Results 23,501-23,520 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Quality (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Neither I nor my Department has any role in monitoring or supervising the delivery of water services. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the environmental regulator responsible for the licensing, authorisation and enforcement of urban waste water discharges consistent with the requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive which sets out requirements for the collection,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Flood Risk Management (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The procedures for coordination of emergencies, such as flooding events, at national level are set out in Guidelines for Coordinating a National Level Emergency/Crisis Response, published by the Office of Emergency Planning in the Department of Defence, in 2011. This document also sets out the designated lead Government Department for 41 risk scenarios identified for Ireland. Where a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department received a staffing request, for an additional five members of staff as part of the roll-out of the Housing Assistance Payment, from Wicklow County Council on 23 September 2016. This request is under consideration and a response will issue to the Council without delay .

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Charges (27 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. Irish Water customer billing and collection levels are a matter for the utility and one in which I have no function. Irish Water has published information on bill payment levels on its website at www.water.ie, which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 359 and 360 together. The provision of social housing is carried out through a range of delivery methods, including construction, acquisition, leasing and other approaches, which allow local authorities to respond flexibly to meet local demand and operate within local property circumstances. The cost for the capital-funded construction of a new social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Government Fund (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I assume that the Question refers to general purpose grants (GPG) from the Local Government Fund. The Local Government Fund historically provided local authorities with finance for funding some of their day-to-day activities, including elements of water services costs, through General Purpose Grant allocations; for non-national roads; and funding for certain local government initiatives. As...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Irish Water (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Earlier this year, in the context of Government formation discussions, some broad estimates of the potential costs of abolition of Irish Water were prepared. It was estimated that once off costs for staff redundancies, termination of contracts, transitioning to another model etc. could range from €85 million - €169 million. In addition, some €1.6 billion additional...

Water Charges: Motion [Private Members] (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 1:To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following: “supports: — the comprehensive deliberative process currently underway following the recent Confidence and Supply Arrangement for a Fine Gael-led Government which includes: — the ongoing work of the Expert Commission on Domestic Public Water Services,...

Water Charges: Motion [Private Members] (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Whatever about Fianna Fáil, if she had included Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in that analogy, it might have been a bit disturbing.

Water Charges: Motion [Private Members] (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: On the subject of flip-flopping, the Sinn Féin position has not exactly been consistent on water charges either until it got exposed from its left flank and decided to change its position. That is the reality.

Water Charges: Motion [Private Members] (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: When my party and Fianna Fáil published our agreement on facilitating a minority Fine Gael-led Government, we made clear our commitment to providing the space for a comprehensive nine-month deliberative process to be undertaken on how we will fund domestic water services into the future. We are now three months into this deliberative process and I welcome the opportunity Sinn Féin...

Water Charges: Motion [Private Members] (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The rich pay for everything.

Water Charges: Motion [Private Members] (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: That is positive.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Order for Second Stage (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The main background to the important Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016 is the Final Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments, otherwise known as the Mahon tribunal, which was published on 22 March 2012. The Bill is therefore primarily intended to give legislative effect to the...

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: We are dealing with this issue in the housing Bill, which will run parallel with this one. We are looking at it.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Nitrates Action Programme Implementation (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Nitrates Directive and Ireland's National Nitrates Action Programme are given legal effect by the consolidated European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014, as amended. The objective of the Regulations is to protect ground and surface waters, including drinking water sources, primarily through the management of livestock manures and other...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 to 142, inclusive, together. Changes to motor tax rates are generally considered in the context of the national budgetary process and, therefore, it would not be appropriate to comment further on possible changes to motor tax rates at this time. The estimated current annual cost of a 10% reduction in motor tax rates for private vehicles registered...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Property Registration (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: In considering the establishment of a National Property Advisory Council, it should be noted that certain regulatory elements of the property sector, such as property registrations, conveyancing and the regulation of property services, are a matter for the Minister for Justice and Equality. With regard to the supply of housing, in publishing Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: 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. In accordance with section 37(2) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services, including...