Results 4,781-4,800 of 10,577 for speaker:Barry Cowen

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (9 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 1079. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason information service responsibility of environmental health officers was not amended during the legislative process to introduce Irish Water, and in view of the charge for waste water services; the reason Irish Water is responsible for the water mains under the public path entering the property,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Sector Pensions Levy (9 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 1103. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason local authority members are continuing to pay pension levy deductions despite the fact that they are not eligible for any pension payment. [22501/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social Insurance Payments (9 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 1104. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason local authority members are continuing to have PRSI class deductions taken from their allowances despite not being entitled to any social welfare payments in the case of ill health or loss of employment. [22502/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (9 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 1105. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form the numbers of staff employed in the local authority building control section in each local authority in the years 2005 to 2014; and his plans to increase available staff and resources to all local authority building control sections. [22509/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (10 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 186. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details on the State's response in the case of a complaint by the International Federation for Human Rights (details supplied) on behalf of the residents of 20 local authority housing estates, alleging that Irish law and policy on local authority housing breaches tenant rights under the European Social...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (10 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 187. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of new construction project completions and new construction project commencement notices lodged in each of the years 2012 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will provide a breakdown on the number of these that are single dwellings and the number that are multi-unit...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Building Regulations (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 4. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to outline his views on the supply of housing; and on whether regulatory costs imposed since the introduction of the new Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 are responsible for dampening construction activity in the private housing sector. [22632/15]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Building Regulations (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: This question relates to the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014. We have seen a major downturn in the construction of one-off houses, up to 70% in some cases, year-on-year according to the most recent figures produced. Ridiculous prices are also being charged, as was predicted. Many of the doomsday scenarios we had predicted associated with this legislation have, unfortunately,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Building Regulations (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: I welcome that the Minister of State has committed to considering the key concerns emerging from the review with a view to amending the regulations introduced by statutory instrument in 2014. I urge him to ensure his Department and those who have responsibility in this area move swiftly to rectify the problems that have arisen in regard to one-off house building and extensions to houses...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Building Regulations (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: In February, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government confirmed that the number of commencements had decreased since the introduction of the building control (amendment) regulations. It indicated that more than 5,000 construction projects commenced since the new regulations took effect on 1 March 2014, of which more than 1,100 were new build single dwellings. In...

Other Questions: Irish Water Establishment (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 8. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the timeframe for the announcement of the EUROSTAT market corporation test of Irish Water result; if he will outline the impact an adverse ruling would have on Government deficit and general Government balance; and to outline if any contingency plans are being put in place to protect against the impact of an adverse ruling...

Other Questions: Irish Water Establishment (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: Many issues surround the proposal that is the construct and funding model of Irish Water which is before EUROSTAT at present. Its approval, or otherwise, will generate Irish Water's direction, duty and obligation to the public and also determine the suitability of proposals by the Government on the possibility of it putting its hands into the pay packets of many throughout the country on...

Other Questions: Irish Water Establishment (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: I thank the Minister for his response. I had thought the Taoiseach, if not the Minister, had informed the House some months ago that the delay in the CSO proposal to EUROSTAT meant any decision by EUROSTAT would not be forthcoming until June. Now the Minister is saying it will be June at the earliest and may be some months thereafter. Can he confirm to the House that for a €300...

Other Questions: Irish Water Establishment (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: I thank the Minister for his response and look forward to him providing that information. I again ask if he would find it strange, to say the least, if Irish Water is paying 150% more than the Government for funds on the open market? That would represent a contradiction in terms for the whole construct and purpose of Irish Water, and would work against the Government's purpose of taking it...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 15. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government how the social housing targets for 2015-2017 are to be met; in particular, how many of these new social housing units will be new builds and how many will be leased from the private rental market; and his views on whether the funding being made available to local authorities will be adequate to meet these targets. [22326/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Costs and Controls (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 21. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the Government plans to deal with the spiralling cost of rents in the private rental sector around the country. [22329/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Inspections (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 32. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the recent finding (details supplied) that of the 3,427 dwellings Dublin City Council inspected in 2014, only 924 passed the regulatory requirements to allow the property to be rented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22328/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 35. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the decision by the Minister for Social Protection to maintain the current rate of the rent supplement despite clear evidence that limits are too low for persons to secure accommodation; the measures that are being put in place to address the homelessness crisis arising from the mismatch between rents and...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointment Status (11 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: 161. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the case of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and when the person can expect an appointment with the consultant orthopaedic surgeon in the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore, County Offaly. [22783/15]

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (12 Jun 2015)

Barry Cowen: Fianna Fáil supports the broad principles behind the Bill. We do not believe it goes far enough and we call for Irish Water to be abolished as we have done on many occasions since this whole sorry debacle began. We commend and compliment Deputy Mattie McGrath on introducing the Bill. Unfortunately, the time allocated to me and others is insufficient to go through the chronological...