Results 30,901-30,920 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----he will see that the percentage of homes purchased last year and the year before, since the introduction of increased supports for first-time buyers, has risen dramatically. Therefore, builders are building homes for first-time buyers again. They were not two years ago. It was part of the broken housing market that we are fixing piece by piece.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I cannot discuss the cases of individual companies and letters that are being sent out without having seen them. The Central Bank rules that apply to our pillar banks also apply to other institutions that acquire loan books from the latter. The Central Bank has an important role to play in ensuring that there is a regulatory model that balances broader societal priorities with a financial...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy just had an opportunity to raise these matters with the Minister for Finance when he was in the House

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Minister just took questions before Leader's Questions. If the Deputy has particular cases to raise, I suggest that he raise them directly with the Minister for Finance.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy stated that the same rules apply to the pillar banks as apply to funds that take over loan books. The issue is not separate from one to the other, the issue is the rules and the law in this area. The Central Bank, as far as I am aware, has not asked the Government to look at changing that law. It is obviously something that requires ongoing discussion between the Department of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: First, I thank Deputy Howlin for the way in which he raised this question because it is easy to be emotive when one is talking about children who are homeless for understandable reasons. I was the Minister who made a decision to invest heavily in family hubs out of necessity at the time. We had, and still have, far too many children and families in hotels and bed and breakfast...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I have not been to all the hubs but I have been to some of them. I understand that the children's Ombudsman did not visit all of them. I think he visited eight and interviewed 80 children, which is quite comprehensive. We are guided by the NGOs which provide the services, through local authorities, in these individual family hubs. In some of them, the families themselves determine the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will come back to that question-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: -----if Deputy Coppinger is allowed to ask it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: We are increasing, and will continue to increase, public housing stock year after year. I hope we will add 10,000 social housing units this year and that will increase again next year. We will add an extra 50,000 social housing units over the five-year duration of the Rebuilding Ireland programme and the Government is committed to that. This Government is sometimes painted by some in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is right that part of the answer is public housing. That is why we are investing billions in it. We have an over-reliance on the private rental market in the short term while we build up the social housing stock to deliver the kind of capacity that is needed. Our population is growing by over 70,000 per year at the moment and many families are under pressure in the private...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I first wish everybody a happy Easter. This has been a busy Dáil session and people have earned a few days off. I am certainly looking forward to spending time with my family, as I am sure are many others. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the way in which he has managed some significant moments over the past number of months in this House and outside it. The Minister for Education...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will have to revert to the Deputy on that but I will try to get an accurate answer for him before close of business today.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: To repeat what I said earlier, when loan books are transferred from one bank to another, the rules continue to apply in terms of consumer protections and so on. However, there is an obligation on banks like AIB and others if they are transferring loan books to do that in a way that respects their customers and clients. They should certainly reflect on that in terms of the way in which they...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I do not have information about that but as with other localised issues, I will revert to the Deputy as soon as I can. The funding that was allocated and the service agreement in place has provided more funding for home care packages.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: I will see if we can come back to the Deputy with an answer before she heads off.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is right that the No. 1 and No. 2 Bills are linked. The No. 1 Bill needs to come through the Seanad first. My understanding is that it is on Committee Stage in the Seanad. As soon as that concludes, it will open up the opportunity to introduce the No. 2 Bill.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy knows, I know Sherkin Island very well. I have spoken to many people about the decision on the previous school there and have worked with ferry operators on getting efficient travel to and from the island. I will happily work on this issue and we will see if we can make some progress on it.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Apr 2019)

Simon Coveney: A Cheann Comhairle, I think we should be careful about raising individual cases such as this in the Dáil.