Results 15,661-15,680 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: Sligo County Council provided my Department with updated costs for the project in question in the last week. These are now being examined and a response will issue to the Council shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Applications (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 250 together. As I have previously indicated, Application FS006566 is solely in relation to a non-commercial test facility. Under this application, there will be no facility to export power from any of the devices being tested at the site. I will make a decision on this case following careful examination and consideration of the application and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 to 255, inclusive, together. The Government has set out ambitious targets for the delivery of social housing supports over the lifetime of Rebuilding Ireland. Last year, over 18,300 social housing supports were provided across a range of delivery programmes. Within this, preliminary data shows that around 5,280 new social houses were either purchased,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: National Planning Framework (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: Since June of last year when the initial stakeholder event in relation to the development of the Ireland 2040- Our Plan: National Planning Framework (NPF) was held, €131,679 in total has been spent. This has been spread across the areas of technical analysis and research, public consultation and communications. As indicated in replies to previous Questions, the development of the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rent Controls (14 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 Tenancies...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department does not hold information on the number of households on local authorities' housing transfer lists. The management of these lists is a matter for individual housing authorities and the numbers fluctuate continually as, for example, households are granted transfers, in accordance with an authority’s allocation scheme, to take up other accommodation options.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Boundaries (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 468 of 17th January, 2017. The legislation governing local authority boundary alterations is set out in Part V of the Local Government Act 1991. As specified in section 31(1)(a) of the Act, alterations of the boundaries between local authorities may be made by Ministerial Order, but any such Order would require approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Provision (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: All emergency accommodation service providers must meet the applicable requirements of statutory codes, in particular, the requirements of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Fire Services Acts. My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: Under HAP, one of the key principles of the scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector and as with other private rental tenancies; the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as amended) governs the relationship between the landlord and the tenant. The HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages the collection of all HAP tenants' differential rents,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: National Planning Framework (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: The placing of the National Planning Framework (as successor to the 2002 National Spatial Strategy) on a statutory footing was recommended by the Final report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments (the Mahon Tribunal) which was published on 22 March 2012. To give effect to this recommendation, which requires an amendment to the Planning and Development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: A Review of the Mortgage to Rent Scheme was published on 8 February 2017 and represents the completion of an early action in the Government's Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. The Review is available from the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link:. The Review has explored the avenues and impediments to participation in the scheme and recommends a number...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: This information requested is collected by the Central Statistics Office , as part of the regular Census of Population. I understand that relevant data f rom the 2016 census will be available from the Central Statistics Office on 20 April 2017. The figures from the 2011 census for the four Dublin Local Authorities are set out in the following table. Local Authority Total Dwellings with a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Expenditure (14 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 Government’s Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, Rebuilding Ireland. HAP is now available to all qualified households in 28 local authority areas, including South...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are available from the results of the summaries of social housing assessments (formerly housing needs assessments) undertaken in 2011, 2013 and 2016. The most recent statutory summary of social housing assessments, carried out in 2016, details the number of households on all local authority...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, including providing necessary housing supports and fostering communities in partnership with local government and other local development bodies. In order to deliver on this broad agenda, my Department allocates significant resources to a wide range of organisations, including local authorities. The total funding provided by my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (14 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The elected members of a local authority are responsible for all reserved functions of the authority, which include adopting the annual budget and authorising borrowing, and are democratically...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (9 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: In January 2015, a Ministerial Direction was put in place which required the Dublin Region housing authorities to allocate at least 50% of tenancies under their control to homeless and other vulnerable households, while the authorities in counties Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford were required to allocate at least 30%. The Direction was subsequently renewed on two occasions, with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (9 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: In accordance with section 37(2) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services, including the provision of accommodation, rests with housing authorities. As I am satisfied that housing authorities are making every effort to make the most suitable accommodation available to homeless households seeking emergency...