Results 15,241-15,260 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: The information on the turnaround time for voids is not collected by my Department. However the key objective of the Voids Programme is aimed at minimising the turnaround and re-let time of vacant units and returning them to use in a very energy efficient condition. Since the commencement of the Voids Programme in 2014, over 7,100 vacant social housing units have been returned to productive...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (21 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 (AHB) 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Repair and Leasing Scheme (21 Mar 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: Commercial Rates (21 Mar 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...

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

Simon Coveney: As set out in the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016, rents in a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) may only increase by a maximum of 4% annually for a period of 3 years. The first rent review in relation to a property in an RPZ can only take place 24 months after the time that the tenancy was established or the time that the rent was last set. The first rent...

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

Simon Coveney: Group water schemes subsidy payments, a contribution towards the salary costs of local authority Rural Water Programme Liaison Officers and the compensation of local authorities in respect of rates income foregone are all recouped to local authorities by my Department through the Local Government Fund.

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

Simon Coveney: My Department is presently engaged in consultations with planning authorities regarding potential modifications required to the 2005 Planning Guidelines on Sustainable Rural Housing  as a result of the above decision, with a view to ensuring that rural housing policies and objectives contained in development plans comply with Article 43 (Freedom of Movement of People) of the Treaty on...

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

Simon Coveney: The Programme for a Partnership Government sets out a number of requirements in relation to local government reform, involving a report to Government and the Oireachtas by mid-2017 on potential measures to boost local government leadership and accountability, including a commitment to consider reducing the size of local electoral areas. Work is proceeding on the development of proposals for...

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

Simon Coveney: General expenses recouped to date specifically in relation to the Waterford boundary review committee amounted to €8,051. This recoupment was in respect of expenses incurred by the committee members. The members provided their time and expertise on a pro bono basis, and no fees were paid to them. An amount of €70,460 was paid to the Institute of Public Administration in...

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

Simon Coveney: The Social Housing PPP programme provides for an investment with a capital value of €300 million and is expected to deliver 1,500 social housing units in total, via three bundles. The first bundle, comprising six PPP sites providing for over 500 units in the greater Dublin area, is being developed in co-operation with the local authorities concerned. Two of the sites are located...

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

Simon Coveney: Social housing need is, in the first instance, a local issue and local authorities must respond to the nature and extent of that local need by devising and implementing appropriate targeted proposals that best fit the specific needs in their areas. For that purpose, my Department has put in place a wide range of programmes that are available to all local authorities to generate increased...

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

Simon Coveney: An Bord Pleanála was established in 1977 under the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1976 and is an independent statutory body responsible for the determination of planning appeals and certain other matters under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, as well as the determination of applications for strategic infrastructure development such as major road and...

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

Simon Coveney: I note the Eurostat statistic referred to by the Deputy. As the Deputy will be aware, a range of measures are being taken under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessnessto increase housing supply overall, with the aim of creating a functioning and sustainable housing system which can meet housing demand at more affordable prices. The plan is divided into five pillars,...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department recently received an application for a thatching grant from the person listed at the details supplied. The application in question is currently being reviewed.  Under my Department’s renewal or repair of thatched roof grant scheme, a grant of up to €3,810, or two thirds of the approved cost, whichever is the lesser, may be payable in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Data (21 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: Up to 31 December 2016, a total of 3,575 cases have been submitted under the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) Scheme, which was introduced in 2012 for borrowers of private commercial lending institutions. Of these, 2,723 were ineligible or terminated during the process, 217 have been completed, with 635 being actively progressed. The reasons why a case has not progressed are varied and can depend on...

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

Simon Coveney: Work is presently underway in my Department on the drafting of amendments to the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, necessary to apply the requirements of Directive 2014/52/EU relating to environmental impact assessment of certain public and private projects, including transitional arrangements set down in Article 3 of the Directive. Article 2 requires...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department seeks, where possible, to minimise legal costs and avail of the services of the Chief State Solicitor's office and the Attorney General's Office in terms of the provision of legal advice and representation of the Department in court cases. The table sets out details in relation to external legal advice provided to my Department by legal firms since 2015. The table does not...

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

Simon Coveney: I note the recent CSO figures referred to by the Deputy. As set out in the Housing Policy Statement 2011, the Government aims to secure choice, fairness and equity across tenures and to deliver quality outcomes for the resources invested. The overall strategic objective is to enable all households access good quality housing appropriate to household circumstances and, as far as...

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

Simon Coveney: A Minister or Minister of State cannot claim overnight accommodation expenses while staying in Dublin as all Ministers are headquartered in Dublin. Records in my Department have been examined to confirm that since 2011 there has been no breach of this policy.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Evictions (9 Mar 2017)

Simon Coveney: The appointment of a receiver to a dwelling can cause confusion and distress to tenants and in circumstances where a receiver is appointed to a rented dwelling, it is essential that the rights of tenants are protected. Under Action 5 of the Strategy for the Rental Sector, my Department has established a working group with the participation of the Departments of Justice & Equality,...