open and available to support all local authorities to address such affordable housing need identified in their area.
Mayo has received funding approval towards 13 affordable purchase homes in Westport, and is proactively engaging with my Department in relation to developing further affordability schemes.
Monaghan has not applied for AHF assistance to date.
Comprehensive programme level statistics covering social and affordable housing delivery programmes are published quarterly. Data for 2022 and 2023 is available on the Department’s website www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
The published data includes First Home scheme activity and shows that first time buyers in both Mayo and Monaghan are availing of this opportunity to secure a home. This will become an increasingly significant delivery mechanism as the scheme takes hold and develops further.
I anticipate that the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, which includes the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant and the Ready to Build Scheme, will prove valuable in addressing affordable housing need in Mayo and Monaghan. Both authorities have vacant homes officers in place who can assist the public with bringing vacant homes back into use, with up to €70,000 in grant support available to do so.
The Housing Delivery Coordination Office of the Local Government Management Agency and the resources of the Housing Agency are available to advise and support local authorities in the development of their social and affordable housing delivery programmes.
