Results 15,841-15,860 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (25 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 146 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No 274 of 24 January 2017 which sets out the position on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together. Planning statistics are submitted by planning authorities on an annual basis and are subsequently collated by my Department. Such statistics include information on the number of planning applications received and the number of applications which were granted or refused permission by each planning authority. However, the detailed...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (25 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 to 135, inclusive, together. In publishing the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Government has set out a practical and readily implementable set of actions to create a functioning and sustainable housing system. The Plan is available at the website www.rebuildingireland.ie. The Plan is divided into five pillars, with each...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Library Services (25 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: 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. In this regard, a national tender for book stock procurement was run recently by the Local Government...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (25 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 to 139, inclusive, together. The making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of local authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions, subject to broad principles laid down by my Department in Circular letter HRT 3/2002 of 6 March 2002. The making or amending of such schemes is not a reserved function and does not...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Applications (25 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The draft foreshore licence concerned issued to the Council’s legal services on 12 January 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (25 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department received a submission from Sligo County Council on 31 March 2016 seeking funding for the proposed extension referred to in the Question. Following assessment by my Department’s inspectorate, approval in principle to proceed was issued to the Council on 15 August 2016. I understand from the Council that the provision of the extension is being prioritised within their...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Ambulance Service (25 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The provision of health services in Ireland, including the provision of ambulance services, is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE), operating under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Health. Within my Ministerial remit, fire services in Ireland are provided by local authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (25 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended, regulates the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants. The Act applies to every dwelling...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (25 Jan 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: Housing Provision (25 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: Pillar 5 of the Government’s Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness – Rebuilding Irelandis specifically focussed on Utilising Existing Housing Stock, with a key objective of ensuring that the existing vacant housing stock throughout the country and across all forms of tenure, in both the public and private sectors, is used to the optimum degree possible. In this regard,...

Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The building control Bill is a priority for this term. We hope to have the heads ready to bring to Cabinet before the end of next month. I am sure we will have an opportunity to go through the detail of the Bill once it is introduced.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Services Infrastructure (24 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The National Taking in Charge Initiative (NTICI) for residential estates with a pilot scheme funding of €10 million was announced in April 2016. The aim of the NTICI was to accelerate the taking-in-charge process of housing estates, including estates with developer-provided water services infrastructure. Survey data gathered from each of the 31 local authorities were collated in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 to 232, inclusive, and 260 and 261 together. The allocation of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for the local authority concerned, in accordance with its allocation scheme made in accordance with section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations. This legislation requires all local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Vacant Sites Levy (24 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 introduced a new measure, the vacant site levy, with a view to incentivising the development of vacant or under-utilised sites in urban areas. Under the Act, planning authorities are required to establish a register of vacant sites in their areas, beginning on 1 January 2017, and to issue annual notices to owners of vacant sites by 1 June 2018 in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (24 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: My Department receives detailed monthly data from the ESB on the number of connections to the electricity grid; these data have for many years been used as a proxy for house completions as units are normally connected at the point at which the unit is ready for occupation. My Department maintains regular contact with the ESB to ensure that this data set remains relevant and consistent over...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (24 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The 2015 Annual Report of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) reported 319,609 registered tenancies with 170,282 landlords and 693,314 occupants. There are no definitive figures on the overall size of the rented sector in Ireland. However, a study by DKM economic consultants commissioned by the RTB and published in 2014 examined both Central Statistics Office data and RTB annual reports...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (24 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: The widely varying market conditions in the residential rental sector across the country mean that estimating rental income against landlords’ costs in providing rental properties in any meaningful aggregate manner is extremely difficult. Not only do rents vary significantly across the country but so do levels of indebtedness among landlords with buy to let mortgages and hence the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (24 Jan 2017)

Simon Coveney: I believe there is a broad consensus that housing output needs to at least double, across all tenures, to provide the 25,000 new homes a year needed to meet demand. There is also consensus on the need for a significant portion of the increased output to be at more affordable prices and rents. Achieving these aims is the fundamental objective underpinning the Government’s Rebuilding...