Results 22,421-22,440 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Assets (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department has not received an application from Kerry County Council to dispose of the property in question. It is a matter for the Council, which owns the property, to determine in the first place its future use or disposal.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (2 Jun 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: 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 3,000 in 2010 to 668 in 2015. Of the 668 unfinished developments identified in the 2015 survey, my objective is to resolve as...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Government decided in December 2011, based on the recommendations in an independent assessment, to establish a public water utility company to take over the operational and capital delivery functions of local authorities in the water services area. The Government also decided that the question of whether the role of Irish Water should be assigned to an existing State Agency merited...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 189 together. 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: Regeneration Projects Funding (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department’s regeneration programme targets the country’s most disadvantaged communities; those defined by the most extreme social exclusion, unemployment and anti-social behaviour. Regeneration seeks to rebuild these communities by addressing not just the physical environment in which they live but also by investing in the social and economic development of the areas. This...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Residential Property Data (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department does not hold the information requested by the Deputy. The Housing Agency presented a paper for the Oireachtas Committee on Housing and Homelessness in relation to vacant homes in Ireland. I understand the figures produced by the Housing Agency drew on Census 2011. The report is available at: This year’s Census will provide more information on the number of vacant...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. Security of tenure under the Act is based on rolling four-year tenancy cycles. Where a tenant has been in occupation of a dwelling for a continuous period of 6 months and no notice of termination has been...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Hazardous Waste Removal (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I have no function in relation to the matters raised in this question. Notwithstanding the role performed by the Government in the designation of this general area as a Strategic Development Zone, it is subsequently a matter for the relevant development agency (in this instance, Dublin City Council), in consultation with landowners, including the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Requirements to provide social or affordable housing in Dublin Docklands development arose under the planning schemes made pursuant to the Dublin Docklands Act 1990, and in relation to future development, will arise under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000. This is now a matter for Dublin City Council and I have no role in relation to it. I cannot comment on the application of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Docklands Oversight and Consultative Forum (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Part 5 of The Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Dissolution) Act, 2015 contain provisions for the establishment of the Docklands Oversight and Consultative Forum and came into operation on 1 March 2016. Dublin City Council recently nominated four councillors to the Forum. The Council has also advertised in local and national media inviting organisations who are representative of...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Chairman for his remarks. I wish to read an introductory statement into the record, after which I would like to take questions and deal with some of the areas the committee wants to focus on. My statement is pretty general. From my perspective, in terms of the interaction with this committee, I would like to listen as much as contribute. However, I will be as upfront and open...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: It will still be a large number

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: To be honest, and this may be unusual for a Fine Gael Minister to say in response to a Sinn Féin Deputy, but I do not disagree with a lot of what Deputy Ó Broin has said. We do need to significantly increase the provision of social housing. That has started and is happening now. Approximately 5,000 vacant social housing units were brought back into use in the past two years....

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: What Deputy Cowen said about the need for a new approach is spot on. That is why we need a new action plan. I am not sure whether we should set up a national authority for housing. We could spend a lot of time trying to construct a new governance model or we could focus instead on taking a project-management approach within the Department and driving a results-based approach with local...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Planning is part of the issue but there is planning for 27,000 houses in Dublin, which means the planning system has delivered in a way that can allow house building to start. In terms of the NARPS model, which is a good model, NAMA has essentially created a model which is off-balance sheet that allows it to purchase or make properties available for long-term lease to approved housing...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Does the Chairman want me to respond to the other issues Deputy Cowen raised or will I come back to them?

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: There are quite a few questions there. In respect of local authority funding to build houses, about €1.6 billion was made available to local authorities for a three-year period so there is a significant amount of capital available for local authorities to build. About €124 million has been made available for Cork City Council, while about €80 million has been made...

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: That is an automatic delivery but I expect we would go beyond that.

Committee on Housing and Homelessness: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (2 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I do not want to put a figure on it.