Results 17,001-17,020 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Boundaries Review (3 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The review referred to is one of 4 boundary reviews which were initiated together. The overall estimated cost to the Department in relation to all 4 boundary reviews is some €87,500. To date, some € 41,316 has been paid .

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Provision (3 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. Under ‘Section 10’ funding arrangements, funding is provided regionally and on a delegated basis whereby responsibility for decision- making in relation to particular services rests with the Statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Direct Provision System (3 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, matters relating to direct provision and the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) are a matter for my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality. In terms of the number of persons in RIA accommodation who have been granted some form of status, I am advised that there are in the region of 500 such persons among the 4,200 residents...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (3 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The new Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. Under this Scheme, the tenant is responsible for raising the money to finance the purchase of their home and they can do so from savings, a lump sum or a mortgage loan etc. The tenant must pay the purchase money in full at the time the house purchase is completed. If they can afford it, the tenant can buy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Unfinished Housing Developments (3 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides that, as soon as possible following a request by the developer or by the majority of the house-owners, a planning authority must initiate procedures to take in charge a residential housing estate completed to its satisfaction in accordance with the planning permission. Section 180 also provides that, following a...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (3 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: To support the implementation of Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, I have secured €5.35 billion in exchequer investment to deliver 47,000 social housing units through build, refurbishment, acquisitions and leasing, over the period 2016 to 2021. This €5.35bn investment comprises some €4.5 billion in capital funding and €844 million in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (3 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Work on developing the new funding vehicle is underway within the NTMA. Potential models for the structure of the vehicle are being examined and bilateral engagement is ongoing between the NTMA and my Department. A critical factor in the delivery of the action will be that the funding vehicle is ‘off balance sheet’ from a Government accounting perspective. Consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (3 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department does not have the detailed information requested by the Deputy. However, in May 2016, the Housing Agency presented a paper in relation to vacant homes in Ireland to the Special Oireachtas Committee on Housing and Homelessness which – on the basis of the 2011 Census – indicated there were 230,056 unoccupied residential properties (excluding holiday homes) across the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (3 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 86 together. Details on the number of households on waiting lists in each housing authority area, including the number of single person households in each area, are provided in the statutory summary of social housing assessments. The most recent figures available are the results of the 2013 summarywhich was carried out on 7 May 2013. These are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Repair and Leasing Scheme (3 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessnessrecognises the important source of potential accommodation vacant private properties present. A new Repair and Leasing Scheme (RLS) has been developed to assist private property owners and local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to harness this potential, and bring these vacant houses into social housing use to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Development Contributions (3 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 89 together. Development contributions allow local authorities to recoup some of the costs to public funds of servicing land for private development. They provide a mechanism by which developers can contribute to the cost of providing public infrastructure and facilities that benefit development in the area and are expended on public infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Nitrates Action Programme Implementation (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014, as amended, give legal effect in Ireland to the Nitrates Directive and to our Nitrates Action Programme (NAP). The Directive requires all member states to define set periods when the land application of fertiliser, including slurry, is not allowed and in Ireland the closed season commenced on 15...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Providing affordable, quality and accessible housing for people is a top priority for the Government, as outlined in the Programme for a Partnership Government. In order to effectively deal with housing and homelessness, the Programme included two key initial actions; firstly, a new Cabinet Minister for Housing would be appointed and, secondly, that Minister would prep are an action plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 and 179 together. The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) requires that all agglomerations greater than 2,000 population equivalent are provided with collecting systems for urban waste water and that collected waste water receives the appropriate level of treatment before discharge. The Directive also provides that where the establishment...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Fire Service (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The provision of Fire Services in Ireland is supported by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management in my Department, which also develops standards and oversees the delivery of quality services by the Fire Authorities. In February 2013, the National Directorate published the Keeping Communities Safe (KCS) policy document which is the blueprint for the direction of fire...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Motor tax based on carbon emissions was introduced by the Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Act 2008. The legislative provisions apply to Revenue Category A/EU Category M1 vehicles only i.e. passenger cars. Commercial vehicles, depending on their size, are Revenue Categories B or C and EU Categories N1, N2 or N3 and, if being used in a private capacity, must be taxed on the basis of engine...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: The initiative to support the purchase and renewal of private houses for social housing use will be available in all local authority areas, including Dún Laoghaire Rathdown, from 2017. I will be making an initial €25 million available for this initiative in 2017 and propose to increase this to as much as €50 million in 2018. I expect this investment to deliver between 400...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Closed-Circuit Television Systems Expenditure (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: A rural CCTV initiative was announced by the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in September 2015. This was, however, a small pilot scheme only, with a limited overall budget. This scheme came to an end earlier this year with no provision for further funding. I understand that the Minister for Justice and Equality is currently developing proposals to give...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Electoral Reform (2 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Electoral law provides that a person who is entitled to vote at an election or referendum shall vote in person at a polling station allotted to him or her unless they are included in the postal voters list or in the special voters list for the constituency concerned. Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of certain categories of person who are entered in the register...