Results 17,381-17,400 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Water Charges: Motion [Private Members] (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: When my party and Fianna Fáil published our agreement on facilitating a minority Fine Gael-led Government, we made clear our commitment to providing the space for a comprehensive nine-month deliberative process to be undertaken on how we will fund domestic water services into the future. We are now three months into this deliberative process and I welcome the opportunity Sinn Féin...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Nitrates Action Programme Implementation (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Nitrates Directive and Ireland's National Nitrates Action Programme are given legal effect by the consolidated European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014, as amended. The objective of the Regulations is to protect ground and surface waters, including drinking water sources, primarily through the management of livestock manures and other...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 to 142, inclusive, together. Changes to motor tax rates are generally considered in the context of the national budgetary process and, therefore, it would not be appropriate to comment further on possible changes to motor tax rates at this time. The estimated current annual cost of a 10% reduction in motor tax rates for private vehicles registered...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Property Registration (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: In considering the establishment of a National Property Advisory Council, it should be noted that certain regulatory elements of the property sector, such as property registrations, conveyancing and the regulation of property services, are a matter for the Minister for Justice and Equality. With regard to the supply of housing, in publishing Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (28 Sep 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: NAMA Portfolio (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: To end Quarter 2 2016, the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) had identified 6,765 units, associated with the security for loans that NAMA has acquired, that could be made available for social housing. Many of these units were in unfinished housing developments or developments that required significant remediation work. All of the units identified by NAMA, regardless of their condition,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department recently issued for consultation a draft of “Part V of the Planning andDevelopment Act 2000: Further Guidelines”which deals with specific issues arising from the amendments made to Part V by the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015.The consultation period ended on 16September 2016 and my Department is currently examining a number of submissions received from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The following table sets out the number of staff employed by An Bord Pleanála (the Board) on 31 December for the years 2008 to 2015, in addition to the operating budget for the Board over the same period. The 2016 grant aid figure represents the amount provided in the 2016 Revised Estimates for Public Services. Years Staffing Grant aid Miscellaneous Income (including income from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Rusheen No. 3 Group Water Scheme was included by Kerry County Council in its bid under Measure 3 of the Rural Water Multi-Annual Programme 2016 – 2018 for funding those group water schemes in areas where a public scheme and private wells are not a viable option. However, following examination of all local authorities' proposals under this measure by the Expert Panel convened for this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Affordable Housing Schemes helped qualifying applicants, who would not have otherwise been in a position to purchase a home, to become home owners through purchase of designated affordable units. Houses sold to first time buyers under the various affordable housing schemes were priced at a significant discount from their market value. Buyers were free to sell their properties at anytime....

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Let me answer the question because the Deputy had the courtesy at least to ask some questions. What we will continue to do is work with Sligo County Council to try to ensure that a plan that was signed off by Sligo County Council nine months ago actually works. We will show flexibility and give support where needed, which is what we are looking at doing at the moment. However, we cannot...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: No, we are not throwing anybody under any bus.

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: We do not accept-----

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: That is a democratic decision for councillors to make.

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I thank both Deputies for raising this issue because it is one of real concern in Sligo. I met last week with the chief executive of the local authority in Sligo. It was not a political meeting. It was a meeting to go through a letter he had sent to me outlining the challenges the council faces. It is important to say that every local authority has a responsibility to manage its...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: No it was not under threat. As part of the plan, the Department agreed to give an extra €1 million to Sligo each year over a five-year period. Only nine months later we are now in a situation where we are being told the plan is not workable. I have to stand over a situation where we are trying to bring back an acceptable level of financial management to the local authority in Sligo....

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Did Deputy MacSharry object to the plan at the time?

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Is that why Deputy MacSharry is grandstanding?

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: What we are trying to do is ensure that it does work. We are showing flexibility, which we have been asked to do by the chief executive and his team. That is exactly what we have been trying to do.