Results 17,981-18,000 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: National Archives (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: I refer to the reply to Question No. 358 of 31st May 2016 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: A Programme for a Partnership Government includes a goal for this Government to pursue the implementation of the Manning Report, formally known as the Report of the Working Group on Seanad Reform. That report makes recommendations to restructure and reform the Seanad, including implementation of the 1979 amendment of the constitution to extend the university franchise at Seanad elections to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The advancement through design, planning and construction of the social housing project concerned is a matter in the first instance for the County Council. The Council forwarded the outcome of the tendering process for the construction of this project to my Department in recent days and this is now being assessed with a view to responding to the Council shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: An Bord Pleanála Appointments (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: Appointments to the Board of An Bord Pleanála are governed by sections 105 to 107 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and positions on the Board are filled as vacancies arise in line with those provisions. Information on the current nine members of the Board, their dates of appointment and when their appointments expire is set out in the following table: Board...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: Kerry County Council has included the Group Water Scheme in question in its application to my Department for funding under the new Rural Water Multi-Annual Funding Programme for the period 2016 to 2018. My Department is currently considering local authorities' bids for funding and allocations to authorities for funding under the new programme will be provided shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal Charges (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 241, 253, 264 and 278 together. It is widely recognised that there are difficulties associated with the collection of household waste in bags, including: - littering caused by ripped bags; - health and safety issues for collectors, where sharp objects are placed in bags; - litter caused by fly-tipping on streets/areas, where bag collections take place; -...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Funding (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: There are currently two Mortgage to Rent (MTR) schemes funded by my Department. A scheme exists whereby a local authority (LA) can acquire ownership of properties with unsustainable local authority mortgages, thus enabling the household to remain in their home as a social housing tenant (LAMTR ). The other scheme provides for an Approved Housing Body (AHB) to acquire ownership of a property...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Applications (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: Under the Approved Housing Body (AHB) Mortgage to Rent Scheme (AHB-mortgage-to-rent) an AHB can acquire ownership of a property with an unsustainable private mortgage, enabling the household to remain in their home as a social housing tenant. To be eligible for the scheme a household must have had their mortgage position deemed unsustainable under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal Charges (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: I have stated publicly that I am unhappy with the arrangement whereby a waste collector would require existing customers to move automatically to pay by weight as opposed to being left on their current plan and given the choice to ‘opt-in’ to pay by weight. I do not believe that this approach is consistent with the spirit of the agreement that I reached with the industry last...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 249 together. It is a matter for each local authority to manage its own finances in a prudent and sustainable manner. Under the Local Government Act 2001, a decision to borrow money is a reserved function of the elected members of a local authority. Section 106 of the Act provides that, in order to undertake borrowing, local authorities must obtain...

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

Simon Coveney: As of 4 July 2016, 467 homeless households, referred by the homeless units, including the Homeless HAP Pilot Scheme being managed by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive, are being supported by the HAP scheme in the following local authority areas: HAP Local Authority Number of HAP households referred from Homeless Units Carlow 1 Clare 2 Cork City 1 Cork County 8 Dublin City...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Funding (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: A new arrangement was introduced on a pilot basis in January 2016 to facilitate a further streamlining of funding approvals for social housing construction projects that have an all-in budget of less than €2m and up to 15 housing units. This new arrangement is optional and local authorities can, if they so wish, submit project costings over the course of planning for a project and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The main house purchase loan currently available from local authorities is the standard annuity mortgage, targeted at lower income first time buyers. The relevant terms and conditions applying to local authority housing loans are set out in the following regulations – the Housing (Home Choice Loan) Regulations 2009 – available at - and the Housing (Local Authority Loans)...

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

Simon Coveney: Part V provisions are a key component of the range of delivery mechanisms required to achieve the targets set out in the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020. One of the objectives of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 is to streamline and enhance the operation of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and increase the level of social housing provided as an...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The following table sets out the funding provided by my Department to local authorities for the acquisition of new and previously owned houses and apartments for social housing from 2015 to end June 2016. This includes direct purchases, purchases under Part V arrangements and the delivery of turnkey projects. Some local authorities also fund acquisitions from their own resources such as...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Eligibility (5 Jul 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 income needed to provide for a household's basic needs...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme Criteria (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of local authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions, subject to broad principles laid down by my Department in Circular letter HRT 3/2002 of 6 March 2002. It is a matter for local authorities, when assessing individual households, to consider whether rents payable are in accordance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The advancement through design, planning and construction of the social housing project at Carrickmacross, County Monaghan to deliver 7 new units of accommodation is a matter in the first instance for Monaghan County Council and the approved housing body Respond. I understand that the project is currently under construction and targeted to be completed in quarter 1 of 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Records (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: The number of staff employed in my Department’s archives unit in each of the years is set out in the following table. Appropriate training is provided to staff who are undertaking archival functions including the examination of records for referral to the National Archives. The number of staff employed in my Department’s Archives Unit will be kept under review in the context of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Reform (5 Jul 2016)

Simon Coveney: A Programme for A Partnership Government proposes that a number of referendums be held, these include referendums on: - Article 41.2.1 of the constitution regarding a “woman’s life within the home”; - The question of amending Article 40.6.1(i) of the Constitution to remove the offence of blasphemy; - Ireland’s participation in the Universal Patent Court; and -...