Results 3,661-3,680 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (4 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 236 together. Since 2011, 14 ministerial directions have been issued under Section 31 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, to local authorities in respect of their development planning functions as outlined in the following table. No. Planning Authority Development Plan / Local Area Plan Year 1 Limerick City and County Council Proposed...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (4 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: On 12 January 2015, my Department published a General Scheme of a Bill to provide for the establishment of the Office of the Planning Regulator; the General Scheme is available on my Department’s website at the following weblink: . The General Scheme provides that the Office of the Planning Regulator will be independent of my Department and its primary functions will include the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (4 Nov 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...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: A shortage of supply is at the heart of the current challenges in the housing sector and the Government is addressing this on a number of fronts. The Government’s Construction 2020 strategy, published last year, is aimed at addressing issues in the property and construction sectors and ensuring any bottlenecks that might impede the sector in meeting residential and non-residential...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Deputy has asked a critical question. He is right to ask why we do not have more social housing. We do not have to go back too far to find the obvious answer, which is that local authorities have not been building social housing to the necessary extent for the past ten to 15 years. There was an over-dependence on Part V private development. When such development stopped, the dividend...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I am happy to report to the Deputy that over 200 construction sites have been approved in various local authority areas throughout the country and more will be approved. In the next few weeks submissions will be made by the approved housing bodies with the support of local authorities. They will receive further approval for construction. As the Deputy knows from his background in this...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Deputy for his question which essentially relates to the whole social housing strategy, the targets for capital and current funding and the needs-based assessments carried out by the Government in 2013. The target in the 2020 social housing strategy is for 110,000 social housing units to be provided by means of a mixture of direct provision by local authorities and approved...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I can give a quick and straight answer on voids. 10 o’clock More than 2,000 voids were turned around by local authorities last year and more than 1,000 will be turned around this year. At a meeting, the County and City Management Association, CCMA, which represents the heads of local authorities, assured the Minister and me that there would be few or no voids in their areas by the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Every avenue for delivering housing is being prioritised by the Government. Now, it is a matter of delivering on that. People must step up to the mark.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: We all agree that shouting, ranting and raving will not resolve the problem for any housing applicant. We need a delivery strategy. When the Minister and I took office last year, our first act was to secure adequate funding in the Department's budget to provide for an ambitious social housing strategy. More than €4 billion across five years will be provided. I have already outlined...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: -----because they are now being funded to buy houses where value for money can be achieved in areas of high demand. I urge the Deputy to ask his local authority about what it is doing with the funding that is being provided by the Government. I urge all Deputies to do likewise. Funding is not the problem. This is now a question of delivering the strategy. As public representatives, we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The number of refusals of first offers of housing is too high. It has reached approximately 40% in some local authority areas. We must address this issue. Existing stock is being offered to people but more than 40% of them are refusing it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Private Rented Accommodation Costs and Controls (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: We have a good package between us, so do not worry. It is more than what Sinn Féin is offering.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Private Rented Accommodation Costs and Controls (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Deputy is playing games with his inflammatory language.

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Deputy Broughan should calm down. He is talking nonsense.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: In April, we set social housing targets for each local authority out to 2017, along with provisional funding allocations, which will see an investment totalling €1.5 billion to meet an ambitious delivery target of some 22,900 social housing units. The investment will be in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes designed to accommodate more than 25% of those currently on...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: New units.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The first point to emphasise is that we are taking a multifaceted approach on this issue. As I outlined, huge progress has been made in addressing the problem of voids. We are working closely with the approved housing bodies, with additional approvals to be given in the coming weeks. The local authorities are engaging in direct build activities and getting back to constructing homes. As...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I repeat for the third time today that more than 7,500 units had been delivered by quarter three. We are now in quarter four. Funding has been allocated and the local authorities have been active in preparing their various plans for delivery, whether on voids, acquisitions or construction. We expect the final figure to be more than 15,000.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: It is traditional that local authorities will work in the fourth quarter to spend their budget allocations. I agree that the targets we have set for them are ambitious. We expect them to be delivered because the local authorities are the housing authorities and the drivers of progress. They know where the need is and can prioritise the projects that are put forward to the Department. We...