Results 16,201-16,220 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department recoups funding for the Rural Water Programme to local authorities who administer the funding on behalf of my Department. This recoupment consists of both grants for capital works under the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme 2016-2018 and subsidies as a contribution towards the annual operational cost of the domestic element of group water schemes. In 2016 my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Grants (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: The information requested is being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: In line with the suspension of domestic water charges, as set out in the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2016, and to ensure equity of treatment with households on public water supplies, the subvention for those on group water schemes was restored to the level that pertained prior to the introduction of domestic water charges for households connected to the public water supply for the same...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department’s Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) was rolled out across communities on 1 April 2015 and will run until 31 December 2017, with the following allocations for the 51 SICAP Lots. 2015 (9 months) 2016 2017 €28 million €37.5 million €37.5 million

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: 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 for each individual local authority. Commercial rates form an important...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: In line with the “Confidence and Supply Arrangement” agreed with Fianna Fáil in the context of supporting a minority government, the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2016 provided for the suspension of domestic water charges for a period of nine months from 1 July 2016. During the period of suspension, no Irish Water customers will receive bills for domestic water charges....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: To date, there have been no instances where it has been necessary for either myself or previous Ministers at this Department to exercise powers under Section 9(7)(a) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). Planning authorities are required under sections 9(4) and 9(5) of the 2000 Act to have regard to the Development Plans of adjoining authorities and to take into account the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Library Projects (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 to 217, inclusive, together. My Department announced a new €22m Libraries Capital Investment Programme for the period 2016-2021 to support the development of priority projects submitted by local authorities. In this regard, the programme includes a priority proposal submitted by Cavan County Council in respect of Virginia library. As...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: There are currently two house purchase loan offerings available to lower - income first - time buyers from local authorities. The first is a standard annuity mortgage available from all local authorities. A first-time buyer unable to get a loan from a building society or a bank, may be eligible for a mortgage from the local authority concerned to purchase a new or second hand property or...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Forestry Management (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: The principal Planning and Development Regulations were amended in September 2011 by the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2011 to provide that initial afforestation shall be exempted development. This activity is exempted from the requirement to obtain planning permission, as it is subject to a separate statutory development consent system under the European...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Fire Stations Provision (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act, 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Fire Stations Provision (16 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act, 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: To be helpful, there are multiple protections in place to ensure that people cannot simply be evicted out of their properties. Those protections remain today. On the basis of what Deputy Pearse Doherty said, if a landlord can evict somebody easily, bring someone else in and use that as an excuse to increase the rent, that is what would be happening on a regular basis. By designating rent...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: The law does not allow that. If there is a change of tenancy and if a new tenancy applies, the maximum amount that can apply in terms of any rent review in that context must first be consistent with the local market rent and, second, regardless of that, the maximum increase that can happen is 4%.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: I am not trying to put one over on anybody here. Most of the Deputies who have been working with me on this legislation to date would accept that. We are trying to get this right to ensure that when we do designate areas, hopefully next week, in Dublin and Cork and when other areas of the country get designated in the new year, which I believe they will, we have in law what we intend to do...

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: My understanding is that the time proposal tomorrow is that we will be dealing with this again at 12.30 p.m.-----

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: -----until we finish it, which hopefully will be early tomorrow evening-----

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: -----so that staff members can go home. However, that will be up to the House, not me, to decide.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Report Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Simon Coveney: I do not accept that interpretation. The protection is in the words "the rent last set" in amendment No. 3A. What we are trying to do here is keep tenants in their properties and to ensure that when they are facing rent reviews they can predict the maximum that may be possible in terms of a rental increase. We are providing for that. There was an unintended consequence which we are...