Results 22,241-22,260 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney
- Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: In line with the commitments of the programme for Government, I will be publishing an action plan for housing within the Government’s first 100 days. As Minister, I will be vigorously pursuing the earliest possible advancement of the construction and acquisition of new housing units to meet the targets under the Social Housing Strategy 2020. On the acquisition of social housing,...
- Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: I do not want to pretend that we have been building as many social housing houses as we should have been for the last couple of years. We would like to have done more. We would have done more if we had more money available, but if one looks at the capital expenditure commitments between now and 2020-2021, there is €3 billion for social housing. It is a very serious commitment. My...
- Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: Only in the last couple of years.
- Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: Can I come back on that?
- Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: For the information of the House, it is my understanding that I am meeting the committee next week and I look forward to exploring some concepts with the members and also hearing their ideas. On the finance issue, it is true that there is a lot of available finance now. The Housing Finance Agency, for example, can borrow money at low interest rates now but that was not the case until...
- Priority Questions: Irish Water (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: The Government is committed to retaining Irish Water as a single national utility in public ownership responsible for the delivery of water and wastewater services. To build public confidence in Irish Water, I will be establishing an expert advisory body which will advise on measures to improve the transparency and accountability of Irish Water and to give the Oireachtas quarterly reports on...
- Priority Questions: Irish Water (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: Irish Water has a responsibility to put information into the public domain if it feels it is relevant. I suspect that is what it was trying to do. I have not read the report the Deputy is referring to but there is a massive opportunity cost in terms of essentially going backwards in terms of the way we deliver water. I will have an opportunity when debating these issues later to outline...
- Priority Questions: Irish Water (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: The Deputy seems to know more than I do about selective leaking in regard to this particular issue. I do not believe we should be selectively leaking anything. The debate we had last week, as a result of selective leaks, also skewed a debate inappropriately. I would be a fan of more transparency and, when reports are put together, of publishing reports in full in order that people can get...
- Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: In October 2015, the Government approved the delivery of 500 units of rapid delivery housing for homeless households currently residing in commercial hotels across Dublin. An initial 22 units have been delivered in Poppintree, Ballymun, and another 131 units are expected for completion on four sites in Dublin city between October and December this year, following completion of site...
- Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: This comes back to some confusion about what is being built. There were exhibitions demonstrating what modular units could do and what they might look like. They were very attractive units but they were built elsewhere before being transported and laid on a concrete slab. The buildings in Ballymun are very different. They are rapid build houses that look, feel and behave as would a normal...
- Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: Let us not create a problem that is not there with talk of eviction from new houses and so on. That is not the issue. We are trying to ensure families do not have to live for long periods in hotel accommodation, which is totally inappropriate and very expensive. On all sorts of levels, it should not be happening but it is the only available alternative to those families living on the...
- Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: It did not work too well when the figure was 20%.
- Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: It was never 20% social housing either. It was 10% social housing and 10% affordable housing.
- Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: We need a baseline requirement for every private housing development in the country, and that is what the Part V provision does in guaranteeing at least 10% in every development.
- Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: We need to work within SDZs or with other developers to increase that provision where it makes sense. In certain parts of the country there is not a demand for that, although there is in other parts. We can consider some of the projects that have been a partnership between a private developer and an approved housing body, for example, and that has worked very well. There are...
- Leaders' Questions (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: It would be nice if you had something nice to say, but you did not.
- Order of Business (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: That is not what I said.
- Order of Business (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: The Deputy should stop trying to twist the truth.
- Order of Business (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: The Deputy is trying to twist the truth.
- Order of Business (24 May 2016)
Simon Coveney: That is not what he said.