Results 14,781-14,800 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 455, 456, 476 to 480, inclusive, 492 to 494, inclusive, and 502 together. The recording and reporting of statistics on housing activity is a complex matter that involves tracking a range of different indicators – including planning permissions, commencement notices, ESB connections and several others - from various sources, each of which measure...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The aim of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is to relieve 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 call for proposals was issued to all local authorities in August 2016. It was open to all local authorities to apply for funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Pension Provisions (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The retirement age for retained fire fighters is 55 but may be extended to age 58 subject to medical fitness requirements. In 2008, retained fire fighters were given the option of joining the Local Government Superannuation Scheme (LGSS) and receive a pension and retirement lump sum based on their pensionable remuneration and length of service. Where a retained fire fighter, who...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Public Procurement Regulations (2 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. Contracts entered into by Irish Water are a matter for the utility and I have no function in the matter. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Irish Water (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. Connection fees are a matter for the utility and the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). I have no function in the matter. Section 22(5) of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that a water charges plan may provide for charges in respect of the provision of a service connection (within the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The issue of rough sleeping, which the organisation concerned primarily focuses on, is monitored closely by housing authorities countrywide but particularly in Dublin where a twice-yearly rough sleeper count is conducted through the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) using a consistent enumeration methodology.  The latest Dublin Region rough sleeper count was conducted on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. There are currently more more than 20,700 households in receipt of HAP, including 7,000 households that were previously supported by Rent Supplement. In excess of 15,000 separate agents and landlords are involved in providing that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Pension Provisions (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: International research indicates that the retirement age of 55 is the optimum age to ensure that fire-fighters are capable of satisfactorily performing the tasks expected of them. The retirement age of 55 years of age was introduced because of health and safety considerations related to the job. Since the enactment of the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act 1989, underpinned by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Building on the announcement made in October 2015, Action 4.6 of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan provided for the introduction of an affordable rental scheme to enhance the capacity of the private rented sector to provide quality and affordable accommodation for households currently paying a disproportionate amount of disposable income on rent. As set out in the Strategy for the Rental...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 469 and 470 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has adopted a whole-of-Government approach to the challenges and opportunities posed by Brexit led by the Cabinet Committee on Brexit which is chaired by An Taoiseach. In all negotiations, the Government will strive to ensure that the best possible outcomes will be achieved for our citizens,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Funding (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Funding is provided to local authorities under my Department’s Social Housing Capital Investment programme, to deliver additional social housing stock through new construction projects and through the acquisition of new and previously owned houses/apartments. Arising from the Social Housing Strategy, targets and provisional funding allocations were notified to each local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Services Funding (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I presume the Question is referring to allocations to each local authority in 2016 and to date in 2017 under my Department’s new Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2016-2018 which was developed through a working group of key stakeholders involving local authorities, the Water Services Transition Office, Irish Water, the National Federation of Group Water Schemes as well as my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The funding system that applies to local authorities is a complex one, as authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services and funding from Central Government. The monetary amount of each income source to local authorities in the years 2010 - 2015 is set out in Table 1 while Table 2 sets out each revenue income...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Boundaries Review (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: I will address all relevant issues arising from the boundary report on Waterford, and from other recent and forthcoming reports on local government arrangements, as part of an overall report on local government matters which I will be submitting to Government and the Oireachtas pursuant to the Programme for Partnership Government. Work on the preparation of the report to Government and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Credit Union Lending (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The agreed Programme for a Partnership Government recognises the potential role that credit unions can play in housing finance and supports the efforts of the Registrar of Credit Unions at the Central Bank to gradually lift current lending restrictions as appropriate, including for housing. The Programme further provides for consideration, with all stakeholders, as to how credit unions...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each housing authority area are provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments. The most recent figures available are the results of the 2016 Summary which can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: . The 2016 results show that there were 3,897 households...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: State funding provided to Irish Water since its establishment in 2014 has been in the form of operating subvention, capital contribution and replacement revenue as follows: State Funding of Irish Water 2014 €m 2015 €m 2016 €m Operating Subvention 439 399 479 Capital Contribution 239 222 184 Replacement Revenue  (in lieu of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Repair and Leasing Scheme (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) has been developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to harness the accommodation potential that exists in certain vacant properties across Ireland. The scheme is targeted at owners of vacant properties who cannot afford or access the funding needed to bring their properties up to the required...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: A substantial pipeline of new social housing construction projects, which are being advanced by local authorities and approved housing bodies is now in place. The progress now being made in this area can be seen in the Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report, which I published on 20 February 2017. The report contains a range of information, including projects due to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (2 May 2017)

Simon Coveney: Under  Pillar 2 of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, my Department is working closely with all local authorities in relation to increasing and accelerating the delivery of a range of social housing programmes and supports to respond to housing need and meet the needs of homeless people within their areas. Details of properties purchased by Cork County...