Results 24,181-24,200 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: There are some very controversial-----

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Basically, we are extending on a temporary basis the principle of getting An Bord Pleanála to deal with big applications. The reality is that they are likely to end up with An Bord Pleanála anyway. We are talking about a streamlined system. I think the question that has been raised about a proposal to regenerate or change an entire quarter of a city by means of a new development...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I gave that commitment. I will table that amendment on Report Stage, which will be on Tuesday.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I am trying to be transparent rather than just forcing things through.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Nobody is disputing that.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I responded to the issue earlier when the Senator raised it. He is looking to hit home on it and that is fine. The Senator wants to emphasise the point. I have spoken to many councillors about this issue. I took the opportunity to meet informally with representatives from AILG today. I have also spoken to LAMA about these issues. We are looking at bringing forward a Bill. I have to get...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I said I would look at it. I am sure we will have another discussion on that later and again on Tuesday.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: There is an option for An Bord Pleanála but we have to trust its judgment on it.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Regarding the clarification, I understand the difference between what the amendment actually states and what is perhaps a misinterpretation. My understanding of what the Senator seeks in this amendment is that unless somebody wants to make an application to alter an existing planning permission, if he or she has planning permission for more than 100 units somewhere, he or she cannot apply...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I offer a word of caution: not every site that has planning permission has the same viability in terms of the ability to finance it and access it from an infrastructure and cost perspective. Planning applications may have been granted on what are now seen as flood zones or flood plains or whatever. We need to be careful. I absolutely agree with the sentiment that we want to get people...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I understand the frustration. Senators referred to viability. I am not the one who determines that because viability is essentially determined by the marketplace. If houses are being built, there is viability. If they are not being built - and regardless of how we define viability - there is a problem. That is how matters have stood for quite some time. For those Members who were not...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Some cities, regions and countries have considered vacant property taxes or levies. Some people may raise an eyebrow when I tell them that there are, according to the CSO, 40,000 vacant residential properties in Dublin tonight. There may be people in sleeping bags in the doorways of some of them, although I hope they will be in shelters tonight. We have a huge opportunity to bring vacant...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: However, in the case of a fund, whether one calls it a vulture fund, an investment fund, an equity fund or whatever, buying up a site for which planning permission has been granted, knowing that it is at a significant value today but is likely to be at an even higher value in a year or two years, even though if a builder owned the site, it would be viable for him or her to start building...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Therefore, we may well get into dangerous territory if we start trying to define hoarding and if politicians decide what is and is not a viable proposition on a site. That is a somewhat dangerous space in which to be. The House should consider what it costs us to build social housing. I can think of a number of social housing projects where the houses, excluding land, have cost us...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: On a point of order, I must leave to fulfil another commitment. The Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, will replace me but I will return to the House later.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I assure the Senator that the Minister of State knows more about this legislation than I do. The House is in safe hands.

Seanad: Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: My apologies for temporarily leaving the House. I was in the other House listening to Senator O'Sullivan's Green Party colleague speaking on the Local Government (Mayor and Regional Authority of Dublin) Bill 2016. We are going to do this. There are fundamental problems with the microbeads Bill, which I will outline. This does not mean I do not share the view that we need to ban the use of...

Seanad: Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill 2016: Second Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Amendments will not deal with this and I will explain why. I reassure the House that I, as Minister with responsibility for marine environmental protection, and the Government generally recognise that microbeads used in cosmetics, body-care products generally and also products like detergents and scouring agents are potentially harmful to our river and marine environments. Indeed, Ireland...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I assume the Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Damien English, responded to the amendment and read the reply on it.