Results 15,101-15,120 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Policy (5 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: Households wishing to obtain social housing support from a housing authority or an approved housing body must first apply to the relevant local authority for a social housing assessment. Where the household is deemed qualified for support it is placed on the housing authority’s waiting list, and offers of suitable accommodation are made in accordance with the authority’s...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: Rebuilding Ireland sets out ambitious but achievable targets for social housing delivery across a blend of delivery mechanisms including the Approved Housing Body (AHB) sector, who will be relied upon to deliver significantly not only under the Build category, but also under Acquisitions and Leasing. It is expected that AHBs will deliver Build units through models such as the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Data (5 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: The details on Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) tenancies you have requested are not collated by my Department. Since commencement of the HAP scheme in September 2014, over 22,340 HAP tenancies have been set-up, which includes 2,370 tenancies which subsequently closed. HAP is currently being paid in respect of some 19,970 separate households across all 31 local authority areas. HAP is a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Policy (5 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 339 of 4 April 2017 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Expenditure (5 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: The expenditure incurred on the domestic metering programme, including the cost of meters and installation, amounted to €467m (including VAT) resulting in Irish Water installing over 891,500 meters on completion at the end of January 2017.  The domestic metering programme was funded by Irish Water borrowing facilities.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Gender Balance (5 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers in local authorities. The data gathered does not provide detail on gender breakdown. My Department will however, be working with the sector to collect the data with a view to publishing the figures later this year and on an annual basis thereafter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (5 Apr 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 legislative basis for the levying of rates is spread over a number of enactments, dating back to the Poor Relief (Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (5 Apr 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 and shadow flicker, recognising the need to bring the review to a close to give certainty on the matter to all stakeholders, local authorities, the energy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Constitutional Amendments (5 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Government recently decided to hold a referendum to amend the Constitution to give the right to vote at presidential elections to Irish citizens resident outside the State, including Northern Ireland. In order to inform public discourse on the significant policy change proposed, I published an Options Paper on 22 March 2017, which is available on my Department's website at . The Options...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Loans (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297, 303 and 304 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 245 of 14 February 2017, wherein I clarified that Regulation 3 of the Housing (Local Authority Loans) Regulations 2012 clearly states that the Regulations apply to the provision of loan finance by housing authorities to first time buyers for the acquisition of houses or for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department has no management responsibility for group water schemes - that is entirely a matter for the members as owners of their scheme. A group water scheme may apply to their local authority for payment of a subsidy towards the operational cost of providing a domestic drinking water supply (i.e. water supplied to private households). My Department recoups local authorities in full...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Valuation Office (4 Apr 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 Commissioner for Valuation has sole responsibility for all valuation matters except appeals of valuation procedures set out...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), which is part-funded by the National Lottery, was rolled out on 1 April 2015, following a public procurement process. SICAP’s aim is to reduce poverty, promote social inclusion and equality through local, regional and national engagement and collaboration. SICAP is a key priority of Government and its vision is to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Land Ownership (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: As I previously indicated in the reply to Question No. 249 of 21 June 2016, the area in question appears to be reclaimed foreshore and all of Ireland's foreshore is considered to be owned by the State, unless valid alternative title is provided. Correspondence from Solicitors for the persons named, replying to a letter from my Department that issued in May 2016,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Freedom of Information Remit (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 305, 308, 329 and 332 together. I refer to the reply to Question No 166 of 30 March 2017. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: With the support of my Department, local authorities are currently undertaking an ambitious programme of insulation retrofitting on the least energy efficient social housing homes.  The programme has two components: -Phase 1 of the programme commenced in June 2013, with the aim of eventually ensuring that the entire social housing stock will have, as a minimum,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Services (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Act 2006 provided for the establishment of Business Improvement Districts within the functional areas of local authorities. A Business Improvement District (BID) scheme is an organisational and financing mechanism with a legal basis, through which businesses can, on a self-help basis, develop and implement initiatives in defined areas...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates (4 Apr 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 pursuant to 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: Planning Issues (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I have no proposals to make substantive changes to current legislation relating to the duration of planning permissions, which provides for a limit of 5 years on the duration of a planning permission, unless otherwise specified in the permission, and for extension of the duration of a planning permission in certain circumstances. The majority of unfinished developments that are currently...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Rents (4 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: Considerable work has been carried out by my Department over recent years in developing a draft framework for a harmonisation of the approach to be taken by local authorities in regard to various aspects of rent schemes. This includes providing for a common set of income disregards to be applied by all housing authorities in determining a household’s assessable income for...