Results 3,401-3,420 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The review of the following the first twelve months of their operation is now well advanced. The impact of the regulations on the cost of single dwellings (including self builds) forms an important element of this review. Some 170 submissions were received during the public consultation process which concluded on 15 May 2015. A report prepared by my Department following its review of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Costs and Controls (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The most recent data from the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) for Q1 2015 show that on an annual basis, nationally, rents were 6.9% higher than in Q1 2014. Rents for houses were 6.5% higher, while apartment rents were 7.8% higher than in the same quarter of 2014. These annual rates of increase were driven mainly by the Dublin market. Overall, in the 12 months to the end of Q1...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Costs and Controls (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I refer to the reply to Question No. 33 on today's Order Paper which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller accommodation programmes in their areas. My Department's role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller accommodation programmes in their areas. My Department's role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: In general, building defects are matters for resolution between the relevant contracting parties, i.e. the homeowner, the builder, the materials supplier and/or their respective insurers and I firmly believe that the parties responsible for poor workmanship and/or the supply of defective materials should face up to their responsibilities and take appropriate actions to provide remedies for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 707 and 722 together. Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines, similar to the schemes currently operating for local authority apartments and certain new local authority houses. The Government’s Social Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Planning legislation places no specific restrictions on the height of trees, nor does it make any particular provision for remedy from any other nuisance which may be caused by trees in an urban residential area. However there is currently a civil remedy available concerning branches or roots of neighbouring trees encroaching on a person’s property. The previous Minister of State for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Since 2010, an annual national housing survey of unfinished housing developments has been conducted during the summer months to monitor progress. In that period, the number of unfinished housing developments has decreased by approximately, two-thirds; from nearly 3,000 in 2010 to 992 in 2014. The 2015 annual housing survey will be carried out during August and September. The detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller accommodation programmes in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I understand that Kildare County Council is liaising with the Millfield Hawthorns Representative Group on an ongoing basis in an effort to be of support and assistance to residents at this difficult time. Minister Kelly attended a meeting with the Millfield Hawthorns Representative Group on 25 May 2015 and heard at first hand the issues and concerns involved in this complex matter. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: My role as Minister with regard to development contributions is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each local authority. The adoption of these schemes is a reserved function of the locally elected members of each planning authority. It is a matter for the members to determine the level of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board Remit (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: While action to deal with anti-social behaviour is primarily a matter for An Garda Síochána, in the case of private rented dwellings, landlords are responsible for enforcing the obligations that apply to their tenants under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The Act prohibits a tenant in a private residential tenancy from engaging in anti-social behaviour in, or in the vicinity...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I am aware of the issues faced by some developers who are experiencing difficulties in obtaining the necessary bonds and securities necessarily required by planning conditions to effect the satisfactory completion of public infrastructure in housing developments. Learning from experience with unfinished housing developments, it is very important that effective safeguards are put in place to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The pyrite remediation scheme, which was first published by the Pyrite Resolution Board in February of 2014, was developed having regard to, inter alia, the recommendations set out in the Report of the Pyrite Panel (July 2012) and the relevant provisions of the Pyrite Resolution Act 2013. The full conditions for eligibility are set out in the scheme, which is available on the Board’s...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 774 and 775 together. While I fully appreciate and acknowledge the extremely difficult and distressing situations that householders have to deal with when faced with the consequences of poor workmanship or the use of defective materials, in general, building defects are matters for resolution between contracting parties, i.e. the homeowner, the builder,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Disability Services Funding (16 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: In 2005, the multi-annual Disability Services programme to assist delivery of the National Disability Strategy by my Department, local authorities and bodies under the aegis of my Department was commenced. Funding was allocated annually to local authorities on the basis of priority areas identified by them in implementation plans. The programme was completed in 2009 with one year’s...

Seanad: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: We will be opposing this amendment. The Government amendment means that all residential or regeneration land, regardless of ownership, public or private, will be subject to the levy if it meets the criteria for a vacant site as provided for in section 5 of the Bill. This will ensure that all owners of vacant sites will be treated equally. For example, local authorities will have the same...

Seanad: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Senator has made a fair point on funding. In recent years we did not have the capital funding to build the level of housing we wanted to build. Thankfully over the past year, the Government has managed to turn around the economy so that we can again make provision to see local authorities directly building houses again. The Government has committed almost €4 billion up to 2020,...

Seanad: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I oppose amendments Nos. 2 and 4. Amendment No. 2 seeks to remove the requirement for a vacant site to be located on residential land if the site is situated in an area where there is a need for housing. I oppose the amendment, as I did in the Dáil last week, because it would weaken the criteria to be used by a planning authority when determining whether a site is a vacant site in the...