Results 4,041-4,060 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2016: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Paudie Coffey: First, I thank the Cathaoirleach and the committee for facilitating what is an important discussion on and consideration of this business. As the title suggests, these draft regulations relate to provisions concerning development that is exempt from the requirement to obtain planning permission. Under section 262(4) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, each House of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2016: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Paudie Coffey: I note that Deputy Michelle Mulherin acknowledges the practicality of the regulations in the provision of vital services by Irish Water and other utilities. She has raised the issue of legacy estates that are either unfinished or have not been taken in charge. I can tell her that the Government initiated a scheme called the special resolution fund under which funding was provided for local...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2016: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Paudie Coffey: I acknowledge that pertinent point, but I caution that we need to ensure the taxpayer is not taking on liabilities where there is an accountable person or builder to be pursued in the first instance. Local authorities have a responsibility to pursue the builder or persons responsible for an estate and have a number of measures and powers available to them. Deputy Noel Coonan mentioned the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2016: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Paudie Coffey: Does the Chairman wish me to reply to Senator Cáit Keane now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2016: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Paudie Coffey: I hope the replies given are sufficient on the taking in charge of estates. The Deputy is right that local authorities have a responsibility and are accountable to the elected councillors. The Department will also monitor them. Deputy Noel Coonan raised the issue of exemptions for utilities and mentioned, in particular, the ESB and the powers available to it. It has had them since...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2016: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Paudie Coffey: If it is, I urge the Deputy to take up the matter with ESB management. I know for a fact that, if there are particular problems, it does engage with customers and landowners. I know of cases in which land was destroyed and compensation paid, but that is essentially a matter for the ESB and the landowner involved. On exempted development, there are no specific legislative powers available....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2016: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Paudie Coffey: Essentially, the regulations are required because Irish Water is a utility no different from other utilities that have been operating in the State for many decades. Deputy Boyd Barrett said the measure is impractical. I presume the case he is making relates to the subcontractors Irish Water uses. The ESB, for example, undertook a national network renewal programme over the past two decades...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2016: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Paudie Coffey: Deputy Boyd Barrett raised a valid point but I refer him to local area development plans, county and city development plans, regional development plans and national development plans because that is where the strategic approach to proposed development is outlined. The Deputy will agree that it was often the case in the past that we had development where services did not exist and, possibly,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2016: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Paudie Coffey: Every development plan whether it is local, regional or national has a consultation phase where there is an invitation and commitment to deep engagement by all utilities in the making of the plans. All Irish Water capital investments must be consistent with county and city development plans. Alignment is key. It is important that there is engagement between utilities locally and nationally...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2016: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Paudie Coffey: Both Senator Keane and Deputy Catherine Murphy are correct in that there is an element in the Act concerning what Senator Keane called rogue developers, those who are irresponsible and do not complete developments. However, it has been found to be very difficult to enforce that aspect of the legislation. Currently, the Department is looking at Committee Stage amendments to the planning and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Planning and Development (Amendment) Regulations 2016: Motion (27 Jan 2016)

Paudie Coffey: There was some consideration in the No. 1 planning Bill which we brought through before Christmas but there are concerns regarding property rights on zoned land to the effect that one could be open to a legal challenge if one impedes on property rights. We did address it to some degree with the introduction of the vacant site levy whereby if land is identified in a local authority where...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Architectural Qualifications (2 Feb 2016)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 510, 511, 516 and 545 together. The statutory arrangements for the registration of architects are set out under Part 3 of the Building Control Act 2007. Section 22 of the Act makes specific provision for the registration , based on technical assessment, of persons who had been independently performing duties commensurate with those of an architect for a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board (2 Feb 2016)

Paudie Coffey: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 specifies the grounds upon which a landlord may terminate a tenancy. Section 34 of the Act provides that a landlord may not serve a notice of termination on a tenant except in very clearly defined circumstances such as a failure by the tenant to comply with his or her obligations in relation to the tenancy; where the landlord intends to sell the property;...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Costs and Controls (2 Feb 2016)

Paudie Coffey: Section 19 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 provides that the rent of a dwelling may not be greater than the amount of market rent for that tenancy at that time. Section 20 of the Act provides that the rent may not be reviewed more often than once every 24 months and section 22 provides that following a review, a landlord must give their tenant a minimum of 90 days’ notice of new...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Appointments (2 Feb 2016)

Paudie Coffey: I recently announced that I have appointed Mr. Dennis McCarthy to chair the expert panel that is being established to investigate the problems that have emerged in the concrete blockwork of certain dwellings in Donegal and Mayo. Mr. McCarthy is a former Director of Services with Waterford County Council and has the necessary mix of skills and experience that will be required to direct and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (2 Feb 2016)

Paudie Coffey: My Department is committed to working closely with local authorities in addressing issues around pyrite-related structural defects in buildings funded through programmes operated by my Department. As the Community Hall in question was not funded by my Department, it is a matter for Dublin City Council to address any issues arising in relation to pyrite in the building.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Standards (3 Feb 2016)

Paudie Coffey: Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008, as amended by the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2009, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. The Regulations specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (3 Feb 2016)

Paudie Coffey: I and my colleague, Minister Alan Kelly, met with the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) on 1 December 2015 to discuss a submission containing a proposal setting out a means by which funding could be provided to Approved Housing Bodies, by credit unions, for the development of social housing. My Department has since had a further meeting with the ILCU to address technical aspects of its...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Architectural Qualifications (3 Feb 2016)

Paudie Coffey: The statutory arrangements for the registration of architects are set out under Part 3 of the Building Control Act 2007. The examination of the credentials of applicants seeking inclusion on the register of architects is a matter for the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland which is the designated registration body for the purposes of Part 3 of the Act. I have no role in relation to this...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Derelict Properties (22 Mar 2016)

Paudie Coffey: This proposal is currently under consideration by my Department and a full response will be provided shortly. In the meantime, tax relief is available for homeowners and landlords under the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) which provides an income tax credit at 13.5% of qualifying expenditure on repair, renovation, or improvement works. The HRI is intended as a support for homeowners or...