Results 22,301-22,320 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: My Department does not own any property or land holding. In that context, the question of the rental value of a vacant property does not arise.

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

Simon Coveney: The Housing Finance Agency’s function is to advance loan finance to local authorities and the voluntary housing sector to be used by them for any purpose authorised by the Housing Acts, 1966-2014, and to borrow or raise funds for this purpose. It also lends to local authorities for waste and environment capital projects. The direct building of social housing units by local...

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

Simon Coveney: I understand that Dublin City Council is currently engaged in discussions with a retailer with the objective of securing a retail development in Ballymun and as this is a matter for the City Council to pursue, I am happy that it is considering all options in the matter.

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 239 together. My Department has met with groups who represent persons with special needs to discuss and explore the impact of pay-by-weight charging on households with special needs. My Department has also been in consultation with the HSE and the waste management industry to discuss the issue and to try to find a workable and fair solution to...

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

Simon Coveney: Information on the funding provided to each local authority by my Department and the number of grants paid to applicants under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, since the grants were introduced in 2007, is available at the following link: . Information on the 2016 allocations is available on my Department’s website at the following link: .

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

Simon Coveney: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including maintenance programmes and carrying out of responsive repairs and pre-letting repairs, is a matter for each individual local authority under section 58 of the Housing Act, 1966 and is not directly funded by my Department.

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

Simon Coveney: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

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

Simon Coveney: Funding for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme has increased year on year, since it commenced in September 2014, in order to meet the continuing costs of existing HAP households, and the costs of an additional households to be supported. The majority of this funding is to support on-going rent payments to landlords in respect of existing HAP households and the cost of additional HAP...

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

Simon Coveney: The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP), previously referred to as the Social Housing Leasing Initiative, was introduced in February, 2009. Since then the programme has been expanded on a number of occasions to provide for new types of supply and to involve a greater range of agencies and bodies in providing accommodation. SHCEP supports the delivery of social housing by...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department provides funding to Approved Housing Bodies through local authorities for the construction and acquisition of units of accommodation under the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme and the Capital Assistance Scheme. Since 2008, a total of€496.5 million has been provided under the Capital Loan Subsidy Scheme and €638.4 million under the Capital Assistance Scheme. A...

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

Simon Coveney: The regulation of dog breeding establishments is a matter for local authorities in accordance with the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 and I understand that Cavan County Council is dealing with the matter referred to by the Deputy. The local authority must maintain for public inspection a register of dog breeding establishments in its functional area, which must include the name and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The aim of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) is to reduce poverty, promote social inclusion and equality through local, regional and national engagement and collaboration. SICAP is a key priority of Government and its vision is to improve the life chances and opportunities of those who are marginalised in society, living in poverty or in unemployment through...

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

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question Nos. 46 and 48 on today’s order paper which set out the position with regard to the general issue of local government reform. On the question of funding for additional local authority services the distribution of such funding is a matter for individual local authorities who must decide on priorities for their own areas. In relation to commercial...

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

Simon Coveney: Provision was made in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 for a new Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme for existing local authority houses. Following the necessary preparatory work the new 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...

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

Simon Coveney: Last week I brought a proposal to Government on this very matter on foot of a request by Dublin City Council for the designation of the western part of the Poolbeg peninsula as a Strategic Development Zone. As a result of my request, the Government made an Order designating the Poolbeg West area as Strategic Development Zone and Dublin City Council as the relevant development agency pursuant...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Aid for the Elderly (24 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I understand the scheme referred to was a local authority scheme to enable older people to downsize from homes that may have become too large for them to more suitable accommodation, thus potentially freeing up homes for larger families. Such schemes were traditionally operated by some housing authorities within their own allocation schemes rather than as part of a national scheme. I met...

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

Simon Coveney: From 2011 to date, my Department has provided €6.8 million to Galway City Council and €13 million to Galway County Council to support them in the delivery of their local authority housing construction and acquisition programmes. As funding provided is based on costs incurred by local authorities, a situation does not arise where funding is returned to my Department unspent....

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

Simon Coveney: The management and administration of the Rental Accommodation Scheme is the responsibility of each local authority. Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions. Section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 specifically provides that the Minister’s power to issue...

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

Simon Coveney: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001. The Commissioner for Valuation has sole responsibility for all valuation matters except appeals of valuation procedures set out under the...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together. Funding has been made available to all local authorities, including Galway City and County Councils, towards the programme for adaptations and extensions to the social housing stock to meet the needs of local authority tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. The detailed administration of the programme,...