Results 23,221-23,240 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 280 together. Ireland, along with other Developed Countries, committed in 2009 to mobilising US $100 billion annually by 2020 in International Climate Finance for Developing Countries to come from a variety of sources, both public and private. Despite our recent difficult economic circumstances and the current constraints that apply in this...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 245 and 278 together. In December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setback distance and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions proposed: - the setting of a more stringent day- and night-time noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Noise Pollution Legislation (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Private Security Authority (PSA), under the aegis of the Department of Justice and Equality, is responsible for the licensing, control and supervision of all installers of security equipment. The PSA has powers to maintain and improve standards in the provision of services, including standards for intruder alarms. As of 1 August 2006, alarm installers cannot legally operate without a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Management (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: Local Authorities are independent bodies with their own elected representatives and are responsible for deciding on their own internal organisation of responsibilities. Questions in relation to the organisation of any particular local authority should be directed to the local authority concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Staff Sick Leave (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: Details in respect of the percentage of working days lost to sickness through certified and uncertified leave in each year from 2011 to 2015 in my Department are set out in the Table below. Year Percentage of Working Days Lost to Sickness Absence 2011 3.58 2012 3.17 2013 3.79 2014 3.14 2015 3.29

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 250 together. The Social Housing Strategy 2020 – Support, Supply and Reform, published in November 2014, included a commitment to undertake summaries of social housing assessments on an annual basis from 2016. Arrangements to carry out the 2016 summary, which will provide updated figures of national housing need later this year, are well...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: National Oversight and Audit Commission (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 together. The Local Government Reform Act 2014 gave legislative effect to proposals set out in Putting People First: An (2012)for a range of reforms designed to strengthen local government, including its structures, functions, funding, operational arrangements and governance. The reforms included the establishment of a National Oversight and Audit...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Management Agency (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA ) is primarily funded through local authorities. It does not receive a standing Exchequer subvention towards its administrative costs. A detailed breakdown of the annual income and expenditure for the LGMA is contained in its Annual Report and Accounts for 2014, which is the most recently available – this can be viewed at the following...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Services (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The provision of playgrounds by local authorities is a matter solely for each local authority and is one in which my Department has no role. Accordingly, my Department has not allocated any funding to local authorities for the provision of playground facilities over the period 2011 to 2016. Ultimately, it is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the following table: Local Authority 2015 Sick Leave Authority Percentage of Paid Working Days Lost to Medically Certified Sickness Absence Percentage of Paid Working Days Lost to Self-Certified Sickness Absence Carlow County Council 3.96 0.38 Cavan County Council 2.43 0.19 Clare County Council 3.63 0.25 Cork City...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Data (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: While my Department does not collect this type of information at a local authority level, general information on percentages of waste disposed of by landfilling nationally may be obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency website at the following link: . The latest figures available indicate that Ireland remains on track to achieve the mid-July 2016 target of reducing its...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: Statistics on the average re-letting times for local authority social housing are set out in the report of the National Oversight and Audit Commission on Performance Indicators inLocal Authorities, the last published report being for 2014, which is available at the following link: . This does not capture information on the average refurbishment time taken by local authorities. Feedback from...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: 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 ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Yield (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 520 of 2 February 2016, which sets out details of motor tax receipts for 2015. Receipts to the end of June 2016 (including online receipts) are set out in the following table: 2016 (to end June) Licensing Authority (€) Carlow 8,094,793 Cavan 8,873,286 Clare 15,009,570 Cork 67,589,909 Donegal 17,838,018 Dublin City 144,161,527 ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates Yield (21 Jul 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 levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. Rates income data are published by local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Air Pollution (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous fuel (or ‘smoky coal ban’ as it is commonly known) was first introduced in Dublin in 1990 in response to severe episodes of winter smog that resulted from the widespread use of smoky coal for residential heating. In August 2012, following a public consultation process, new solid fuel regulations were introduced with...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Provision (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: In publishing Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness this week, the Government has set out a practical and readily implementable set of actions to create a functioning and sustainable housing system. The Plan is available at the website .The Plan is divided into five pillars, with each targeting a specific area of the housing system for attention. Pillar 4 of the Plan,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Service (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The numbers of false alarm incidents within their functional areas and attended by Cork City and County fire services for the years 2014 and 201 5 are set out in the table below. These data are based on annual fire statistics returns from each individual Local Authority Fire and Rescue Service. The statistical information for 2016 will not be collected until early next year. The table...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The number of vacant social housing properties owned by both Cork City Council and Cork County Council changes on an ongoing basis, as the local authorities have social units handed back and as units are re-let. Ongoing changes in these numbers would be expected in the context of the management of large volumes of social housing stock. Further information on precise levels of stock at any...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal Charges (21 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: Legislation has been introduced to remove mandatory pay-by-weight charging for household waste collection. However, it is still open to a company to charge on a pay-by-weight basis. Indeed, many companies already have a pay-by-weight element to their charging structure and their customers are quite happy with this approach. However, in response to the reported escalation of waste bills...