Results 14,681-14,700 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (11 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I published a Review of the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) Scheme on 8 February 2017 representing the completion of an early action in the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.  The review is available from the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link: . The recent amendments to the MTR scheme arising from the Review have meant that more borrowers in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates (11 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. My Department is informed by the Valuation Office that a development which has not been authorised from a planning...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (11 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: There is an ongoing independent scoping review being conducted by Senior Counsel in relation to certain allegations made regarding past planning matters in Donegal. The terms of reference for this scoping review relate to allegations furnished by a complainant to a previous Minister in respect of planning matters in Donegal.  While...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Data (11 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provided the legislative basis for the Non-Principal Private Residence Charge. The NPPR Charge, which has since been discontinued, applied in the years 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence. The self-assessed charge was set at €200 per annum and liability...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Turf Cutting (11 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department is currently progressing draft Regulations under the European Communities Act 1972 that will establish a new regulatory regime in respect of large-scale peat extraction. Under the new regime, the Environmental Protection Agency will be required to carry out an environmental impact assessment as part of its examination of licence applications for existing and new peat extraction...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (11 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 130 together. Arising from a Judgment by the European Court of Justice on a related matter, my Department is currently engaged in consultations with planning authorities regarding potential modifications required to the 2005 Planning Guidelines on Sustainable Rural Housing, with a view to ensuring that rural housing policies and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (11 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The capital funding that my Department provides to Galway City Council and to all other local authorities for social housing, is directly related to the level of social housing delivery that each authority is undertaking in any particular year, and the associated spend.  With €5.35 billion secured to support social housing delivery under Rebuilding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Electoral Reform (11 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: While I am aware of the current trends, both in Ireland and internationally, in the growth of expenditure on digital advertising over the other more traditional forms of media advertising, I have no proposals to amend the Electoral Acts in relation to spending limits that apply at elections at this point in time. It can be seen from the statements of election expenses furnished...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (10 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Seaweed Harvesting Licences (10 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: During the course of assessing a number of licence applications to harvest seaweed, it became clear that certain rights to harvest seaweed exist.  My Department is in a process of ascertaining, with the assistance of the Attorney General, the legal interface and relationship between these traditional harvesting rights and the current applications. Accordingly, these...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (10 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. Commercial rates form an important...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Funding (10 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The data provided in response to Question No. 422 of 21 March 2017 in respect of the period 2004 to 2014, relates to direct exchequer funding by my Department to local authorities.  The data for 2015 and 2016 also includes amounts self-funded by certain local authorities from surplus Local Property Tax (LPT) receipts. Local retention of LPT commenced in 2015. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (10 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Statistics in relation to new social housing obtained under Part V will be published on my Department's website in respect of the full year 2016 within a month, approximately.  Statistics in relation to 2017 will also be published when assembled and validated. As with all elements of Rebuilding Ireland, progress in respect of Part V delivery will be covered within the reporting...

Seanad: Business of Seanad: Rural Development Policy (9 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Senator for raising this matter and welcome the opportunity to provide an update on the review of the 2005 planning guidelines for sustainable rural housing which is being undertaken. As the Senator suggests, the review arises from a judgment of the European Court of Justice in 2013 in a case taken by the European Commission against Belgium, now referred to as the Flemish decree...

Seanad: Business of Seanad: Rural Development Policy (9 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Senator for raising this serious issue. It comes on the back of an ECJ judgment, connected with Article 43 of the treaties which allow free movement across the European Union, EU, and the freedom to live in the EU. We are considering that judgment. We have a working group to study the requirements and restrictions that are in place at the moment for good reason, to try to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax (9 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are no plans currently in train to change the basis of charging for motor tax. However, policy in the area may be subject to review at any time in the context of wider fiscal or environmental policy considerations, such as the Clean Air Strategy currently being developed by my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Capital Assistance Scheme (9 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: There is no ring-fenced amount set aside under the Capital Assistance Scheme in relation to young persons exiting State care. My Department is working with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on the promotion of suitable projects for this particular housing need and the approach that is being followed is to monitor the demand and requirement for such housing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (9 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (9 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are a range of funding and delivery mechanisms available to local authorities to deliver social housing supports in partnership with Approved Housing Bodies, i.e. through the Capital Assistance Scheme, the Capital Loans and Subsidy Scheme, the Communal Facilities Scheme, the Approved Housing Body Mortgage to Rent Scheme, the Capital Advance Leasing Facility and the Social Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Policy (9 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 228 together. Arising from the 2013 Judgement of the European Court of Justice referred to, my Department is currently engaged in consultations with planning authorities regarding potential modifications required to the 2005 Planning Guidelines on Sustainable Rural Housing, with a view to ensuring that rural housing policies and...