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495 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 496Minister of State at the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government(Mr. N. Ahern): I propose to take Questions Nos.359 and 360 together.Details regarding total house completions,including those provided by the State, under thelocal authority housing programme and the voluntaryand co-operative housing sector are setout in my Department’s housing statistics bulletin,copies of which are available in theOireachtas Library and on the Department’swebsite at www.environ.ie.Details from the statistics bulletin reveal thatthe number of social houses completed by thelocal authorities and under the various voluntaryhousing schemes has doubled since 2000 — table1. The share of social housing has increased byapproximately 30% since 2000. This reflects successfulpolicies to encourage an increase in overallhousing supply together with a commitment toincreasing the rate for building of social houses.Table 1 House completions — Total and Social housing.Number of House Completions Numbers of Newly Percentage Social Housing %Built Social Houses2000 49,812 3,155 6.32001 52,602 4,875 9.32002 57,695 5,763 10.02003 68,819 6,133 8.92004 (9 months) 54,170 3,123 5.7These figures do not reflect the total provision ofsocial housing as they do not include the numberof acquisitions of housing units for social rentedaccommodation or the casual vacancies in socialhousing stock that occur each year. It is expectedthat the accommodation needs of more than13,000 households will have been addressed in2004 through the various social and affordablehousing measures.A definitive breakdown of house completionseither by type of purchaser or whether they weresecond, holiday or investment homes cannot beprovided at present. My Department is in discussionwith the Central Statistics Office regardingthe collection of more reliable information onsecond homes with the objective of addressingthis information deficit.EU Directives.361. Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Governmentthe position regarding the implementation of thenitrates directive, 91/676/EEC; and if he willmake a statement on the matter. [5597/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): I refer to thereply to Question No. 346 of 1 February 2005.Work is continuing in my Department, in cooperationwith the Department of Agricultureand Food, to prepare a response to the EuropeanCommission letter of formal notice — Article 228— in regard to Ireland’s nitrates actionprogramme.Housing Aid for the Elderly.362. Ms M. Wallace asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Governmentthe criteria under the housing aid scheme for theelderly which prevents two elderly persons fromqualifying for the grant; and if he will make astatement on the matter. [5599/05]Minister of State at the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government(Mr. N. Ahern): Under the special housing aidfor the elderly scheme, which is operated by theHealth Service Executive, formerly the healthboards, in line with various guidelines issued fromtime to time by the task force which administersthe scheme under the aegis of my Department,aid is provided to improve the housing conditionsof elderly persons living alone in unfit or insanitaryconditions. The household may include morethan one elderly person. Aid is not availablewhere others who are not elderly are resident inthe house. Decisions to grant assistance in individualcases are the responsibility of the HealthService Executive at local level and it is a matterfor the relevant community care department todetermine, within the funds available, the priorityof cases on hand.Local Authority Housing.363. Mr. Fleming asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Governmentthe number of houses constructed or started byLaois County Council on a year by year basis forthe years 2000 to 2004; the projected number ofhousing starts in 2005; the way in which this compareswith the allocations of approvals granted byhis Department to the council for each of thoseyears; and if he will make a statement on thematter. [5605/05]Minister of State at the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government(Mr. N. Ahern): Information on the number ofhouses completed and started by Laois CountyCouncil for each of the years 2000 to 2004 underthe local authority housing construction-acquisitionprogramme is set out in the following table.
497 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 498Laois County Council — Housing Completions/StartsYear Completions Starts2000 68 1122001 128 1632002 63 1082003 57 682004 end September 149 68Completions-acquisitions figures for the full year2004 are being finalised and will be published indue course in the annual housing statistics bulletin.The delivery of housing by local authoritiesin the next few years is being developed in thecontext of new five year action plans for socialand affordable housing to ensure a systematic andintegrated approach to the effective use ofresources. I consider that given the nature of continuoushousing need, the preparation of theseaction plans is beneficial to local authorities inidentifying priority needs over the coming yearsand providing a coherent and co-ordinatedresponse across all housing services, includingdelivery of housing by the voluntary and cooperativehousing sector. The majority of theseplans, including Laois County Council’s actionplan, have already been approved by my Departmentand the remainder are likely to be approvedwithin a matter of weeks. Laois CountryCouncil’s nominated housing programme for2005 has recently been received and is underexamination in my Department.Election Management System.364. Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government ifthe warranties on the electronic voting machineshave now expired; the open market value of themachines; and if he will make a statement on thematter. [5634/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): Under the termsof the contract agreed with Nedap in December2003, the warranty period in respect of the votingmachines and related equipment extends to theend of 2007. The unit price of a voting machineis \4,508, plus VAT.Wildlife Protection.365. Mr. Perry asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Governmentwhen action will be taken to help preserve thefreshwater pearl mussel, margaritifera durrovensis,.[5653/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): I refer to thereply to Questions Nos. 165 and 170 of 9February 2005.Flood Relief.366. Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister forthe Environment, Heritage and Local Governmentif there is an emergency fund available inhis Department to compensate householders whoare victims of extreme and devastating flooding;and if he will make a statement on the matter.[5660/05]Minister of State at the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government(Mr. N. Ahern): My Department has no directrole in relation to flood damage and compensationfor householders or others who sufferlosses as a result of flooding. The Office of PublicWorks has primary responsibility for devising andimplementing such flood relief measures. Nofunds are available to the Department specificallyto meet expenditure incurred by local authoritiesdue to flooding. However, local authorities can,where necessary, provide emergency short-termaccommodation for persons made homeless as aresult of disasters such as flooding. My Departmentrecoups 90% of the cost of providing suchaccommodation.Local Authority Housing.367. Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister forthe Environment, Heritage and Local Governmentwhen he will approve the new scheme oflettings for Dublin City Council as submitted in2004; and if he will make a statement on thematter. [5691/05]Minister of State at the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government(Mr. N. Ahern): The revised scheme of lettingpriorities submitted by Dublin City Council hasbeen the subject of ongoing discussions betweenmy Department and the city council. A recentmeeting was held at official level to progressmatters further. A decision will be made on thematter as soon as possible.Water and Sewerage Schemes.368. Mr. Neville asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Governmentthe position regarding the provision of the Croomand Patrickswell water supply scheme. [5693/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): The links fromthe Limerick county trunk water mains to Croomand Patrickswell-Adare have been approved forconstruction in my Department’s water servicesinvestment programme 2004-06. The submissionof Limerick County Council’s detailed design andcontract documents for the Croom link for myDepartment’s approval is awaited. The council’scontract documents and water pricing policyreport for the Patrickswell-Adare element arebeing examined in the Department and are beingdealt with as quickly as possible.369. Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Ministerfor the Environment, Heritage and LocalGovernment the reason for the delay in approvingthe preliminary report for the Kenmare water
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