Results 14,581-14,600 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Rebuilding Ireland has put in place both the targets and funding resources to accelerate the delivery by 2021 of 47,000 social homes. This work is already well underway and we are increasingly seeing new social housing construction projects move onto site.  I recently published the latest update of the Status Report on Social Housing Construction Projects, which now includes over...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department publishes a range of datasets relating to housing market activity on the statistics area of its website.  Details of commencement notices received by each of the 31 local authorities are published as a monthly series which can be accessed through the following weblink:  . In respect of completions data, since the 1970’s, my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Urban Development (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The management of certain issues relating to the stalled Naas town centre development is primarily a matter for Kildare County Council in the first instance, and I have no function in the matter. However, as I have previously outlined,  the securing of a satisfactory conclusion to the development of the site in question - which is of significant strategic importance to the town of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy may know, the Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) was traditionally carried out every three years. A commitment was given in the Social Housing Strategy 2020 (published in 2014) to move to producing the SSHA on an annual basis from 2016 onwards. This commitment has been advanced, as it was felt that it was imperative that the SSHA be carried out every year because the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are currently two housing loan finance offerings available from local authorities for first time buyers unable to get adequate loan finance from a building society or bank.  When the loan products, the House Purchase Loan and the Home Choice Loan, were introduced, careful attention was given to the terms and conditions that should be applied to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Details in respect of the substantial pipeline of new social housing construction projects that is now in place are set out in the Status Report on Social Housing Construction Projects, the latest update of which I published last week and which is available at the following link: . Details of all the social housing construction projects being implemented across...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department, in conjunction with local authority planning departments, carried out a national survey of all lands zoned for residential development in statutory local authority development plans and local area plans across Ireland. This exercise, the Residential Land Availability Survey 2014, published in February 2015, determined the location and quantity of lands that may be regarded as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: NAMA Social Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: To end Quarter 1 2017, the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) had identified 6,947 units, associated with the security for loans that NAMA has acquired, that could be made available for social housing. Many of these units were in unfinished housing developments or developments that required significant remediation work. All of the units identified by NAMA, regardless of their condition,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Compiled by the ESRI and based on the RTB’s own register of over 300,000 tenancies, the RTB Rent Index is a valuable source of information and provides standardised average rent data at Local Electoral Area level based on the actual rents being paid for rented properties throughout the State.  The rent index is updated quarterly and shows the percentage change in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 made a number of amendments to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 following the outcome of an independent review, which included a consultation process. The amendments, effective from 1 September 2015, sought to maximise the contribution Part V can make to social housing supply and sustainable mixed-tenure...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: When making decisions on planning applications or appeals, a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála, as the case may be, is restricted to considering matters relating to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area and the likely effects of the development on the environment and any relevant European site, as set out in the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2016. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168, 169 and 170 together. The decision as to whether to grant planning permission in any particular case is a matter for the relevant planning authority in the first instance and for An Bord Pleanála in the event of an appeal. In making decisions on planning applications, planning authorities and the Board must consider the proper planning and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The annual capital investment by my Department on waste water infrastructure from 2000 to 2013 is outlined in the following table. This represents the expenditure by the Department on the provision of waste water infrastructure through the Water Services Investment Programme. In line with policy for cost recovery for the provision of water services for non-domestic users, the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Air and Water Pollution (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: While neither I nor my Department have any direct role in overseeing the operation of the incinerator at Poolbeg, the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts 1977 and 1990 carry a general prohibition on the entry of any polluting matter to waters. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the statutory body for investigating complaints of pollution and for the enforcement, both...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Applications (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The detail of this application was provided to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs as part of the prescribed body consultee process which all foreshore applications are subject to.  On foot of concerns raised by the NPWS in relation to the proposed development, as outlined in the application,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers in local authorities. The data gathered does not provide detail in respect of the number of planners employed by the relevant local authorities in counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Clare and accordingly the information requested is not available in my Department.  Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Planning statistics are compiled by each planning authority on an annual basis for collation and publication on my Department’s website at the following link: . These statistics include data in respect of each planning authority on the number and percentage of decisions to grant or refuse permission.  However, the statistics gathered do not include information on reasons...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The July 2008 Judgment of the European Court of the Justice (ECJ) in case C-215/06 found that provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (the 2000 Act) which permitted applications  for planning permission to retain existing developments requiring environmental impact assessment (EIA) or appropriate assessment, were contrary to EU law.  However, the Judgment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I presume the Deputy is enquiring about the application for funding by Louth County Council for the above project under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF), which is aimed at relieving critical infrastructural blockages in order to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in urban areas with high demand for housing.  A LIHAF...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (24 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Since May 2016, I have been liaising closely with my colleague Minister Naughten, having regard to his responsibility for renewable energy policy, on the review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines relating to noise, setback distance and shadow flicker, recognising the need to bring the review to a close and provide certainty on the matter to all stakeholders, local...