Results 26,341-26,360 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of reports relating to advertisements of the kind referred to.  As there may be criminal activity involved in some instances, I would urge people to report any concerns in this regard to An Garda Síochána.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Under my Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), funding of up to 100% of project costs may be advanced by housing authorities to Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to provide accommodation for various target groups, including specific categories of housing need such as accommodation for the elderly, homeless people and people with a disability.  Applications to deliver new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Census of Population and Housing collected and published by the Central Statistics Office produces a wide range of different housing statistics, none of which maps precisely to the measurements which are disseminated by my Department. Amongst the most important of those measures are the net change to the total housing stock, the net change to the occupied housing stock and the numbers of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rent Controls (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The existing rent pressure zones were designated because they meet the criteria required under the Act, which are: (i) that rents are above the national average, and (ii) that rent price inflation has been 7% or more in four of the last six quarters. Other areas, including those adjoining and surrounding rent pressure zones, do not meet the criteria for designation and therefore have not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is my intention that homeless families be transitioned from hotel arrangements as quickly as possible and to limit the extent to which hotel accommodation has to be used for new family presentations, and my Department continues to work closely with housing authorities to realise this objective. The use of hotels for emergency accommodation is a much more significant issue in the Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: In relation to the Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone, it is intended that of the 3,500 new homes permissible on the site under its Planning Scheme, 900 will be delivered as social and affordable units. Of this, 350 (10%) will be delivered as social housing in accordance with the provisions of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). It is also intended that a commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. Section 4 of the Act and Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, set out various exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission. Any such exemptions are subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Eligibility (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Mortgage to Rent Scheme is a social housing option and is therefore targeted at borrowers in mortgage arrears, who qualify for social housing support as prescribed by the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011. A review of the income eligibility limits for social housing supports, as part of the broader social housing reform agenda set out in the Social Housing Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: To date, two social housing capital construction projects have been advanced by local authorities via the single stage approval process for projects with a maximum all-in budget of less than €2m and no more than 15 units. The uptake under the single-stage approval option was considered in a process and procedures review that was recently completed on ‘Social Housing Design,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: As part of the response to the commitment contained in Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness that, by mid-2017, hotels will only be used as emergency accommodation in limited circumstances, housing authorities are delivering a number of family-focused, supported temporary accommodation facilities. These custom-developed facilities will offer family living arrangements...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. There are currently more than 22,000 households in receipt of HAP, including 7,000 households that were previously supported by Rent Supplement. There are currently more than 17,000 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: State Properties Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: On 27 April 2017, I published the first phase of the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Land Map, as committed to under Action 3.5 of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan. This a vital initial step in the new State Housing Land Management Strategy being developed within the context of the National Planning Framework, to be titled "Ireland 2040: Our Plan". The map is the result of a significant amount...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Policy (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 123 together. The publication of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness has seen a new level of ambition in respect of tackling the challenges in the housing sector and I am confident it represents a well-judged and comprehensive response to the urgent need to increase housing supply generally and to accelerate the delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Policy (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Affordable Housing Schemes helped qualifying applicants, who would not have otherwise been in a position to purchase a home, to become home owners through the purchase of designated affordable units. Houses sold to first time buyers under the various affordable housing schemes were priced at a significant discount from their market value. Buyers were free to sell their properties at any...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 (the Act of 2016) provides for new streamlined arrangements to enable planning applications for strategic housing developments, of 100 housing units or more or student accommodation developments of 200 bed spaces or more, to be made directly to An Bord Pleanála for determination. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Eligibility (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The review of the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) Scheme for borrowers of commercial private lending institutions, published on 8 February 2017, introduced a range of amendments to the eligibility criteria and administration of the scheme in order for it to work better for borrowers. It also concluded that the current financial model of the scheme may not be capable of delivering the scale of cases...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The inter-Agency response to support families affected by the fire at Verdemont, Blanchardstown, is being led by Fingal County Council. I understand from the Council that a range of accommodation arrangements are in place to meet the immediate housing needs all households affected by the fire, and there is on-going contact between the Council, the insurance agent and the management...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I refer the Deputy to the reply to Questions Nos 1,4 and 5 on today's Order Paper.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness includes the objective that, by mid-2017, hotels will only be used in exceptional circumstances as emergency accommodation for families. The long-term solution to the current homeless issue is to increase the supply of homes; accordingly, Rebuilding Ireland is designed to accelerate all types of housing supply. During the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Land Transfers (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: On 27 April 2017, I published the first phase of the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Land Map, as committed to under Action 3.5 of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan. This a vital initial step in the new State Housing Land Management Strategy being developed within the context of the National Planning Framework, to be titled "Ireland 2040: Our Plan". The map is the result of a significant amount...