Results 15,561-15,580 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (22 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: The practical operation of transfer lists is a matter for each local authority to manage, on the basis of their allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. My Department does not gather or hold any information on households seeking a transfer to an alternative social housing support, whether they are currently having their housing need met...

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

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, I attended a meeting with the Ballymun 4 Business (B4B) network on 24 November 2016, in Ballymun, and took part in an informal round table discussion where matters pertaining to housing, tenure, infrastructure and economic development were discussed. This included a discussion regarding the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund and the City Council’s...

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

Simon Coveney: The Programme for a Partnership Government sets out a number of requirements in relation to local government reform. This involves the submission of a report to Government and the Oireachtas by mid-2017 on potential measures to boost local government leadership and accountability, and to ensure that local government funding, structures and responsibilities strengthen local democracy. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (22 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: The provision of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for individual housing authorities in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and regulations made thereunder. The Act provides for a range of social housing supports which qualified households may avail of in order to meet their housing needs, including the provision of dwellings through the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Advisers Appointments (22 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Minister of State in my Department, Mr. Damien English, T.D., has not appointed any Special Advisers or Programme Managers and, insofar as her responsibilities within my Department are concerned, neither has Minister of State Catherine Byrne, who has shared responsibilities between my Department and the Department of Health.

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

Simon Coveney: The Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Dissolution) Act 2015, which facilitated the wind-up of the Authority, provided in Part 5 for the establishment of a Docklands Oversight and Consultative Forum on a statutory basis. The function of the Forum is to facilitate continued local stakeholder input into future social and economic regeneration of the Docklands area. The Forum will...

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

Simon Coveney: The Rent Predictability Measure provided for in the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016, applies to tenancies supported by the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) as these tenancies are governed by the Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 to 2009. Under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) local...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department provides funding to local authorities to support housing adaptations and extensions for social housing for a range of circumstances, including to address overcrowding. However, the management of the scheme locally is a matter for the local authority, including the assessment and prioritisation of applications.

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

Simon Coveney: The Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library, brought into operation a grants scheme to assist with the cost of remediation of septic tanks and domestic waste water treatment systems which are deemed, following inspection under the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Inspection Plan, to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Ambulance Service (21 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question Nos. 150 and 151 of 16 February 2017, which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (21 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 together. My Department has no role in relation to the procurement of book-stock for public libraries. The provision of public library services, including the procurement of books, is a matter for each local authority in its capacity as a library authority under the Local Government Act 2001. A national tender for book-stock procurement was run...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 and 254 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: National Planning Framework (21 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: In June 2015, an independent statutory committee was appointed to carry out a review of local government boundaries in Athlone, Carlow, Drogheda and Waterford. In each case, the committee was asked to carry out a review of the boundary between the respective local authorities and to make recommendations with respect to those boundaries and any consequential matters that they consider...

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

Simon Coveney: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), which has been rolled out to local authorities on a phased basis, was commenced in the Kildare County Council administrative area on 2 November 2015.  As HAP is rolled out nationally and replaces Rent Supplement for households with a long-term housing need, the number of households transferring to the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) will decrease....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Renewable Energy Projects (21 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: There are no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of solar farms. Proposals for individual solar farm developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments. Planning applications are made to the relevant local planning authority with a right of appeal to An Bord...

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

Simon Coveney: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme for borrowers of commercial private lending institutions is now an established part of the overall suite of social housing options and an important part of the mortgage arrears resolution process. The Review of the Mortgage to Rent Scheme, published on 8 February 2017, concludes that the current financial model of the scheme may not be capable of...

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

Simon Coveney: Where a landlord carries out a rent review, a notice of new rent must be served on the tenant. A notice of new rent must be in writing and include information in relation to the dispute resolution procedures that a tenant can pursue through the RTB if they do not believe the new rent is valid, e.g. if the rent is above market rent or above the permitted increase in a rent pressure zone. The...

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

Simon Coveney: The only breakdown of the delivery for social housing in 2016 published by my Department, including the number of built units, was set out in the second Quarterly Progress Report on the implementation of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, published on 7 February 2017. The report is available at the following link: . The number of built social housing units in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Costs (21 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: 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 delivery across all tenures to help individuals and families meet...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Standards (21 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 275 together. 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. The Regulations specify requirements in relation to a...