Results 1,001-1,020 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Architectural Qualifications (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Earlier this year, Quality Qualification Ireland (QQI) set up a working group which was given the task of defining a proposed national standard for Architectural Technology for inclusion in the National Qualifications Framework. The working group has since finalised its work and I understand that QQI has earlier this month released the draft standards in Architectural Technology Levels 6 to 9...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Approved housing bodies, or AHBs, are at the heart of the Government’s vision for housing provision and they play a pivotal role in the supply of social housing. It is imperative that the sector is properly regulated in all areas of its work and that includes their landlord-tenant relationships.The current law for AHB tenancies is based on a combination of tenancy agreements, the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (24 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The administration of issues relating to unfinished housing developments is a matter for individual local authorities. Each local authority has appointed an Unfinished Housing Development co-ordinator; contact details can be found at: . I understand that Longford County Council is actively engaged with the relevant parties in an effort to put a site resolution plan in place with respect to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Deposits (19 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector. The Residential Tenancies (Amendment)(No. 2) Bill 2012 will amend the Act to provide for a deposit protection scheme to be operated by the PRTB. Under the scheme, landlords will lodge tenancy deposits with the PRTB at the same time as they are registering their tenancy....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Costs and Controls (19 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012 is currently before the Oireachtas and will introduce a number of provisions which will bring much-needed stability to the rental sector. Amendments in relation to rent will extend the period between reviews of rent; extend the minimum period of notice of new rent; and introduce new requirements in relation to the notification of new...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (19 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: It is a matter for the relevant local authority concerned to carry out projects in accordance with the approval received for such projects, either from An Bord Pleanála under section 175, 177AE or 226 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended or under the Part 8 requirements of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, relating to local authority own...

Housing and Homelessness: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (18 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank all Members for their contributions to the debate. As my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, outlined in his opening statement last night, housing and homelessness are top priorities for the Government. Ultimately, a lack of supply is at the heart of the problems we face. The Government has brought forward a suite of policies to increase the supply of all forms of housing;...

Topical Issue Debate: General Practitioner Services (18 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I apologise to Deputy McNamara on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, who is unavoidably absent today. However, I am happy to take this important matter on the Minister's behalf. Shannondoc is a GP co-operative funded by the HSE. It provides a valuable urgent out-of-hours service to the population in the mid-west region. Operating out of 11 treatment centres, spread...

Topical Issue Debate: General Practitioner Services (18 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: It is important to put on the record that GP services and primary care in general in this country receive substantial State support, although an argument can always be made for more. I accept the Deputy's genuine concerns in that regard. This is a priority area for Government, one in which we will continue to invest. As stated, the HSE and Shannondoc have asked that the Deputy be...

Topical Issue Debate: Neonatal Health Services (18 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I acknowledge to the Deputy this is indeed a sensitive issue and this is why the Government treats it with the highest of priorities. I will take this opportunity to congratulate the Deputy on the arrival of his granddaughter, Amy, and I am happy there was a positive outcome. The Deputy is right to put on record the assistance and support of the health services that assisted his...

Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services Staffing (18 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: It is acknowledged in the initial reply that HSE management has a responsibility to ensure adequate provisions in terms of staffing at each of the four units based in County Wexford, namely, the one in Wexford town, and the centres in Gorey, Enniscorthy and New Ross, which is the subject of the current debate. The recruitment of nurses in this country is proving challenging in general. I...

Topical Issue Debate: Neonatal Health Services (18 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I apologise to the Deputy for the unavoidable absence of the Minister for Health today. I wish to respond to this Topical Issue debate on his behalf. Premature birth is the largest cause of neonatal death worldwide. In Ireland, 6% of babies are born prematurely, a rate that is increasing for a variety of reasons, including assisted reproduction, higher rates of multiple births and...

Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services Staffing (18 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Health who is unavoidably absent and sends his apologies. In line with national policy, Waterford and Wexford mental health services implemented the recommendations of A Vision for Change on the organisation and provision of mental health services, transforming them from a largely bed-based...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Cancer Screening Programmes (18 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank Senator MacSharry for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to update the House. I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, who apologises for unfortunately not being able to attend. The symptomatic breast clinic in Galway forms part of a range of services that is in place for women with breast symptoms. Referrals are dealt with in accordance...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Cancer Screening Programmes (18 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the Senator's raising of an important matter. Any elected representative would identify cancer as a major challenge for any family touched by it. The Senator is right to state that concerns arise where ladies find lumps in their breasts. It is important that there be early intervention and diagnosis to deal with problems. I will reiterate the Minister's comments. He assures the...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: This is a technical drafting amendment to provide for the amendment of the collective citation of the Housing Acts.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Amendments Nos. 2, 53, 54, 83 and 86, taken together, will bring much-needed stability to the rental sector pending the coming on stream of the supply of new housing. These amendments will extend the period between the reviews of rent, extend the minimum period of notice of new rent, and introduce new requirements for the notification of new rent and the formal provision of information as...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I appreciate Senators' views. This is probably the most topical issue in the country at this particular time. I welcome Senators' views and opinions on the whole housing debate. I acknowledge that there is an opportunity now on the floor of the Seanad to express those views. The debate on the first group of amendments has been very wide-ranging, covering everything including rent, supply,...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The purpose of these amendments is to clarify the relationship between local authorities and the approved housing bodies, AHBs, where dwellings are let by local authorities to AHBs and subsequently let by those bodies to social housing tenants. These provisions were included in the published Bill but amendments Nos. 4, 6, 8 and 9 redraft those provisions to make it clear that for the...