Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

683. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if housing service plans (details supplied) have been agreed; and if not, the timeframe for the compiling of the plans by each local authority. [8385/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The statutory position regarding Housing Services Plans is set out in sections 14 -18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. These provisions have not yet been commenced.

Section 14 requires that each housing authority make a Housing Services Plan setting out the objectives, which the housing authority considers to be reasonable and necessary for the provision of housing services having regard to the requirements of the housing strategy or strategies relating to housing supports for its administrative area.

Housing Services are defined as, among other things:

- social housing support;

- affordable housing;

- the granting of shared ownership leases under section 3 of the Act of 1992;

- the sale, or consent to the sale, of a dwelling under section 90(1)(b) of the Principal Act to a person other than another housing authority;

- loans made under section 11 of the Act of 1992 or section 25(1) of the Housing (Traveller accommodation) Act 1998;

- grants for works of improvement or adaptation to houses under section 5 of the Act of 1992;

- grants and other assistance for the provision of new houses or improvement works to houses under section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1979;

- services provided to homeless persons under section 10 of the Act of 1988;

- the provision of sites under section 57 of the Principal Act; and

- the management, maintenance and refurbishment of any dwelling, building or land of which the housing authority is the owner or which is under its management and control.

The provisions allow for the making of a Housing Services Plan in draft form first, its circulation to the Minister and other bodies (including Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and the ) for comments, the preparation of a report for the elected members by the Chief Executive and the adoption of the Plan by the members, with or without modification.

The main priority in recent years has been to deliver on the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, and it has not been necessary to commence the provisions of the 2009 Act referred to in order to achieve the delivery of the associated significantly increased and enhanced housing services by local authorities and AHBs. This is demonstrated by the level of social housing delivery achieved in 2018, exceeding the national target for the year by 6%.

Under section 94 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, each planning authority is required to include a housing strategy in its Development Plan, for the purpose of ensuring that the proper planning and sustainable development of the area provides for the housing of the existing and future population of the area in the manner set out in the strategy. All authorities have complied with this requirement.

A housing strategy takes into account a number of matters including:

- the existing need and the likely future need for social and affordable housing,

- the need to ensure that housing is available for persons who have different levels of income,

- the need to ensure that a mixture of house types and sizes is developed to reasonably match the requirements of the different categories of households, including the special requirements of elderly persons and persons with disabilities, and

- the need to counteract undue segregation in housing between persons of different social backgrounds.

It is also required to include an estimate of the amount of social and affordable housing required in the area of the development plan during the period of the plan.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

684. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if local authorities have drawn up a plan for refurbishing their housing stock (details supplied); if the reports will be provided; and if plans have not been drawn up, the timeframe for the completion of same. [8386/19]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

685. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if housing conditions (details supplied) have been resolved; and if a report confirming same will be provided. [8387/19]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

686. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a progress report on each of the regeneration programmes (details supplied) will be provided; the number of tenants that have benefitted from the regeneration programmes; and the number that remain in council accommodation awaiting regeneration. [8388/19]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

687. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps that have been taken by local authorities to assess the adequacy and condition of local authority housing (details supplied); and the enforcement actions taken against local authorities in relation to housing standards and conditions. [8389/19]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

689. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a survey of the condition of housing stock has been completed by local authorities; if the report of same will be provided; and the further action taken to address the issues of concern raised in the decision by the European Committee of Social Rights (details supplied). [8391/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 684 to 687, inclusive, and 689 together.

Local authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for the management and maintenance of their own housing stock under the Housing Acts, including responsive and planned maintenance and the identification of housing in need of upgrade, regeneration or adaptation. My Department provides exchequer support to the local authorities across a number of programmes to support their work to maintain and improve their social housing stock but, in all cases, it is the local authorities that identify priority works.

The funding support from my Department to the local authorities to improve their social housing stock includes significant commitments under regeneration and energy retrofitting. Under the regeneration programme, local authorities are making significant progress in the advancement of major programmes in areas including Dolphin House and St Teresa’s Gardens in Dublin, as well as in Limerick and Cork cities and a number of other areas. In Dolphin House, where complaints had arisen previously regarding some housing conditions, 2018 saw the full refurbishment of 63 of the existing apartments alongside the construction of 37 newly built social homes for the residents of the area, with over €25 million in investment. The regeneration programme there will continue into 2019 and beyond.

The energy retrofitting programme has seen over 68,000 social houses and apartments being retrofitted to date, through some €128m of investment. The programme aims to improve energy efficiency and comfort levels and address issues around fuel poverty. These investments to improve the housing stock, with exchequer support, are additional to ongoing work and investment by the local authorities themselves.

I understand that stock condition surveys are now either completed, underway or in planning in a number of local authority areas, including Dublin City. The extent to which the refurbishment or upgrade to social housing is required, and the plans of local authorities to address this, will depend on the findings of the individual stock conditions surveys as they are completed. Some stock may require little or no upgrading and responsive maintenance will continue to be provided by all local authorities, as has been the case to date to address housing issues as they arise in the authorities’ social housing stock.

The very significant investment currently being made in regeneration projects such as Dolphin House, which was specifically referenced in the complaint regarding social housing conditions in Ireland made to the European Committee of Social Rights, is a key element of the Irish Government’s commitment to these issues. Equally, the continued work of local authorities in undertaking stock condition surveys and both responsive and planned maintenance programmes, as well as important programmes such as the Energy Retrofitting programme, also address the issues of concern raised with the European Committee of Social Rights.