Results 22,321-22,340 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: My Department provides funding to local authorities for various social housing supports, including for adaptations and extensions to the social housing stock to meet needs of local authority tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. Funding provided by my Department meets 90% of the cost of such works, with each local authority providing the remaining 10%. The...

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

Simon Coveney: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of water services functions from the 34 water services authorities to Irish Water. Under the legislation, Irish Water now has the powers previously held by local authorities in relation to the takeover of Group Water Schemes. This means that Irish Water may acquire by agreement a waterworks or waste water works, subject generally...

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

Simon Coveney: The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 amended section 3 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 so that dwellings let by approved housing bodies (AHBs) to social housing tenants now come within the remit of the Act. The position of these tenants is significantly improved by the change, which commenced on 7 April 2016, as they now benefit from the following: - Increased security of...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department published Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housingin April 2005 as a broad national level policy framework for local planning authorities in drawing up their statutory development plans and addressing the issue of housing in rural areas, taking into account the particular circumstances of the relevant local authority and the type of rural areas it may...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 258 together. Since 2010, an annual national housing survey of unfinished housing developments has been conducted during the summer months to monitor progress. In that period, the number of unfinished housing developments has decreased by approximately three-quarters, from nearly 3,000in 2010 to 668 in 2015. The detailed findings of the annual...

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

Simon Coveney: The Housing Agency, in consultation with my Department and local authorities, is updating data and developing a detailed database and GIS map of all local authority owned lands, as well as the Land Aggregation Scheme lands, showing their location, size, boundaries and other information. This map will be updated over the course of the Social Housing Strategy to record the development and use...

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

Simon Coveney: I will prepare and publish a comprehensive ‘Action Plan for Housing’ within this Government’s first 100 days. Ultimately, a shortage of supply of houses and apartments to buy and rent is at the heart of the challenges in the housing sector. The plan will build on what the previous Government has already done and will draw on the work of the Special Oireachtas Committee...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 261 together. My Department, together with the Housing Agency, the Housing Finance Agency and local authorities has considered the affordability issues facing some borrowers who purchased properties under the Shared Ownership (SO) schemes and devised a more affordable long-term path towards full home ownership. A range of measures have already been...

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

Simon Coveney: On 2 February 2016, funding of €56.25 million was announced for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability which is an increase of 10% on the previous year’s allocation. This funding will see over 8,000 homes receiving grant aid in 2016. Through careful management of my Department’s housing budget in 2015, additional funds were made...

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

Simon Coveney: During 2015, my Department established a working group involving key stakeholders in the rural water sector, which includes group water schemes, to address the development of the sector within the overall water reform programme to ensure that the programme responds effectively to current and future needs. Local authorities, the Water Services Transition Office, Irish Water, the National...

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

Simon Coveney: The finalisation of any outstanding planning related matters affecting the development concerned is a matter for Kildare County Council and one in which I have no function. Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular planning case with which a planning authority,...

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

Simon Coveney: Air quality monitoring in Ireland is carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency to meet the requirements of EU Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, known as the CAFÉ Directive. The Directive requires that certain minimum levels of monitoring are carried out for the purposes of assessment and management of air quality.  The EPA monitors a...

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

Simon Coveney: The following table contains the average costs for the range of differently sized social housing units as sought by the Deputy, in terms of both construct ion costs and ‘all- in ’ costs. These are based on the analysis of returned data from tendered social housing schemes over an extended period. Construction cost is reflective of building costs to include VAT inclusive of...

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

Simon Coveney: The Social Housing Strategy 2020 targets the provision of some 111,000 social housing units, through the delivery of 35,600 new social housing units and meeting the housing needs of some 75,400 households mainly through the Housing Assistance Payment. I anticipate that the 35, 600 units will be delivered as follows: some 22,300 units to be built and acquired, including Part V units, by local...

Domestic Water Charges: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (25 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The values of Sinn Féin. We should all learn from them.

Domestic Water Charges: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (25 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: Does Sinn Féin not want a commission?

Domestic Water Charges: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (25 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: That is not true.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation Grant (25 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 156 together. The Department of Social Protection, which administers the Water Conservation Grant on behalf of my Department, has made grant payments totalling €88,991,800 in respect of the 2015 Water Conservation Grant. A small number of residual payments continue to be made to householders who have an entitlement to the 2015 Water...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (25 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: Waste Management (25 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department has met with groups who represent persons with special needs and has been in contact with the HSE and the waste management industry to discuss the issue and to try to find a workable and fair solution to this important matter. Notwithstanding the complexity of the issues involved, I am satisfied that a number of possible solutions are being explored as a matter of urgency....