27 February 2018 Written Answers. The following are questions tabled by Members for written response and the ministerial replies as received on the day from the Departments [unrevised]. Questions Nos. 1 to 18, inclusive, answered orally. Questions Nos. 19 to 30, inclusive, resubmitted. Questions Nos. 31 to 42, inclusive, answered orally. Housing Assistance Payment 27/02/2018WRA0070043. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will review the housing assistance payment limits in view of a recent report (details supplied) on rent increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9534/18] 27/02/2018WRA00800Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Deputy Eoghan Murphy): The increased rent limits introduced by the Government in 2016, together with the additional discretion available to local authorities to exceed the maximum rent limit by up to 20%, are allowing HAP households to find suitable accommodation. On average in 2017, 350 additional tenancies were supported by HAP each week, with over 33,000 households currently having their housing needs met under the scheme. From available data, at the end of Q4 2017, 22.4% of the total number of households being supported by HAP were benefiting from the additional flexibility. When the additional discre- tion available to homeless households in the Dublin Region is removed, 16.7% of households nationally were benefiting from the additional flexibility, meaning that less than one in six ten- ancies required additional support above the defined HAP rent limit. In those cases, the average rate of discretionary payment being used was 15.2% above the relevant limit. HAP is only just about to complete its first full year of operation on a national basis. Increas- ing the HAP rent limits in particular local authority areas could have further inflationary effects, leading to a detrimental impact on the wider rental market, including for those households who are not receiving HAP support. My Department closely monitors the level of discretion being used by local authorities, tak- ing into consideration other sources of data, including Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) rent data published on a quarterly basis. I am satisfied that the maximum rent limits, together with the additional flexibility available to local authorities, are generally sufficient to support the -ef fective operation of the HAP scheme. However, I will continue to keep the matter under review. Planning Issues 1 Questions - Written Answers 27/02/2018WRA0090044. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to initiate an independent inquiry into potential planning irregularities at a location (details supplied) in County Wicklow in each of the years 2001 to 2012. [9582/18] 27/02/2018WRA0100079. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that all potential irregularities concerning the planning process at a location (details supplied), in County Wicklow were fully addressed by the review conducted on the behalf of his Department by a person. [9583/18] 27/02/2018WRA01100Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (Deputy Eoghan Murphy): I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 79 together. The compulsory acquisition of land at Three Trouts, Charlesland, Greystones, by Wick- low County Council was the subject of an independent review by a Senior Counsel that was commissioned in June 2012 by the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. This review was undertaken following representations made by three elected members of Wicklow County Council. In carrying out the non-statutory review involved, Senior Counsel visited the lands involved, had access to all relevant Council files and engaged directly with relevant elected members and officials of the Council, both through meetings and written correspondence as necessary. He noted, for the record, that in carrying out the review, he had received full co-operation from all the parties referred to. The review found that there was no deviation by the Council from the relevant legal require- ments and administrative requirements or practices. The report of the review was published in April 2013. The conclusions and recommendations of the review were fully accepted by the then Minister and continue to stand. The report remains available to view on my Department’s website, the link for which I will arrange to have circulated with the Official Report. http:// www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHous- ing/Housing/FileDownLoad%2C32866%2Cen.doc Subsequent correspondence was received from a number of parties, including current and former members of Wicklow County Council, on a range of issues, including matters relating to the lands in question. This correspondence has been examined in detail by my Department and once this process is concluded, my Department will be replying to the parties concerned. Question No. 45 answered with Question No. 42. Tenant Purchase Scheme 27/02/2018WRA0130046. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Gov- ernment his plans to enable persons avail of the tenant purchase scheme that may not have a weekly income apart from a social welfare payment but are in a position from their own means or through family financial support to purchase their council family home; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the criteria of the scheme is denying such families the opportunity to retain their homes in family ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9716/18] 27/02/2018WRA0140063. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Govern- ment his plans to improve the criteria for the tenant purchase scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9717/18] 27/02/2018WRA01500Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government 2 27 February 2018 (Deputy Damien English): I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 63 together. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, includ- ing having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year. The minimum reckonable income for eligibility under the scheme is determined by the relevant local authority in accordance with the detailed provisions of the Ministerial Direc- tion issued under Sections 24(3) and (4) of the 2014 Act. In the determination of the minimum reckonable income, local authorities can include income from a number of different sources and classes, such as from employment, private pensions, maintenance payments and certain social welfare payments, including pensions, where the social welfare payment is secondary to employment income. The minimum income criterion was introduced in order to ensuring the sustainability of the scheme. Applicants must demonstrate that they have an income that is long-term and sustain- able in nature. This ensures that the tenant purchasing the house is in a financial position, as the owner, to maintain and insure the property for the duration of the charged period, in compliance with the conditions of the order transferring the ownership of, and responsibility for, the house from the local authority to the tenant. In line with the commitment given in Rebuilding Ireland, a review of the first 12 months of the Tenant Purchase Scheme’s operation, including the income eligibility criteria referred to by the Deputy, has been undertaken. The review has incorporated analysis of comprehensive data received from local authorities regarding the operation of the scheme during 2016 and a wide- ranging public consultation process which took place in 2017 and saw submissions received from individuals, elected representatives and organisations. The review is now complete and a full report has been prepared setting out findings and recommendations including one relating to the issue of the minimum reckonable income crite- rion which the Deputy has referred to. In finalising the report some further inter-Departmental consultation was necessary and due consideration had to be given to possible implementation arrangements. These matters are now almost completed and I expect to be in a position to pub- lish the outcome of the review shortly. Land Issues 27/02/2018WRA0160047. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Gov- ernment the amount of land owned by the Housing Agency nationwide; the amount of this land zoned capable of residential development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9700/18] 27/02/2018WRA0170078. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount of land owned by local authorities nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9715/18] 27/02/2018WRA0180095. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Gov- ernment the amount of zoned land capable of residential development owned by local authori- ties nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9699/18] 27/02/2018WRA01900Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government 3 Questions - Written Answers (Deputy Damien English): I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 78 and 95 together. The active management of the publicly-owned housing land bank is part of a range of com- plementary actions being progressed under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, designed to accelerate and increase housing output. To this end, details of some 1,700 hectares of land in local authority and Housing Agency ownership were published on the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Land Map, with the potential to deliver some 42,500 homes nation- ally.