Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

[Deputy Jan O’Sullivan.]
Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
some of the families currently living in the area in question. It is now a matter for the Council
to advance the development of this scheme, separately to other proposals by the Council for
social housing in the area. From ongoing contact between my Department and the Council, I
understand that the Council is endeavouring to advance the provision of suitable accommodation
for these families as soon as possible. In addition, my Department provided funding
to Dublin City Council in 2011 for the refurbishment of an existing halting site in the Dunsink
Lane area.
Community Development
417. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local
Government if capital funding exists for community centres experiencing overcrowding to redevelop
or build extensions; the mechanism through which they might apply for any such funding;
and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7589/12]
Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Phil Hogan):
Axes 3 and 4 (LEADER) of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013 have significant
funding for allocation to qualifying projects up to the end of 2013. One of the objectives
of the RDP is to identify and provide appropriate amenity and leisure facilities to local communities
not otherwise available to them. Accordingly, it may be possible to obtain funding for
the types of community facilities described in the Question under the RDP.
For the purposes of implementing Axes 3 and 4 of the Rural Development Programme
(RDP), the following areas are excluded:
• The City Council boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick;
• The Borough Council boundaries of Kilkenny, Sligo and Wexford;
• The Town Council boundaries of Athlone, Ballina, Castlebar, Cavan, Dundalk, Ennis,
Killarney, Letterkenny, Mallow, Monaghan, Mullingar, Tralee, Tuam and Tullamore.
There are 35 Local Action Groups contracted, on my Department’s behalf, to deliver the RDP
throughout the country and these groups are the principal decision-makers in relation to the
allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the local development
strategy of the individual groups and in line with Departmental operating rules and EU regulations.
Contact details for these groups can be found on the website of the National Rural
Network at www.nrn.ie.
Local Government Charges
418. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local
Government if he will consider an amnesty on the non-principal private residence charge for
persons who own only one house but because of their work situation are unable to live in it
and to compensate the cost of renting a house near their work place are financially forced to
rent out their own. [7608/12]
Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Phil Hogan):
The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, broadened the revenue base of local
authorities by introducing a charge on non-principal private residences. The charge is set at
€200 and liability for it falls, in the main, on owners of rental, holiday and vacant properties.
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