Results 16,581-16,600 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Archival Material (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: It is the responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with Section 80 of the Local Government Act 2001, to make proper arrangements for the management, custody, care and conservation of their records and archives and to provide public access to their archives. Similarly, the annual cost for the storage of records and archives is a matter for each local authority and is a matter in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Pension Provisions (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 to 252, inclusive, and 254 and 255 together. In 2008, retained fire-fighters were given the option of joining the Local Government Superannuation Scheme (LGSS) and receive a pension and retirement lump sum based on their pensionable remuneration and length of service.  Retained fire-fighters who opted not to join the scheme receive, on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: On 22 December 2009, my Department issued Circular EL 17/2009 which, in regard to staff employed in more than one capacity, stated: “Dual Employment In the case of staff employed in morethan one capacity, each employment may be treated separately for the purposes of calculating revised remuneration in accordance with this circular”. On 28 January 2011, my Department issued...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Applications (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: On 12 August 2016, I approved an application for a foreshore licence from the company named to allow them to carry out maintenance dredging. The proposed activity also required a licence from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Dumping at Sea Acts 1996-2009; all relevant documentation in relation to the licence application, which is a matter entirely for the EPA, is available...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Library Services Provision (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Demand for extended public library opening hours was identified through a formal consultation process carried out by my Department in the development of Opportunities for All, the national public library strategy 2013-2017. This demand had been previously highlighted by public library user surveys carried out in 2002 and 2007. The ‘My Open Library’ initiative has been...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: On 16 December 2014, a statutory direction was issued to all authorities involved in the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, instructing them to take the necessary steps to ensure that households benefiting from HAP can avail of a move to other forms of social housing support, should they wish to do so, through a transfer option. Local authorities were also directed that HAP recipients...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Health and Safety (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Section 239(4) of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 requires that the owner of fairground equipment shall not make it available to the public unless such equipment has a valid certificate of safety. Section 239 (7) states that a person who intends to hold or organise a funfair, other than at a place where the operation of funfair equipment has been authorised by a permission under Part...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: RAPID Programme (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The new RAPID programme is due to roll out from early next year. The logistics and modalities for the programme are currently under consideration in my Department. Further information will be made available once the programme specification is agreed.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Data (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 294 together. There are currently two Mortgage to Rent (MTR) schemes funded by my Department. A scheme exists whereby a local authority (LA) can acquire ownership of properties with unsustainable local authority mortgages, thus enabling the household to remain in their home as a social housing tenant. The second scheme provides for an Approved...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Expenditure (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Local Government Act 2001, as amended by the Local Government Reform Act 2014, provides the legislative basis for the local authority budget process. Section 103 of the 2001 Act provides for the local authority budget meeting and states that a local authority may amend the draft budget by resolution, and may adopt the budget with or without amendment. The Local Government (Financial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Staff Data (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 to 266, inclusive, together. Information in relation to the number of staff from my Department seconded to other departments or agencies in the Civil Service per annum from 2010 to 2016 is set out in the table. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 22 22 18 13 16 12 13 There have been no appeals against secondment in this period. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: In relation to information sought for averages of various social housing costs, the following are the relevant figures based on current unit cost ceiling data prepared from tender returns utilised within my Department. - average cost per square meter of social housing construction in Dublin = €2,046; - average cost per square meter of social housing construction outside of Dublin=...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 268, 269, 285 and 286 together. The overall strategic objective of Government housing policy is to enable all households to access good quality housing appropriate to their household circumstances and in sustainable communities of their choice. The main focus of social housing supports is on meeting the most acute housing needs among the population,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Taxation policy is a matter for the Minister for Finance.  Nevertheless, my Department understands that VAT is charged on the supply of materials used in construction of residential properties, including those used for the purposes of social housing.  Tenders awarded by local authorities for the provision of social housing include all costs associated with their procurement contracts.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (29 Nov 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 under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. Those Acts determine properties that can, and cannot, be considered for rating purposes. The Commissioner for Valuation has...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 272 and 273 together. In relation to the 15 social houses referred to in Question 272, 14 units have been completed under the regeneration of Coxes Demesne, Dundalk and a further unit will be delivered under the CAS programme by the year end in Drogheda. In addition, Louth County Council has acquired 24 properties under CPO and a further 49 through...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: In December 2013, my Department published proposed draft revisions to the noise, setback distance and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions proposed: - the setting of a more stringent day- and night-time noise limit of 40 decibels for future windenergy developments, - a mandatory minimum setback distance of 500 metres between a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department is currently reviewing its role in relation to its responsibility for the aspects of legislation relating to regulation of fairground equipment and funfairs in section 239 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, particularly in respect of the specific legislative provisions relating to fairground equipment and also more general issues in relation to safety at funfairs, theme...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 to 278, inclusive, together. My Department has a broad business agenda, including supporting citizens in safe and sustainable communities through the provision of access to good quality housing, fostering community development in partnership with local government, supporting and enabling responsive local government and protecting and improving water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (29 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 279 to 281, inclusive, together. My Department has a broad business agenda, including supporting citizens in safe and sustainable communities through the provision of access to good quality housing, fostering community development in partnership with local government, supporting and enabling responsive local government and protecting and improving water...