Results 26,301-26,320 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Applications (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The detail of this application was provided to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs as part of the prescribed body consultee process which all foreshore applications are subject to.  On foot of concerns raised by the NPWS in relation to the proposed development, as outlined in the application,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers in local authorities. The data gathered does not provide detail in respect of the number of planners employed by the relevant local authorities in counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Clare and accordingly the information requested is not available in my Department.  Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Planning statistics are compiled by each planning authority on an annual basis for collation and publication on my Department’s website at the following link: . These statistics include data in respect of each planning authority on the number and percentage of decisions to grant or refuse permission.  However, the statistics gathered do not include information on reasons...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The July 2008 Judgment of the European Court of the Justice (ECJ) in case C-215/06 found that provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (the 2000 Act) which permitted applications  for planning permission to retain existing developments requiring environmental impact assessment (EIA) or appropriate assessment, were contrary to EU law.  However, the Judgment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I presume the Deputy is enquiring about the application for funding by Louth County Council for the above project under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF), which is aimed at relieving critical infrastructural blockages in order to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in urban areas with high demand for housing.  A LIHAF...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Since May 2016, I have been liaising closely with my colleague Minister Naughten, having regard to his responsibility for renewable energy policy, on the review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines relating to noise, setback distance and shadow flicker, recognising the need to bring the review to a close and provide certainty on the matter to all stakeholders, local...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: They are virtually identical questions.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1, 4 and 5 together. Of course we need to provide affordable homes for people. The approach we are taking is different from the way it was done previously. What ended in 2011 was an affordable housing scheme. We are now trying to put together affordable housing projects as part of schemes on a case-by-case basis. We have asked local authorities to publish,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: It does not have to be a slow process at all. It requires some urgency and initiative from local authorities. They have landbanks that have sat there doing nothing, in some cases for decades.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: There is no shortage of money now. None. We have more than 10,000 social housing units in the pipeline today. That figure was 8,400 back in January.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is true. The Deputy will have his opportunity in a minute, but he did not even table a question on this area. That shows his interest in it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The issue is that we are asking the local authorities to do things a little differently. It will not necessarily be the same as it was previously, whereby the Department has to do everything in terms of designing an affordable housing scheme and then the local authorities implement it. We are asking people to take a much more innovative approach towards building more diverse and healthier...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Yes. Some 57 of those houses are specifically being designed for elderly people. That is the type of mix we are looking for now. If local authorities need guidance, they can get it from the Department's housing delivery unit. There are teams of staff in the Department who are willing to meet local authorities to work out what is appropriate on a site-by-site basis in order that we can get...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is wrong.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are 607 projects, which will comprise 10,074 housing units, at various stages in the pipeline. Some of them are in the assessment process, some are in the Part VIII process and others are on-site. I agree there is a need for urgency. When I became Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government I asked the same question that Deputy O'Sullivan just asked. When I, or...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The aim of the local infrastructure housing activation fund is to relieve critical infrastructural blockages to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in urban areas with high demand for housing. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council received approval for funding of €15.19 million for Cherrywood for the provision of public infrastructure that will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: We have not rowed back on anything. As usual, the Deputy is trying to create an impression of something that does not exist. We do not have an agreement yet but the Deputy is drawing conclusions as to what the agreement might look like.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is typical of the Deputy that he is trying to put a negative spin on something that does not even exist. We are not going to sign off on any financing deal until we see the detail. It is up to the local authority to finalise the detail in negotiations with the various developers on site, as is the case with many of the other aspects of the Cherrywood development. We have assisted that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I am not here to indulge the Deputy. I am here to answer questions.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: We will know what the affordability agreement looks like when it is in place.