Written Answers Nos. 471-492
471. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the funding allocated to the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027, broken down by year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35252/23]
View answerMy Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 with the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) in January 2022 and jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027 Implementation Plan on 22 June 2023. The Strategy and Implementation Plan may be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/60d76-national-housing-strategy-for-disabled-people-2022-2027/
The Strategy and Implementation Plan will operate under the framework of Housing for All-A New Plan for Ireland (published in September 2021) which provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. The strategy sets out, over four pathways, a broad suite of measures to achieve its policy objectives together with a financial commitment of in excess of €4 billion per annum. The Plan is committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing with an appropriate mix of housing design types provided within social housing, including universally designed units, is available to everyone in Irish society, including disabled people.
Housing for disabled people is funded under the capital schemes for local authority housing such as Social Housing Capital Investment Programme (SHCIP) and the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF). In addition, the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) provides funding of up to 100% to Approved Housing Bodies for the provision of independent living accommodation to meet the needs of people requiring specific categories of needs, including disabled people.
The Capital Assistance Scheme, for which €137m is provided in 2023, will be among the key measures to support the delivery of housing for disabled people under the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027.
My Department also provides funding to local authorities for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. The Grant Scheme assists eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. Capital funding of €66.5 million is available in 2023 for payments to local authorities for expenditure incurred on these grants.
473. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the social housing output across all delivery streams in 2023, broken down by local authority area, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35254/23]
View answer483. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the latest social housing pipeline report will be published. [35357/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 473 and 483 together.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity. This data is available to the end of Quarter 4 2022, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/
My Department also publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR). The Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR) 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 4 2022. All Construction Status Reports are available at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/
A version of the CSR file can also be downloaded for analysis of completions, locations, approvals stage etc. at the link below:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/14f82-social-housing-construction-projects-status-report-q4-2022/
The Quarter 1 2023 Social Housing Delivery statistics are currently being collated and will be published in due course, in conjunction with the Quarter 1 Construction Status Report.
474. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of whole-time equivalent vacant homes officers in each local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35255/23]
View answerI refer to Question No. 334 of 11 July which sets out the position in this matter.
475. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of Traveller-specific accommodation units delivered, under construction and going through the planning process as part of the Traveller Accommodation Programme 2019 to 2024, broken down by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35256/23]
View answerThe Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998 provides that the role of my Department is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist housing authorities in providing accommodation for Travellers, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.
The Act provides that housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas.
The output of Traveller specific accommodation for each local authority in each of the years 2019-2022 is set out in the following table. Output figures for 2023 and 2024 are not yet available. My Department does not hold details on projects under construction and going through the planning process however this information may be available from the local authorities.
|
Traveller Specific Accommodation Outputs |
|
|||
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
|
Total Outputs |
Total Outputs |
Total Outputs |
Total Outputs |
|
|
Carlow |
15 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cavan |
18 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Clare |
1 |
6 |
6 |
2 |
|
Cork City |
1 |
23 |
9 |
25 |
|
Cork County |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
|
Donegal |
0 |
8 |
0 |
13 |
|
Dublin City |
9 |
15 |
2 |
40 |
|
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown |
0 |
11 |
2 |
12 |
|
Fingal |
1 |
8 |
4 |
15 |
|
Galway City |
0 |
19 |
17 |
6 |
|
Galway County |
10 |
21 |
0 |
8 |
|
Kerry |
0 |
18 |
0 |
2 |
|
Kildare |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
|
Kilkenny |
8 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
|
Laois |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Leitrim |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
|
Limerick City |
23 |
15 |
3 |
6 |
|
Longford |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
|
Louth |
0 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
|
Mayo |
0 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
|
Meath |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
|
Monaghan |
0 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
Offaly |
0 |
8 |
0 |
7 |
|
Roscommon |
1 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
|
Sligo |
1 |
17 |
1 |
7 |
|
South Dublin |
0 |
10 |
9 |
13 |
|
Tipperary |
0 |
5 |
3 |
13 |
|
Waterford City |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Westmeath |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Wexford |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Wicklow |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
TOTAL |
91 |
206 |
69 |
197 |
477. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of cost rental homes delivered to date in 2023, broken down by funding stream and local authority area, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35258/23]
View answerUnder Housing for All, the Government will deliver a total of 18,000 Cost Rental homes over the period to 2030, and significant funding is being made available to support provision by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), Local Authorities, and by the Land Development Agency (LDA).
Delivery will increase incrementally to an average of 2,000 Cost Rental homes per year, with 10,000 Cost Rental homes to be delivered from 2021 to 2026. AHBs are supported by Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) funding and Local Authorities will be able to avail of funding through the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF). The LDA will also deliver Cost Rental on its own portfolio of sites, or through acquisitions under Project Tosaigh.
Cost Rental was introduced through the Affordable Housing Act 2021. Cost Rental is targeted to deliver starting rents at least 25% below comparable market level and at households who cannot afford to purchase or rent their own home on the open market. Cost Rental provides tenants with secure tenancies in sustainable, long-term homes. Under the Cost Rental model, rents for homes are set to cover only the cost of financing, building, managing and maintaining the homes. Importantly, one of the conditions of this scheme is that households must have net income (i.e. the level of income after tax) of less than €53,000.
The very first Cost Rental homes in Ireland were delivered in 2021, and 2022 saw significant acceleration of delivery by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), supported by the Cost Rental Equity Loan, and the first Cost Rental homes delivered via the Land Development Agency (LDA). A total of 684 new Cost Rental homes were delivered in 2022. Cost Rental Delivery is continuing this year, with a pipeline of housing delivery which is being progressively developed by Local Authorities, AHBs, and the LDA.
Local authorities have begun systematically collating information on delivery of affordable homes in their area, including delivery by AHBs and the LDA, in the same manner as is currently done for social housing delivery. Informed by returns of this data, which are currently being validated, I expect that my Department will be in a position to report the Q1 2023 affordable housing delivery shortly.
478. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications and approvals for the vacant property refurbishment grant, broken down by local authority area, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35259/23]
View answerPathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock.
In July 2022 the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant was launched to support bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use.
From 1 May 2023, 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, including the conversion of a property which has not been used as residential heretofore, subject to appropriate planning permission being in place.
Where the refurbishment costs are expected to exceed the standard grant of up to €50,000, a maximum top-up grant amount of up to €20,000 is available where the property is confirmed by the applicant to be derelict or where the property is already 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.
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: www.gov.ie/en/collection/4bbe4-vacant-property-refurbishment-grant-statistics/#:~:text=A%20grant%20of%20up%20to,property%20up%20to%20%E2%82%AC70%2C000 - Vacancy grant statistics
479. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will indicate the movement on the waiting lists for social housing in each local authority over the past five years. [35271/23]
View answerDetails on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA).
There were 57,842 households qualified for social housing whose need was unmet in November 2022. The published summaries for all counties, conducted annually since 2016, are available at:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/
Overall, the number of households qualified for social housing nationally whose need was unmet has declined by 14,016 since 2018.
480. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of the senior executive officer roles that were assigned to both Drogheda and Dundalk in 2020; if Louth County Council made a further request to extend the roles in either location; if there was an external recruitment drive for either of the positions; the full job description of the appointees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35336/23]
View answerLouth County Council sought formal sanction from my Department for two additional staff at Senior Executive Officer grade level in early 2020, the posts to be filled by internal competition. Formal sanction for these posts on a three year specific purpose contract basis was communicated by my Department to the Council on 31 January 2020.
The filling of these posts and matters such as appointment date(s) and the detailed role and functions of the posts are a matter for Louth County Council in accordance with section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 which provides that each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible.
My Department has not received any new staffing sanction requests in respect of these two specific posts.
481. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the provision of emergency funding for interim fire safety works in buildings with fire safety and other defects including how much funding will be made available this year; how it will be accessed; and when the funding scheme will open. [35355/23]
View answer490. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the progress made on the introduction of the interim measures associated with the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. [35462/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 481 and 490 together.
Since the receipt of Government approval in January of this year, I have been working to progress the various programmes of work that are required to place the scheme to establish supports for the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013 on a statutory footing.
A key aspect of this work is the development of a Code of Practice, in the context of the Fire Services Acts, to provide guidance to relevant professionals, including guidance on interim safety measures. I expect to be in a position to publish this Code of Practice in the coming weeks.
This Code of Practice will be a key feature on which the operation of the statutory scheme will be based. It will support the development of a reasonable and practicable approach to resolving fire safety defects, and to ensure a consistent approach nationwide to remediation.
The scheme will incorporate a means or methodology, based on the Code of Practice, for prioritising the allocation and nature of support and funding, to ensure that the highest risk buildings will be the first to be supported.
In order to ensure that important life-safety works are not paused, remediation works related to fire safety defects, entered into or commenced from 18 January 2023, will form part of the remediation scheme, subject to terms and conditions. The details of this process are being worked out as a priority in parallel with the Code of Practice.
The scheme will be administered by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis and interaction and interdependency with local authority fire services and others is being considered, with the remediation of fire safety defects carried out to the satisfaction of the local authority fire services. An advice and information service and portal within the Housing Agency is in the process of being established.
In addition, work is also underway to draft the required legislation, which will include the scope, eligibility and conditions of the remediation scheme. While I am working on the development of the scheme as a matter of priority, sufficient time is required to draft the legislation to ensure that the scheme is fit for purpose, provides value for tax payer’s money and contains appropriate oversight and governance measures.
Subject to the legislative process, it is intended that a scheme would be in place in 2024.
484. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in light of the difficulties in publishing the Mulcahy Report in certain planning matters in County Donegal, if he will publish a summary of the report outlining any relevant findings; and set out what actions he intends to take to address these findings. [35358/23]
View answerI am considering the report, entitled 'A Review Into Certain Planning Matters in Respect of Donegal County Council', by Mr. Rory Mulcahy S.C., and will bring this matter to Government for consideration in due course.
The review is a scoping report and as such it does not make findings as to the truth or otherwise of allegations that have been made by an individual against named persons. The Attorney General's office has been consulted on both the content of the report and also on the issue of its potential publication and dissemination
Further, regarding the publication of the Mulcahy Report, the decisions of the Commissioner for Environmental Information (OCE-103174-W9G4J2 (Legacy Reference CEI-18-0019)) of 13 February 2019 and the Information Commissioner (OIC-59426-Q8D7T8) of 27 February 2020 in relation to requests to publish this report will also be taken into account. Both decisions are publicly available on those bodies' websites.
It should be noted that in each of these cases, both the Commissioner for Environmental Information and the Information Commissioner decided not to grant access to the report. The Office of the Information Commissioner decision stated "placing the details concerned in the public domain would significantly breach the rights to privacy of identifiable individuals." Therefore, this is a matter that requires careful consideration given that the report details unproven allegations against named persons.
485. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to set out in tabular form a progress report on each of the eight policy asks from the Regional Independents Group during the Private Members Motion debate on 21st February 2023 (details supplied) which were incorporated into the Government’s countermotion to the Sinn Féin motion on that date. [35360/23]
View answerThe progress report on each of the eight policy asks from the Regional Independents Group during the Private Members Motion debate on 21 March 2023 is set out in the table below:
|
Policy Area |
Update |
|
Remove barriers for older people in long-term nursing home care who wish to lease out their homes, effective from 1st May, 2023; |
Effective from 1 November 2022, the amount of rental income that nursing home residents can retain under the Fair Deal from renting their principle private residence increased from 20% to 60%. Under the terms of the amended legislation, this policy change is currently being reviewed by the Department of Health. The Department of Health has informed us that the timeline for completion of the review is set at 3 months (from 1 May) with work ongoing towards an accelerated conclusion. |
|
Increase the refurbishment grant rate for the Croí Cónaithe (Towns) Fund Scheme, to reflect current building costs, effective from 1st May, 2023; Extend the Croí Cónaithe scheme to include properties which are made available for rent and not just owner-occupied, effective from 1st May, 2023; Revise the Croí Cónaithe scheme to include properties built prior to 2007, effective from 1st May, 2023; |
To build on the initial success of the Grant since its launch last July, a number of changes came into effect on 1 May 2023: - The current maximum grant rates were increased from €30,000 to €50,000 for vacant properties and from €50,000 to €70,000 for derelict properties; - The Grant has been extended to include rental properties; and - The eligibility date, which was previously 1993 for the build date, was changed to include vacant and derelict properties built up to and including 2007. |
|
Extend the Rent-a-Room Relief scheme to people receiving social welfare payments who rent out a room so that they do not lose supplementary benefits, such as the medical card, effective from 1st May, 2023; |
With regards to people who rent a room in their own home, the Minister for Social Protection, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, signed two regulations in March last year, and extended them in March this year in order to ensure that a Social Protection recipient would be provided with a means disregard, in respect of means-assessed social protection payments, equivalent to €14,000 per annum (Equivalent to the D/Finance Rent a Room Tax Exemption amount). Rules were also amended to facilitate a person retaining ancillary social protection allowances, such as Fuel Allowance and Living Alone Allowance in those circumstances.
There has been ongoing engagement between the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Health over recent months to review the range of related policy, legislative, financial and operational implications arising from this proposal. Legal advice received confirms that primary legislation is required to implement an exemption of Rent-a-Room income from the medical card assessment process. Officials are progressing work to identify and finalise the legislative requirements needed to give effect to this objective. |
|
Introduce in Budget 2024 a tax relief scheme to take effect in the current tax year for small landlords; |
Decisions regarding tax incentives and reliefs, whether in respect of the introduction of new measures or the amendment of existing measures, are normally made in the context of the annual Budget and Finance Bill process. |
|
Amend the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to guarantee payment to landlords where the tenant defaults on payment of contribution to HAP, effective from 1st May, 2023; |
Systems and processes needed for the implementation of a Landlord Payment Guarantee have been put in place. From 1 May 2023, if a tenant defaults on payment of differential rent under the Landlord Payment Guarantee, the HAP payment to the landlord will be guaranteed for a 12 month period, or earlier if the tenancy ends prior to that date. The HAP debt management process (DMP) will continue to operate as normal up to suspension stage, with the addition of payment plans to assist tenants in maintaining their tenancies. |
|
Immediately engage with site owners who have obtained planning permission under the Strategic Infrastructure Development and have not yet commenced building due to viability issues, in order to ensure immediate commencement of these projects under affordable housing schemes |
Project Tosaigh aims to unlock land with full planning permission that is not being developed by private sector owners due to financing and other constraints, and use it to accelerate the supply of affordable housing. The LDA commenced the formal procurement process for Phase 2 of Project Tosaigh on 29 June 2023 with the publication of a Prior Information Notice (PIN) in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). The tender, which will be published on 24 July 2023 will advance procurement via a two-stage process for a panel of delivery partners (house builders). The panel is expected to be in place by Q4 2023.
The Croí Cónaithe (Cities) Scheme is a fund to support the building of apartments for sale to owner-occupiers. It 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 Housing Agency are now concluding the appraisal projects under call one with the potential to deliver a further 1,530 owner occupied apartments. Letters of Intent have issued to successful applicants from the first call and the first contract was signed on 4 July 2023. It is expected that further contracts will be signed in the coming weeks. The second call under the Scheme was launched on 8 July 2023.
Furthermore, there is a suite of measures underway to address the current viability challenges including, but not limited to:
- the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority development contributions, and the refunding of Uisce Éireann water and wastewater connection charges; - a new Cost Rental Viability Measure to activate existent planning permissions, particularly in the Build-to-Rent sector, and to make the resulting supply of homes more affordable; - changes to both the Cost Rental Equity Loan and the Affordable Housing Fund grant to support Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and local authorities and to deliver more affordable homes - A list of priority actions which aim to help reduce cost and increase standardisation in the provision of housing from a recently completed cost of construction study; and - A list of actions arising from the Report on the Drivers of Cost and Availability of Finance for Residential Development. |
486. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm that a position of Deputy Secretary General has been created in his Department; the reason for the creation of this position; the salary scale for this position; and the date on which the position is expected to be filled. [35361/23]
View answerA position for a Deputy Secretary has been approved for my Department following discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. The role was advertised by the Top Level Appointments Committee in June.
The selection process is now under way and while it is hoped that the role will be filled as soon as possible no definitive timelines are available at this time.
The Personal Pension Contribution (PPC) salary for Deputy Secretary is €199, 040.
The Deputy Secretary will have responsibility to oversee, co-ordinate and drive delivery of the objectives of Housing for All through primarily working with the 4 Housing Divisions and Planning Division, but also drawing on the necessary policy and delivery levers in other Divisions such as Water, Local Government and Heritage.
The role of Deputy Secretary operates at the interface of top management of the Department and with the Minister and Ministers of State.
The Deputy Secretary General will be responsible for ensuring cohesive policy, strategy and delivery across these functions and accordingly the Heads of Division in Housing and Planning will report to the Deputy Secretary on defined policy, strategy and finance matters.
487. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has examined the interplay of the help-to-buy scheme with the first-home equity scheme which can operate to prevent applicants drawing upon the full value of each scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35372/23]
View answerThe First Home Scheme, launched on 7 July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. Full details of the First Home Scheme are available at: www.firsthomescheme.ie.
The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive is a scheme to assist first-time purchasers with the deposit they need to buy or build a new house or apartment. The incentive gives a refund on Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax paid in the State over the previous four years, subject to limits outlined in the legislation. Section 477C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 outlines the definitions and conditions that apply to the scheme. In order to claim Help to Buy (HTB), an applicant must take out a mortgage on the property with a qualifying lender, with the mortgage being at least 70% of the purchase value of the property or approved valuation in the case of a self-build. Section 477C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 defines “purchase value” of the property. It defines purchase value in relation to the open market value of the home. The HTB scheme is administered by the Department of Finance and Revenue.
My Department has had engagement with the Department of Finance in relation to the above definition and this engagement is on-going.
488. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will indicate his projection of the relative need for cost-rental versus the affordable purchase scheme to be developed by public authorities; and the basis on which this projection has been made. [35373/23]
View answerHousing for All commits to deliver 54,000 affordable homes to either purchase or rent between now and end 2030, with 29,000 delivered by end 2026. The majority of homes will be targeted at Affordable Purchase with an overall average delivery ratio of approximately 2:1 Affordable Purchase to Cost Rental. These new-build homes will be targeted primarily at first time buyers and those facing demonstrable affordability constraints.
The Housing Demand and Need Assessment (HNDA) framework and tool assists local authorities develop long-term views of housing demand and need and provide a robust evidence-base to support decisions about new housing supply, wider investment and housing related services that inform an overall national housing profile.
The HNDA tool helps project housing demand estimates across four tenures, namely social, affordable, private rental and private ownership. Generally, it does this by projecting population growth and distribution across and within local authorities, as well as forecasting house prices, rent prices and incomes to make an assessment of the future affordability of the different housing tenures. The tool is populated by a range of different demographic, income, and house and rental price scenarios and assumptions for this purpose.
Using the ESRI's household projections and deploying the tool's Convergence Scenario, the HNDA methodology produced an estimated housing need across the four tenures for the period to 2030. This estimate underpinned the annual average target of 33,000 homes per year in Housing for All and informed local authority housing supply targets to 2030, including social and affordable housing.
It is intended to review the HNDA framework, including the tool and underlying demographic, income, house and rental price scenarios and assumptions this year as the detailed Census data become available. As a critical element of this work, the ESRI will update its research on structural housing demand. It is expected that this work will be completed towards end-2023.
489. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of properties that have been approved for upgrades, by each local authority, under the energy efficiency retrofit programme in 2022 and 2023, in tabular form; and the number of upgrade works that have been completed by each local authority in 2022. [35447/23]
View answerIn 2021 a new holistic approach was applied to the Energy Efficient Retrofit Programme (EERP), designed around the Programme for Government's commitment led by the Department for the Environment, Climate and Communications that calls for the 'retrofit' of 500,000 homes to a B2 (BER)/Cost Optimal Equivalent standard by 2030, of which, approximately 36,500 are expected to be local authority owned homes, with grant funding provided by my Department for those local authority housing retrofits.
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.
An annualised breakdown of the funding and number of properties completed by each local authority since 2013 is available at the following link:www.gov.ie/en/publication/668c1-energy-efficiency-retrofitting-programme-expenditure-output/ - Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme - Expenditure & Output (www.gov.ie)
My Department also introduced a pilot Midlands Energy Retrofit Programme in 2020, the details of which are found below. A further 481 properties were retrofitted to a BER of B2/ Cost Optimal Equivalent and these figures are in addition to the National Retrofit Programme.
www.gov.ie/en/publication/b86b3-midlands-energy-retrofit-programme-expenditure-and-units/ - Midlands Energy Retrofit Programme - Expenditure and Units (www.gov.ie)
The 2023 EERP budget provides an increase in funding support to €87 million in 2023 which will allow approximately 2,400 local authority owned social homes to be upgraded to a B2 or cost optimal equivalent (BER). Local authorities have been notified of their targets and funding available but it will be later this year before significant claims have been received. Full details on 2023 will be available early in 2024.
491. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the level of State support to undertake fire protection standard investments that were not required by the building requirements at the time they were built. [35476/23]
View answerI understand that the Deputy is enquiring if the defects compensation scheme would be extended to fire safety defects that now require substantial remediation, which are outside the terms of the scheme recently announced.
On 18 January I received Government approval to draft legislation to establish supports for the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013.
It is intended that only defects that are attributable to defective design, defective or faulty workmanship, defective materials (or any combination of these) and were in contravention of the Building Regulations applicable at the time of construction will be eligible for inclusion in the scheme.
Work is underway to draft the required legislation, which will include the scope, eligibility and conditions of the remediation scheme based on the parameters outlined above. I have no plans to extend the scheme beyond this.
492. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the internships, apprenticeships and graduate schemes run by his Department and public bodies under the aegis of his Department. [35489/23]
View answerMy Department participates in the ICT Apprenticeship scheme which is run by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer. My Department has 3 apprentices under the current iteration of the scheme.
In addition, my Department partakes in the Willing, Able, Mentoring programme (WAM), which is an initiative of AHEAD, that aims to promote access to the labour market for graduates with disabilities. The civil service WAM placement unit offers graduates with disabilities temporary paid work experience on a full-time basis at the 1st point of the Executive Officer (EO) payscale. For the 2023 cohort there will be an opportunity for candidates, following successful completion of their placement and having met the required competency standards for the Confined Competition at the end of the placement, to move into work placements where there is an identified permanent role at EO grade.
Finally, my Department facilitates the North East Inner City Work Experience Placement Programme for a small number of two week placements annually.
