Results 22,281-22,300 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” and is limited in its application and scope. The scheme is applicable to dwellings which are subject to significant damage attributable to pyritic heave established in accordance with I.S. 398-1:2013 - Reactive pyrite in sub-floor hardcore material – Part 1: Testing and categorisation protocol. In addition,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 212 and 263 together. For each year between 2013 and 2020, Ireland has a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target under the 2009 Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) No. 406/2009/EC. For the year 2020 itself, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20 per cent below their value in 2005. This is jointly the most demanding 2020 reduction...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Priority Question No 29 on today’s order paper which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: Housing is an absolute priority for this Government and, accordingly, a key priority of the Programme for a Partnership Government, which can be accessed at the link below, is the preparation and publication of an ‘Action Plan for Housing’ within the Government’s first 100 days. The Action Plan will be drafted with input from a number of key Departments, and will draw on...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Minister for Finance is responsible for the legal framework governing financial regulation. The provision of insurance cover and the price at which it is offered is a commercial matter for insurance companies and is based on an assessment of the risks they are accepting and adequate provisioning to meet those risks. As a matter of course, my Department together with local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 232 together. In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas. My Department’s role is to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Administrative Arrangements (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 and 209 together. Responsibility for the environment functions, including climate change, will transfer to a new Department of Climate Change, Communications & Natural Resources. The marine planning and foreshore functions will remain with my Department. In relation to the community portfolio, responsibility for, inter alia, the LEADER programme;...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Local Loans Fund Act 1935 provides for the maintenance, financing and management of a fund to be a source from which loans from public moneys to local authorities or for local purposes and other similar loans can be made. Section 3 of this Act provides that the fund established shall be under the control of the Minister for Finance. As such, my Department has not carried out an assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The apartment minimum sizes specified in the Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments - Guidelines for Planning Authorities, published in December 2015, are mandatory for all local authorities. The sizes for 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments are not new standards but a restatement of the minimum apartment sizes for such apartments set out in previous statutory guidelines...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal Charges (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213, 217 to 219, inclusive, and 240 together. Government waste policy is predicated on the waste hierarchy as set out in the EU’s Waste Framework Directive. A number of specific measures have been, and will continue to be, introduced to reduce the amount of waste generated in the State and to increase the segregation of waste which cannot be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal Charges (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: Government waste policy is predicated on the waste hierarchy as set out in the EU’s Waste Framework Directive. A number of specific measures have been, and will continue to be, introduced to reduce the amount of waste generated in the State and to increase the segregation of waste which cannot be prevented in line with Government policy. The introduction of pay by weight charges for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together. The expert panel on concrete blocks, which commenced its work in April of this year, was established with the following terms of reference:- - To identify, insofar as it is possible, the numbers of private dwellings which appear to be affected by defects in the blockwork in the Counties of Donegal and Mayo; - To carry out a desktop...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: There are currently two Mortgage to Rent (MTR) schemes in operation through my Department. A scheme exists whereby a local authority (LA) can acquire ownership of properties with unsustainable local authority mortgages, thus enabling the household to remain in their home as a social housing tenant (LA- mortgage-to-rent). The other scheme provides for an Approved Housing Body (AHB) to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: On 7 April 2016, Dublin Airport Authority ( DAA ) announced that it is progressing its plans to deliver a new runway for Dublin Airport, planning permission for which was granted in 2007. The 3,110 metre runway will be built approximately 1.6 km north of the existing main runway and is expected to be delivered in 2020. It is understood that DAA expects to commence works on site before the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: Funding of some €8 2 million has been provided from 2013 to 2015 to support local authorities in a programme of improving the energy performance of older local authority housing stock, resulting in improved energy efficiency and comfort levels, and therefore Building Energy Ratings, in over 45 ,000 local authority homes to date. My Department notified local authorities earlier this...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Social Housing Strategy 2020 (November 2014), provides for clear, measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list with flexibility to meet future demand. In total, 110,000 new social housing units are targeted for delivery with 35,000 new units to be delivered by local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: Procurement in relation to social housing build developments, from pre-planning through to construction, arises primarily in relation to procurement of consultants and procurement of contractors. These follow either national or EU procurement requirements, depending on the cost involved, as required by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Carrying out procurement as part of a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Administration (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I have no plans to alter the delivery structures or partnership arrangements under the new LEADER programme. These arrangements have been determined locally in line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development. Two broad implementation approaches have emerged as part of the ongoing LEADER local development strategy selection process. In this regard, the programme...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Quality (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors the quality of Ireland’s water and environment under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) monitoring programme which began in 2007. Under this programme, the EPA assesses general physico-chemical parameters (nutrients, oxygen, temperature, salinity) and biological quality elements (phytoplankton, macroalgae and angiosperms). Since...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Library Projects (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 746 of 6 April 2016, which sets out the position in this matter.