Results 23,401-23,420 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: I assume the Question refers to Veterinary Ireland’s Policy Document on the Control of Dogs 2016, as ratified by Veterinary Ireland National Council on 25 May 2016. I wish to thank Veterinary Ireland for their comprehensive review of the Control of Dogs legislation and to acknowledge their positive comments in relation to the various legislative enactments in the areas of animal...

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

Simon Coveney: The guidelines governing the Housing Adaptation Grant scheme do not preclude applications from any individual who has not paid their liabilities in respect of water charges. As the Deputy will be aware, the detailed administration of the scheme, including the assessment, approval and prioritisation of grants to applicants, is the responsibility of the local authorities. I am not aware,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: 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 €15,000 per annum, have been in receipt of social housing support...

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

Simon Coveney: Section 254 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 , as amended, provides for a licensing system for appliances and structures, including street furniture, placed on, above, under or along a public road, including footpaths. The Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, prescribe tables and chairs outside a hotel, restaurant, public house or other establishment where food is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Appointments to State Boards (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Details in relation to the membership of State Boards under the aegis of my Department are available on the Department’s website at the following link:. In the case of certain appointments to State Boards, statutory selection procedures must be followed or nominations must be sought from independent nominating panels before appointments are made by the Minister or the Government, as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Budget 2017 (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Programme for Partnership Government prioritised the housing challenge as a key objective for the Government. The publication in July of Rebuilding Ireland, an Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness reflects the priority being afforded to housing. The Plan provides for €5.35 billion funding over the period of the Plan to support the delivery of 47,000 units of social housing by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Cross-Border Projects (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: While responsibility for the PEACE and INTERREG Programmes is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, my Department provides funding drawn from these programmes to a number of different projects. At the most recent P lenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in Dublin Castle in July the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive reiterated...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 647 and 650 together. I assume the Questions refer to the circa 700 sites in local authority ownership and the sites held by the Housing Agency under the Land Aggregation Scheme, which are referenced on page 50 of Rebuilding Ireland – Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, in the context of the potential for mixed-tenure development on State-owned...

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

Simon Coveney: Planning statistics are submitted by planning authorities on an annual basis and are subsequently collated by my Department. Such statistics include information on the number of planning applications received and the number of applications which were granted or refused permission by each planning authority; however, the detailed information sought by the Deputy in relation to permissions...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers in local authorities. The data gathered do not provide detail in respect of the number of professional and or trained Human Resources within each local authority, and accordingly, the information requested is not available in my Department.

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

Simon Coveney: The 4-stage approval process, referred to in the Question, was introduced earlier this year and while there is evidence that the new streamlined arrangements are supporting accelerated delivery, the number of projects that have moved through all 4 stages does not provide a basis for generating a meaningful average at this time. I can advise the Deputy that my Department encourages a pragmatic...

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

Simon Coveney: The functions of Cathaoirlaigh are as provided for under the Local Government Act 2001, as amended. A Cathaoirleach is responsible, inter alia, for the conduct of business and maintenance of order at meetings of the elected council. Major decisions of policy within local authorities rest with the elected members. The elected members, in the exercise of this policy role, operate on a basis...

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

Simon Coveney: Currently there are 20 local authority capital construction projects for new general social housing developments lodged with my Department for initial approval in principle. The following are the numbers per local authority: Clare County Council 4 projects Cork County Council 1 project Offaly County Council 3 projects Monaghan County Council 1 project Limerick City & County...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers in local authorities. The data gathered do not provide detail in respect of the number of personnel employed in the housing and planning sections within each local authority, and accordingly, the information requested is not available in my Department.

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

Simon Coveney: Some €10 million has been made available in 2016 to fund the National Taking in Charge Initiative, which will assist local authorities in developing new approaches to addressing housing estates, including those with developer-provided water services infrastructure that, for various reasons, have not been taken in charge to date. On 8 July 2016, following consideration of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board Enforcement (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and...

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

Simon Coveney: The principal Planning and Development Regulations 2001 were amended in September 2011 by the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2011 to provide that initial afforestation shall be exempted development. This activity is exempted from the requirement to obtain planning permission, as it is subject to a separate statutory development consent system under the European...

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

Simon Coveney: Consistent with its stated commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government, the Government increased both Rent Supplement and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) rent limits in every local authority area, taking account of geographic variations in market rents, with effect from 1 July 2016. In addition, additional flexibility above the existing HAP rent limits was made available to all...

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

Simon Coveney: I understand that the Question refers to global valuations of property of utility undertakings carried out by the Commissioner of Valuation. The Commissioner for Valuation is responsible for valuation matters, including the global valuation of property of public utility undertakings under Part 11 of the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015 come under the remit...

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

Simon Coveney: The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) plays an important role in the delivery of social housing. To the end of June 2016, a total of 2,135 residential properties, which are part of the security for loans that NAMA has acquired, had been secured for use by local authorities or approved housing bodies. These comprise 1,588 completed properties and a further 547 that had been contracted...