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For Written Answer on : 28/05/2019
Question Number(s): 495 Question Reference(s): 22621/19
Department: Housing, Planning and Local Government
Asked by: Darragh O'Brien T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government if he has set an administrative fee for local authorities in turnkey purchases of social housing units; if data on the level of fee charged by each local authority in this regard is collated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY

My Department is currently examining the management and procurement arrangements relating to turnkey delivery for social housing and will issue a Circular on this to local authorities shortly.  Turnkeys frequently involve activating housing developments which otherwise would not be built, or completing unfinished estates.  Accordingly, the upcoming Circular is likely to include support for local authorities in utilising this approach to deliver new social housing, operating on a consistent basis across all authorities, based on the scale of delivery achieved.

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For Written Answer on : 21/05/2019
Question Number(s): 151 Question Reference(s): 21529/19
Department: Finance
Asked by: Darragh O'Brien T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Finance the value of loans issued by Home Building Ireland Finance to date; the number of homes anticipated from the loans; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY



Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI) was established in December 2018 to lend money to small and medium sized builders and developers for commercially viable residential developments, particularly those situated outside the State's major urban centres. HBFI has been provided with access to €750 million of funding from the Irish Strategic Investment fund, with which it is expected to facilitate the delivery of  7,500 units over the next five years.

Since its formal launch at the end of January, HBFI has engaged actively with small and medium sized builders and developers throughout the country through a range of market awareness raising initiatives.   HBFI continues to benefit from a strong pipeline of interest from prospective borrowers as a result of these engagement activities. The drawdown of funds relating to the first facilitates approved is expected to take place shortly with HBFI having approved a number of additional facilities since April.

As indicated in my response of 18th April, HBFI will be in a position to publish information on its lending activities on a half-yearly basis with the first such report to be published in July 2019.

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For Written Answer on : 21/05/2019
Question Number(s): 650 Question Reference(s): 21526/19
Department: Housing, Planning and Local Government
Asked by: Darragh O'Brien T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the status of proposals for a housing passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY



It is already possible for households to move and relocate between housing authority areas, including relocating from an urban to a rural location, under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme.

 

Under the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, a household may apply to one housing authority only for social housing support, at a time. Currently it is not possible for a household on the waiting list of one housing authority to transfer its application to another authority and to carry the time spent on the previous list (special arrangements that apply where there is more than one housing authority in a county, as is the case in Dublin, Cork and Galway).


A commitment has been given to examine the possibility of introducing a “housing passport”. The basic premise is that households in receipt of, or qualified for, social housing support in one local authority area could potentially transfer to, or be allocated, social housing in another local authority area. I am  currently finalising proposals in relation to this matter. It is my intention to bring forward any proposed changes needed to implement the passport proposal to Government as part of a comprehensive social housing reform package of measures in the near future.

 

 



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For Written Answer on : 21/05/2019
Question Number(s): 651 Question Reference(s): 21527/19
Department: Housing, Planning and Local Government
Asked by: Darragh O'Brien T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government his plans to increase the threshold for discretionary spending on housing by local authorities above levels set in Budget 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY



At an overall level, the budgetary provision for the delivery of housing in 2019 is €2.4 billion, the largest investment ever in a single year.  This funding will see the housing needs of 27,360 households being met this year. Local authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services, Local Property Tax (LPT) as well as funding from Government Departments and other bodies.  Elected members have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes adopting the annual budget. Accordingly, it is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary processes, having regard to both locally identified needs and the resources available. Local authorities may decide to augment central Government funding for the provision of housing from within their own resources, in line with the authority's agreed budget.

 

 



______________________________________________
For Written Answer on : 21/05/2019
Question Number(s): 652 Question Reference(s): 21528/19
Department: Housing, Planning and Local Government
Asked by: Darragh O'Brien T.D.
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QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the protocols put in place between local authorities and the Land Development Agency in relation to the coordination of land purchases; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY



The Land Development Agency (LDA) is focused on managing State-owned land to develop new homes, and regenerate under-utilised sites. In the longer-term the LDA will assemble strategic land banks from a mix of public and private lands, making these available for housing in a controlled manner, bringing essential long-term stability to the Irish housing market with the objective of facilitating the delivery of 150,000 new homes over the next 20 years. 

The LDA’s mandate in the initial period is focussed on accessing existing State land rather than land acquisitions. Accordingly, the need for a formal protocol for engagement with local authorities in relation to land acquisition does not arise at this point.
There is, of course, ongoing engagement between the LDA and local authorities on a range of issues of mutual interest. As the LDA develops further in the coming months, the need for a formal land acquisition coordination procedure to be put in place between the LDA and local authorities, to support the existing informal discussions already taking place, will be kept under review.

 

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the status of the new rural housing guidelines; when they will be published; if they will be open for public consultation when they are published; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

Following engagement between the European Commission and my Department regarding the European Court of Justice ruling in the "Flemish Decree" case, a working group was established to review and, where necessary, recommend changes to the 2005 Planning Guidelines on Sustainable Rural Housing, issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended.  The working group comprises senior officials from the Planning Division of my Department and senior officials from the Planning Divisions of local authorities, nominated by the local government sector.   The objective is to ensure that rural housing policies and objectives contained in local authority development plans comply with the relevant provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.  
Taking account of the engagement with the European Commission on the matter and subject to the completion of the ongoing deliberations by the working group, I will be in a position to finalise and issue to planning authorities revisions to the 2005 Rural Housing Guidelines that take account of the relevant ECJ judgment.  
I have no plans to hold a public consultation on the matter, due to the extensive discussions and engagement with planning authorities and other relevant stakeholders as part of the Working Group’s review of the 2005 Guidelines.