First, on complying with the law, a landlord is required to register a tenancy within one month of it commencing.

Second, a landlord is required to register it every year. It is the same for every other organisation that pursues individuals through the courts. The power is there under the Act to follow and pursue individuals for non-compliance. The RTB, like any other body or arm of the State, should be doing that. We will follow up on the Deputy's specific example and I will talk to the Minister about it. The law is strong on the RTB, its budget is significant at €13 million and its staff has increased by 41 since 2019. We ha…

I thank Deputy McAuliffe for his question. I acknowledge that all 31 local authorities have passed their budgets. This is a huge achievement by the sector in very challenging circumstances. We continue to support them in doing this. Local property tax was introduced to provide a stable and sustainable funding base for the local authority sector, providing greater levels of connection between local revenue and associated expenditure decisions. Local property tax broadens the tax base by reducing the level of central…

The review is a very important mechanism to ensure we have equity throughout the network of 31 local authorities. What is key is the way the Government has intervened this year, in very challenging circumstances, to support local authorities via several funding streams, such as the energy support grant, which has assisted them in completing their budget, and the pay model, through which pay agreements will be refunded and for which we have ensured local authorities will get 100% support. This is in addition to the …

A large proportion, around €287 million, goes towards pay agreements and assisting local authorities in meeting those commitments. The Department is also doing a separate piece of work with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the local authority network to try to get to the bottom of the funding refunds. An estimate in the local authority system of how much pay will be has to be calculated in advance of the refund for the pay agreements, and that has to be reconciled properly. We are committed to su…

Absolutely.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 75 together. Updated rural housing planning guidelines are currently being prepared by my Department. The updated guidelines will expand on the high level spatial planning policy of the national planning framework, especially on national planning objective 19, which relates to rural housing. The objective makes a clear policy distinction between rural areas under urban influence, that is, areas within the commuter catchment of cities, towns and centres of employment, on the o…

In the first instance, we just got news yesterday that the ecological assessment unit, EAU, within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has decided a determination is not needed and the guidelines are screened out for an appropriate assessment. They will have to go on public consultation. We have to put them on public display whereby the public and members of the various parliamentary parties and Members of the Oireachtas will have their say with regard to the content of the guidelines. Once tha…

There will be a strong policy in the draft guidelines to bring derelict and older properties back into use. I understand and appreciate the circumstances that Deputy Colm Burke is referring to and the challenges that people have in bringing those properties back into use. There do not need to be any impediments to doing that. As I said, one environmental assessment was completed yesterday and hopefully the second will be completed this month. I expect that public consultation will take a couple of weeks. The unknow…

I thank Deputy Connolly for her question. The interdepartmental group, comprising officials from my Department, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and Údarás na Gaeltachta, is in place to support and accelerate the ongoing work on planning guidelines in Gaeltacht areas. A key aim of the interdepartmental group is to ensure that procedures and systems will be tailored as appropriate to facilitate an effective and consistent approach by all relevant local authorities to managing pla…

To be clear, there is no confusion here. Much work has gone on. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, met Conradh na Gaeilge recently, which is central to this. I have met Gaeltacht communities across the country. In response to that, to underwrite, secure and ensure consistent and sustainable planning in our Gaeltacht areas, these guidelines are specific to Gaeltacht areas. They will be issued under section 28. We have to comply with environmental requirements and assessments, strategic environmental assessments a…

It is important to correct Deputy Connolly and say that the guidelines physically exist. They have to be screened as part of appropriate assessment before they can be published. That is part of the environmental process.

Absolutely. We hope to publish the guidelines in January.

I move: “That the Bill be now read a Second Time.” I am delighted to bring before the House today the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Members of Local Authorities) Bill 2022. The Bill represents an important legislative change which primarily will give elected members of local authorities a statutory entitlement to maternity leave. The Bill is the culmination of a significant amount of collegial work and I take this opportunity to acknowledge the positive co-operation of both the Minis…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his kind words. I acknowledge the support for the legislation from Deputies across the House. I thank Deputy Mitchell for her support at the joint committee. I will answer her specific questions. We will have draft regulations ready on Monday and will issue them to the joint committee for consultation and to seek the views of members. We signed a statutory instrument in 2020 to allow for remote voting. Members of local authorities throughout the country can continue to utilise that. …

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)( a ) and 181(1).

I thank Senators for their contributions. I acknowledge this legislation as it ensures our compliance with the water framework directive. It is essential legislation. The thresholds set out will capture more than 99% of the volume of water to be abstracted in the State. In respect of our engagement with the IFA and the debate with all Members, we can come to an agreement. I do not doubt that Members right across government regularly meet with representatives of the IFA, as I do myself. I acknowledge that the IFA is…

We would acknowledge that.

I will take that matter. The review is finalised-----

-----and will be published before the end of the year. The key issue is to ensure the increase in funding penetrates in order that we have additional work carried out for all our citizens. The grant to which the Deputy refers is a key support to ensure independent living. We hope to publish the review before the end of the year.