Results 18,221-18,240 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Funding (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department is currently preparing an 'Action Plan for Housing', which will seek to address the challenges in the housing sector in a targeted and meaningful way. It will build on the considerable work already carried out or underway in this area. I can assure the Deputy that the recommendations of the Report of the Special Committee on Housing and Homelessnessare being considered in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The table sets out the funding provided by my Department to local authorities for the acquisition of new and previously owned housing and apartments for social housing from 2014 to end May 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 local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal Charges (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: In an open market , it has always been a matter for the waste collector to set charges at the level they consider to be competitive, in compliance with the requirements of relevant legislation. Excessive pricing by individual companies will offer the opportunity for rival operators to provide their services at a cheaper price. In response to recent concerns regarding reported price...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The information requested in relation to new loans advanced by each local authority in 2015 is available on my Department’s website at: www.environ.ie/housing/statistics/house-prices-loans-and-pro file-borrowers/local-authority-loan-activityby clicking on the link entitled, "LA loans paid by individual LA 2011-2015". Information on new loans advanced by each local authority in Q1 2016...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Drafting of the Maritime Area and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill is well advanced and it is my intention to publish the Bill during the Autumn Oireachtas session.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Boundaries Review (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: In 2015 the Cork Local Government Committee was appointed to carry out an objective review of local government arrangements in Cork city and county including the boundary of Cork city and to make recommendations with respect to whether the boundary of the city should be altered or whether Cork City Council and Cork County Council should be unified. The Committee's report, which incorporates...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Vacant Sites Levy (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 230 to 233, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme will be rolled out to a further group of local authority administrative areas in Quarter 4 of this year, including Wicklow County Council, subject to the necessary statutory regulations being in place. My Department is currently liaising with Wicklow County Council in relation to staffing and training needs to support the introduction of HAP in this...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (28 Jun 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. My Department is not aware of any problems with staff in the housing department in Wicklow County Council. Any local issue of this kind is a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 237 to 239, inclusive, together. Climate change has been prioritised by the new Government as reflected in the establishment of a new role of Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. However, pending the formal legal transfer of the climate functions from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to the new...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Advisory Council (28 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: In accordance with Section 8(1) of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act2015, the Climate Change Advisory Council was established on 18th January 2016 by Ministerial Order. The composition of the Council is as follows: Composition of Council - Professor John FitzGerald (Chairperson), formerly of the ESRI Professor Dr Ottmar Edenhofer Professor of Economics of Climate...

United Kingdom Referendum on European Union Membership: Statements (27 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I thought the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Varadkar, was ahead of me, but it seems not.

United Kingdom Referendum on European Union Membership: Statements (27 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I have only five minutes and I wish to focus on a few issues. Firstly, on a personal level but also as a Minister in Government, I believe the UK has made a bad decision. It is bad for the European Union and it is certainly bad for Ireland and for Northern Ireland. In time I believe that many people in Britain will live to regret the decision also. From Ireland's perspective, the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Sector Allowances (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Based on expenditure during 2011 for allowances subsequently abolished, it is estimated a reinstatement of such allowances to staff in my Department would amount to €73,500 per annum. This estimate will have to be revised once Orders for the transfer of functions from my Department are complete, as related payroll budgets will transfer with staff leaving my Department. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Payment of salaries to staff of my Department is made in line with pay scales approved by the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER). As any estimates in this instance would be in formed by a variety of hypothetical assumptions, it is not possible to provide an indication of any additional cost that might arise in the absence of central guidance on the matter. The information...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Data (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Rights (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. Security of tenure under the Act is based on rolling four-year tenancy cycles. Where a tenant has been in occupation of a dwelling for a continuous period of 6 months and no notice of termination has been...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: All households in receipt of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) pay a differential rent based on the rent scheme set by their local authority, meaning that the amount of rent a household pays to the local authority depends on their total household income. Under the HAP scheme, eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector; this accommodation must be within...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Library Services (23 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The introduction of changes to the library management model for the library authorities in Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon, as outlined in the report Managing the Delivery of Effective Library Services, will not involve the closure of libraries nor will it require a reduction in the library services available in those areas. The proposed model seeks to put in place planning and implementation...