Results 15,181-15,200 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: Fire services are provided by local authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. Under the Local Government Act 2001, arrangements in relation to staffing in each local authority are the responsibility of the relevant Chief Executive for that authority. The information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (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. To this end, the Housing Agency, which...

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

Simon Coveney: I understand that the objective of the Report referred to, commissioned by SEAI, was to inform consideration of the impact of potential noise limits on the available wind energy capacity in Ireland.  Commissioned by my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, I gather that this was solely an acoustic modelling exercise and that a number of...

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

Simon Coveney: In Budget 2015 the Government announced that €400 million of the proceeds of the sale of Bord Gais Energy was to be made available to establish an off-balance sheet financial vehicle to provide financing to Approved Housing Bodies, with the aim of facilitating the provision of additional housing units in support of the Government's Social Housing...

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

Simon Coveney: The information requested in relation to my Department is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders. The details requested in relation to bodies under the aegis of my Department are a matter for the individual bodies concerned. Arrangements have been put in place by each Agency to facilitate the provision of information directly to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (23 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme for borrowers of private commercial lending institutions introduced in 2012 is targeted at those households in arrears who are eligible for social housing support whose mortgage is unsustainable. To be eligible for the scheme a household must have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable by their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is a matter in the first place for the group in this case to apply to Kerry County Council for funding support, which I understand has not happened to date.  It would then be a matter for the Council to consider the project in terms of suitability, value-for-money and priority.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Presidential Elections (22 Mar 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, an Options Paper is being published this week. The Options Paper will set out the range of options...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are a number of options open to a planning authority when making an agreement under Part V of Planning and Development Act 2000: - the transfer to the ownership of the planning authority of a part or parts of the land subject to the planning application; - the building and transfer to the ownership of the planning authority, or persons nominated by the authority, of a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Charges (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. 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 in accordance with a water charges plan, to be approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). Section 22(5) of the Act provides that a water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Charges (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Domestic water charges are currently suspended. Under the 'confidence and supply' arrangement between the Government and Fianna Fáil agreed in the context of supporting a minority government, the Oireachtas has established a Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services. It is tasked with examining the recommendations of the Expert Commission on Domestic...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Dog Licences (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Under the Control of Dogs Act 1986, all dog owners are required to have a dog licence. Regarding assistance dogs, and in particular dogs kept and wholly or mainly used for the purpose of guiding a blind person or a person whose eyesight is so defective that he/she is unable to find his/her way without guidance, the Control of Dogs Act 1986 and the Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department's Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) aims to tackle poverty, social exclusion and long-term unemployment through local engagement and partnership between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations, public sector agencies and other stakeholders. The SICAP target groups are: - Children and Families from Disadvantaged Areas - Lone Parents - New...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (22 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017.  All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations and responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations rests with the relevant local authority. Following enactment of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions)...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 396 to 398, inclusive, together. In December 2013, my Department published proposed draft revisions to the noise, setback distance and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions proposed: - the setting of a more stringent day and night-time noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments, ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Property Tax Administration (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Local retention of Local Property Tax (LPT) commenced in 2015. Given that local authorities vary significantly from one another in terms of size, population, public service demands, infrastructure and income sources, the Government decided that 80% of the estimated LPT yield for a given year’s liability is retained locally to fund public services, notwithstanding any local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing for People with Disabilities Provision (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: In accordance with the Part V agreement for this development, 124 units are being delivered for social housing. Of these 124 units, 6 units, comprising two one-bed and 4 two bed apartments, are being adapted to include level access showers. Phase 1 consisted of 52 units, which were delivered in February 2017; Phase 2 includes 40 units and will be delivered shortly. Phase 3 includes 32...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Meters (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 403 on today’s Order Paper, which sets out the position in respect of attaching the condition of installation of a water meter to the planning permission for new houses. Where a local authority decided to attach the condition of installation of a water meter to the planning permission for new houses this would have been at the sole...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: When making decisions on planning applications or appeals, a planning authority or An Bórd Pleanála, as the case may be, is restricted to considering matters relating to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, as set out in section 34 the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. With regard to other matters, such as water meters, the 2007 Development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Remit (21 Mar 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. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.