Results 15,461-15,480 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I have met a number of the organisations behind the funds to explore how this might work. At least one of them is now an approved housing body as well. The one in which David Hall is involved, for example, applied to become an approved housing body and it believes it can raise sufficient capital with very modest rates of returns. The business model will be something along the lines that a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department can only take decisions and responsibility directly for those who qualify for social housing. There are broader considerations potentially within Government and the Department of Finance on whether we extend those criteria. There is an ongoing discussion as to whether, for example, we extend income thresholds around social housing eligibility and there are arguments for and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Emergency Accommodation Provision (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy will receive my written reply but I will give him a verbal answer because it might be more helpful. A significant number of families have been housed or we have found homes for them. There have also been significant numbers of families coming into homelessness. The figure was 87 in the month of January. The challenge is to reduce the numbers coming into homelessness and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Emergency Accommodation Provision (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: Last year 2,700 housing solutions were put in place for homeless individuals and families. I will have to get the figure for the split between the two but many were families. If one looks at the figure for January, which was not a good figure overall in terms of homelessness and which people have commented on, the number of homeless adults has increased. That was not a huge surprise to us...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Emergency Accommodation Provision (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: If it helps, I can go through the projections we have done with the local authorities. I can do that with all spokespeople if they would like to see them so they can see what we are trying to do. It is ambitious but it is credible.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Emergency Accommodation Provision (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: We can do that too. It is no problem.

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

Simon Coveney: The 2016 Summary of Social Housing Assessments recorded 91,600 households as being qualified for social housing support as at 21 September 2016, an increase of 1,728 households or 1.9% over the 89,872 total recorded by the previous summary in 2013. Within this overall figure, both Cork housing authorities recorded a significant decrease in their figures, with a reduction of 2,000 in the City...

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

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy may be aware, I recently published the Review of the Mortgage to Rent Scheme. The Review represents the completion of an early action in the Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. It involved broad consultation, including with the Department of Finance, on the operation of the current scheme, which was originally developed in 2011. Arising from the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 16 together. As pointed out in response to earlier Questions, Rebuilding Ireland is fundamentally based on blended delivery of social housing and harnessing the highest quality social housing possible given the capacity of local authorities, the private market and the financial resources available to Government. A range of delivery mechanisms...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is fully recognised that the period of time that homeless families spend in hotel accommodation should be minimised. This is reflected in the commitment in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness that by mid-2017, hotels should only be used in exceptional circumstances as emergency accommodation for families. It is intended that the long-term housing needs of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: The breakdown of the delivery for social housing in 2016 , including the number of built units, was set out in the Second Quarterly Progress Report under the Rebuilding IrelandAction Plan on Housing and Homelessness. At 640, the number of built social housing units indicated for 2016 is provisional , while final statistics are gathered from local authorities, for publication by my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department is working closely with all local authorities in relation to increasing and accelerating the delivery of a range of social housing programmes and supports, including rapid build homes. At the end of 2016, a total of 350 rapid build homes were advancing through various stages of delivery, including construction, with 22 rapid build homes being delivered and occupied in 2016. A...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: National Planning Framework (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 73 together. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is currently leading the preparation of the National Planning Framework, Our Plan - Ireland 2040 , although responsibility for the ultimate implementation of the Framework will rest with a range of stakeholders such as relevant Government Departments, including those referred to, other...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: On Monday last, I published a Status Report for Social Housing Construction Projects, which lists all approved projects, including those delivered in 2016 and those at various stages of advancement through planning, design and construction. This report, which includes 10 projects for the Galway City Council area, can be accessed at the following link: . In addition to the Galway City Council...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Funding (23 Feb 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: Shared Ownership Scheme (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department, together with the Housing Agency, the Housing Finance Agency and local authorities, has considered the affordability issues facing some borrowers who purchased properties under the Shared Ownership (SO) schemes and devised a more affordable long-term path towards full home ownership. Indeed, a range of measures have already been taken to reduce the monthly repayments of these...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Price Controls (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25, 34, 47 and 56 together. The most effective way to reduce and stabilise rents in the long term, and benefit the entire sector, is to increase supply and accelerate delivery of housing for the private and social rented sectors. Rebuilding Ireland, the Government’s Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness, aims to increase and accelerate housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a key Government priority and the accelerated roll-out of the scheme on a national basis is an important early action for completion in the Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. At this time, HAP is available to all households who qualify for social housing support in 28 local authority areas,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) was rolled out across communities, both urban and rural, in April 2015 and will run until 31 December 2017. The aim of SICAP is to reduce poverty and 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 improve the life...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 29 together. It is a matter for Galway City Council, in the first place, to determine the need for land for social housing or any other purposes and the optimum means of acquiring such land. My Department will review any proposal received from the Council in relation to borrowing, having regard to all the circumstances that apply. With regard to lands...