Results 1,641-1,660 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Staff Recruitment (16 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank Senator Kelly for raising his concerns about a very topical issue. I am taking this debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, who is on Government business elsewhere and who sends his apologies. However, I am happy to respond on the Minister's behalf. The nursing home public and private sectors are collaborating with the Department of Health and...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Nursing Staff Recruitment (16 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Senator for bringing the matter to the attention of the House and that of the Minister for Health. I agree that adaptation assessments and the turnaround of competent people to act in this area is very important. I also take on board the view expressed about visa applications. This is something which we will bring to the attention of the Minister and that of the officials in...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Private Rented Accommodation Provision (16 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I reassure him there will be ample opportunity to debate the wider medium-term and long-term issues in terms of housing in the Seanad in the coming weeks. The private rented sector is an important element of the housing market, with the proportion of households in the sector almost doubling in the period 2006-2011. The Residential...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Private Rented Accommodation Provision (16 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I welcome the opportunity to respond to some of the points raised by Senator Bradford and to reassure him regarding the perception he might have that I am a Minister for the construction industry. That is not true. I am the Minister of State with special responsibility for the co-ordination of the Construction 2020 strategy, which is a Government strategy, adopted in the best interests of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Applications (16 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 753 and 755 together. Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new tenant purchase scheme for the purchase of existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines. The Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020includes a commitment to make the Regulations necessary for the scheme’s introduction, in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (16 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Section 247 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended deals with pre-planning application consultation meetings between planning authorities and prospective planning applicants. Chapter 2 of the Development Management Guidelines, published in June 2007 (available at ), provides extensive guidance to both local authorities and prospective planning applicants with regard to the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (16 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: In overall terms, I am satisfied that the new building control regime represents a reasonable and appropriate response to the many building failures that occurred in the past decade and will lead to improved quality within the construction sector. However, I am conscious that concerns have been raised in relation to the costs imposed by the (S.I . No. 9 of 2014 ), in particular in relation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Compulsory Purchase Orders (16 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 770 and 771 together. Compulsory purchase orders are provided for in a number of statutes. My Department has been informed by Louth County Council that it acquired four sites by compulsory purchase order in the period 2011 to date. Two of these were acquired for roads related works with the other two being acquired under the Derelict Sites Act 1990....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Derelict Sites Data (16 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 772 to 775, inclusive, together. As required under section 8(6) of the Derelict Sites Act 1990, my Department requests a copy of the derelict sites register from each local authority on an annual basis in respect of the previous calendar year. The most recent information held by my Department in this regard covers the year 2013. Under section 8(5) of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (16 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The legislative provisions relating to dangerous structures are set out in the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1964. The Act sets out the powers available to local authorities in relation to dangerous structures. The definition of a “dangerous structure”for the purposes of the Act means— “(a) any building, wall or other structure of any kind, or (b)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (16 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Derelict Sites Act 1990 requires that local authorities take all reasonable steps to ensure that any land within their functional area does not become or continue to be a derelict site. The definition of a “derelict site” for the purposes of the Act “ means any land which detracts, or is likely to detract, to a material degree from the amenity, character or...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (11 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Deputy for the question. To correct the record, what the Deputy is referring to is just phase 1 of the local authority allocations which were announced a few weeks ago. I have already stated in the House to the Deputy that further phases of allocations will be made very shortly. The capital acquisitions scheme which will provide funding to voluntary housing bodies in...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (11 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Nobody can second-guess the number of housing projects that will commence in the private sector. However, as I indicated in reply to Deputy Cowen on an earlier question, there are now very strong signs of recovery in the housing market, given the number of housing projects getting off the ground and the number of commencements and planning permissions going through. Even if we were to...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (11 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I am seriously concerned if the Deputy is saying that local authorities in Dublin are not being provided with the funding to turn around vacant units. It is in the Estimates and it is on the public record. I would challenge any local authority and, indeed, I challenge the Deputy to sit down with his local authority-----

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (11 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: He should bring them forward to us. If they are not turning around voids for which this Government and the country is providing funds, then we have a problem at local authority level.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (11 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: If the Deputy is stating that on the record of the House, I challenge him to bring that local authority to account. I also challenge all local authorities, including Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, to come forward with their proposals. The Department, the Minister, Deputy Kelly, and I are working proactively on a weekly basis in looking for solutions. It is all very well to come in here to...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (11 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: We need the assistance of Deputies and local authorities in coming forward with them. They will find there is a very open ear in this Department in terms of the delivery of houses in an early phase. I look forward, over the coming weeks and months, to announcing more projects in Dún Laoghaire and other local authority areas around the country.

Other Questions: Unfinished Housing Developments (11 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Deputy for tabling the question. I know the Roscommon men are resilient - they had a good win in the hurling last week, so the Deputy's injury will not stop him. Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides that for estates, which have been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority in accordance with the planning permission, the...

Other Questions: Unfinished Housing Developments (11 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I again confirm that we will revise the planning legislation in the autumn and plan to strengthen and streamline the taking-in-charge protocols and processes to assist local authorities to deal with the many legacy issues the Deputy has outlined. Strong progress has been made with estates that local authorities have registered as unfinished. More than 3,000 such unfinished estates were...

Other Questions: Unfinished Housing Developments (11 Jun 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The bonds were put in place almost as an insurance policy. Where a developer does not complete an estate to a proper standard, they can be drawn down. It is the responsibility of the local authority to ensure that those bonds are put in place in a comprehensive and secure way. It is also the responsibility of the local authority, in the interest of the citizens who live on such estates, to...