Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

505 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 506As section 214 of the Planning and DevelopmentAct 2000 transferred functions of the Ministerfor the Environment, Heritage and LocalGovernment in regard to the determination ofcompulsory purchase orders to An Bord Pleanálawith effect from 1 January 2001, I have no functionin authorising such orders.Local authorities develop particular Travellerspecificaccommodation schemes in accordancewith their Traveller accommodation programmes.Prior to commencing such schemes, local authoritiesmust obtain approval from my Department,which allocates funding from within theoverall Traveller-specific allocation to suchschemes. My Department will continue to providethe necessary funding to meet the cost tolocal authorities of the provision of Travellerspecificaccommodation.Details of the amount available to authoritiesfor the provision and refurbishment of Travellerspecificaccommodation will be made available inthe revised Estimates for public service for 2005.Housing Policy.382. Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government ifhis Department has set a social rent housing stockper population target; and if he will make a statementon the matter. [5971/05]Minister of State at the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government(Mr. N. Ahern): The Government’s targets inregard to social housing are not set on the basisof a social housing stock per population. Quantifyingtargets in this manner would not be appropriategiven the influence of demographic andeconomic factors on the level of need at any pointin time. The focus of the Government’s housingprogrammes is on responding to identified needs.A broad range of targeted initiatives have beenintroduced in recent years to address the needsof low income groups and those with social andspecial housing needs.The Government has responded to increasedlevels of social housing need by expanding socialand affordable housing output significantly inrecent years and is committed to maintainingstrong programmes into the future. Additionalresources are being made available this year toincrease the output of social housing further. Asa result, we expect that approximately 5,500 newhouses will be started under the main local authorityprogramme and that the output of the voluntaryand co-operative housing sector will alsoincrease.In total, my Department will spend a record\1.3 billion in Exchequer funding on supports forsocial and affordable housing programmes in2005. This will enable the needs of more than13,000 households to be met this year throughexisting schemes and the new rent accommodationscheme will address the long-term housingneeds of some 5,000 recipients of rentsupplement.The decision to introduce five-year multiannualcapital investment programmes providesan important opportunity to ensure a structuredbasis for the planning and delivery of all socialand affordable housing programmes. The statutoryassessment of social housing which must beundertaken at the end of March this year will providean up-to-date assessment of social housingneeds.To maximise the benefits of this multi-annualapproach, five-year action plans for social andaffordable housing have been developed by localauthorities. The main objective in developingthese action plans is the need to ensure that theinvestment available for these programmesachieves the desired effect in the long term bytackling real need and breaking cycles of disadvantageand dependency having regard to thefunding available under the five-year multiannualcapital envelopes.The expanded social and affordable housingprovision over recent years has had a beneficialimpact on the social rented housing stock.Returns from local authorities indicate that thenumber of occupied local authority dwellings hasincreased in recent years. The number of occupiedlocal authority dwellings at the end of 2003was in the order of 107,000, compared with 99,200at the end of 1998.Fire Stations.383. Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister forthe Environment, Heritage and Local Governmentthe status of an application to provide a newfire station at Freshford, County Kilkenny; theamount of funding already allocated to the project;the reason for the delay in the constructionof the station; the contract price of the project;the timeframe involved; and if he will make astatement on the matter. [5976/05]Minister of State at the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government(Mr. B. O’Keeffe): In July 2004, my Departmentconveyed approval to Kilkenny County Councilto invite tenders for the construction of a new firestation at Freshford at an estimated all-in cost of\590,000. The council’s tender proposals areawaited in the Department.384. Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister forthe Environment, Heritage and Local Governmentwhen a new fire station will be provided atCastlecomer, County Kilkenny; if the project hasbeen approved and costed; if funding will bemade available in 2005; and if he will make astatement on the matter. [5977/05]Minister of State at the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government(Mr. B. O’Keeffe): Kilkenny County Council’sproposal for a new fire station at Castlecomer isbeing considered in my Department in the contextof the fire services capital programme having