Results 15,801-15,820 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together. The provision by local authorities of affordable housing under the Affordable Housing Scheme 1999 was not funded by my Department, but by loans from the Housing Finance Agency. In 2011 the Government announced the standing down of the provision of Affordable Housing (the 1999 Affordable Housing Scheme, affordable housing under Part V...

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

Simon Coveney: Section 34(10) of the Planning And Development Act 2000-2014 provides that, where a decision by the Board to grant or refuse permission is different, in relation to the granting or refusal of permission, from the recommendation in a report of a person assigned to report on an appeal on behalf of the Board, a statement, giving the reasons on which the Board’s decision is based, shall...

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

Simon Coveney: I understand that the units referred to in the Question were purchased by an Approved Housing Body (AHB) using their own finance in November 2015. These units, when ready for occupation, will be made available to the local authority for social housing under long-term Payment and Availability arrangements between the AHB and the local authority, the cost of which will be funded by my...

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

Simon Coveney: As outlined to the Deputy in my response to his Questions No. 335 of 27 September 2016 and No. 189 of 8 November 2016, the Thatching Grant provided by my Department in 2014 in respect of the property referred to was for the full eligible amount. The applicant in question has been notified of this and that, under the Thatching Grant Scheme, a property is not eligible for new funding within 7...

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

Simon Coveney: Action 4.6 of Rebuilding Irelandprovides for the introduction of an affordable rental scheme to enhance the capacity of the private rented sector to provide quality and affordable accommodation for households currently paying a disproportionate amount of disposable income on rent. As set out in the recently published Strategy for the Rental Sector, this commitment is to be progressed through...

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

Simon Coveney: The report of the Waterford Boundary Review Committee was submitted to me in late December 2016. I will be considering it along with the other boundary reports, which I intend to address as part of the overall report on local government matters to be submitted to Government and the Oireachtas in mid-2017 under the Programme for a Partnership Government. General expenses recouped to date...

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

Simon Coveney: In late 2015, the then Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government agreed to begin a process of review of the current Dog Breeding Establishment (DBE) Guidelines, under the auspices of the County and City Management Association (CCMA) Dogs Working Group. The work undertaken to date has been to produce a first draft revision of the Guidelines. However, I considered it...

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

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Questions Numbers 78 and 79 of 30 November, 2016 which sets out the position in relation to this matter.

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

Simon Coveney: Statistics on the average re-letting times for local authority social housing are gathered by the National Oversight and Audit Commission and are set out by local authority in their report on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These statistics are available for both 2014 and 2015 at the following links: and . The statistics as gathered by the National Oversight and Audit Commission...

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

Simon Coveney: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, it is a matter for each individual Chief Executive to recruit and assign staff to specific business function areas.

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

Simon Coveney: My Department has responsibility for Irish Water Safety, the statutory body established to promote water safety in Ireland.  Irish Water Safety’s role is to educate people in water safety best practices and develop public awareness campaigns to promote necessary attitudes, rescue skills and behaviour to prevent drownings and water related accidents.  Their activities include...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 298 and 300 together. I assume that the Deputy is referring to the single-stage approval process for social housing capital construction schemes with a budget of less than €2m and up to 15 housing units. To date, two local authorities have availed of this process in respect of construction projects they are advancing. A number of other...

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

Simon Coveney: 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 in Dublin City Council’s area being delivered and occupied in 2016. A further 650 rapid build homes will be advanced in 2017 and another 500 homes in 2018. My Department is working closely with all local authorities in relation...

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

Simon Coveney: The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each housing authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. A table setting out the details of the three bands and the limits currently applicable in each housing authority area is available on my...

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

Simon Coveney: Procurement in relation to social housing build developments, from pre-planning through to construction, arises primarily in relation to procurement of consultants and procurement of contractors. These procurement arrangements are the normal national and EU procurement requirements, as required by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in respect of all publicly-funded capital...

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

Simon Coveney: I have no function in the matters raised which are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, as I understand that funding was provided for this project under the Rural Economic Development Zones initiative.

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

Simon Coveney: Dublin City Council collects motor tax on behalf of South Dublin, Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Councils. A breakdown of the receipts between the individual authority areas is not available. Total gross motor tax receipts (including online receipts) for the Dublin area for the years requested are set out in the table. Date Total Yield 2013 €284,784,205 2014...

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

Simon Coveney: I have no function in relation to the provision of funding for individual piers and harbours. The funding for such infrastructural works is a matter for Donegal County Council, in the first instance.

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

Simon Coveney: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for delivering public water services. Irish Water is also responsible for water services infrastructure including water supply pipes or drainage pipes extending from a waterworks or wastewater works to the curtilage of a private property. Under sections 43 and 54 of the Water Services Act 2007, responsibility for maintenance and...

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

Simon Coveney: 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 authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related homeless services rests with individual housing authorities. My Department has no...