Results 25,741-25,760 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Details on the number of households which are qualified for social housing support in each housing authority area and whose housing need has not been met, 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:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (29 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: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (29 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. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Sector Funding (29 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department provides funding to community and voluntary organisations through a number of funding schemes.  These include the Scheme to Support National Organisations, the Funding Scheme for members of the Community and Voluntary Pillar, the Seniors Alert Scheme, as well as a funding stream to support volunteer centres, volunteer information services and a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Contracts Data (29 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department did not hire any private investigation firms in the past five years, or to date in 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (30 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of solar farms. Proposals for individual solar farm developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments. Planning applications are made to the relevant local planning authority with a right of appeal to An Bord...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (30 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Under my Department's Social Housing Investment Programme, funding is provided to local authorities for the acquisition of suitable new and second-hand housing and apartments for social housing use. The selection of such units for acquisition is a matter for local authorities as the housing authorities for their areas, with the clear expectation that such acquisitions meet priority housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (30 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My colleague, Minister of State Damien English, last week published the fifth annual progress report and seventh housing survey on tackling the issue of unfinished housing developments. This 2016 update report reveals a 85% drop in the unfinished developments since 2010, from nearly 3,000 to 420, with 248 developments resolved in 2016 alone. My Department's objective is to resolve all...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Freedom of Information Remit (30 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Under the governing legislation, a Business Improvement District company is required to be limited by guarantee and formed and registered under the Companies Act. The board of directors will be made up of businesses or their representatives and nominees of the local authority. At least two thirds of the directors must be ratepayers or ratepayer representatives. Under the Freedom of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Fire Service (30 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates (30 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 under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015.  The Commissioner for Valuation has sole responsibility for all valuation matters except appeals of valuation procedures set...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (30 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Strategy for the Rental Sector, approved by Government on 13 December 2016, is structured around 4 key areas: security, standards, supply and services. The measures under these four headings will be implemented through the 29 actions contained in the Strategy. In terms of supply, the focus in the strategy is on maintaining existing levels of rental stock and encouraging investment in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates (30 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 Acts 2001 to 2015. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority.  Commercial rates form an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Loans (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297, 303 and 304 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 245 of 14 February 2017, wherein I clarified that Regulation 3 of the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations 2012 clearly states that the Regulations apply to the provision of loan finance by housing authorities to first time buyers for the acquisition of houses or for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department has no management responsibility for group water schemes - that is entirely a matter for the members as owners of their scheme. A group water scheme may apply to their local authority for payment of a subsidy towards the operational cost of providing a domestic drinking water supply (i.e. water supplied to private households). My Department recoups local authorities in full...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Valuation Office (4 Apr 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 under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The Commissioner for Valuation has sole responsibility for all valuation matters except appeals of valuation procedures set out...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), which is part-funded by the National Lottery, was rolled out on 1 April 2015, following a public procurement process. SICAP’s aim is to reduce poverty, promote social inclusion and equality through local, regional and national engagement and collaboration. SICAP is a key priority of Government and its vision is to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Land Ownership (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: As I previously indicated in the reply to Question No. 249 of 21 June 2016, the area in question appears to be reclaimed foreshore and all of Ireland's foreshore is considered to be owned by the State, unless valid alternative title is provided. Correspondence from Solicitors for the persons named, replying to a letter from my Department that issued in May 2016,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Freedom of Information Remit (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 305, 308, 329 and 332 together. I refer to the reply to Question No 166 of 30 March 2017. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: With the support of my Department, local authorities are currently undertaking an ambitious programme of insulation retrofitting on the least energy efficient social housing homes.  The programme has two components: -Phase 1 of the programme commenced in June 2013, with the aim of eventually ensuring that the entire social housing stock will have, as a minimum,...