Results 15,781-15,800 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 214 together. My Department does not hold or collate statistics on the numbers of pre-1963 properties in the State or the number of private rental units in such buildings.Data from Census 2011 indicate that there were 392,447 dwellings built before 1961 in the State. Of those dwellings, almost 51,000 were in the private rented sector. New data will...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together. Addressing the challenges in the housing sector is an absolute priority for the Government. Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness,published in July 2016, sets out the Government’s approach to increasing the provision of housing, including social housing. This cross-Government plan is divided into five...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: Information on the activity and spend by individual local authorities and approved housing bodies on the maintenance and repair activity for their social housing stock is not available in my Department. Responsibility for the maintenance and repair of social housing res ts with each of the individual housing authorities and approved housing bodies in respect of the housing stock they own....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Data (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 223 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rent Controls (1 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: Commissions of Investigation (1 Feb 2017)

Simon Coveney: There have been no Commissions of Investigation completed by my Department since the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 came into effect, nor are there any ongoing Commissions of Investigation in my Department. There are therefore no relevant costs arising for the Exchequer.

Order of Business (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: As I stated last week, we should be in a position to bring the heads of the building control Bill to Cabinet before the end of February and we will then have an opportunity to debate the detail of the Bill. It is important that we have consistent and accurate figures on completions so that we can meet the targets we have set out.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessnessfully recognises that the period of time that families spend in emergency hotel accommodation should be minimised. This is reflected in the commitment that, by mid-2017, hotels should only be used in limited circumstances as emergency accommodation for families. Full details and time frames in relation to the range of actions to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: In December 2013, my Department published proposed draft revisions to the noise, setback distance and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 WindEnergy 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: Housing Provision (31 Jan 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: Homeless Persons Supports (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 274 and 316 together. It is recognised that transport costs can be an additional burden upon homeless families residing in hotel accommodation in lieu of an alternative form of emergency accommodation. Accordingly Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan on Housing and Homelessnessoutlines an initiative to provide access to free public transport for family travel and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Archival Material (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 249 of 29 November 2016 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding (31 Jan 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 the 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Plan (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Action Plan for Rural Development, which was launched on 23 January 2017, is primarily the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. However, as the proposal listed at Action 6 therein relates to a planning matter, its delivery falls to my Department. The proposed action – which was also incorporated in the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 and 304 to 307, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates Yield (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 279 and 303 together. 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 under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The Commissioner for Valuation has sole responsibility for all...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: Planning legislation does not place any restrictions on the number of times an application for planning permission may be sought for a particular type or class of development on a specific site.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 came into effect on 1 July 2013. The primary purpose of the Act is to replace the system whereby a vehicle was declared off the road retrospectively with a system under which the vehicle must be declared off the road in advance. The system of making retrospective declarations had become a means of evasion of motor tax estimated to have cost some...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 466 of 17 January 2017, which sets out the position with regard to the number of applications under the Mortgage to Rent scheme that did not complete. To the end of December 2016, 155 Mortgage to Rent applications did not proceed to completion as no Approved Housing Body was in a position to purchase the property concerned. This can be for a variety...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Estates (31 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: In relation to details of the overall numbers and names of estates taken in charge by Clare County Council annually and those estates waiting to be taken in charge, this information is not collected by my Department and would be obtainable from the relevant local authority in the normal manner. The National Taking-in-Charge Initiative (NTICI) for residential estates, with funding of...