Results 15,221-15,240 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) are strategic five-year rolling programmes for the provision of Traveller accommodation in a local authority area, with the current round of TAPs running from 2014 to 2018. Provision for unforeseen or emerging accommodation needs, such as an extension to a local authority property as outlined in the Question, would not be reflected in TAPs and I can...

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

Simon Coveney: Responsibility for the provision of emergency medical services, including pre-hospital emergency care, rests with the Health Service Executive (HSE) which operates the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and emergency departments in hospitals in accordance with health sector legislation and national policy. The HSE operates under the remit of my colleague, the Minster for Health. As...

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

Simon Coveney: The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive mandates the required standards for the collection and treatment of waste water from urban areas and sets various deadlines for meeting these standards. All requirements of the Directive should have been met by the end of 2005 at the latest. As such, achieving compliance with the requirements of this Directive is a long standing issue. With...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 433 and 434 together. I refer to the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 160 of 8 February 2017. The position remains unchanged. One of the key functions of housing authorities is to provide or manage the provision of social housing support in a way that counteracts undue segregation between persons of different social backgrounds and ensures the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Details in relation to the expenses of Board members are available within the respective annual reports of the State agencies under the aegis of my Department. Where public servants are appointed to such  Boards, no fees are payable. This is set out clearly in the Remuneration and Superannuation element of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, published by my...

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

Simon Coveney: The Affordable Housing Schemes helped qualifying applicants, who would not have otherwise been in a position to purchase a home, to become home owners through purchase of designated affordable units. Houses sold to first time buyers under the various affordable housing schemes were priced at a significant discount from their market value. Buyers were free to sell their properties at...

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

Simon Coveney: Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008, as amended by the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2009, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. Responsibility for inspection of rental properties as well as enforcement of the regulations rests with the...

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

Simon Coveney: I have no function in relation to the matter raised in the Question. This is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, as delivery of the Property Asset Management Delivery Plan and development of the State Property Register, which includes details of properties owned or leased by Government Departments, local authorities and state agencies, is being led by...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: National Procurement Service Framework Agreements (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Publication of award information relating to tenders is required under both EU and National Procurement rules. Under EU Directive 2014/24/EU and the European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulations 2016, contracting authorities that have awarded a public contract or concluded a framework agreement must publish a notice of the results of the award procedure no later than 30...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department keeps staffing matters under constant review in order to ensure all priority vacancies are filled in a timely manner and that resource allocations are balanced across the Department to meet key priorities as necessary. Officials within my Department’s Housing Advisers and Building Standards Section continue to liaise with the group...

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

Simon Coveney: The Government recently agreed that work should now commence on modernisation of the voter registration process, in the context of facilitating the registration of voters that are resident outside the State in the event of an extension of the franchise at Presidential elections being approved by the people in a referendum. This provides an opportunity to...

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

Simon Coveney: Neither my Department nor Cork County Council is aware of any submission by the Residents Association referred to in the details supplied. The Revised Masterplan for Cork City Northwest Regeneration Programme was adopted in 2011, following extensive consultation with elected members, residents and other key stakeholders. This Plan clearly outlines the areas to be covered under the...

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

Simon Coveney: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including the implementation of planned maintenance programmes and the carrying out of responsive repairs for tenants living in social housing, is a matter for each individual local authority under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966 and are not directly funded by my Department.

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

Simon Coveney: The current income limits for social housing support mean that individuals in different areas can earn up to €25,000, €30,000 or €35,000 after tax and qualify for social housing supports, including the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Families can earn more than this and still be eligible for support. I am satisfied that the current income eligibility limits provide a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Members' Remit (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department provides no direct funding for equipment of the types mentioned above. My Department supports local authorities through the setting of general policy and the provision of certain core funding. Local authorities also receive funding from a number of other Departments and agencies for activities they carry out on their behalf. As democratically elected independent...

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

Simon Coveney: The major Ballymun regeneration project spanned almost 20 years, with Departmental funding requirements first coming into play in 1999. Due to the form and complexity of the programme, a single overall budget was not put in place.  The substantial programme, which included 24 projects, is now complete. Approximately €972million was spent on the programme,...

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

Simon Coveney: A dedicated Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) website,www.hap.ie, was launched on 1 March 2017 to coincide with the completion of the nationwide roll-out of the HAP scheme, with the introduction of the scheme to the administrative areas of Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. www.hap.ieprovides a single national point of information on the HAP...

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

Simon Coveney: As was the position in 2015 and 2016, funding of up to €50,000 is being provided by my Department in 2017 under the Local Government Fund (Other Miscellaneous Schemes) to each local authority to support the work of Public Participation Networks (PPNs), on the basis that this is supplemented by a minimum of €30,000 from each local authority’s own resources....

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

Simon Coveney: The information requested is not available within my Department.  In accordance with the Building Control Act 1990 and the Building Control Regulations made thereunder, a commencement notice signed by the owner must be submitted to the local building control authority not less than 14 days and not more than 28 days prior to commencement of works coming with the scope...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: European Court of Justice Rulings (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Local authorities, including Kildare County Council have recently submitted the list of properties they wish to be included in the 2017 Voids Programme. These units are currently being assessed and I expect to announce details shortly of the 2017 funding for local authorities to address vacant social housing stock, including the breakdown of the targets and funding for each local authority....