Written Answers Nos. 446-474
448. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if a peer review (details supplied) on rhododendron management has been completed; and when he will release the review to the public. [13115/23]
View answerThe review is ongoing and is estimated for finalisation in the latter part of this year.
449. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the median and average waiting time for a decision on appeals to An Bord Pleanála; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13132/23]
View answer450. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide a report on the total number of private home completions in 2021 and 2022, broken down by local authority and with the corresponding Part V allocation, where applicable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13147/23]
View answerData in relation to new dwelling completions is published by the CSO on a quarterly basis and can be accessed via the following link:www.cso.ie/en/statistics/buildingandconstruction/newdwellingcompletions/My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity in all local authorities. The published data is based on statistical returns submitted by each local authority to my Department. This data is available until the end of Quarter 3 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/
Further details on Part V delivery by each local authority is also published on my Department's website. This provides details on Part V delivery by each local authority and approved housing body delivery in each local authority area. This is available at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/fd048-affordable-housing-and-part-v-statistics/
452. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 78 of 1 March 2023, if he will provide details of the protocols in place for responding to queries to the email address provided for in the answer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13172/23]
View answer453. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost to the Exchequer in 2022 per unit of accommodation for housing schemes (details supplied), in tabular form. [13189/23]
View answerMy Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity. This includes data on Part V delivery per local authority, which is available on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
Cost information on the delivery of social homes through the various construction streams, is collated by my Department at development/project level rather than at individual housing unit level. The cost of constructing new homes is dependent on a range of variables, such as the location, the scale of the development and the size and type of the homes involved.
The table below sets out the average cost to the exchequer to end of Quarter 3 2022 of social housing delivery across a range of programmes.
|
Funding |
2022 Average |
|
Cost Rental Equity Loan |
€108,362 |
|
AHB CALF Construction |
€68,649 |
|
AHB CALF Turnkey |
€68,443 |
|
AHB CALF Part V |
€37,751 |
|
CAS Construction |
€245,185 |
|
CAS Turnkey |
€321,687 |
|
CAS Part V |
N/A |
|
SHCIP Construction |
€278,641 |
|
SHCIP Turnkey |
€283,572 |
|
SHCIP Part V |
€248,513 |
Note 1: The information provided above is based on the financial information available to the Department. Delivery does not necessarily occur in the year of approval or spend.
Note 2: The CALF figures are based on application details and may be subject to change as the project progresses. The CALF Capital Outlay represents the average amount of CALF funding provided by the exchequer. (A maximum of 30%)
Note 3: Agreement on Part V arrangements is a matter for the local authorities. In some cases the Part V average cost is affected by delivery of homes that were subject to agreements prior to the current Part V arrangements. Complete details of Part V arrangements are available from the local authorities. It should be noted that with some Part V units, while recorded as delivered in 2022, have not had costs claimed or recouped as yet and so are excluded from the average costs shown. As of the end of Quarter 3 2022 there were no CAS PART V units reported as delivered.
454. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to assist persons over 65 years in long-term rental accommodation who are seeking to purchase their own homes. [13235/23]
View answerIncreasing home ownership is a priority for Government. To this end, Housing for All commits to delivering at least 300,000 homes by 2030, including an average of 4,000 affordable purchase homes annually.
Government has committed a record €4.5 billion in funding to increase housing supply across all tenures this year. This includes unprecedented investment in affordable housing, with some €1.3 billion will be available to support the delivery of affordable housing.
Significant progress is already being made in this regard. This includes -
- the Local Authority Home Loan which is available nationwide since the start of the year and assists those on modest or low incomes who cannot get sufficient finance from commercial banks to purchase or build a home,
- the First Home and extended Help-to-Buy schemes which will assist first time buyers to purchase their first home, and
- local authority affordable purchase homes which will be available at a reduced price, with the Local authority taking an equity stake equivalent to the reduction from the prevailing market price for the property.
The resulting increase supply over the coming years from these and other measures will assist all households who aspire to purchase their own home, including those in private rented accommodation, to do so.
455. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to address dereliction in Bandon, Ballineen and Enniskeane, County Cork. [13236/23]
View answerThe Derelict Sites Act 1990 confers significant powers upon local authorities, including requiring owners or occupiers to take appropriate measures on derelict sites, acquiring derelict sites by agreement, or compulsorily, and applying a derelict sites levy on derelict sites. It is a matter for local authorities to determine the most appropriate use of the legislation within their respective functional areas.
Under the Act, local authorities are required to maintain a derelict sites register, which includes the name and address of each owner and occupier, where these can be ascertained by reasonable enquiry, of any land which, in the opinion of the local authority, is a derelict site. Under section 8(5) of the Act, a copy of the derelict sites register for any local authority can be inspected at the offices of that authority during office hours. Members of the public can engage with their local authority in relation to addressing individual derelict sites in their local areas.
Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. Many areas of cities, towns and villages of all sizes face the blight of vacant properties, which, if brought back into use, could add real vibrancy and provide new accommodation in areas and towns in County Cork. Measures taken to address Vacancy include:
- The Government launched a Vacant Homes Action Plan on 30 January which captures and reports on progress across all of the objectives in Pathway 4 of Housing for All and the planned actions to continue to bring vacant homes into use and maximise use of existing housing stock.
- The government launched the Town Centre First policy, a major new policy initiative that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.
- A €150 million Urban Regeneration Development Fund is being made available for local authorities to acquire vacant or derelict properties and sites for re-use or sale.
- Funding has been provided to ensure a full-time Vacant Homes Officer is in place in Cork County Council.
- The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund was launched on 14 July 2022 for eligible vacant properties in towns and villages. On 15 November 2022, the grant was extended to include vacant properties in cities and all rural areas. A grant of up to €30,000 is available for the refurbishment of vacant properties for occupation as a principal private residence. Where a property is derelict, a top up grant of €20,000 is available, bringing the total grant available for a derelict property to €50,000.
- The Fair Deal scheme has been reformed to reduce disincentives to selling / renting unused homes.
- I have extended planning regulations that exempt certain vacant commercial premises from requiring planning permission to change of use for residential purposes.
My Department publishes data on applications for the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant on its website on a quarterly basis. This data includes numbers of applications received by local authority, applications approved and rejected and application type. Data on the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: gov.ie - Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant Statistics (www.gov.ie)
456. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to ensure that all policies concerning National Parks and Nature Reserves consider the needs of individuals with disabilities. [13240/23]
View answerMy Department aims to ensure that the needs of all of its customers, including people with disabilities, are met and that rights to equal treatment are upheld in service delivery. The Disability Act 2005 provides a statutory basis for accessible public services. Sections 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 of the Act place obligations on public bodies to make their public buildings, services and information accessible to people with disabilities.
In order to ensure that my Department meets the needs of individuals with disabilities, as set down in the Act, a cross divisional Working Group was established within my Department. This Working Group developed a Universal Design and Accessibility Action Plan 2020-2023, which sets out commitments to ensure that our buildings and services are accessible and in line with the requirements of the Act. My Department continues to work to ensure that its services, physical sites, publications and websites are compliant with the relevant legislation and guidelines on the rights and needs of individuals with disabilities.
457. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of modular homes that have been and are being ordered for each county in the State, given the dearth of social and affordable housing, the worsening housing crisis and the lifting of eviction ban; the number of suitable sites that have been identified for same; the total cost to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13246/23]
View answer460. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how much land has been identified for modular housing in north Kildare; the location of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13259/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 457 and 460 together.
Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of Quarter 3 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/ Data for Quarter 4 2022 is currently being collated and will be published in the coming weeks.
My Department also publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR). The 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 3 2022. All Construction Status Reports are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/
Data in relation to new dwelling completions is published by the CSO on a quarterly basis and can be accessed via the following link: www.cso.ie/en/statistics/buildingandconstruction/newdwellingcompletions/
While my Department does not hold details on the various construction processes used in the delivery of new homes, Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has been identified as a key measure to address increased housing delivery and methods to support increased use of MMC are set out in Pathway 5 of Housing for All. The development of MMC will improve productivity in construction and increase efficiency in residential construction.
The Housing for All Action Plan Update, which was published on 2 November 2022, includes a new action to develop a roadmap with targets for increased use of MMC in public housing. My Department is now working closely with the local authorities to increase the use of MMC in social and affordable housing.
458. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans that are in place to accommodate tenants who will be forced to leave their properties once the eviction ban is lifted, given the dearth of properties available to rent and the severe lack of social and affordable properties available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13247/23]
View answerMy Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the statutory role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of emergency accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities.
My Department does not fund any homeless services directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. Under the funding arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of services from their own resources. Housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure on homeless related services outside of these funding arrangements with my Department.
Under the Exchequer funding arrangements in place between the Department and housing authorities, decisions on the funding, organisation and range of accommodation services to be provided are a matter for the individual housing authorities in consultation with the Statutory Management Group of the relevant regional Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum, and my Department has no function in relation to operational matters. It is a matter for the Management Group to bring forward proposals to my Department that meet the needs of homeless individuals in their administrative area.
The budget for 2023 makes provision for €215m in funding for homeless services, an increase from €194m in 2022. The extra funding for Homelessness reflects the priority that this Government is giving to Homelessness.
The funding will allow local authorities to continue to focus on preventing homelessness in the first instance and to provide support to those at risk of or experiencing homelessness. It will also aid in the further expansion of the Housing First approach in line with commitments made in Housing for All, provide for a planned extension of outreach and intensive engagement services to our most vulnerable and provide accommodation to those experiencing homelessness. Additionally there remains a firm focus on ensuring that pathways out of homelessness for those individuals and families in emergency accommodation are secured as quickly as possible.
The Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Act 2022 was a time limited enactment which provided for a stay on eviction notices up to 31 March 2023. This was to afford time for housing supply to increase and to reduce the burden on homelessness services and the pressure on tenants and the residential tenancies market. To assist in managing demands on housing services after the winter emergency period and ensure that there is no cliff edge impact on 1 April, the Act provides for deferred Notices of Termination to take effect on a phased basis over the period from 1 April to 18 June 2023. The Government has used the past several months to increase housing supply for those most in need. In the last Quarter of 2022, approximately 4,800 new build social housing homes were delivered, along with some 500 acquisitions. 600 lease arrangements were put in place to provide further capacity. In addition, 1,532 local authority homes were refurbished under the voids programme and restored to use. Local authorities also opened some 500 new emergency beds in the past number of months, along with circa 170 cold weather beds.
On 7 March, I announced further measures to increase the supply of social homes to mitigate the impact of the end of the winter emergency period including:
- an increase in the number of social housing acquisitions from 200 to 1,500 in 2023 - the additional acquisitions will be focused on properties where a tenant in receipt of social housing supports has received a Notice of Termination due to the landlord’s intention to sell the property;
- an additional 1,000 homes through Targeted Leasing initiatives in 2023 and 2024; and
- the amendment of the Capital Advance Leasing Facility used by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to assist them in their efforts in delivering social homes.
I have also informed Government of plans to give a number of new opportunities to tenants who wish to become homeowners. These include:
- requiring a landlord selling a property to first offer it to the tenant on an independent valuation basis for sale;
- working with AHBs and local authorities to develop a bespoke ‘cost rental’ model for tenants at risk of homelessness but not on social housing supports to continue to rent their homes at existing or market rates.
My Department will continue to work with local authorities to ensure sufficient funding is made available to support those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
463. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of emergency accommodation beds operated by each local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13275/23]
View answerMy Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at the local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities.
Specifically under Section 10 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 local authorities are responsible for the provision of housing supports to households for the purposes of meeting their accommodation needs, including services provided to homeless persons under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988.
My Department publishes a detailed monthly report on homelessness, based on data provided by housing authorities. The Report outlines details of individuals utilising State-funded emergency accommodation arrangements that are overseen by housing authorities. The Reports are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/80ea8-homelessness-data/
The information sought in the Question is not contained in the data reports and is not routinely gathered by my Department; such information is a matter for individual housing authorities.
464. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of people currently in emergency accommodation, by each local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13276/23]
View answerMy Department currently publishes data on a monthly basis on the number of homeless persons accommodated in emergency accommodation funded and overseen by housing authorities. These reports are based on data provided by housing authorities, produced through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). The monthly homelessness report includes details of individuals, families and the dependants of these families who accessed emergency accommodation during the relevant count week of the month in question. The reports are collated on a regional basis and are available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/80ea8-homelessness-data/ and are also published to the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform's open data portal data.gov.ie/.
466. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to prevent thousands of people being evicted into homelessness from 1 April 2023. [13281/23]
View answer467. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to deliver affordable housing units in the south Kildare constituency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13291/23]
View answerHousing for All sets out the range of actions necessary to increase the supply of housing to the targeted 33,000 homes, on average, per year over the next decade. 54,000 affordable home interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), the Land Development Agency (LDA) and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
In implementing the key objectives under Housing for All, each local authority has prepared and published a Housing Delivery Action Plan in respect of local authority supported or overseen delivery from 2022 to 2026. 18 local authorities with a strong and identified affordable housing need, including Kildare County Council, were asked to include assessed affordable housing need and planned affordable housing delivery in their Action Plans. I have set individual five-year Affordable Housing delivery targets for those local authorities. The Kildare plan is available at the following link
kildarecoco.ie/YourCouncil/Publications/Housing/Kildare%20County%20Council%20Housing%20Delivery%20Action%20Plan.pdf
2022 represented the commencement of a very ambitious programme of delivery of affordable housing. This momentum will continue with delivery increasing significantly this year. A pipeline of affordable housing delivery is in place and under continuous development by local authorities, by Approved Housing Bodies using the Cost Rental Equity Loan and by the Land Development Agency.
Funding under the various streams is made available on a programme basis in support of approved affordable housing schemes, rather than by allocations to counties. I understand that my Department is currently assessing an Affordable Housing Fund application from Kildare County Council for an affordable housing scheme in the Kildare South constituency area. If approved, details will be available in due course on the Kildare County Council website.
In relation to cost rental, approximately 250 cost rental homes have been delivered in Kildare to date providing long term security of tenure and rental levels of at least 25% below market levels.
Finally, the First Home Scheme, launched in July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new homes in the private market through the use of an equity share model, similar to that employed in the Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme. The Scheme aims to support in the region of 8,000 households in acquiring new homes in the private market in the years 2022 to 2026 with an overall budget of €400 million.
As at the end of 2022, and in the first six months of operation, 750 First Home applications were approved nationwide, with over 25% of these approvals being provided to purchasers in Kildare. In January of this year, having reviewed the house price ceiling applying to eligible properties in Kildare County, the First Home scheme confirmed an increase the Kildare ceiling from €400,000 to €425,000 thereby further improving access and the level of support made available to affordably constrained households.
The First Home scheme is available nationwide and more information can be found at www.firsthomescheme.ie/.
469. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the numer of the local authorities whose housing stock has been retro-fitted in the south Kildare constituency; if the retrofitting included windows and doors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13293/23]
View answerMy Department launched the Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme (EERP) in 2013 with the aim of funding retrofit of social homes requiring insulation and energy upgrade works. Since the programme commenced in 2013 to the end of 2022, over 77,500 local authority social housing dwellings have been retrofitted with a total exchequer spend of over €251 million.
In 2021 a new holistic approach was applied to the programme, 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. The selection of measures to achieve the B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent is a matter for each individual local authority and details in this regard may be available from the local authority upon request.
The Department issues a full year allocation and target to the local authority and not to specific constituencies and as such the selection of properties for inclusion in the programme is a matter for each individual local authority.
A breakdown of the funding provided and the output per local authority since 2013 can be found on the Department website below:www.gov.ie/en/publication/668c1-energy-efficiency-retrofitting-programme-expenditure-output/
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.
gov.ie - Midlands Energy Retrofit Programme - Expenditure and Units (www.gov.ie)
The 2023 EERP budget provides an increase in funding support from €85 million allocated in 2022 to €87 million in 2023 with details of this year’s programme including target allocations being finalised.
470. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta an bhfuil miondealú ar na figiúirí idir cainteoirí Gaeilge agus daoine nach iad, de réir údarás áitiúil, a rinne iarratais ar an Scéim Íocaíochta Cúnaimh Tithíochta, agus ar na liostaí feithimh le tithíocht shóisialta, le 10 mbliana anuas, agus mura bhfuil na figiúirí sin ar fáil, an bhfuil sé i gceist ag an Aire a iarraidh ar na húdaráis áitiúla na figiúirí sin a chur ar fáil uaidh seo amach? [13299/23]
View answerNíl an t-eolas atá á lorg sa Cheist i seilbh mo roinne. Is ceist don údarás áitiúil ábhartha é maoirsiú agus bainistiú praiticiúil na liostaí feithimh tithíochta, go hiondúil, de réir Acht na dTithe (Forálacha Ilghnéitheacha), 2009, agus na Rialacháin um Measúnú Tithíochta Sóisialta a bhaineann leo.
D'fhéadfadh an t-eolas atá á lorg a bheith ar fáil go díreach ó na húdaráis áitiúla.
Féadfar scrúdú a dhéanamh ar fhéidearthacht na sonraí seo a ghabháil mar chuid den obair ar an gclár oibre níos leithne maidir le hathchóiriú tithíochta sóisialta.
471. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta cé mhéad teach sóisialta a tugadh do chainteoirí Gaeilge, de réir údarás áitiúil, gach uile bhliain in imeacht na 10 mbliana seo a d’imigh tharainn. [13300/23]
View answerNíl an t-eolas atá á lorg sa Cheist i seilbh mo roinne. Is faoin údarás áitiúil lena mbaineann tithe cónaithe a leithdháileadh de réir a scéime leithdháilte arna déanamh faoi alt 22 d’Acht na dTithe (Forálacha Ilghnéitheacha), 2009, agus na Rialacháin ghaolmhara.
D'fhéadfadh an t-eolas atá á lorg ag an Teachta a bheith ar fáil go díreach ó na húdaráis áitiúla.
472. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta an bhfuil a fhios aige an bhfuil beartas ag na húdaráis áitiúla chun lonnaíochtaí Gaeilge a thógáil taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht nó an bhfuil sé i gceist aige a impí ar na húdaráis áitiúla, nó a ordú dóibh, scéim lonnaíochtaí Gaeilge a chur ar bun. [13301/23]
View answer473. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if Wexford homeowners will be included in the defective blocks scheme where it is established that they have been impacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13324/23]
View answerFollowing on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, the Government approved the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Bill 2022 on 21 June and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President on the 23 July, 2022.
The purpose of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021, is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the current grant scheme. The Act has currently designated 4 local authorities for inclusion in the Enhanced DCB Scheme, namely Clare, Donegal, Limerick City and County and Mayo County Councils.
Section 5 of the 2022 Act contains details on the process for the inclusion of additional local authority areas into the Enhanced DCB Grant Scheme, which, it should be noted, may include a request by a local authority to the Housing Agency, and whereby the Housing Agency thereafter carries out testing of dwellings. As soon as practicable after the completion of any testing, the Housing Agency shall make a recommendation to me that an order should or should not be made by the Government to designate the whole or part of a local authority's administrative area.
The 2022 Act which contains the enhanced grant scheme will be commenced as soon as related Regulations are completed, which Regulations provide details for the enhanced scheme not included in the 2022 Act such as application forms and templates, per square metre grant rates and the definition of damage. Draft Regulations have been prepared, which are the subject of ongoing consultation with key stakeholders, including with homeowners’ action groups, which consultation must be concluded before the Regulations will be finalised and adopted in early 2023. I extended the consultation period on the draft Regulations, which commenced in February 2023, by an additional two weeks, to 14 March 2023, following receipt of requests for time extensions from Donegal County Council and Mayo County Council. The submissions received are now being reviewed and when that review is completed I will engage further with the homeowners' action groups before finalising the Regulations.
Grant rates, to be included in the final Regulations, will be based upon updated regional construction costs for 2023 provided by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI). The Expert Group on defective concrete blocks will make recommendations to operationalise the SCSI report figures for 2023 before they are incorporated into the Regulations.
My Department recently published a comprehensive and updated “Your Questions Answered” document on the Department’s website to ensure homeowners have the most up to date information available to them which can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/775c0-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme-your-questions-answered/
474. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports available for families that are experiencing overcrowding in the family home and that are in need of essential maintenance or building work for additional facilities such as bathrooms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13364/23]
View answerMy Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or overcrowded situations. Typical works include adaptations such as stair-lifts, level deck showers, ramps and grab rails, widening door opening widths and improving circulation spaces. Extensions to provide for ground floor bathrooms and bedrooms can also be supported. The detailed administration of this scheme including assessment, approval and prioritisation of applications is the responsibility of local authorities.
My Department's approach every year, in the first instance, is to allow local authorities complete works up to 65% of the previous year’s allocation in the absence of formal approval to keep this important work going. Following this, later this year, my Department will issue a single full year allocation to each local authority, so they can plan, prioritise and implement the programme to carry out the varying works necessary to meet the needs of their tenants in this year. Additional funding may be available on request to support emergency situations that may occur throughout the year. The programme is 90% funded by the Department with a 10% contribution from the local authority.
My 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 detailed administration of the schemes is the responsibility of the local authorities.
Further details on these schemes is 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/
475. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the necessary regulations will be put in place in respect of planning for the owners of property who operate short-term rentals (details supplied), given that local authorities are applying a different set of rules in their respective areas in view of the fact that no policy directive has been issued by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13395/23]
View answer476. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current position in cases in which a property owner has operated a short-term rental service (details supplied) and was previously advised that they did not require planning permission and are now required to apply for planning permission given each individual local authority is applying a different set of rules, with some local authorities advising to make a new planning application and other local authorities advising that they should apply for retention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13396/23]
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