Results 25,561-25,580 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: On Deputy Coppinger's questions, in Fingal there are 21 projects in the pipeline there. There are three projects at stage 1 for 61 units, there are two projects at stage 2 which is ten units, four at stage 3 which is 85 units, two at stage 4 which is 97 units and there are six on site for 238 units, as well as four completed last year, which was 48 units. That is a total of 539 units.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: In Fingal. I note we are ramping up. I am not defending the numbers for last year and the year before. We need to continue to ramp up. Fingal has had a big focus on acquisitions in the last number of years. The Deputy is right, actually, that we should be focusing on buying up properties to get them into social housing use quickly. We spent €203 million last year buying more than...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I will answer that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I am glad that Deputy Healy-Rae remembers what I said in Kerry, which is good. We had a really good day in Tralee. We are investing a large amount money in some big social housing projects and redevelopment projects there, particularly in the Mitchels area. I said that the repair and leasing scheme will be going nationwide this year but the emphasis will be on providing social housing...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 34 - Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Revised) (1 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I ask the Deputy to let me answer. We have an agreement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to spend €32 million to go through an initial phase which will involve approximately 800 to 1,000 units with the money that is available. That money is available this year. We will be working through approved housing bodies, AHB, and local authorities to try to get properties...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The regulation of dog breeding establishments is a matter for local authorities in accordance with the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. Furthermore, under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, I am specifically precluded from exercising power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Funding (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: With €5.35 billion in place under Rebuilding Ireland to support the delivery of social housing, the financial means are in place for local authorities to make immediate progress with their programmes of social housing construction. A substantial pipeline of new social housing construction projects, is already in place both in terms of local authority direct build and approved housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Data (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, a tenant sources their own accommodation, the tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the landlord and is governed by the Residential Tenancy Act 2004 (as amended). Recognising the pressures in the rental market, the Government increased the maximum rent limits available under the HAP scheme across the country with effect from 1 July...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 104 together. On 20 February 2017, I published a Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report, which lists all approved projects including those delivered in 2016 and those at various stages of advancement through planning, design and construction. This report can be accessed at the following link:. The report contains a range of information in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The allocation of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for the housing authority concerned in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme made under Section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011. While the development and implementation of an allocation scheme is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The 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. The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 governing the Scheme provides for a number of specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale, including...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The results of the latest Summary of Social Assessments, carried out as at 21 September 2016, show that of the 91,600 households qualified for social housing support at this date, 46,294 households included at least one child, with an overall total of 84,025 children. The following table provides a breakdown of the number of children included in households qualified for social housing support...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Eligibility (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 114 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme Data (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Final detailed data relating to 2016 Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) activity at local authority level are not yet available. The information requested by the Deputy relating to the years 2013 to 2015 is set out as follows. While some 3,286 RAS contracts relating to 4,712 separate tenancies, ended during this three year period, a further 6,706 new RAS tenancies commenced. This represented...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 113 together. My Department has put in place a wide range of programmes that are available to all local authorities to generate increased social housing supply, to address specific special needs and to improve the standards and condition of the social housing stock. Arising from the Social Housing Strategy, targets and provisional funding allocations...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Applications Data (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each housing authority area are provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments. The most recent figures available are the results of the 2016 Summary which are available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/su...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Local authorities including Waterford City and County Council have recently submitted the list of properties, they wish to be included in the 2017 Voids Programme. These units are currently been assessed and I expect to announce details shortly of the 2017 funding for local authorities to address vacant social housing stock, including the breakdown of the targets and funding for each local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The information on the turnaround time for voids is not collected by my Department. However the key objective of the Voids Programme is aimed at minimising the turnaround and re let time of vacant units and returning them to use in a very energy efficient condition. Since the commencement of the Voids Programme in 2014 over 7,100 vacant social housing units have been returned to productive...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Repair and Leasing Scheme (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS), has been developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in certain vacant properties across Ireland. The scheme is targeted at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their properties up to the required...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates (2 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation pursuant to the Valuation Act s 2001 to 2015. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority.  Commercial rates form an...