Results 15,161-15,180 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: A full review of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability was carried out in 2014, as a result of which the eligibility for the Housing Aid for Older People was set at age 66, in line with the criteria for old age pensions and other statutory supports for older people. I have no plans to reverse these changes in respect of the Housing Aid for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: As the abolition of the paper motor tax disc is not under consideration at the present time, the potential savings have not been costed in my Department. Any replacement of the requirement for the display of discs on vehicle windscreens would need to be considered in the context of the level of application of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) by An Garda Síochána, in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department provides funding to local authorities under both the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability in relation to private homes, and for adaptations and extensions to social housing stock to meet needs of elderly local authority tenants or those with a disability. Full year allocations for 2017 in respect of both of these schemes will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 to 204, inclusive, together. The allocation of social housing support is a matter for individual housing authorities in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated regulations. While the 2009 Act provides the Minister with limited powers to issue directions and guidance to authorities as to the performance of their...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I am not in a position to comment on the particular case referred to nor would it be appropriate for me to do so. An application for a Home Choice Loan is submitted via an authorised mortgage broker to the Home Choice Loan central processing unit for assessment. The Housing Agency then, as the provider of a central underwriting service for local authority housing loan...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Reviews (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I established the Expert Advisory Group on Local Government Arrangements in Cork to advise me regarding relevant options in relation to future local government arrangements for Cork, having regard particularly to the review carried out by the Cork Local Government Review Committee and its report which was submitted in September 2015. The work of the group is continuing, with a report...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: A substantial pipeline of new social housing construction projects is already in place both in terms of local authority direct build and approved housing body projects. We are now seeing progress through this pipeline, as is evident in the Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report, which I published on 20 February 2017. The report contains a range of information, including projects...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: National Planning Framework (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is determined that the National Planning Framework should address both rural and urban planning and development matters in an integrated and holistic manner. Development of the Framework, one of the most strategically important public policy exercises currently underway by the Government, is a collaborative exercise and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: As part of the reporting process for the 2016 Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA), which provided details on the number of households qualified for social housing support as at 21 September 2016, local authorities were requested to provide data on the number of households removed from their lists under this process. Data submitted by Sligo and Leitrim County...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority.  The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is applied to the valuation for each property, determined by the Valuation Office, to obtain the amount payable in rates, is decided by the elected members of each local authority in the annual budget and its determination is a reserved function. The Annual...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Capital Assistance Scheme Applications (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Louth County Council submitted an initial capital appraisal for this project to my Department in February 2017 for funding under the Capital Assistance Scheme. However to allow for a full and complete assessment of the project to be undertaken additional information was required including a feasibility study. Louth County Council are currently preparing this material and have advised that...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Capital Assistance Scheme Funding (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Total expenditure under my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) over the past five years was as follows: 2012 €M 2013 €M 2014 €M 2015 €M 2016 €M 58.0 36.7 34.3 38.0 37.0 Under CAS, funding of up to 100% of project costs may be advanced by local authorities to Approved Housing Bodies to provide accommodation for the elderly, homeless...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Protected Disclosures (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The submission received with reference to the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 in question continues to be considered in my Department. When I receive allegations (whether described as disclosures or not) which may be relevant to the functions of my Department, I must first consider what further steps (if any) may be necessary. In this regard,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Protected Disclosures Data (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department’s Protected Disclosure Policy, which sets out the general process followed when a confirmed protected disclosure is received, is available online at: www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Pub lications/CorporateServices/ProtectedDisclosures/FileDownLoa d%2C43451%2Cen.pdf. Employees can report a concern under this policy via internal channels, or they...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Insurance Costs (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Normal State policy, as advised in the Public Financial Procedures, is that the State is its own insurer and as such covers its own costs. State indemnity for personal injury and third party property damage was legislated for in the National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2000 where the management of personal injury and third party property damage claims against certain State...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (28 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Details on the number of households which are qualified for social housing support in each housing authority area and whose housing need has not been met, are provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments. The most recent figures available are the results of the 2016 Summary which are available on my Department’s website at the following link:...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together. The regular management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, is a matter for each relevant local authority, and it is open to each authority to address maintenance or improvements to their housing stock from within their own resources. However, my Department is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together. The efficient management of social housing stock is vital to ensure that we achieve optimum occupancy while the construction of new build continues to accelerate. The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan sets out measures to improve the management of Local Authority housing stock, including the adoption of a common national re-letting...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Regeneration (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Pillar 5 of the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing andHomelessnessis specifically focused on Utilising Existing Housing Stock, with a key objective of ensuring that the existing vacant housing stock throughout the country and across all forms of tenure, in both the public and private sectors, is used to the optimum degree possible. In this regard, Action 5.1 of...