Results 17,321-17,340 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Charges (5 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 134 together. Irish Water has estimated the shortfall in domestic revenue arising from the suspension of domestic water charges in the period to 31 March 2017 will be in the order of €181m in 2016 and €125m in 2017. The Government is currently considering Irish Water's revenue shortfall arising from the proposed suspension of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (5 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 136 together. 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. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing for People with Disabilities Provision (5 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: All newly constructed social housing complies with Part M of the Building Regulations and accordingly, with very minor exceptions, such housing units provide access for persons with mobility impairment. Accessibility features in this regard include level access and an entry level wc. In individual cases, further adaptions to a social house might be necessary to make a dwelling fully usable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (5 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is a key Government priority and the accelerated roll - out of the scheme on a national basis is an important early action for completion in the Government’s Rebuilding IrelandActionPlan for Housing and Homelessness. Local authorities and my Department are working closely together in order to ensure the successful...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (5 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: In January 2015, a Ministerial Direction was put in place which required the Dublin Region housing authorities to allocate at least 50% of tenancies under their control to homeless and other vulnerable households, while the authorities in counties Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford were required to allocate at least 30%. The Direction was subsequently renewed on two occasions, with the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: House Purchase Schemes (5 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the rent-to-buy scheme operated by Rentplus-UK Ltd. I have no plans to introduce a similar scheme in Ireland, nor am I aware of plans by any development company in the State to initiate such a scheme. The Government recognises the major challenges presented by the shortage of housing at affordable prices, rising rents and the unacceptably high level...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Land Availability (5 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: The active pursuit of progressing housing developments on State lands, including local authority lands, is a major part of the new approach to housing provision under the Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. The Action Plan contains a number of integrated actions to underpin land supply management, including the development of a national Land Supply Management...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (5 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 143, to 146, inclusive, together. All local authority areas already have targets in respect of social housing delivery out to 2017 arising from the Social Housing Strategy 2020; those delivery targets have involved a combination of building, purchase and leasing schemes and good progress has been made to date on these, in particular in kick-starting a new...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Land Availability (5 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Residential Land Availability Study undertaken in 2014 determined the location and quantity of lands that may be regarded as being undeveloped and available for residential development purposes at 31st March 2014. The results of the survey indicated that there were 17,434 hectares of residential zoned lands nationally which is sufficient to support the construction of over 414,000...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: House Prices (5 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 148, 150 and 151 together. The Government recognises the major challenges presented by the shortage of housing at affordable prices, rising rents and the unacceptably high level of homelessness. That is why, in publishing the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Government has set out a practical and readily implementable set of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage Lending (5 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: Rules in relation to mortgage lending are not a matter for my Department. This is more appropriate to my colleague, the Minister for Finance, and for the Central Bank.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (5 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. In accordance with section 37(2) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services, including...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Labour Court Recommendations (4 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 215 together. I am aware of the Labour Court recommendation in the case in Question.  The position is that neither my Department, nor the former Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, was the employer referred to in the Labour Court recommendation. My understanding is that the individuals were employed by an independent...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding (4 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department has responsibility for the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2015-2017, the aim of which is to reduce poverty, promote social inclusion and equality through local, regional and national engagement and collaboration. The programme aims to improve the life chances and opportunities of those who are marginalised in society, living in poverty or in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Agriculture Industry (4 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 139 of 28 September 2016. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Services for People with Disabilities (4 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department provides funding to the Irish Deaf Society under the Scheme to Support National Organisations in the Community and Voluntary sector, which aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. A new round of funding under the Scheme commenced on 1 July this year, for a period of three years. In total,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (4 Oct 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: National Planning Framework (4 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 245 together. As the Deputies will be aware, the current National Spatial Strategy (NSS) was published in 2002 and was Ireland's first national strategic spatial planning framework, setting an overarching planning framework. The Strategy remains in force and as a result of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010, its statutory role and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Animal Welfare (4 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 638 of 16 September 2016 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (4 Oct 2016)

Simon Coveney: As the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is deemed to be a social housing support under section 19 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, as amended, households in receipt of HAP are not included on the local authority waiting list for social housing support. However, HAP recipients may access other forms of social housing supports, by applying to go on the local authority...