Results 17,021-17,040 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 prescribe maximum net income limits for each housing authority, in different bands according to the area, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 to 177, inclusive, together. I refer to the reply to Question N o 269 of 25 October 2016 which sets out the position in relation to the review of the Dog Breeding Establishment Guidelines. The Working Group concerned has produced a first draft revision of the guidelines. The working group is representative of my Department, the Department of Agriculture,...

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

Simon Coveney: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisation arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. My Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers in local authorities. The data gathered do not provide detail in respect of the numbers or grading of...

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

Simon Coveney: The operation and allocation of housing supports is a matter for the housing authority concerned and is one in which I, as Minister, have no role. However, in order to be of assistance, enquiries have been made with the housing authority concerned in relation to this case and I understand the tenant in question has been advised how they might avail of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) or...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department provides funding to local authorities towards the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability; the suite of grants includes the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability and the Mobility Aids Grant. The detailed administration of these grants, including the assessment, approval and prioritisation...

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

Simon Coveney: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in...

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

Simon Coveney: The most recent review of local electoral areas was carried out from November 2012 to May 2013 by a Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee established under the Local Government Act 1991. Unlike the position for Dáil and European Parliament constituencies, there is no constitutional or legislative requirement for the revision of local electoral areas. There is a commitment in the...

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

Simon Coveney: The new 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 and applies to all existing local authority houses, other than those classes of houses excluded under legislation. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria which...

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

Simon Coveney: Under the national public library strategy, Opportunities for All, online access to e-magazines and journals has been available to users through the public library service since January 2016. The service provides access through a single ‘hosting platform’ to a broad range of e-magazines to meet the recreational and professional requirements of users. Content is provided from...

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

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

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

Simon Coveney: My Department’s new Rural Water Multi-annual Programme 2016-2018 was developed through a working group of key stakeholder s involving local authorities, the Water Services Transition Office, Irish Water, the National Federation of Group Water Schemes as well as my Department. The programme provides for the funding of demonstration Group Sewerage Schemes, through Measure 4(d), where...

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

Simon Coveney: My Department’s Community and Voluntary Supports and Programmes provide a cohesive framework of support for the community and voluntary sector. This programme supports 21 Volunteer Centres and 8 Volunteer Information Services, as well as a number of national organisations, including Volunteer Ireland. Over €3 million was allocated for these organisations in 2016. With the...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (27 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: To be helpful on that, there are a number of Bills coming forward on planning, one of which is already before the House on Second Stage and concerns the establishment of a planning regulator. Another Bill will be brought to Cabinet next week with the purpose of streamlining planning decisions and putting statutory timelines around those decisions for larger planning applications. There will...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (27 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: A great deal is happening in regard to families staying in commercial hotels on a temporary basis as emergency accommodation to improve the conditions under which those families are surviving. One of those is to improve the ease of transportation between schools and that temporary accommodation. I do not have an exact date, but the plan is to get this done within weeks. I will come back to...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (27 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is still a social democrat.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (27 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: Provision is already in place in motor tax legislation to allow a vehicle owner to declare his or her vehicle off the road. A declaration of non-use must be made in the last month of an existing motor tax disc and can be made for any period of between 3 months and 1 year. A further declaration can then be made, if the vehicle is still not in use at that stage. There is also provision in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (27 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 88 together. Sligo County Council approached my Department in 2012 to highlight its deteriorating financial position. While it is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in light of available resources and as part of the annual budgetary process, owing to the particular severity of Sligo's financial situation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Data (27 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department's role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. The purposes for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (27 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came in to operation on 1 January 2016 and offers eligible local authority tenants the opportunity to buy their homes. 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 support for at least 1 year. The minimum reckonable income for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (27 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Irish Men's Sheds Association was funded from 1 July 2014 until 30 June 2016 through my Department's Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO). This Scheme aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. It does not provide programme funding. The organisation in question was allocated €175,950 for...