Results 23,341-23,360 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment ( HAP ) scheme is a key Government priority. The accelerated rollout of the scheme on a national basis is an important early action for completion in the Government’s Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness– Rebuilding Ireland. Local authorities and my Department are working closely together in order to ensure the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Estates (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: While the level of detail requested by the Deputy is not currently available, I have set out information below in relation both to the National Taking in Charge Initiative (NTICI) for residential estates and the most recent figures in relation to the number of unfinished housing estates. The National Taking in Charge Initiative (NTICI) for residential estates, and the pilot scheme funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Animal Welfare (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2010 place statutory responsibility for dog control on local authorities. The enforcement of welfare standards for all animals, including dogs seized under the Control of Dogs Acts, is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 and my Department has no direct role in this regard. Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Local government areas are specified in primary legislation. The Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) currently provides for 3 cities, Cork, Dublin and Galway, and for each of these to have a city council. If an additional city council were to be established in law, this would have significant implications for the county in which the area concerned is situated, particularly loss of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Nursing Homes Support Scheme (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I am informed by my colleague, the Minister for Health, that the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) is a system of financial support for those in need of long-term nursing home care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. Participants in the Scheme contribute up to 80% of their assessable income and a maximum...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme is a targeted intervention for households with unsustainable long-term arrears who require the greatest amount of support to meet their long-term housing needs. The MTR has been refined since its introduction in 2013 to widen the criteria to allow for broader eligibility and more streamlined administration. Despite this, the rate of uptake and progress on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: 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, - a mandatory minimum setback distance of 500 metres between a wind...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2009 gives legislative recognition to rental accommodation availability agreements as a form of social housing support. Consequently, since 1 April 2011, RAS tenants are now considered to be in receipt of social housing support and should not generally remain on housing waiting lists for new applicants for social housing. In recognition that RAS...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department has, currently, issued credit cards to the three office holders listed below: Credit card holder Private Secretary to the Minister; Principal Officer, ICT Section; and Head of Administration and Training Division, Met Éireann. The amount spent on credit cards by my Department in 2014 and in 2015 and the amount of bank interest paid on credit cards in 2014 and 2015 is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 570 and 571 together. Operational matters in relation to state agencies and third party organisations, including policies around the use of credit cards, are a matter for the organisations concerned. As with all expenditure, state bodies must comply with the relevant requirements of the Public Spending Code which is available at and the Code of Practice for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. It is therefore, a matter for each individual Chief Executive to apply for sanction from my Department and, once approved, to recruit and assign staff to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 576, 626 and 627 together. My Department is currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to funding to support the work of the Expert Commission. I expect this process to conclude shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department has provided funding for a range of social regeneration projects in Ballymun for a number of years. Social regeneration funding is provided to Dublin City Council (and formerly Ballymun Regeneration Ltd which has been wound-down) and the Council determines funding levels for the various groups who are involved in social regeneration activities. This funding was paid out of my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: There is no limitation placed on the length of tenancy that can be supported by the Housing Assistance Payment ( HAP ). However, as with other private rental tenancies, the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 governs the relationship between landlord and tenant and the length of the tenancy is a matter that must be agreed between the landlord and tenant in that context. Under the HAP scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The standard annuity mortgage available from local authorities is targeted at lower income first time buyers. The relevant terms and conditions applying to local authority housing loans, including eligibility terms, are set out in the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations 2012, which are available at: . To support local authorities in operating their housing loan schemes in a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Grants (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 583 and 634 together. Section 70 of the Water Services Act 2007 places a duty of care on the owner of a premises to ensure that their waste water treatment systems are kept so as not to cause, or be likely to cause, a risk to human health or the environment, including waters, the atmosphere, land, soil, plants or animals, or create a nuisance through odours....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: As the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is deemed to be a social housing support under section 19 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, as amended, households in receipt of HAP are not included on the local authority waiting list for social housing support. However, HAP recipients may access other forms of social housing supports, by applying to go on the local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Earcaíocht san Earnáil Phoiblí (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Bunaíodh grúpa oibre sa bhliain 2015 chun na cáilíochtaí do ghrádanna leabharlanna poiblí, idir proifisiúnta agus gan a bheith proifisiúnta, a hathbhreithniú. Ba iad baill an ghrúpa oibre ná oifigigh de chuid na Roinne Comhshaoil, Pobal agus Rialtais Áitiúil, Leabharlannaithe Contae ( atá ina gcomhaltaí den...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (16 Sep 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. If Deputies have any queries on specific issues in relation to water services, they may be aware that Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 587 and 588 together. Exemptions from motor tax are generally provided for in primary legislation (with the exception of the exemption for disabled drivers and disabled passengers, which is a matter for the Minister for Finance), rather than by way of Statutory Instrument. There is no exemption from motor tax for emergency voluntary organisations, per...