Urban Regeneration and Development Fund for Trim and Navan

English encourages local communities in Trim and Navan to work closely with Meath County Council on applications for Urban Regeneration and Development Fund 

Some €4 billion will be made available to cities and towns across Ireland through the Project Ireland 2040 Funds, including the towns of Trim and Navan in Meath West, local Fine Gael T.D. and Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal Damien English T.D. has said.

As part of Project Ireland 2040, the Government is setting up four new funds to deliver better cities, better rural towns and communities, fund new technology and look at how we can combat climate change and effectively respond to the huge challenge it poses.

The breakdown is: €2bn for urban regeneration, €1bn for the Rural Development Fund, €500m climate action fund and €500m disruptive technologies fund

Minister English said: “This funding is great news for Trim and Navan, and for the wider county too. The new €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund will also encourage greater stakeholder contributions than we’ve had in the past.

“This is part of a longer term plan which delivers the resources to make our new planning framework come alive. Our hope is that this new funding model will move beyond politics and hopefully see more community driven initiatives.

“This fund will act as a driver of development and it is essential that Meath County Council and our community groups apply for all the funding available to them.

“The Fund will encourage collaborative approaches between Departments, agencies, Local Authorities and other public bodies, and the private sector, where appropriate, to pool their assets and work with communities to transform our rural towns and villages and their outlying areas.

“Previously we’ve allocated to Government Departments and to Local Authorities on the basis of what they got in the past – that needs to change.

“Proposals will be expected to be consistent with the National Planning Framework objectives and provide a strategic integrated approach which is consistent with regional and local plans for the area.

“To ensure Ireland benefits we have to completely change how we allocate funding to universities and the private sector on a competitive basis.

“We’re asking them to apply for funding that the State will look at matching,” the Meath West Fine Gael T.D. and Minister said.

ENDS

EDITORS NOTE:

€2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund:

The primary purpose of the €2 billion Fund is to secure more compact, sustainable growth in Ireland’s five cities and other large urban centres (the 59 eligible cities and towns are listed in the annex).  This funding, addition to normal sectoral funding streams, is designed to leverage a greater proportion of residential and commercial development, supported by infrastructure, services and amenities, within the existing built-up areas of our larger urban settlements.

There is a total of €500m Exchequer funding to the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund over the years 2019 to 2022, with €100 million of expenditure available in 2019. An initial call for proposals is intended to be made before the end of June 2018, allowing a 14 week period for development of applications with a targeted closing date at end September 2018.  Proposals will be invited to be submitted under one of two categories:

2019. A)     ‘Ready-to-go’ proposals that can be initiated in 2019.  Projects in this category will have the necessary consents (e.g. planning) in place, be at an advanced stage of design and be procurement-ready; or
2020. B)     Proposals that require further development and that subject to approval in principle, may be initiated in 2019 or in subsequent years. It will be necessary to detail, as part of the bid process, the key steps required for further project development to enable project initiation.

The initial 2018 call will invite bids that may be made for funding a large project on a multi-annual basis, in respect of which project expenditure can commence in 2019. There will be further calls periodically, with funding/allocations to be increased incrementally as the programme becomes established.

Bid proposals must be on a co-funded basis and must therefore demonstrate significant stakeholder contribution in the form of a combination of wider exchequer and/or state-sector capital expenditure, local authority investment and/or land, or other asset contributions.  The co-funding contribution must comprise not less than 25% of the bid value.

There will also be a requirement for 100% (euro-for-euro) leveraging of committed wider private sector investment in the delivery of homes, community and/or commercial floorspace in urban areas, arising from investment to be made as a result of the Urban Fund.

There is a wide range of projects that will be eligible for this regeneration and development funding, including the acquisition, enabling and/or development of areas, sites and buildings, relocation of uses, public amenity works, community facilities, transport, services infrastructure and/or transition to a low carbon and climate resilient society, in an urban context.

Types of areas eligible for funding may include those that include a concentration of low-intensity uses, such as storage depots or warehousing, underutilised ‘backlands’ behind streets and buildings, or institutional sites that are suitable for re-development, as part of an overall regeneration proposal.

Eligible Cities and Towns:

A list of the eligible cities and towns is included below. This may be reviewed post-2021 following the next Census.

Cities

1          Dublin City and Metropolitan Area

2          Cork City and Metropolitan Area

3          Limerick City and Metropolitan Area

4          Galway City and Metropolitan Area

5          Waterford City and Metropolitan Area

 

Regional/Cross-border drivers

1          Drogheda

2          Dundalk

3          Athlone

4          Letterkenny

5          Sligo

 

Towns >10,000 population 2016

1          Swords

2          Bray

3          Navan

4          Kilkenny

5          Ennis

6          Carlow

7          Tralee

8          Newbridge

9          Portlaoise

10         Balbriggan

11         Naas

12         Mullingar

13         Celbridge

14         Wexford

15         Greystones

16         Clonmel

17         Malahide

18         Carrigaline

19         Leixlip

20         Tullamore

21         Maynooth

22         Killarney

23         Arklow

24         Cobh

25         Ashbourne

26         Midleton

27         Mallow

28         Castlebar

29         Laytown-Bettystown-Mornington

30         Enniscorthy

31         Cavan

32         Wicklow

33         Tramore

34         Ballina

35         Skerries

36         Longford

 

Towns <10,000 population, >2,500 jobs 2016

(eligible for either urban or rural funds)

 

1          Gorey

2          Shannon

3          Nenagh

4          Westport

5          Roscommon

6          Monaghan

7          Tuam

8          Thurles

9          Dungarvan

10         New Ross

11         Ballinasloe

12         Carrick-on-Shannon

13         Trim

 

 

Closing Contribution on SF Private Members’ Bill

Private Members’ Bill

Sinn Féin Eoin Ó Broin, T.D., and Kathleen Funchion, T.D.

 Residential Tenancies (Student Rents, Rights and Protections) Bill 2018

 Closing Contribution by Minister of State, Damien English, T.D

Tuesday, 29th May 2018

Ceann Comhairle,

• On behalf of the Government, I wish to thank Deputies Ó Broin and Funchion for tabling their Private Members Bill to propose extending the protections of the Residential Tenancies Acts, which currently apply to dwellings under certain tenancies, to also apply to dwellings provided under a licence agreement for student accommodation.
• While the Government cannot at this juncture endorse this specific legislation, as it is premature until such time as the legal considerations and implications are more thoroughly evaluated, we can readily acknowledge and welcome the broad spirit and objective of the Bill, as a genuine attempt to improve the situation for students at a time of under-supply in the residential rental sector.
• It is in the interest of Government to ensure student accommodation is affordable, and not subject to excessive increases.
• The existing Government financial support for students is finite in terms of taxpayers’ money. Do you propose cuts to the maintenance grant? Do you propose cuts to grants and funds for mature students in third level education? Or do you propose to cut the wages of our lecturers in the third level sector?.
• Equally, parents’ or students’ own resources are hard earned and should not be swallowed up either. Students should not have to face entering the work-force with a massive debt to re-pay. We need affordable rents across the country and not just for students.
• Unreasonable accommodation costs have the potential to prohibit individual students from pursuing studies in their preferred field because their choice of course might not be on offer close to where they live. Location comes into play and for some, an educational course in Dublin is becoming less attainable for financial reasons, predominantly because of high accommodation costs.
• We need to provide certainty to students whose finances are tight and finite and help limit their financial burdens.
• As Minister Mitchell O’Connor highlighted earlier, the Government published its National Student Accommodation Strategy (NSAS) to increase the supply of student accommodation and increase the take-up of digs accommodation. The Government has set a target to see an extra 7,000 bed spaces built by the end 2019 and a total of 21,000 additional beds by 2024. We are currently on track to exceed these targets.
• A greater supply of student accommodation to meet demand has the potential to ease overall pressures on the rental market, including moderating rent increases, on the basis of increased competition and choice.

Sinn Féin’s Private Members Bill

• However, I do not believe that Sinn Féin’s Private Members Bill will achieve the outcome of having all student accommodation subject to ongoing regulation. I do believe that this is the right outcome to seek, but this Bill won’t deliver that.
• The Sinn Féin Bill proposes to apply the protections afforded to tenancies under the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2016 to students living in student specific accommodation under licence agreements.
• The Bill focuses, in particular, on ensuring that the annual rent increase limit of 4%, as it applies to certain dwellings in Rent Pressure Zones, will also apply to student specific accommodation provided under licence.
• However, a licensing framework might best suit the business model of student-specific accommodation providers, rather than trying to bring them in under the provisions of Residential Tenancies Acts which do not naturally fit with students, who generally occupy their accommodation for around 8 months of the years.
• There is a risk that the expected supply of student accommodation coming on stream could be negatively affected by the proposed application of the Residential Tenancies Acts to student specific accommodation provided under licence agreement.
• We need to explore how we can legally protect all students from high accommodation costs, whether they live in public or private accommodation and whether they have signed a tenancy or licence agreement.
• We need to provide students with a choice on where they wish to live during their college life. Students should not be forced to take whatever accommodation they can get, come August. They should get value for money and reasonable accommodation that best suits their needs.
• It’s also worth pointing out that the 4% RPZ limit, if applied to student accommodation, would not be retrospective and would not cover new properties.
• The measures proposed by Sinn Féin cannot be supported at this juncture, on the basis that a more thorough analysis of the impacts by the Department of Education and Skills and the Minister’s Department, as to whether amending the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004-2016 is the best approach to regulate student specific accommodation provided under licence.
• It may well be that bespoke legislation, subject to further legal advice, might better achieve the intended purposes of the Bill, without adding significantly to the already very heavy workload of the Residential Tenancies Board.
• The Department of Education and Skills (DES) is liaising with officials from my Department, including through the forum of the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Student Accommodation which is convened by the DES, to examine the wide range of student accommodation types (and ancillary services) available with a view to considering how best to regulate pricing arrangements.
• While Government is not in a position to support the Sinn Féin Bill at this stage, we do not oppose it. The Departments of Education and Skills and Housing, Planning and Local Government will consider the Bill’s proposals further.
• In the event that it is considered that there is a policy-based case for legislation in this area, proposals will be brought forward, either in a standalone Bill or in the context of the second of two Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bills envisaged this year.

Thank you.

Launch of Report: Evaluation Phase 1 of Dublin City Age Friendly Housing with Support Model

Launch of Report: Evaluation Phase 1 of Dublin City Age Friendly Housing with Support Model

Damien English, T.D., Minister for Housing and Urban Development

Mansion House

4 May 2018

Opening Remarks

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted to be with you for the launch of this report on age friendly housing.

The report, which Dr. Kathy Walsh set out for us so clearly this morning, contains the results of an evaluation of the first phase of the Housing with Support Demonstration project.

It is a key priority for Government under the Rebuilding Ireland Plan, with which I am very proud to be associated.

I would like to congratulate Dr. Walsh for her hard work in producing this valuable report on this important issue.

The evaluation of phase one and the toolkit that has been developed will provide a useful reference and guidebook for others who want to replicate this ‘housing with supports’ model in other parts of the country.

I would like to thank Dublin City Council, who generously provided the site for this project, on their lands in Inchicore.

Thanks especially to Brendan Kenny, Deputy Chief Executive and Céline Reilly, Executive Manager in the Council.

The provision of housing is not just about numbers of houses built. It is about how we plan for the future. What we plan today will have an immense impact on how well people will live in their homes in the years ahead.

A key objective of Rebuilding Ireland is to deliver housing that meets current needs while contributing to wider objectives. Rebuilding Ireland also recognises the importance of planning housing for an ageing population.

The fact that this project was brought forward as a pathfinder housing project was significant. It had to be based on best practice and cost effectiveness. as well as taking a cross departmental, interagency approach to housing initiatives for older people. I would like to acknowledge the cooperation between:

My own Department,

The Department of Health,

Dublin City Council,

The HSE,

Age Friendly Dublin,

The Irish Council for Social Housing,

The Approved Housing Bodies and The Housing Agency.

Thanks to all of you, we have a timely project for the future. This was delivered in no small part thanks to the steering committee and its effective chairing by Maurice O’Connell.

Reading the report, so many more people were involved. I want you to know that your work is very much appreciated.

I would like to acknowledge the older people who took the time and care to tell us exactly what is needed for your future independent living. Your evidence is the bedrock to the success of this phase.

Demographics

While Ireland is a relatively young country, one of the key challenges facing us in the years ahead is planning for and addressing the needs of our rapidly ageing population.

The ageing of our population represents one of the most significant demographic and societal developments that this country faces, with the number of people over the age of 65 expected to reach 1.4 million by 2041.

Across the same period, the number over the age of 80 is set to quadruple to 480,000. The implications for public policy in areas such as housing, health and planning are considerable.

Announcing Funding for Housing Adaptation Grants

With such statistics, it is fitting that as well as launching the Evaluation Report today, I am also announcing the 2018 funding that has been secured for the Housing Adaptation Grants Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability.

I am pleased to say that funding of €66.25m has been secured for the schemes in 2018. This is an increase of 11% on 2017.

Over 9,000 households benefitted under the Scheme last year, and with this additional funding, we aim to support the improvement and adaptation of 10,000 homes this year.

I am very aware of the social benefit accruing from these grants in terms of facilitating older people and people with a disability to remain living in their own homes for longer.

It is also very important that these grants can be readily accessed by those who need them. For that reason, my Department has liaised with local authorities to review the accessibility of the scheme and is now working to streamline the application process.

We are moving to a single application form to cover the three schemes:

1. the grants to assist people with a disability;
2. those to assist older people in poor housing conditions;
3. and the mobility aids funding.

This better application arrangement, along with an ‘Easy Read Guide’ to filling the form, will make the grants more accessible to those who need them.

Further consideration will also be given to increasing the funding over the coming years in line with the commitment in Rebuilding Ireland.

Government Policy on Older People

In recognising and valuing the achievement and benefits of our population living longer, we need to ensure that their quality of life is maintained and nurtured.

Government policy in relation to housing for older people, as set out in the Programme for Government and Rebuilding Ireland, is to support older people to live with dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Research has consistently shown that older people wish to ‘age in place’ close to their families, friends and in the community where they may have lived for many years.

In the past the traditional approach has been to keep older people in their own homes if they can manage, and if not, place them into high support accommodation, such as nursing homes.

It is really good to see more choice in housing types being planned to accommodate our ageing population. This project exemplifies the type of new offering that can be made available for older people in Ireland.

This policy approach is also seen as both contributing to a greater sense of wellbeing for older people and being cost effective. For many, living in adapted or specialist housing reduces reliance on health and social care services and can result in measurably improved health status.

It is important to acknowledge that housing policy for older people is broader and more complex than the mere provision of bricks and mortar.

Indeed, addressing the needs of older people requires a cross-Departmental approach and inter-agency co-operation. The provision of housing for older people, particularly as we look at the future needs of our ageing population, will require a good mix of housing and health policy.

St. Michael’s Estate Pilot Project under Rebuilding Ireland

The St. Michael’s Estate site in Inchicore has been identified as a “Housing with Support” pilot model under Rebuilding Ireland. It will deliver 52 homes.

It is intended to set a new standard for the future of housing provision for older people and to act as an exemplar for others to follow.

The project has been approved for funding of almost €15 million under my Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme with a contribution of €450,000 from the HSE towards additional communal facilities for the residents.

These homes are being future proofed even before they are built, with extra space in all the homes to allow for care staff and/or family overstays, whichever is the more appropriate as time goes by.

This project offers the opportunity for Circle AHB and Alone to design, build and operate a unique development. The new purpose-built housing units will have a range of on-site supports. My congratulations on winning the commission and I wish you every success in successfully delivering on the project.

The ‘Housing with Support’ model brings together a range of services and supports – principally relating to housing, community, social and care needs.

It enables older persons to live full lives in their own homes within their own community. It enables independence and reduces the need to move into long term residential care.

The overall aim is to develop a new model of housing for older people where the key components, physical environment and care supports are provided on-site, integrated into the community and are designed with older people at the core.

Phasing of the Project

Phase 1 of the project focused on the development of the concept and overall design; Phase 2 will provide the detailed design and build process.

It would be my wish and hope that this project will continue with all speed – funding is in place – and that building would commence as soon as possible so that we get to Phase 3, which will see residents move in and occupy the housing by 2020.

It is important that all the key stakeholders continue to work together on this project and drive it forward.

Concluding Remarks

The project we are discussing today is an important element of the Rebuilding Ireland Plan and is all the more significant for the cohort it seeks to support – our older people.

I hope the Inchicore project is the first of many such projects around the country and while I am delighted that Dublin City Council provided the site for this demonstrator project, I see no reason why others can’t replicate this model with private sites and funding.

I want to thank you all once for your efforts to date in turning this concept into reality and I look forward to the day when the homes in Inchicore are complete and occupied.

I want to especially single out the contribution of the chair of the Steering Group, Maurice O’Connell for mention. Maurice has shown a personal commitment to the project, over and above anything that could have been expected. His enthusiasm and drive for the project is infectious and in no small way has brought us to this day.

We have a good news story here and Maurice’s role in bringing housing, social and care supports together within a single scheme is to be commended. He and his Steering Committee deserve our heartiest congratulations.

In conclusion ladies and gentlemen:

• The groundwork is now complete.
• We now have a new practical model for housing in Ireland.
• I look forward to seeing the next two phases of this project completed; and
• Reaching the stage where people are moving into their new homes for what will be the next new adventure in their lives.

Well done and thank you.

ENDS

English thanks emergency services, local Councils and most importantly community spirit and human kindness

Monday, 5th March 2018

As the thaw well and truly sets in, and normal life begins to return
for the majority of our people, it would be wrong not to reflect on
the week gone by and thank those who did so much locally and
nationally during the most raw demonstration of nature’s power in our
generation.

I want to acknowledge and thank the exceptional work of local
emergency services like An Garda, Fire Services, Defence Forces and
Reserve Defence Forces, Ambulance and Hospital staff last week. i also
want to thank Meath and Westmeath County Councils – their staff, elected members and
contractors, and all of those who kept our roads open when safe to do
so, and who kept water and power supplies going or helped to restore
them if lost. As a once in a generation event Storm Emma really pushed
the resources of the State nationally and locally, and as a result so
many local people, especially our local farming community stepped into
the breach to our offer their expertise, experience and community
spirit in clearing local roads and local estates.

Community groups like Meath River Rescue joined the Civil Defence, Order of Malta, Red Cross, Gardai and many others in delivering emergency workers, carers and
home helps safely to work, and helping meals and wheels and other vital services to do their work with the oldest and most vulnerable in our society.

Local media  like LMFM, Midlands Radio, the Meath Chronicle and Westmeath Examiner online, and Social Media platforms were all crucial in keeping people informed.

As a member of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group I saw how the work of our emergency services, communities and media nationwide was equally exceptional. I also saw first hand the quality of the research and modelling done by Met Eireaann, who are second to none in Europe. Their early warnings early last week gave people time to organise supplies and make all necessary preparations.  We thank them for that too.

The work of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group was mirrored in every County by similar local groups, and Meath and Westmeath County Councils are to be congratulated for their leadership and team work of this group locally along with all the members groups and agencies.

The danger with saying thanks is that someone is left out, but that
never happens on purpose.  The gratitude of Meath West and the whole
country goes out to those who went above beyond the call of duty last
week, and put themselves in harm’s way in helping their community and
country.

Please continue to use common sense during the thaw and heed the
warnings on local media. Please watch out for potential flooding on
our roads and continue to stay safe.

ENDS

Minister English announces new social housing scheme for Navan

8th January 2018

Damien English, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government today (Monday) announced approval to the construction of over 40 units in Farganstown, Navan, Co. Meath. Funding of €11.2 million is being provided by the Department for this project, which is part of a wider development. 

Meath County Council have received approval for funding of €4.26 million under Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF), also from the Department, for the provision of an access road for Farganstown which will enable the delivery of these social housing units and a further 360 private housing units.  The grant agreement for the LIHAF project was signed by the Minister in December 2017.

Minister English welcomed the project which, importantly, will advance in tandem with the LIHAF infrastructure works. 

Rebuilding Ireland, Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness has put in place the necessary funding to accelerate the delivery of social housing, with a greater emphasis now being placed on direct build activity for local authorities and approved housing bodies. 

Minister English acknowledged progress nationally with the construction status report to Quarter 3 2017 showing significant growth in the area of new build activity with over 770 schemes, which will deliver some 12,300 associated units in the pipeline. 

In Meath in particular he said “there are already 14 projects in the construction pipeline, which will deliver in excess of 243 units at an estimated cost of €50 million, which along with this project will bring Meath County Council’s current pipeline to over 280 units”. Local Authorities have been asked to continue to add to their pipeline of construction projects.

In Budget 2018, €1.9 billion has been secured for housing programmes, representing a 46% increase over 2017.  This investment will ensure that the housing needs of 25,500 households will be met next year, 4,420 more households than in 2017. 

“My Department and I will be continuing to engage proactively with all local authorities including Meath County Council and with approved housing bodies to expand further the programme of projects in the weeks and months ahead” concluded Minister English.

ENDS

Vacant shops could be turned into homes to tackle the housing shortage across Meath and Ireland – English

Friday, 15th December 2017

Vacant shops could soon be turned into homes to help tackle the
housing shortage in Meath and Ireland.

This is the proposal of local Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal
and Meath West Fine Gael T.D. Damien English which was brought forward
to Government during the week so that vacant commercial premises can
be made into housing without the need for planning permission.

Minister English said: “These draft regulations, if approved by the
Oireachtas, will allow the conversion of certain vacant commercial
premises here in Meath such as empty retail units and “over the shop”
type spaces to homes without the need for planning permission.

“This will have the dual benefit of creating urgently needed housing
supply in high demand areas, while at the same time breathing new life
into our towns and urban areas- many of which have been adversely
affected by the economic downturn.

“Fine Gael in Government, and myself and Minister Murphy in our
Department are fully committed to bringing as many vacant properties
as possible back into use and maximising the use of existing
resources.”

“These new regulations, brought forward by myself and my colleague
Minister Eoghan Murphy, will make it easier for property owners to
re-imagine the use of vacant and under-used buildings without having
to go through the planning process.

“These are the first of a series of measures being developed by my
Department to streamline the various regulatory requirements relating
to the conversion of vacant spaces for residential use”.

“We want to once again show how the planning system can be responsive
to current needs and demands, by removing the need for planning
consent where appropriate and thereby provide greater efficiencies in
the system.

“All elements of the three sets of proposals brought forward today
have the potential to have a very real and positive impact on the
people of Meath and beyond.

“The Joint Oireachtas Committee will discuss these proposals in early
2018 so that the new provisions can be brought into operation as soon
as possible” concluded Minister English.

ENDS

Note to Editors:

The Planning Act provides that the Minister may make regulations to
provide that certain classes of development shall be exempted from the
requirement to obtain planning permission.  The three sets of draft
exempted development regulations now proposed relate to exemptions
for:

Ø  development by Irish Water related to the provision of water
services and the undertaking of normal day to day activities relating
to same, such as maintenance type works,

Ø  the change of use, and any related works, relating to the
conversion of vacant commercial premises for residential use (subject
to certain limitations), on foot of the commitment in Rebuilding
Ireland in this regard, and

Ø  amending existing provisions relating to certain works by statutory
undertakers in providing telecommunications services, to support the
rollout of the National Broadband Plan and extended mobile phone
coverage.

OCEAN Hero Awards

CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY PLEASE

Speech by

MINISTER DAMIEN ENGLISH T.D.

Minister for Housing and urban Development

at the OCEAN Hero Awards

on

21st November 2017 at the Royal College of Physicians, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 @ 13:00.

Michael John, Clean Coast volunteers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

It is my very great pleasure to be invited here today to present the 2017 An Taisce’s Ocean Hero Awards and I hope that you enjoyed the range of excellent and interesting contributions which were presented here this morning. Events like this provide a great opportunity to build networks and share experiences and most importantly, honour the invaluable contribution that Ireland’s coastal communities have made towards conserving our spectacular coastline.

For an island nation with one of the largest maritime areas in the European Union, the importance of the sea to Ireland cannot be overstated. We deeply value our marine and coastal environments in all their beauty and diversity, but increasingly we are aware of the growing threats from human activities that face complex marine ecosystems some of which remain unknown to science.

In this context, litter accumulating in the marine environment is a significant environmental issue facing the World today. The exact quantity of litter, including plastic in the ocean and volumes entering the ocean from waste generated on land or lost or discarded at sea is unknown and is the subject on ongoing extensive national and international research. Estimates vary widely, but there is no doubt that it exists in vast quantities with undetermined impacts and that levels of marine litter are growing at an unacceptable rate.

My Department is committed to working, both nationally and internationally, with our EU and OSPAR partners and national stakeholders, to determine the key sources of marine litter, the pathways by which it can enter the marine environment and the harm it causes. This will inform the development of our national and international measures to address the problem.

Ireland is already implementing a suite of measures identified in our Marine Strategy Framework Directive Programme of Measures to address this issue. This will be reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis as new marine litter sources and pathways are identified. Ireland will also continue to identify ways of treating plastic waste as a resource.

Ireland also supports the aims of the Plastics Strategy in the Circular Economy which aims to address the challenges posed by plastics across the value chain and take into account the entire life cycle. The implementation of programmes such as the Circular Economy package will, I believe, be a key measure in reducing marine litter inputs in the future.

Because of the transboundary nature of the problem, Ireland continues to cooperate collaboratively with international partners to try and identify the extent and impact of the problem and to develop solutions to address the issue in tandem with our EU partners under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic.

It is important to note that the problem of marine litter is only one aspect of our marine environmental policy. We are also are working to ensure that :

• Biodiversity is maintained
• Non-indigenous species do not adversely alter the ecosystem
• The population of commercial fish species is healthy
• Elements of food webs ensure long-term abundance and reproduction
• Eutrophication (the impacts of sewage and nutrients such as fertiliser leading to loss of oxygen in the water is minimised
• Sea floor and seawaters are not altered in such a way as to harm ecosystems
• Contaminants in seafood are below safe levels
• Introduction of energy and underwater noise does not adversely affect the ecosystem

However, the problem of marine litter remains a particular focus for us at this time.

Raising public awareness and effecting societal change in environmental behaviour is very important when it comes to issues such as reducing marine litter. That is why my Department has a long-standing relationship with An Taisce and we are pleased to support initiatives administered by An Taisce, such as Clean Coasts and the Two Minute Beach Clean programmes. The recent Love Your Coast photography awards and similar projects represent just some of the many high profile and high value initiatives that An Taisce operates. These are tremendous vehicles for encouraging public participation and fostering a sense of environmental responsibility. They are considered exemplars in their field and worthy of support at home and replication abroad

It is also worth noting that exciting developments are ongoing in relation to the Green Schools module on marine environmental issues, especially litter. This is also administered by An Taisce and supported by my Department. It was piloted in a number of schools in 2016 and is currently being rolled out, on a nationwide basis, involving over 250 schools. I am convinced that this internationally ground breaking module will augment and dovetail with the current suite of green school offerings and will further educate the children of today and improve the environmental behaviours of tomorrow.

We regard these programmes as international best practice models and are keen to present them as such to our international partners in the EU and further afield. In recognition of this fact, the Government has committed to continue to support the Coast Care and Green Schools Global Citizenship Marine Environment programmes into the future. At the “Our Oceans” Conference in Malta in October, Irelandundertake to incorporate these initiatives among our formal measures to address the marine litter and environmental protection targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

But today is about you, the Coast Care groups, Businesses, Schools and individuals, who give of your time and energy to make the marine environment a better place. The contribution of local communities and community based enterprises cannot be overstated. Your efforts are crucial in achieving and maintaining the aesthetical appeal and the amenity and economic value of the coastal resource. The work of coast care groups is actually making a tangible difference to the quality of our coastal environment, removing nearly 200 tonnes of litter from our coast annually. As well as environmental benefits, this has tremendous social and economic benefits, not least for our tourist industry.

I understand that there are over 600 active Coast Care groups, involving 18,000 volunteers, and representing a quarter of a million hours are dotted around the Irish coast. Your tireless activities, augmented by environmentally focussed enterprises and schools are both civically admirable and environmentally beneficial, and are rightly being recognised here today.

Attaining Ocean Hero awards does not come easily. It requires a lot of commitment, a lot of effort and a lot of civic spirit, which makes the achievement all the more satisfactory and recipients here today should be justifiably proud of their achievements. These awards are a tremendous example of community school and business collaborations and local and individual pride harnessed for the improvement of the marine environment. I think that the recipients here today, in the various categories, should feel enormously fulfilled in achieving these hard-won and much-sought-after accolades.

We, as current custodians of the marine environment have a duty and a responsibility to pass on a resource to be sustainably developed and enjoyed by future generations. But there is no room for complacency and as a society, we need to redouble our efforts in identifying and implementing environmentally sustainable solutions to current and future environmental challenges.

So, in conclusion, I hope you had a thought-provoking and enlightening seminar and I hope that you had an opportunity to share information and experiences over lunch. I am confident that, with the help of marine conscious stakeholders, like yourselves, that we are well positioned to deal with the significant environmental issues ahead.

It only remains for me to congratulate all those who have been nominated and will receive awards here today. You deserve recognition for the trojan efforts that you have made to help improve the quality of the marine environment.

Go raibh maith agaibh agus comhghairdeas.

Address by Damien English, T.D., Minister for Housing and Urban Development at Fine Gael National Conference

Slieve Russell Hotel, 11^th November 2017

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The ageing of our population is of prime significance to Government and presents challenges and opportunities on many levels.

By 2045, it is projected that there will be double the number of 65-year-olds in this country, and we need to make sure that we plan for and cater for our ageing population.

We must recognise the critical role played by older people in society, many of them with skills and expertise already in short supply, who must be given every opportunity to contribute as active members within their wider community.

We must also seek to increase and enhance the opportunities for active participation. The quality of life of the older members of our communities is something that concerns us all, and demands a cohesive, inclusive and comprehensive approach at all decision making levels.

A vital element of the quality of life of older people lies at the decision making at local authority level.

This is the level that is in immediate contact with the community, and indeed is part of the local community. Decisions made at this level greatly determine safety within local communities, the quality of accommodation and the physical environment, service provision and the accessibility to these services.

Such services are of limited use without the means to access and utilise them, and this is true for all members of our communities. In planning to make our communities age friendly, we also meet the needs of many other service users.

The planning of such services is vital, as poor decision making can have the counter effect of causing rather than solving problems. Of course appropriate decision making and planning will benefit many service users, and it is critical that local authorities take the key leadership role of bringing together relevant agencies and service providers.

Central to the planning of such services is consultation with services users, involving them in the decision making process.

The establishment of Older People Councils has ensured this consultation, and has allowed plans to be developed and agreed locally, providing inclusion, involvement and accountability for all key stakeholders.

This approach represents local government at its best and it is a prime example of giving effect to the need for integrated services through thorough engagement and planning.

It is Government policy to support older people to live independently and with dignity in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.

While acknowledging the effect that this can have on reducing reliance on health and social services, the benefits to the individual in terms of well-being and community inclusion are of equal, if not greater importance. After all, it is the individual who is the heart of the community. It’s really about making Ireland a great place to grow old.

In terms of my own brief, older people have specific housing requirements, including proximity to family and social networks. Access to public and other essential services, recreation and amenities is also vital. Therefore, there is a requirement for a range of housing choices and options to be made available to older people, involving a cross Departmental, multi agency approach.

Following a housing summit two years ago, an inter-agency Housing Working Group led by Age Friendly Ireland set out to explore the options to better accommodate older people within their community rather than in residential care. They carried out extensive research, workshops with older persons, and there was active collaboration between stakeholders including the Irish Council for Social Housing, the HSE, the Department of Health, Dublin City Council and my own Department.

Among the recommendations put forward in the Report is the development of a pilot project of 50 – 60 dwellings suitable for the elderly. A steering committee has already been formed to oversee progress.

It is intended that the collaborative process, leading to the commencement of the project, will set the standard for roll-out of future schemes.

Of course, the challenge will then be how to take local models of good practice to a wider network, in a way that consistently applies age friendly initiatives.

Key to this is innovation, and developing adaptable and smart homes to support assisted living for older people in their homes.

In this context, the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness committed to supporting a design challenge to provide solutions for older people within the built environment.

As mentioned, the challenge for all of us is to ensure cooperation and teamwork between service providers.

An example of this is the case of the Age Friendly Programme, which provides a real opportunity to transform communities in a positive and collaborative environment, to make them as age friendly and inclusive as possible.

The programme allows us to learn from each other and be better placed to deliver the services older people within our communities deserve.

We all need to be involved in taking the strong foundations of the community and building on them.

It is, without a doubt, the people that make a community work, as the old Irish saying goes ‘Ní neart go chur le chéile’ – there is no strength without unity!

Together, we need to build and perpetuate that vital sense of community that has and always will be the bedrock of Irish society, whether that is through leading, or supporting those leaders, towards the development of age friendly communities throughout Ireland and across Europe.

Thank you.

Property Industry Ireland Conference Speech

Speech by Minister of State for Housing and Planning – Damien English T.D. at the Property Industry Ireland Conference on Living and working in Ireland to 2040 – impacts on Irish Property Industry

Marker Hotel Dublin 27^th September 8.15 am

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• I am delighted to open this prestigious event this morning in Dublin’s docklands, an area whose regeneration is very visible evidence of both the success of our government’s economic policies and demonstrating what real plan-led development delivers for our society.

 

• Your event today comes hot on the heels of yesterday’s Government approval of the publication of a consultation draft of Ireland 2040 – The National Planning Framework.

 

• The views of the public, including your organisation, are now invited up until 3^rd November 2017 and indeed Mr Niall Cussen, my Department’s Chief Planner will give a brief run-through the document later this morning.

 

• Furthermore, when finalised later this year after the current public consultation phase, the Government intends to publish the final version of the NPF with a 10 year capital investment programme or National Investment Plan as both a strategic vision and the investment strategy to transform our country.

 

• We will ensure that investment in housing, transport, communications, energy systems, amenities and community facilities are sequenced properly, achieving long-term agreed planning aims.

 

• The key elements of the strategy behind Ireland 2040 are:

1. Better strategically planning for our cities, including Dublin as our capital and key international driver;
2. Growing Ireland’s four other cities (Cork, Waterford, Galway and Limerick), by 40-50% in the two decades ahead, (a faster rate than our capital).
3. Addressing connectivity to and opportunities within Ireland’s regions and rural areas; and
4. Securing more compact forms of development to reduce sprawl and to provide more choice.

 

• With our population expected to grow by 1million people by 2040, we need to manage such growth effectively, this means
  • a quarter of those being facilitated in the Greater Dublin Area,
  • a further quarter catered for in the other four cities; and
  • the remaining 50% within the towns, villages and rural areas across the country and on a proportionate basis.

 

• Successful implementation of the NPF will translate into a more strategic development path for our country with a better distribution of regional growth, employment and prosperity.

 

Housing & Rebuilding Ireland

• Beyond the strategic focus of Ireland 2040, the number one issue the Government currently faces is housing and homelessness.

 

• Currently, every working day, we provide housing for 80 individuals and families.  There are 20,000 new tenancies a year because we believe everyone should have a home.

 

• We are being imaginative in how we approach the crisis, and we will do all that is necessary to solve it.

 

• We will build more council houses and apartments and we will service the ample amounts of development land our planning process has already identified, not fuelling a further urban sprawl by zoning more land.

 

• To deliver more homes in the places we need them most – in our cities, as well as to deliver on the aims and objectives of Ireland 2040 in terms of compact development over the longer-term, we will make apartments more affordable to provide, in greater numbers in our city centre areas.

 

• In this regard, Ireland 2040 clearly signals that we need to develop upwards, rather than outwards in our cities using the huge potential from state owned lands through a new estate and portfolio management approach.

 

• We have made significant progress under Rebuilding Ireland – the Government’s Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness, for example over 19,000 new social housing solutions were provided in 2016, with a further 21,000 such supports to be delivered in 2017.

 

• However, significant challenges remain and, one year on from Rebuilding Ireland’s publication, a focused review has been carried out, to assess the impacts of the new investments, policies and initiatives and consider where to focus and redouble efforts to address the supply and affordability issues that persist.

 

• Amongst other things, the review is aiming to:
• identify additional measures, particularly, new/additional supply side measures for social, private and rented accommodation, with an emphasis on affordability;
• deliver a range of ambitious and realistic measures to address vacant housing and provide a disincentive to vacancy in future;
  • find ways of reducing construction costs and improving the viability of apartment and house building;
  • identify ways of delivering sustainable mixed tenure solutions on sites of scale;
  • Further ramp up of the direct local authority social housing building programme; and introduce of a new affordable housing policy.

 

• Your organisation is unique because of the way in which it brings the many facets of our property sector together, from funding to planning and from construction to property management.

 

• Your organisation has a huge role to play in helping Government to develop and adjust the regulatory and policy framework for the development of a healthy property sector and one that plays a proper and proportionate role in our society and economy.

 

• My Department looks forward to working with Property Industry Ireland in the ongoing implementation of Rebuilding Ireland and in finalising and implementing Ireland 2040 and very much appreciates the valuable input and submissions received from your organisation to these processes.

 

 

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Speech to Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland in Maynooth

Address by Mr. Damien English, T.D. Minister of State

at the

Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland /SCSI National Conference 2017:

on

Friday, 31 March 2017 at 4:15 p.m. at Carton House, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.

Introduction

Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to be here this afternoon at the SCSI National Conference 2017 to explore the many difficult and complex challenges facing the construction sector which are being dealt with by your profession.

As you will all be aware, the Government and I have made it our number one priority to resolve the housing and homelessness crisis and under ‘Rebuilding Ireland – Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness’ we have set out a broadly based and comprehensive set of actions to do just that.

However we cannot implement this plan in isolation. We will need both collaboration and assistance from all of our partners involved in housing provision including industry professionals, such as SCSI members.

Shortage of critical Skills in the Construction Sector

To reach our Rebuilding Ireland objective to increase housing output to at least 25,000 homes per annum by 2021 – a doubling of 2015 output levels – requires the necessary skilled work force to be available.

It is crucuial that any new jobs created are available and accessible to those who are unemployed, and that their wealth of experience and talent can contribute to the recovery of the sector.

Significant work has been carried out under Rebuilding Ireland Department of Education; SOLAS; and the Apprenticeship Council with regard to improving skills and education in the sector and I would encourage continued consultation with the sector in that regard.

Affordability – Housing Delivery Costs

One of the challenges the Government faces is providing quality homes at a cost that is affordable. Under Rebuilding Ireland the Government committed to a broad range of measures to tackle, among other things, some of the costs associated with the provision of housing in the interests of reducing construction overheads.

This included a commitment to undertake a detailed analysis, in conjunction with the construction sector, to benchmark housing delivery input costs in Ireland, in order to facilitate an increased level of housing output into the future.

A working group, chaired by my Department, with a broad range of industry representatives was established late last year and has met several times. I am pleased to say that the group has benefited from positive contributions from industry including members of the SCSI.

Building Control Regulations – Reform

The aim of the building control regulatory framework is to ensure that a home or a building is designed and constructed in compliance with the relevant requirements of the Building Regulations.

Too many serious and unprecedented failures have affected our construction industry and economy over the past decade or so. Failures such as pyrite, defective blocks and fire safety which has given rise to difficulties and distress among the many affected homeowners.

The development of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 9 of 2014) was introduced to empower competence and professionalism on construction projects and establishing a chain of responsibility that begins the owner who must assign competent persons to design, build, inspect and certify the building works and who, in turn, must account for their contribution through the lodgement of compliance documentation, inspection plans and statutory certificates.

Social Housing – Getting the balance right

My Department’s policy is to achieve an appropriate and balanced mixture of tenures in new developments in order to avoid large mono tenure estates where difficulties have necessitated considerable public expenditure in regeneration.

My Department provides guidance on the scale of social housing which would be suitable in a particular context or area. This guidance is based on the size of the host town or city and the proportionate nature of the development to ensure good social integration and cohesion. For example a maximum size of 75 dwellings in any single mono tenure housing development applies in large urban areas with proportional reductions in size for smaller towns and villages.

Ideally all developments should provide for a mix of tenures and dwelling sizes to cater for all. Consistent with this policy, Part V of the Planning and Development Act is structured to deliver Social Housing in private housing developments.

 Conclusions

Returning to a normally functioning housing and construction sector is critically important in order to support economic growth, social progress and environmental sustainability which will benefit all of our citizens.

While there are many challenges currently facing the housing and the wider construction sectors, we remain fully committed to meeting these challenges.

Ladies and gentlemen thank you for inviting me here today and I wish you every success over the remainder of your conference.

Thank you