Results 22,341-22,360 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. This includes the domestic water metering programme. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Derelict Sites Data (25 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Derelict Sites Act 1990 requires local authorities to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does not become, or continue to be, a derelict site. To this end, local authorities have been given substantial powers under the Act in relation to any such sites, including powers to require...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (25 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 161 to 164, inclusive, together. Overall funding of €761.4m was expended on the delivery of social housing services in 2015. This comprised of €636.3 million exchequer funding and €125.1 million which local authorities self-funded from local property tax receipts. This funding facilitated the delivery of over 13,000 social housing units...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Data (25 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 166 together. Information on the funding provided and grants paid to each local authority by my Department under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, since the grants were introduced, is available at the following link:. Details of the 2016 allocations for the grants are also available on my Department’s...

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

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 207 and 232 of 24 May 2016 which set out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Funding (25 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 and 169 together. My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (25 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 171 together. An exchequer capital budget of €451 million is provided for the delivery of social housing programmes in 2016. This exchequer budget will be supplemented by capital expenditure of €77 million on housing programmes which local authorities will self-fund from Local Property Tax receipts, giving a total capital budget for 2016...

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

Simon Coveney: The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

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

Simon Coveney: Abolishing domestic water charges would lead to an expected additional subvention requirement of up to €1.4 billion over period 2016-2021, subject to assumptions on payment levels, allowing for some reducing in customer service costs but without reflecting any costs of dismantling contracts. Some additional funding would also arise for the group water sector. Assuming the abolition...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (25 May 2016)

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

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 to 178, inclusive, together. Responsibility for planning policy rests with the local government system working within the broad legislative and policy framework for planning established by Government and myself as Minister. The National Transport Authority (“NTA”) has responsibility for “strategic planning of transport”....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax (26 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: Vehicles registered prior to 2008 are taxed on the basis of engine capacity. Vehicles registered from 2008 are taxed on the basis of carbon emissions (CO2). The basis of determining CO2 emissions for the latter category is the level provided on the Certificate of Conformity for the vehicle. This is the level emitted in terms of grams per kilometre driven, which is generally only measured at...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (26 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105, 107 and 111 together. The new Tenant (Incremental) Purchase 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 eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments (26 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is being rolled out across the country on a phased basis and is currently operational in 19 local authority areas. I believe the HAP scheme is operating well, with more than 9,5 00 households currently in receipt of housing support under the scheme. The maximum rent limits for different household classes that apply in each local authority where...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (26 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 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 prevented in line with...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (26 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Programme for a Partnership Government includes the preparation of a report for Government and the Oireachtas by mid-2017 on potential measures to boost local government leadership and accountability and to ensure that local government funding, structures and responsibilities strengthen local democracy, including the issue of town or borough council status. The Government’s...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (26 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: A Ministerial Direction, which required key local authorities to prioritise homeless and other vulnerable households in the allocation of tenancies under their control, issued in January 2015. Under this Direction, housing authorities in the Dublin Region were required to allocate at least 50% of tenancies to homeless and other vulnerable households, while the authorities in counties Cork,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Functions (26 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: Responsibility for environmental functions including in relation to climate, waste, resource efficiency, air quality and environmental radiation policies will transfer to the current Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources. Marine planning and foreshore functions will remain with my Department. In relation to the community portfolio, responsibility for,inter alia,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Protection Agency (26 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: As a statutorily independent body, it is primarily a matter for the board of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make decisions as to how best to organise its resources, including the location of its Regional Inspectorate offices. At present, they have Inspectorate offices located in Castlebar, Co Mayo; Inniscarra, Co Cork; Clonskeagh, Dublin; Kilkenny, and Monaghan. EPA licensed...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Functions (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 113 of 26 May 2016 which sets out the position in this matter.