Results 15,481-15,500 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (23 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: In line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government and reaffirmed in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, a review of the first 12 months of operation of the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase scheme is currently being undertaken by my Department. The review has gathered together comprehensive scheme data from every local authority regarding the...

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

Simon Coveney: The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme provides a means whereby properties can be built or bought by AHBs with the combined use of State and private funding, and leased by AHBs and Local Authorities from private providers, for the provision of social housing. This scheme is underpinned by a lease and other legal agreements. These provide that rental payments are made by the State...

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

Simon Coveney: The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 amends the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to provide that the Housing Agency, in consultation with housing authorities, may make a proposal to the Minister that an area should be considered as a Rent Pressure Zone.  Following receipt of such a proposal, the Minister requests the Director of the Residential...

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

Simon Coveney: Details on the number of households on waiting lists in each housing authority area 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: . The 2016 results show that as at 21 September 2016, there were 3,322 and 2,087...

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

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 487 of 17 January 2017. The position is unchanged.

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

Simon Coveney: The Programme for a Partnership Government gave a commitment to reactivating the RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) Programme in 2017. It is anticipated that the re-cast RAPID programme will roll out in the near future. The logistical and other arrangements for the programme are currently under consideration in my Department and further information will be...

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

Simon Coveney: Where a tenant believes that the rent is set above the market rent or above the permitted increase in a rent pressure zone, introduced under the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016, they may refer a dispute to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The RTB may make a declaration as to whether the rent set complies with the legislation and, if it does not...

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

Simon Coveney: The issue of the regulation of local authority housing, and the application of the Residential Tenancies Act to that sector, was carefully considered during the drafting of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015. Unlike Approved Housing Body tenancies, social housing provided by local authorities is governed by an extensive legislative code which is set out in the Housing Acts. This...

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

Simon Coveney: The aim of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund is to relieve critical infrastructural blockages to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites and to improve the economic viability of new housing projects in Dublin and in urban areas with high demand for housing. The €200m Fund will be composed of an Exchequer allocation of €150 million,...

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. 40 and 44 together. 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...

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

Simon Coveney: No decision on the detailed content or approach to be contained within the Framework has been taken by me or the Government at this stage. Indeed, I intend that the development of the Framework, one of the most strategically important public policy exercises currently underway by the Government, will be a collaborative exercise, the ultimate success of which will depend on the degree to which...

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

Simon Coveney: Details on the number of new social homes constructed or purchased by all local authorities and by AHBs for letting to those on their social housing waiting lists for the first three quarters of 2016 are available on my Department’s website at the following link: . Information in respect of the full year of 2016 is currently being finalised and will be published shortly. The need to...

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

Simon Coveney: The Government’s 2013 Homelessness Policy Statement recognises that stable housing is the sustainable solution to homelessness and emphasises a housing-led approach as the primary response to homelessness. Housing-led approaches to homelessness incorporate the provision of adequate support for people in their homes, according to their needs. Under Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for...

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

Simon Coveney: The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (Council Directive 91/271/EEC) mandates waste water collection and treatment requirements for urban agglomerations. There are various deadlines for meeting the requirements of the Directive, one of which was the requirement for secondary treatment to be provided for all agglomerations which discharge to freshwaters and estuaries and have a population...

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

Simon Coveney: 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, - a mandatory minimum setback distance of 500 metres between a wind...

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

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 1 on today’s Order Paper.

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

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question Nos.160 and 161 of 15 February 2017. The position is unchanged.

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

Simon Coveney: I made a commitment in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness - published in July 2016 - that by mid-2017 hotels should only be used in limited circumstances as emergency accommodation for families, months ahead of the engagement I had with the group referred to in late 2016/early 2017. As set out in Rebuilding Ireland, it is intended that the long-term housing needs...

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

Simon Coveney: I have currently no plans to reintroduce an Affordable Housing Purchase Scheme. However, a range of measures are being taken under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness to 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...

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

Simon Coveney: A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector, which best suits their needs in their area of choice. Local authorities do not source accommodation for HAP supported tenancies. However, a dedicated placement team, the Dublin Placefinder Service, has been established to engage directly...