Results 23,861-23,880 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Data (27 Oct 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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. The purposes for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (27 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came in to operation on 1 January 2016 and offers eligible local authority tenants the opportunity to buy their homes. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least 1 year. The minimum reckonable income for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (27 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Irish Men's Sheds Association was funded from 1 July 2014 until 30 June 2016 through my Department's Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO). This Scheme aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. It does not provide programme funding. The organisation in question was allocated €175,950 for...

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

Simon Coveney: As previously outlined in the reply to Questions Numbers 200 and 226 of 11 October 2016, considerable work has been carried out by my Department in developing a draft framework for a harmonisation of the approach to be taken by local authorities in regard to various aspects of rent schemes. The proposals are currently being reviewed in light of the broader commitment given in Rebuilding...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 94 together. The role of the Cork expert advisory group is to review the recommendations of the Cork Local Government Committee report. The group is tasked with examining both the majority and minority reports and underlying material and has a mandate to identify and examine a wider range of options for Cork than might have been considered previously....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Nitrates Action Programme Implementation (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014, as amended, give legal effect in Ireland to the Nitrates Directive and to our Nitrates Action Programme (NAP). The Directive requires all member states to define set periods when the land application of fertiliser, including slurry, is not allowed and in Ireland the closed season commenced on 15...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Providing affordable, quality and accessible housing for people is a top priority for the Government, as outlined in the Programme for a Partnership Government. In order to effectively deal with housing and homelessness, the Programme included two key initial actions; firstly, a new Cabinet Minister for Housing would be appointed and, secondly, that Minister would prep are an action plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 and 179 together. The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) requires that all agglomerations greater than 2,000 population equivalent are provided with collecting systems for urban waste water and that collected waste water receives the appropriate level of treatment before discharge. The Directive also provides that where the establishment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Fire Service (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The provision of Fire Services in Ireland is supported by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management in my Department, which also develops standards and oversees the delivery of quality services by the Fire Authorities. In February 2013, the National Directorate published the Keeping Communities Safe (KCS) policy document which is the blueprint for the direction of fire...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Motor tax based on carbon emissions was introduced by the Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Act 2008. The legislative provisions apply to Revenue Category A/EU Category M1 vehicles only i.e. passenger cars. Commercial vehicles, depending on their size, are Revenue Categories B or C and EU Categories N1, N2 or N3 and, if being used in a private capacity, must be taxed on the basis of engine...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The initiative to support the purchase and renewal of private houses for social housing use will be available in all local authority areas, including Dún Laoghaire Rathdown, from 2017. I will be making an initial €25 million available for this initiative in 2017 and propose to increase this to as much as €50 million in 2018. I expect this investment to deliver between 400...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Closed-Circuit Television Systems Expenditure (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: A rural CCTV initiative was announced by the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in September 2015. This was, however, a small pilot scheme only, with a limited overall budget. This scheme came to an end earlier this year with no provision for further funding. I understand that the Minister for Justice and Equality is currently developing proposals to give...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Electoral Reform (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Electoral law provides that a person who is entitled to vote at an election or referendum shall vote in person at a polling station allotted to him or her unless they are included in the postal voters list or in the special voters list for the constituency concerned. Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of certain categories of person who are entered in the register...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Eligibility (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each housing authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Animal Breeding Regulations (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 to 177, inclusive, together. I refer to the reply to Question N o 269 of 25 October 2016 which sets out the position in relation to the review of the Dog Breeding Establishment Guidelines. The Working Group concerned has produced a first draft revision of the guidelines. The working group is representative of my Department, the Department of Agriculture,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisation arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. My Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers in local authorities. The data gathered do not provide detail in respect of the numbers or grading of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The operation and allocation of housing supports is a matter for the housing authority concerned and is one in which I, as Minister, have no role. However, in order to be of assistance, enquiries have been made with the housing authority concerned in relation to this case and I understand the tenant in question has been advised how they might avail of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department provides funding to local authorities towards the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability; the suite of grants includes the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability and the Mobility Aids Grant. The detailed administration of these grants, including the assessment, approval and prioritisation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (2 Nov 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...