Vol. 244 Tuesday, No. 1 1 December 2015. DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Insert Date Here 01/12/2015A00100Business of Seanad 2 01/12/2015B00200Commencement Matters 3 01/12/2015B00300Local Authority Funding 3 01/12/2015D00600Domestic Violence Policy �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4 01/12/2015F00150Motor Insurance Coverage 7 01/12/2015H00150Hospital Services 9 01/12/2015O00100Order of Business 12 01/12/2015CC00100Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second Stage 24 01/12/2015JJ00050Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages 33 01/12/2015JJ00400Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Motion for Earlier Signature 33 01/12/2015OO00100Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) 34 01/12/2015VVV02000Business of Seanad 98 01/12/2015VVV02400Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (Resumed) 98 SEANAD ÉIREANN Dé Máirt, 1 Nollaig 2015 Tuesday, 1 December 2015 Chuaigh an Cathaoirleach i gceannas ar 230 pm Machnamh agus Paidir. Reflection and Prayer. 01/12/2015A00100Business of Seanad 01/12/2015B00100An Cathaoirleach: I have received notice from Senator Colm Burke that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter: The need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to publish details of all funding allocated to Cork City Council and Cork County Council for the financial years 2013 and 2014 in respect of all housing matters and, in particular, details of any funding that was unspent and returned to the Department I have also received notice from Senator Máiría Cahill of the following matter: The need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to consider the introduction of a points allocation system for victims of domestic violence flee- ing from violent situations and to prioritise these victims on the homeless list in order that they are not trapped in a cycle of violence but receive help from the relevant agency in order to be able to leave and be rehoused I have also received notice from Senator John Kelly of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to re-establish the Motor Insurance Advisory Board to provide for greater regulation of the motor insurance industry in the light of spiralling insurance costs I have also received notice from Senator David Cullinane of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to give an update on plans to provide 24/7 cardiol- ogy services at University Hospital Waterford I have also received notice from Senator Lorraine Higgins of the following matter: The need for the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works to outline when adequate flood relief measures will be implemented along the Dunkellin river 2 1 December 2015 in County Galway in the light of the continuous destruction of homes and farmland in the area owing to flooding. I regard the matters raised by the Senators as suitable for discussion I have selected the matters raised by Senators Colm Burke, Máiría Cahill, John Kelly and David Cullinane and they will be taken now Senator Lorraine Higgins may give notice on another day of the matter she wishes to raise 01/12/2015B00200Commencement Matters 01/12/2015B00300Local Authority Funding 01/12/2015B00400Senator Colm Burke: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, and thank her for dealing with this matter I am raising it in view of the fact that there has been a substan- tial delay in getting work done, particularly in Cork City Council On the one hand, there are people saying they are not getting funding and, on the other, there are people saying that when they get it, there is a delay since they are receiving it later in the year I understand that although there was some funding allocated in 2013 and 2014 and a programme of works in each case, some of the work was not done, the money was not spent and, as a result, it was refunded to the Department I seek to identify exactly where the problem is and what now needs to be done to ensure this is not repeated in future years 01/12/2015B00500Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Gov- ernment (Deputy Ann Phelan): I thank the Senator for raising this issue Funding was al- located by my Department to Cork local authorities for social housing for the years in question across a range of expenditure subheads In some cases, funding was issued on the basis of a distribution of the available national funding across all local authorities For example, funding in respect of housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability is allocated to all local authorities based on a national budget secured by my Department and drawn down in line with the allocations issued. In other cases, funding is allocated for a specific project. For both Cork local authorities, variations in expenditure across the overall capital expenditure programme in 2013 and 2014 range from under-expenditure of 8% to over-expenditure of 42% The overspend was in programmes for upgrading, refurbishment and reinstatement of vacant housing units where both Cork local authorities were in a position to draw down additional funds over and above their allocation in 2014 There can be a range of issues that give rise either to higher or lower spends against allo- cations. My Department officials stay in ongoing contact with their counterparts in the local authorities regarding drawdown levels and may make adjustments where one local authority notifies a potential underspend and another may have capacity and need to spend more. An underspend in one housing budget line in one particular year does not mean that projects go unfunded. For example, on social housing construction projects, a local authority may antici- pate a level of funding drawdown on a project based on anticipated advancement of the project in a particular year While funding may be allocated in a particular year for this purpose, it is not unusual, with construction activity, that projects may not progress at the speed anticipated and drawdown may, as a consequence, be less than allocated However, as there are contracts to be honoured in respect of construction projects, my Department and the local authorities 3 Seanad Éireann will provide funding for legitimate construction costs even where they are presented later than anticipated Given the variance that can arise with housing spending, the position revealed by the figures does not always tell the full story As local authorities are the housing authorities for their areas, however, it is right and proper that responsibility is vested in them to deliver social housing services. Their performance in that regard is overseen, in the first instance, by the elected mem- bers of the respective local authorities Social housing is a key priority for this Government and my colleagues, the Minister and Minister of State, Deputies Alan Kelly and Paudie Coffey, both in this House and the Dáil, regularly address issues relating to the overall national picture for delivery Social housing delivery for a particular local authority area should be and is, I have no doubt, a key issue of debate and questioning in the council chambers, in this case in Cork City Council and Cork County Council The Government’s important local government reform policy, Putting People First - action programme for effective local government, highlighted that a key requirement for an effective and accountable system of local authority governance is the effectiveness of the elected councils in setting policy and rigorously overseeing the perfor- mance of their organisations For that very good reason, I believe the possibility of any social housing funding being unspent and returned to the Department should be rigorously overseen by the elected members locally 01/12/2015C00200Senator Colm Burke: My question asked for details of what funding had been allocated, but there were no such details in the Minister of State’s reply, with which I am disappointed My understanding is that €10 million was allocated to one project but €4.5 million was returned to the Department, something to which the Minister of State did not refer in her reply I asked her to publish details of all housing allocated to Cork City Council In other words, what mon- eys were allocated? That is not in the reply We should be entitled to that information I can obtain it under freedom of information legislation and do not understand why I cannot receive it in this reply 01/12/2015C00300Deputy Ann Phelan: I draw the Senator’s attention again to my point that for both Cork local authorities’ variations in expenditure across the overall capital expenditure programme in 2013-14 ranged