Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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97. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding schemes available from his Department in respect of local authority housing; the payments that were made to each local authority under these schemes and initiatives by county in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7549/21]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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102. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding schemes that are available from his Department in respect of housing grants for private homes and local authority housing; the payments that were made to each local authority under these schemes and initiatives by county in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7554/21]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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103. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding schemes that are available from his Department in respect of energy efficiency retrofitting local authority housing; the payments that were made to each local authority under these schemes and initiatives by county in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7555/21]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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104. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding schemes that are available from his Department in respect of estate regeneration for local authority housing; the payments that were made to each local authority under these schemes and initiatives by county in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7556/21]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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106. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding schemes that are available from his Department in respect of voluntary housing and local authority housing; the payments that were made to each local authority under these schemes and initiatives by county in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7558/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 97, 102 to 104, inclusive, and 106 together.

My Department provides funding for a wide range of programmes and supports to assist households with their housing needs. This includes the delivery of new social homes through local authority and Approved Housing Body led programmes, other forms of social housing delivery such as HAP and RAS, targeted supports to meet the housing needs of specific groups and programmes to maintain households within their existing housing through improvement, upgrading and adaptation works.

The data in respect of the specific funding streams requested, broken down at local authority level for 2018, 2019 and 2020, is set out in the tables linked below.

More broadly, over €7 billion has been spent on the full range of housing programmes over the period 2018–2020. The major investment in housing will continue this year with €3.3 billion being made available for the delivery of all housing programmes.

Further details in respect of capital and current Housing programmes and associated funding provisions are set out in the Revised Estimates Volumes at the following link:

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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98. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding schemes available from his Department in respect of natural and built heritage; the payments that were made to each local authority under these schemes and initiatives by county in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7550/21]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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My Department operates a number of funding schemes to support natural and built heritage projects. The tables below set out the funding received by local authorities from my Department for each year 2018, 2019 and 2020 through these schemes. Where payments were made other than to a local authority, these have been excluded.

The Local Authority Biodiversity Grant Scheme operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department provides funding to assist local authority biodiversity officers or heritage officers (in local authorities without a biodiversity officer) with the implementation of projects that promote actions contained in the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2021. The current National Biodiversity Action Plan, Ireland’s third, captures the objectives, targets and actions for biodiversity to be undertaken by a wide range of government, civil society and private sectors to achieve Ireland’s vision for biodiversity.

Financial support is also provided by my Department for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through a number of grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) is a scheme for the repair and conservation of structures on the local authority RPS. It is designed to leverage private capital for investment in small scale conservation projects across the country and to support the employment of skilled conservation professionals. The Historic Structures Fund (HSF), succeeded the Structures at Risk Fund (HSF) in 2019. It is for conservation and enhancement to heritage structures and historic buildings, in both private and public ownership, for the benefit of communities and the public. In addition, last year I introduced the Community Monuments Fund (CMF) for conservation and other works at our recorded monuments.

Under the July Jobs Stimulus Package (JJSP) 2020, additional funding was provided for built heritage projects and such payments to local authorities are also included in the relevant table.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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99. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding schemes available from his Department in respect of fire services in local authority housing; the payments that were made to each local authority under these schemes and initiatives by county in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7551/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for equipment and priority infrastructural projects.

My Department runs a Community Smoke Alarm scheme which distributes smoke alarms to what are identified as vulnerable households. The scheme was initiated in 2007 and has seen over 150,000 alarms distributed by fire service personnel, including to those in local authority housing. The recoupments made to each local authority under this schemes by county, in each of the years 2018 to 2020, is outlined in Table 1 below.

Table 1 - Recoupments to Local Authorities in respect of Community Smoke Alarm Scheme

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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100. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding schemes available from his Department in respect of urban renewal and regeneration; the payments that were made to each local authority under these schemes and initiatives by county in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7552/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is a flagship element of Project Ireland 2040. The URDF was established to support more compact and sustainable development, through the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and NDP. This is to enable a greater proportion of residential and mixed-use development to be delivered within the existing built-up footprints of our cities and towns and to ensure that more parts of our urban areas can become attractive and vibrant places in which people choose to live and work, as well as to invest and to visit.

Through the Fund, successful applicants are being offered targeted integrated support for applicant-led projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of our cities and towns.

In keeping with the aims of the National Planning Framework and Project Ireland 2040, the URDF demonstrates a new and more tailored approach to the provision of Government support. Over its planned duration up to 2027, URDF support will be targeted in an integrated, dynamic and responsive way to support the regeneration and rejuvenation of our towns and cities.

Already, the URDF is providing assistance for major projects that will contribute to the regeneration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s five cities and other large towns, in line with the objectives of the National Planning Framework and National Development Plan.

On 26 November 2018, URDF support was announced for a total of 88 projects throughout the country, one of which was later withdrawn by the applicant. In mid-2019 approval in principle and provisional funding allocations issued in respect of those 87 projects. This significant pipeline of projects is set to have a transformational impact in urban areas across the country. Through the URDF, successful applicants are receiving targeted integrated support for innovative holistic solutions to the issues that have hindered the regeneration and rejuvenation of our large towns and cities.

The programme has been very well received and supported, and while responsibility for the advancement of proposals is, in the first instance, a matter for the relevant local authority my Department is working closely with applicants to advance these projects as quickly as possible.

As the announcement of successful projects under Call 1 of the URDF was made in late 2018 there was no expenditure on the URDF supported capital programme in that year. The table below details the payments made to each local authority in respect of their projects in 2019 and 2020.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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101. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding schemes available from his Department in respect of rural water schemes; the payments that were made to each local authority under these schemes and initiatives by county in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7553/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's Rural Water Programme provides capital and current funding to the Rural Water Sector. The Multi-annual Rural Water Programme provides capital funding to the sector, while current funding is provided through an annual subsidy to group water schemes for the operational and maintenance costs of providing water to their domestic members. Further information in relation to capital and current funding available through my Department in respect of rural water schemes can be found on my Department's website at the following link:

The three tables below set out the funding received by local authorities from my Department for each year 2018, 2019 and 2020 through the Rural Water Programme under the above funding schemes.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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105. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding schemes available from his Department in respect of homeless services for local authority housing; the payments that were made to each local authority under these schemes and initiatives by county in each of the years 2018 to 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7557/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Increasing the supply of housing, particularly new build social and affordable homes, is a priority for me and for this Government. This is a key element in addressing homelessness. The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000, with an emphasis on new builds. Budget 2021 provided €3.3 billion for the delivery of housing which will allow for the delivery of 12,750 new social homes through build, acquisition and leasing. A major focus of this investment is the delivery of new builds, with an overall target of 9,500 new homes.

In respect of homeless services my Department’s role is to ensure the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and associated services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities.

My Department does not fund any homeless services, initiatives or schemes directly but provides funding to housing authorities towards theses costs under section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. Funding provided goes towards a range of services and initiatives including funding towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and initiatives such as outreach, tenancy sustainment services and Housing First services. 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. In light of the foregoing, the exact amounts spent by housing authorities, as well as the type and operation of homeless accommodation and related services is a matter for the individual housing authority, in consultation with the Management Group of the relevant regional joint Homeless Consultative Forum established in accordance with Chapter 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009.

Exchequer funding for homeless services is provided through my Department to housing authorities on a regional basis. Exchequer funding provided on a regional basis for the years 2018 to 2020 is set out below:

The outturn for 2020 includes contributions from my Department towards housing authority expenditure in relation to Covid-19 measures. New facilities were opened to ensure the number of residents in existing accommodation could be reduced to meet the necessary public health guidelines and to keep people safe. Shielding has been provided for those homeless persons most at risk of becoming seriously ill and additional accommodation has also been put in place to allow for the self-isolation of any confirmed or suspected case of infection. Costs have also been incurred on the provision of 24hr services in facilities, including food costs.

Financial reports from each of the homeless regions setting out expenditure on homeless accommodation and related services are published on my Department's website at . Financial reports for 2020 are currently being examined and will be published shortly.

My Department also supports local authorities with capital funding to deliver emergency accommodation, including family hubs. Capital funding provided by my Department from 2018 to 2020 is set out below.