Results 24,881-24,900 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Agency Portfolio (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The folio of lands referred to is in the ownership of the Housing Agency. The lands were purchased by the National Building Agency approximately 10 years ago and in the course of winding up the National Building Agency, this asset transferred to the Housing Agency. Under the Tipperary South County Development Plan 2009 – 2015, the land is zoned open space, and I understand that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Boundaries (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: In June 2015, an independent statutory Committee was appointed to carry out a review of local government boundaries in Athlone, Carlow, Drogheda and Waterford. In each case, the committee was asked to carry out a review of the boundary between the respective local authorities and to make recommendations with respect to those boundaries and any consequential matters that they consider...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rent Controls (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Strategy for the Rental Sector, published on 13 December 2016,  outlined the Government's proposals for Rent Predictability, whereby an order can be made to moderate the rise in rents in areas of the country where rents are highest and rising, and where households have greatest difficulties in finding affordable accommodation. In these areas, called Rent Pressure Zones, rents will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I have no proposals to establish a service along the lines of the planning aid service in the UK. This is a free service, independent of central and local government, whereby qualified planners offer professional advice on planning matters to local communities and individuals on a voluntary basis.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Grant Payments (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: All local authorities are in a position to fund window repairs and replacements where necessary under the Housing Aid for Older People grants scheme. The detailed administration of these grants, including the assessment, approval and prioritisation of grants to applicants under the various measures, is the responsibility of the local authorities. In this regard, local authorities prioritise...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: Motor tax is payable annually, half-yearly or quarterly on the basis of whole calendar months. Changing the commencement date of motor tax from the first of the month to a system where a vehicle is taxed based on the date of registration or date of change of ownership, effectively an individual date for every vehicle in the fleet, would require both legislative changes and significant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: Pillar 5 of the Government's Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness – Rebuilding Irelandis specifically focussed on Utilising Existing Housing Stock with a key objective of ensuring that the existing vacant housing stock throughout the country and across all forms of tenure, in both the public and private sectors, is used to the optimum degree possible. In this regard, action 5.1 of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: Information on the majority of approved social housing capital projects, including the number of units in each development and the funding approved, is available on my Department's website at the following links: . This information includes approvals under the Capital Assistance Scheme. As is standard with the Capital Assistance Scheme, all projects are implemented by approved housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: Information in relation to local authority repossessions is available on my Department's website at the following link: under the heading “Local authority repossessions”. This data is not broken down by loan type. My Department provides capital funding to support local authorities in transferring into permanent social housing stock, house/apartments that were financed using a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Control of Dogs (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 511 and 513 together. Under the Control of Dogs Acts, local authorities have responsibility for operating and managing dog control and licensing services in their administrative areas, including the management of dog pounds or shelters and my Department has no involvement in this process. In this regard, section 15(2) of the Control of Dogs Act 1986 empowers...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Public Procurement Regulations (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Chief Executive of each local authority is responsible for managing and controlling the administration and business of the authority; this includes matters relating to procurement. I understand that all local authorities have a designated official who plays a key role in delivering strategic procurement objectives including ensuring that the local authority complies with Procurement...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Correspondence (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The correspondence referred to by the Deputy is in reply to a submission I received under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, which is being considered in my Department. A further reply will be issued in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Development Contributions (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 227 of 13 December 2016 which sets out the position in respect of development levies. The detailed information sought relating to development levies paid or payable in respect of houses at various price points is not available in my Department. The taxes element of the question is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: NAMA Social Housing Provision (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Housing Agency recently published data up to the end of December 2016, in relation to cumulative delivery of social housing by NAMA. This information and associated breakdowns is available on the website of the Housing Agency at the following link: To date, NAMA has identified a total 6,944 units that could be potentially made available for social housing. The local authorities and the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The decision to replace town authorities with a new model of municipal governance under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 was designed primarily to strengthen local government within counties and to address widely acknowledged and long-standing weaknesses and anomalies in the previous system, including divided administration between town and county authorities, for example, in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Standards (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008, as amended by the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2009, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. These regulations specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Eligibility (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: To qualify for social housing support a household must meet all of the eligibility criteria, which primarily relate to income and alternative accommodation. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Applications (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: There is no mechanism under the 1933 Foreshore Act by which a notification issues if a specific company applies for a foreshore licence. I can confirm that to date no application for a foreshore licence in respect of oil and gas exploration at Kish Bank has been submitted to my Department by the company concerned. Should an application be received it will be assessed for completeness,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Property Tax Exemptions (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I have no plans at present to reassess the waivers in place for certain unfinished housing developments in the context of the operation of the Local Property Tax, which is a matter for the Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners. It should be also noted that the number of unfinished housing developments recorded in the National Housing Development Survey has been steadily and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Strategy Statements (17 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: In accordance with the Public Service Management Act 1997, my Department has recently published a Statement of Strategy for the period 2016-2019. The Statement was drawn up in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of the Taoiseach including with regard to obligations under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014, to assess and report on human rights and...