Results 17,441-17,460 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department received a staffing request, for an additional five members of staff as part of the roll-out of the Housing Assistance Payment, from Wicklow County Council on 23 September 2016. This request is under consideration and a response will issue to the Council without delay .

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Charges (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Irish Water customer billing and collection levels are a matter for the utility and one in which I have no function. Irish Water has published information on bill payment levels on its website at www.water.ie, which...

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

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 359 and 360 together. The provision of social housing is carried out through a range of delivery methods, including construction, acquisition, leasing and other approaches, which allow local authorities to respond flexibly to meet local demand and operate within local property circumstances. The cost for the capital-funded construction of a new social...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Government Fund (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I assume that the Question refers to general purpose grants (GPG) from the Local Government Fund. The Local Government Fund historically provided local authorities with finance for funding some of their day-to-day activities, including elements of water services costs, through General Purpose Grant allocations; for non-national roads; and funding for certain local government initiatives. As...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Irish Water (27 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Earlier this year, in the context of Government formation discussions, some broad estimates of the potential costs of abolition of Irish Water were prepared. It was estimated that once off costs for staff redundancies, termination of contracts, transitioning to another model etc. could range from €85 million - €169 million. In addition, some €1.6 billion additional...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: If the committee is interested, we did not get a chance to talk about the legislation last week and I would like to read out a short briefing on the legislation to give the committee an idea of what I am likely to bring to Cabinet next week. I said I would do that and I wish to follow through on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Of course. I look forward to that. I circulated extensive speaking notes last week. If it would be helpful, people-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Members might find it more helpful if we went straight to questions. I can talk the committee through how we are going to deliver 47,000 social housing units and what we are doing around planning reform but I suspect the committee has probably heard all of that. I am in the hands of the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: If the committee wants to go straight to questions, perhaps we can try to deal with some of the concerns or queries members may have.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: There are many questions to which other members would like answers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: It is great that Senator Victor Boyhan has read the plan. From my perspective, that is very good. I will go through some of the schemes mentioned. On student accommodation, it is my understanding anything happening on public land which is controlled and managed by a local council is subject to a Part VIII process. It is up to the council to make sure it does this in a way that is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Yes, and what a project that is. I encourage anyone seeking an exemplar for a social housing project to view that really impressive project. We want to have a lot more of that type of stuff and have the budgets to be able to do it. If there are any religious congregations listening that have properties which no longer are in use or which they seek to vacate in the coming months or years,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: They are all local authority.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I will respond to Deputy Coppinger's questions first because she might need to leave. She said the focus on private houses is not a solution. This is a housing strategy as well as a homelessness strategy. We are trying to deal with multiple pressures and challenges across the housing sector, whether it involves a first-time buyer trying to buy a house, a chief executive from a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I am not equating anything. This is a broad housing strategy as well as a response to homelessness and social housing need.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Is the Deputy suggesting that private houses should not be built?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: That is what we will spend almost €5.5 billion of taxpayer's money doing over the next five years: to build almost 50,000 additional social housing units.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: It is important that I nail this issue down because we have proposed to spend €5.35 billion of taxpayer's money on dramatically increasing the social housing stock by between 30% and 40% in five years. I am not sure if such an increase was achieved in the past.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I am talking about adding to the social housing stock. Unfortunately, the State sold much of its stock, which, with the benefit of hindsight, was probably a mistake in certain instances. We are committing a huge sum. Of the available additional capital that can be allocated in the upcoming budget, 60% will go on social housing. We will allocate more to social housing than to education,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness: Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (21 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I agree with Deputy Coppinger on that point.