Results 25,701-25,720 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Legal Costs (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department seeks, where possible, to minimise legal costs and avail of the services of the Chief State Solicitor's office and the Attorney General's Office in terms of the provision of legal advice and representation of the Department in court cases. The table sets out details in relation to external legal advice provided to my Department by legal firms since 2015. The table does not...

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

Simon Coveney: I note the recent CSO figures referred to by the Deputy. As set out in the Housing Policy Statement 2011, the Government aims to secure choice, fairness and equity across tenures and to deliver quality outcomes for the resources invested. The overall strategic objective is to enable all households access good quality housing appropriate to household circumstances and, as far as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Allowances (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: A Minister or Minister of State cannot claim overnight accommodation expenses while staying in Dublin as all Ministers are headquartered in Dublin. Records in my Department have been examined to confirm that since 2011 there has been no breach of this policy.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is a matter in the first place for the group in this case to apply to Kerry County Council for funding support, which I understand has not happened to date.  It would then be a matter for the Council to consider the project in terms of suitability, value-for-money and priority.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Presidential Elections (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Government recently decided to hold a referendum to amend the Constitution to give the right to vote at presidential elections to Irish citizens resident outside the State, including Northern Ireland. In order to inform public discourse on the significant policy change proposed, an Options Paper is being published this week. The Options Paper will set out the range of options...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are a number of options open to a planning authority when making an agreement under Part V of Planning and Development Act 2000: - the transfer to the ownership of the planning authority of a part or parts of the land subject to the planning application; - the building and transfer to the ownership of the planning authority, or persons nominated by the authority, of a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Charges (22 Mar 2017)

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 in accordance with a water charges plan, to be approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). Section 22(5) of the Act provides that a water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Charges (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Domestic water charges are currently suspended. Under the 'confidence and supply' arrangement between the Government and Fianna Fáil agreed in the context of supporting a minority government, the Oireachtas has established a Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services. It is tasked with examining the recommendations of the Expert Commission on Domestic...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Dog Licences (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Under the Control of Dogs Act 1986, all dog owners are required to have a dog licence. Regarding assistance dogs, and in particular dogs kept and wholly or mainly used for the purpose of guiding a blind person or a person whose eyesight is so defective that he/she is unable to find his/her way without guidance, the Control of Dogs Act 1986 and the Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department's Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) aims to tackle poverty, social exclusion and long-term unemployment through local engagement and partnership between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations, public sector agencies and other stakeholders. The SICAP target groups are: - Children and Families from Disadvantaged Areas - Lone Parents - New...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017.  All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations and responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations rests with the relevant local authority. Following enactment of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together. The regular management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, is a matter for each relevant local authority, and it is open to each authority to address maintenance or improvements to their housing stock from within their own resources. However, my Department is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together. The efficient management of social housing stock is vital to ensure that we achieve optimum occupancy while the construction of new build continues to accelerate. The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan sets out measures to improve the management of Local Authority housing stock, including the adoption of a common national re-letting...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Regeneration (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Pillar 5 of the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing andHomelessnessis specifically focused 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: Fire Service Staff (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Fire services are provided by local authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. Under the Local Government Act 2001, arrangements in relation to staffing in each local authority are the responsibility of the relevant Chief Executive for that authority. The information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Pillar 5 of the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing andHomelessnessis specifically focused 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. To this end, the Housing Agency, which...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Generation (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I understand that the objective of the Report referred to, commissioned by SEAI, was to inform consideration of the impact of potential noise limits on the available wind energy capacity in Ireland.  Commissioned by my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, I gather that this was solely an acoustic modelling exercise and that a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Bord Gáis Privatisation (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: In Budget 2015 the Government announced that €400 million of the proceeds of the sale of Bord Gais Energy was to be made available to establish an off-balance sheet financial vehicle to provide financing to Approved Housing Bodies, with the aim of facilitating the provision of additional housing units in support of the Government's Social Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The information requested in relation to my Department is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders. The details requested in relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department are a matter for the individual bodies concerned. Arrangements have been put in place by each Agency to facilitate the provision of information directly to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme for borrowers of private commercial lending institutions introduced in 2012 is targeted at those households in arrears who are eligible for social housing support whose mortgage is unsustainable. To be eligible for the scheme a household must have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process...