Written Answers Nos. 180-198
180. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if any chief executive of a State/semi-State body or other public body under the aegis of his Department received any benefit from taxable benefits being paid on their behalf by the body/organisation for each of the years 2019 to date; if so, the amount and details, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40763/23]
View answerThe requested information is currently being compiled by my Department. A separate response will issue to the Deputy as soon as possible, in accordance with the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann.
181. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a project (details supplied) in County Kerry will be selected as a turn-key housing project; the current status of the application by Kerry County Council; if the case will be accelerated given the number of units and relatively short time that would be required to complete the units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40792/23]
View answerMy Department is supporting local authorities in the delivery of their social housing targets under Housing For All through a range of different initiatives and schemes, including the construction of social homes on their own lands, construction delivery in conjunction with approved housing bodies and also, local authorities are working in partnership with private developers to deliver social housing construction through turnkey arrangements.
The selection of Turnkey projects is strictly a matter for local authorities to consider through the assessment and procurement procedures as laid out in Housing Circular 31/2019. My Department has no direct role in this process and any enquiries regarding the selection of projects should be directed to the relevant local authority, in the first instance.
My Department has not received a funding application from Kerry County Council for the development referenced. My Department would welcome such submissions and supports Kerry County Council in working towards achieving their Social Housing targets.
182. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the housing adaptation grant for older people can be used to rehabilitate a sewage system in a single house as there is no other option to remedy the issue. [40793/23]
View answerMy Department provides funding to local authorities in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist eligible people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability (max grant €30,000), the Mobility Aids Grant (max grant €6,000) and the Housing Aid for Older People (max grant €8,000). A means test applies to each grant scheme.
The Housing Aid for Older People scheme provides grants of up to €8,000 to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out. Grant qualifying works comprise essential works which make a property habitable including structural repairs or improvements, upgrade to electrical wiring, repair or replacement of windows and doors, provision of heating, water or sanitary services. The detailed administration of the schemes is the responsibility of the local authorities, therefore the qualifying works is a matter for consideration and decision on a case-by-case basis by the local authority within the scope of the grant scheme.
Further details on these schemes are available on my Department's website at the following link:www.gov.ie/en/service/6636c-housing-adaptation-grants-for-older-people-and-people-with-a-disability/
My Department’s Rural Water Programme makes provision for grant assistance to householders in carrying out remediation, repair or upgrading works to, or replacement of, a domestic waste water treatment systems (septic tanks) where these are located in areas specifically prioritised for environmental protection or where identified as requiring action under a national inspection plan.
Further information can be obtained from the local authorities who are responsible for the day to day administration of these grants or on my Department's website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/6cc1e-domestic-waste-water-treatment-systems-septic-tanks/
183. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason people availing of the derelict house grant are required to pay the money to the contractor up front and then claim back for the local authority, which makes the grant unattainable for most people as they do not have such funds available, and in those circumstances, the reason the local authority cannot be authorised to pay the contractors directly, thus making the grant more easily accessible to those who need it. [40810/23]
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.
A maximum of two grants are available to any applicant, of which one must be in respect of a home they intend to occupy as their principal private residence and the other may be in respect of a property which will be made available for rent.
The grant process involves the local authority receiving and reviewing applications to ensure that the grant conditions are met and arranging for a qualified person to visit the property to check the refurbishment work being applied for and to assess the proposed cost. Following confirmation of a successful application and the works being completed, the local authority will conduct a final property visit to review that the work has been completed in-line with the grant application. Once the local authority is satisfied, they will then pay the grant.
Payment of the grant at the end of this process is to ensure that the applicant has carried out the works applied for, and approved.
When the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund was launched, a commitment was given that the schemes funded by it would be kept under ongoing review. A comprehensive review and evaluation of the schemes under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, including the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, will be undertaken by mid-2024.
184. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to increasing investment in housing provisions and housing supports to enable people with disabilities to live independent lives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40817/23]
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 the Implementation Plan for the Strategy 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 Implementation Plan provides for the detailed implementation of the joint Strategy which sets out the Government’s vision for delivering housing and related supports for disabled people to 2027. The Implementation Plan will support the primary objective of the Strategy which is ‘to facilitate disabled people to live independently with the appropriate choices and control over where, how and with whom they live, promoting their inclusion in the community’.
The Strategy and Implementation Plan operates 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.
My Department also provides funding to local authorities for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. The Grants Scheme assists eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The funding available for these grants in 2023 has increased by almost €2 million on the original 2022 provision to a total of €83.125 million which includes an Exchequer funding provision of €66.5 million together with a €16.625 million contribution from local authorities.
Housing for All commits to reviewing the Grants scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. The review was informed by engagement with external stakeholders, including the Department of Health, the HSE, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the Irish Wheelchair Association. Written submissions were also invited and considered as part of this process. Among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds (including the means test provisions) and grant limits, and the application and decision-making processes including the supplementary documentation required.
On foot of my consideration of the Review report, I have asked my Department to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform on the recommendations in the Review report, and this engagement is ongoing at present. I will publish the report, including the agreed amendments to the scheme, once that engagement has concluded.
185. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authority void housing units for the cities Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford recycled per annum within each 12-month period for the years 2019 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40827/23]
View answer186. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost and average turnaround time of local authority void housing units for the cities Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford per annum within each 12-month period for the years 2019 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40828/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 185 and 186 together.
The 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.
Since 2014, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was initially introduced to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock.
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 2022 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
Local authorities have been notified of their targets and funding available for 2023, however, it will be later this year before significant claims have been received. Full details on 2023 will be available early in 2024.
Details in relation to vacancy is not routinely collated by my Department however, statistics in relation to the social housing stock are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in their Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including vacancy and the average time taken to re-tenant a dwelling. The most recent report, relating to 2021 as published in November 2022, is available on the NOAC website at the following link:
noac.ie/noac_publications/report-50-noac-performance-indicator-report-2021/
187. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that significant issues in the construction of phase 2C of the north west quarter regeneration in Cork have resulted in a withdrawal of construction activities for a number of months; if mediation is currently taking place with the contractor; if this mediation is funded centrally or directly by Cork City Council; the cost to date of mediation; and if alternative avenues of resolution have been discussed by his Department with Cork City Council, given these significant delays. [40864/23]
View answerThe construction site on Kilmore Road, Knocknaheeny, forms part of the City Northwest Quarter Regeneration Programme, and part of Cork City Council’s wider social housing delivery programme, which is funded by my Department.
I have been advised by Cork City Council that the project is the subject of a complex contractual dispute. Cork City Council have advised that they are addressing all issues with the works on-site main building contractor. They have advised that works have recently ceased on site pending ongoing discussions and follow up.
My Department has been in continuous contact with Cork City Council they have assured my Department that they are treating this with the utmost priority and are seeking to progress a prompt solution to this matter with a view to the earliest possible delivery of more quality homes at this location.
Cork City Council have advised my Department that all matters related to this contract dispute with the contractor are both legally and commercially privileged, and it would not be appropriate of Cork City Council to comment on them publicly.
Cork City Council is aware of all possible dispute resolution routes open to it, in pursuit of a resolution in this case and are actively pursuing all avenues of resolution to ensure delivery.
188. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the timeline for the north-west quarter regeneration in Cork city; the current spend to date; the original projected spend; and the current projected spend on completion of the project. [40865/23]
View answerThe detailed advancement of housing and other works under the Cork City North West Quarter Regeneration (CNWQR) programme is a matter, in the first instance, for Cork City Council.
I have been advised by them that the project is progressing under several strands and significant progress has been made in the advancement of this regeneration programme.
The Cork North-West Quarter Regeneration Programme (CNWQR) is a major project of regeneration under the lead and control of Cork City Council in the northwest area of Cork City. It involves the demolition of 450 houses and their replacement by 656 new housing units as well as a range of social, environmental and economic interventions.
The initial starting point to this regeneration project was when the CNWQR Masterplan & Implementation Report was published in 2011. The strategy outlined a departure from previous policy, with a proposal to carry out wholesale demolition of the housing stock in Knocknaheeny that has not been the subject of previous refurbishment works.
However, my Department in tandem with Cork City Council, recognised that for the project to be successful then there was a need to put in place a comprehensive, strategic plan. To that end, together with the physical development of housing solutions, my Department is funding projects as part of the Social Economic and Environment Plan (SEEP) project.
This is complementary to the ten year regeneration Masterplan for the City North West Quarter. The SEEP was informed by a review of existing research, local area plans, information from statutory and NGO agencies, demographic and socio-economic data, baselines of existing conditions in the area, and consultation with local people through RAPID community consultation structures. On the basis of these multiple information sources a number of core themes were identified as priorities for the SEEP:
Theme 1: Family Support and Early Childhood Development,
Theme 2: Community Safety
Theme 3: Education, Training and Lifelong Learning
Theme 4: Health
Theme 5: Youth and Sports
Theme 6: Environment
Theme 7: Balancing Communities
Theme 8: Social Cohesion and Capacity Building
Theme 9: Economic Development
Theme 10: Transport and Connectivity
Cork City Council advise that work is progressing under all of these strands and some examples of these schemes are below:
• Re enforcement of Community facilities: uses such as Health and Wellbeing Education Centre, Multi Purpose Arena (Boxing Club) and Flexible Community Spaces as part of mixed use blocks, Primary Health Care and GP Training Facility.
• Education and learning facilities – Creation of education facilities in partnership with third level institutes.
• The creation of a high quality network of residential streets appropriately balancing the needs of all users.
• Improving street layout to promote permeability.
• Creating a high quality network open space; linking passive areas of open space on the southern part of the regeneration area to active recreational areas to the north.
• Ensuring that all new dwellings have access to private amenity spaces.
• The establishment of a design guide and public realm strategy to establish quality benchmarks and to ensure a coherent visual effect by balancing hard and soft landscaping in line with good urban design principles will be a priority.
Social Housing development update of timelines and costs
To date my Department has approved sanctioned costs for the eight Social Housing projects that comprise the CNWQR to date is approx. €92m, as broken down in the table below.
|
Project Name |
Units |
Projected or Actual Substantial Completion |
Project Funding Status |
Construction Status |
Sanctioned Costs |
|
CNWQR Knocknaheeny Phase 1B |
29 |
01/11/2017 |
Complete |
Completed |
€5.5m |
|
CNWQR Knocknaheeny Phase 2A |
47 |
31/12/2019 |
Complete |
Completed |
€12.5m |
|
Foyle Avenue Infill Housing Development, Knocknaheeny, Cork |
2 |
06/07/2023 |
Stage 4 Approved |
Onsite |
€1m |
|
CNWQR Knocknaheeny Phase 2B |
38 |
13/05/2024 |
Stage 4 Approved |
Onsite |
€15m |
|
CNWQR Knocknaheeny Phase 1C |
41 |
13/05/2024 |
Stage 4 Approved |
Onsite |
€16m |
|
CNWQR Knocknaheeney Phase 2C |
24 |
30/06/2024 |
Stage 4 Approved |
Onsite |
€6.6m |
|
CNWQR Knocknaheeny Phase 3B |
62 |
01/08/2025 |
Stage 2 Approved |
Not Started |
€21m |
|
CNWQR Knocknaheeny Phase 4A |
43 |
12/05/2025 |
Stage 2 Approved |
Not Started |
€13.5m |
My Department has been advised by Cork City Council that Phase 1C (41 units) and Phase 2B (38 units) have recently commenced construction with projected delivery in Q2 2024
Phases 3B (62 units) and 4A (43 units) received Part 8 Planning approval in 2022 and are at the detailed design phase and are expected to complete in Q2 and Q3 of 2025. In that regard, Phase 3 demolition works are substantially complete at Knocknaheeny Avenue and Harbour View Road, and Cork City Council advise that they are engaged in an ongoing decant of homeowners and tenants in Phases 3 and 4.
My Department awaits funding submissions and programme dates for the remaining phases. Cork City Council advise that the CNWQR programme runs until 2027, and it is envisaged that projects will be ongoing until this date.
My Department would welcome and review all submissions from Cork City Council to aid in the regeneration programme.
To date a total of approx. €28m has been recouped by Cork City to date for construction. In addition approx. €3.4m has been recouped by Cork City Council for the following programmes including SEEP, enabling works, water diversions, staffing administration and project management costs.
189. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on his Department’s efforts to ensure the delivery of affordable purchase and cost rental accommodation in the Poolbeg west SDZ, including the number of such units that will be made available in the initial phase and the price to buy and rent those units. [40868/23]
View answerThe regeneration of Poolbeg West is an important step in the transformation of the Dublin Docklands area, with the potential to provide for 3,500 homes. A condition of the planning scheme for the Poolbeg West Strategic Development Zone, as modified by An Bord Pleanála on 9 April 2019, is the provision of 15% social and affordable homes on this site in addition to the 10% statutory social housing requirement under Part V arrangements.
In March 2022, Dublin City Council approved an application for the first phase of homes at the former Glass Bottle site. My Department has been working with Dublin City Council and the developers of the Poolbeg SDZ area to progress the delivery of social and affordable housing in this first phase of housing delivery, subject to agreement on the SDZ requirements and all the normal and relevant terms, including value for money aspects. The developers are engaging with Dublin City Council regarding the provision of the 10% Part V social housing in this first phase and tripartite engagement is ongoing with regard to delivery of the additional social and affordable housing in this first phase in accordance with the terms of the SDZ condition. Drafting of an agreement is underway and the parties are not in a position to comment further until an agreement is finalised.
190. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on his Department’s efforts to ensure the delivery of cost rental accommodation on the O’Devaney Gardens and Oscar Traynor Road sites, including the number of such units that will be made available; and the expected rent for those units. [40870/23]
View answerUnder Housing for All, the Government will deliver 54,000 affordable homes between now and 2030, and significant funding has been secured and is being made available to support this delivery for purchase or for cost rental by local authorities, the Land Development Agency, and Approved Housing Bodies.
Last year I wrote to local authorities to set out the increased level of Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) subsidy available for applications in respect of Cost Rental apartment developments in cities. The level of subsidy available to local authorities ranges from €50,000 to €150,000 per affordable unit depending on the density of affordable units per hectare on the development and its location. In return for the subsidy, the local authority must make the homes available at a starting rent targeted at least 25% below comparable local market rents.
I have recently approved €48.45 million for Dublin City Council for the delivery of 340 Cost Rental homes at the Oscar Traynor Road site. Planning for commencement of works is under way, with construction to commence in Q3 2023 and phased delivery from 2024 to 2027. It is envisaged that the precise cost-covering rents for these new homes will be announced closer to delivery.
In relation to the O'Devaney Gardens site in Dublin City, I understand that an Approved Housing Body intends to apply to my Department's Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) scheme for funding the acquisition of new homes currently under development there. This is in accordance with an agreement reached between Dublin City Council and the developer of the site, under which a housing charity will be able to acquire 30% of the new homes for Cost Rental. These acquisitions will be eligible for the increased CREL funding of up to 55% of capital costs, including a State equity investment, which was announced by Government in July.
My Department is committed to supporting Cost Rental delivery by Approved Housing Bodies, and will work to progress a funding application for O'Devaney Gardens swiftly and efficiently. As with the local authority delivery at Oscar Traynor Road, it is envisaged that the Approved Housing Body will announce the cost-covering rents for these new homes closer to the time of delivery.
191. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of requests made by South Dublin County Council to his Department to purchase land in its administrative area; where these lands were; and the response of his Department to these requests. [40871/23]
View answerAs independent corporate entities, local authorities have the power to acquire land for the purposes of performing any of their functions, including for the delivery of housing. The acquisition of land is a function of the local authority and they do not require permission from my Department to do so.
Once local authorities have identified a need to acquire additional lands, they may seek to borrow the required finance. In accordance with Section 106 of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended, the decision to borrow is a reserved function of the elected members of the local authority concerned, who have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions and are accountable for all expenditure by the local authority. As such, it is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process, having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources.
Section 106 of the said Act also provides that local authorities must obtain the consent of the appropriate Minister to undertake borrowing. In this regard, a request to borrow for housing land acquisition can be submitted by the local authority to my Department. Sanction may be granted based on an assessment of the financial viability of potential loans insofar as individual local authorities are concerned, and an assessment as to whether the borrowing can be accommodated within the context of the fiscal rules. My Department has no record of South Dublin County Council applying to borrow to funds for land acquisition.
192. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to publish the documents he has received on a project (details supplied); and the cost associated. [40872/23]
View answerThe Cork Events Centre was included as a commitment under Project Ireland 2040. This underlines the Government’s objectives 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 to my Department. However, responsibility for the advancement of proposals for the development of the Events Centre remains, in the first instance, a matter for Cork City Council.
The Council has advised my Department that detailed design of the Events Centre was completed in July 2023. Cork City Council is now engaging in a verification process with the joint venture on the detailed design and costings pending a final submission on the matter to my Department.
No new costing documents in relation to the Cork Events Centre have been received by my Department from Cork City Council in the last number of weeks.
193. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of money spent on leasing for social housing in each year from 2018 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40875/23]
View answer194. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount of money spent on leasing for social housing in Donegal in each year from 2018 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40876/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together.
The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the leasing of houses and apartments. Dwellings under the scheme come from a number of different sources including private owners, Part V and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).
Details of the money spent on the Social Housing Leasing Programme from 2018 up to the end of 2022, broken down by local authority, can be found on my Department's website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/
assets.gov.ie/99984/d10e5f7c-a0f5-40ab-9ccf-0559e22f3afa.xlsx
The social housing leasing scheme includes properties leased by AHBs directly, leased by local authorities from private owners under long term and short term agreements, Enhanced leasing, Mortgage to Rent, NARPS, Part V Leasing, the Repair and Leasing Scheme and Unsold Affordables.
195. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide emergency funding for people who own defective apartments in order that their properties can be remediated to a safe level and they can be unburdened from paying incessant levies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40880/23]
View answerSince 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.
Key to this has been the development of a Code of Practice, in the context of the Fire Services Acts, which I published on my Department's website on 25 July at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/95159-code-of-practice-for-the-remediation-of-fire-safety-defects/ . The purpose of this Code of Practice for the Remediation of Fire Safety Defects is to support the development of a reasonable and practicable approach to resolving fire safety defects and ensure a consistent approach nationwide to remediation. It enables stakeholders such as Owners’ Management Companies (OMCs) and industry to align their work with its provisions. Going forward the Code of Practice will be a key document to support the operation of the remediation scheme and will be subject to periodic review.
Importantly, it also provides guidance to OMCs, building professionals and local authority building control / fire services, including guidance on interim safety measures, in the context of the Fire Services Acts 1981 & 2003. My Department is continuing to work with the local authority sector, particularly Fire Services, to establish the necessary processes and structures to use the Code of Practice.My Department is also working with the Housing Agency on advice and guidance on the steps OMCs should take when carrying out such life-safety works. This includes funding mechanisms for interim fire safety measures in extreme cases and further details of this will be published in the coming months.The Housing Agency will play a central role in the remediation scheme when it becomes operational. It has established a web portal to serve as a knowledge base and OMCs may indicate their potential interest in the future remediation scheme by inputting information on their developments on the portal which is available on the Housing Agency's website. It should be noted that this portal, which is subject to conditions of use, is not a formal registration mechanism for the future remediation scheme.
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.
196. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the seven local authority housing units approved for construction in a location (details supplied) have finished construction; if so, their completion date; the final number of units delivered; the total cost of the project; if the development was officially opened by a Minister; if so, when that happened; if not, the reasons for the project not proceeding; the current status of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40907/23]
View answer197. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the four AHB units approved for construction in a location (details supplied) have finished construction; if so, their completion date; the final number of units delivered; the total cost of the project; if the development was officially opened by a Minister; if so, when that happened; if not, the reasons for the project not proceeding; the current status of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40908/23]
View answer198. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the three AHB units approved for construction in a location (details supplied) have finished construction; if so, their completion date; the final number of units delivered; the total cost of the project; if the development was officially opened by a Minister; if so, when that happened; if not, the reasons for the project not proceeding; the current status of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40909/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 196, 197 and 198 together.
The relevant details are being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.
