Results 25,621-25,640 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: In terms of supply, the focus in the Strategy for the Rental Sector is on maintaining existing levels of rental stock and encouraging investment in additional supply. There are shortages in the supply of rental accommodation in key locations, particularly in urban areas. In some of these areas there is also significant demand for transitory short-term accommodation. In this context, easier...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Data (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are currently over 18,000 households being supported by the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme in 31 local authority areas. A breakdown of the number of households supported by HAP, including the number of Rent Supplement Transfers, in each local authority area at 31 December 2016 is available on my Department's website at the following link: . A breakdown of households supported...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Compulsory Purchase Orders (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department does not collect the specific information requested in relation to the compulsory acquisition of vacant properties by local authorities. Local authorities have been, and continue to be, in a position to acquire significant substantial numbers of vacant properties for social housing without recourse to compulsory purchase processes; details of such acquisitions are collated and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Social Housing PPP programme provides for an investment with a capital value of €300 million and is expected to deliver 1,500 social housing units in total, via three bundles. The first bundle, comprising six PPP sites providing for over 500 units in the greater Dublin area, is being developed in co-operation with the local authorities concerned. Two of the sites are located in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Data Sharing Arrangements (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department is part of the Public Bodies Working Group, PBWG, on Open Data and contributed to the development of an Open Data Strategy, and an Open Data Framework which underpins the publication of datasets on the Government Open Data portal (data.gov.ie.) in line with agreed standards thus facilitating re-use and interoperability. Work is underway between my Department and the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (8 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The need to increase and accelerate the delivery of social housing for those on the waiting list is a key focus of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, which provides for an ambitious social housing programme of 47,000 units to 2021 with funding of €5.35 billion. The delivery against this target has already been well advanced and in 2016, we saw 18,380...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Evictions (9 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The appointment of a receiver to a dwelling can cause confusion and distress to tenants and in circumstances where a receiver is appointed to a rented dwelling, it is essential that the rights of tenants are protected. Under Action 5 of the Strategy for the Rental Sector, my Department has established a working group with the participation of the Departments of Justice & Equality,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (9 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The application by Galway County Council for the provision of 11 new social units by Cluid Housing Association as a second phase development at Letterfrack, County Galway was given funding approval-in-principle by my Department on 31 January 2017. I look forward to the project’s advancement through planning and design.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (9 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. In line with the commitment given in Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, a review of the first 12 months of the scheme’s operation is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (9 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I have no proposals to establish an inspectorate for sheltered housing. Such housing to meet the needs of persons with specific categories of housing need, including the elderly, homeless and people with disabilities, is normally provided and managed by approved housing bodies, with funding support from my Department under the Capital Assistance Scheme. Where necessary, additional services...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Government Fund (9 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Local Government Fund (LGF) accounts for 2016 are currently being audited. Accordingly, the estimated income and expenditure from the LGF for 2016 and 2017 is set out in Tables 1 and 2 respectively. The payments to each local authority in 2016 are detailed in Table 3; these figures are subject to audit. When finalised, the audited accounts of the LGF for 2016 will be available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Seaweed Harvesting Licences (9 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: A decision whether to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment is governed by the requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (EIA). In the case referred to, as the activity was not a class of activity set out in either Annex 1 or 2 of the EIA Directive, nor was it within a Natura 2000 site, an EIA was not required.The application was subject to the normal public...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Eligibility (9 Mar 2017)

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: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (9 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department publishes a range of statistics in relation to housing, including on Part V output which is available at the following link: . Information in respect of the full year of 2016 is currently being finalised and will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (9 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 made a number of amendments to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, following the outcome of an independent review, which included a consultation process.The amendments, effective from 1 September 2015, sought to maximise the contribution Part V can make to social housing supply and sustainable mixed-tenure communities across the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (9 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are two separate Rapid Build schemes in Cherry Orchard. It is expected that the first scheme of 24 units will be completed and delivered by the end of Quarter 2, 2017. The second scheme, comprising 53 units, is currently at tender stage and is expected to be completed later this year.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (9 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: At the end of 2016, as reported in the Social Housing Construction Quarter 4 Report, Rapid Delivery schemes yielding 283 units in the Dublin City Council area were at various stages of approval. Of these, 153 have been fully approved for construction, 22 of these units were delivered and occupied at Poppintree in Ballymun and a further 131 were under construction and will be delivered in 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Freedom of Information Requests (9 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department did not incur any fees for legal counsel or any separate legal costs, including through the Chief State Solicitor’s Office, on Freedom of Information requests received by the Department in 2014, 2015, 2016 or to date in 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 396 to 398, inclusive, together. In December 2013, my Department published proposed draft revisions to the noise, setback distance and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions proposed: - the setting of a more stringent day and night-time noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments, ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Property Tax Administration (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Local retention of Local Property Tax (LPT) commenced in 2015. Given that local authorities vary significantly from one another in terms of size, population, public service demands, infrastructure and income sources, the Government decided that 80% of the estimated LPT yield for a given year’s liability is retained locally to fund public services, notwithstanding any local...