Results 17,481-17,500 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Vehicle Registration (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 provides that a declaration of non-use of a motor vehicle must be made in the month of expiry of a tax disc or previously made declaration of non-use of a vehicle. A renewal notice is issued to the owner at the beginning of the month, prompting renewal of motor tax or a further declaration of non-use. The declaration can be made in a motor tax office...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Vacant Sites Levy (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, enacted in July 2015, introduced a new measure, the vacant site levy, which is aimed at incentivising the development of vacant, under-utilised sites in urban areas. Under the Act, planning authorities are required to establish a register of vacant sites in their areas, beginning on 1 January 2017 and to issue annual notices to owners of vacant...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The Commissioner for Valuation has sole responsibility for all valuation matters. The levying and collection of rates are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Services Data (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Drumcorra Group Sewerage Scheme was included by Leitrim County Council in its bid under Measure 4 (d) of the Rural Water Multi-Annual Programme 2016 – 2018 for funding those sewerage schemes where individual septic tanks are not a viable option, particularly from an environmental perspective. However, following examination of all local authorities' proposals under this measure by the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos 552 to 555, inclusive and No. 582 together My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Contracts Data (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The national minimum turnover levels for contractors are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 557, 561, 574, 579, 581, 592, 596 and 606 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments (16 Sep 2016)

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

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Estates (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: While the level of detail requested by the Deputy is not currently available, I have set out information below in relation both to the National Taking in Charge Initiative (NTICI) for residential estates and the most recent figures in relation to the number of unfinished housing estates. The National Taking in Charge Initiative (NTICI) for residential estates, and the pilot scheme funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Animal Welfare (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2010 place statutory responsibility for dog control on local authorities. The enforcement of welfare standards for all animals, including dogs seized under the Control of Dogs Acts, is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 and my Department has no direct role in this regard. Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Local government areas are specified in primary legislation. The Local Government Act 2001 (as amended) currently provides for 3 cities, Cork, Dublin and Galway, and for each of these to have a city council. If an additional city council were to be established in law, this would have significant implications for the county in which the area concerned is situated, particularly loss of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Nursing Homes Support Scheme (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I am informed by my colleague, the Minister for Health, that the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) is a system of financial support for those in need of long-term nursing home care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. Participants in the Scheme contribute up to 80% of their assessable income and a maximum...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme is a targeted intervention for households with unsustainable long-term arrears who require the greatest amount of support to meet their long-term housing needs. The MTR has been refined since its introduction in 2013 to widen the criteria to allow for broader eligibility and more streamlined administration. Despite this, the rate of uptake and progress on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: In December 2013, my Department published proposed draft revisions to the noise, setback distance and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions proposed: - the setting of a more stringent day- and night-time noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments, - a mandatory minimum setback distance of 500 metres between a wind...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2009 gives legislative recognition to rental accommodation availability agreements as a form of social housing support. Consequently, since 1 April 2011, RAS tenants are now considered to be in receipt of social housing support and should not generally remain on housing waiting lists for new applicants for social housing. In recognition that RAS...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department has, currently, issued credit cards to the three office holders listed below: Credit card holder Private Secretary to the Minister; Principal Officer, ICT Section; and Head of Administration and Training Division, Met Éireann. The amount spent on credit cards by my Department in 2014 and in 2015 and the amount of bank interest paid on credit cards in 2014 and 2015 is...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 570 and 571 together. Operational matters in relation to state agencies and third party organisations, including policies around the use of credit cards, are a matter for the organisations concerned. As with all expenditure, state bodies must comply with the relevant requirements of the Public Spending Code which is available at and the Code of Practice for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. It is therefore, a matter for each individual Chief Executive to apply for sanction from my Department and, once approved, to recruit and assign staff to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 576, 626 and 627 together. My Department is currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to funding to support the work of the Expert Commission. I expect this process to conclude shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (16 Sep 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department has provided funding for a range of social regeneration projects in Ballymun for a number of years. Social regeneration funding is provided to Dublin City Council (and formerly Ballymun Regeneration Ltd which has been wound-down) and the Council determines funding levels for the various groups who are involved in social regeneration activities. This funding was paid out of my...