Results 18,341-18,360 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (21 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 258 and 259 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (21 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: A fund of €10m has been made available from the proposed carry-over of capital savings in 2015 to be used in 2016 to fund a new initiative to accelerate the taking-in-charge of estates, irrespective of the wider development context that they are located within. Local authorities were invited to submit proposals based on an indicative allocation of €3.5m proposed to be made...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects Expenditure (21 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Over the period 1999 to the end of 2015 , my Department provided over € 764 million to Ballymun Regeneration Limitedand Dublin City Council towards the physical, social and economic regeneration of Ballymun. While investment in the physical regeneration of Ballymun is largely complete, my Department is continuing to support certain social and economic interventions in Ballymun over the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects (21 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 264 together. Regeneration projects being funded by my Department target the country’s most disadvantaged communities, including those defined by the most extreme social exclusion, unemployment and anti-social behaviour. My Department currently supports a programme of large-scale regeneration projects in Dublin, Cork and Limerick and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (21 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The new Programme for Partnership Governmentsets out the ambitious priority attached to urban regeneration by the new Government, with a series of specific actions set out therein as to how it is proposed to facilitate the regeneration of our urban centres. In this context, I have established a working group of officials (comprising senior representatives from my Department, local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (21 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The site in question, at Glin, County Limerick, was accepted into the Land Aggregation Scheme in 2011. Under that Scheme, the Housing Agency is responsible for engaging with local authorities, and approved housing bodies, regarding the appropriate development of the lands, prior to seeking the necessary approval from the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Seanad Reform (16 Jun 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. The implementation of the 1979 amendment of the constitution to extend the university franchise at Seanad elections to graduates of other institutions of higher education in the State is to be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (16 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. In this regard, it is a matter for each individual Chief Executive to recruit and assign staff to specific divisions. My Department works closely with all...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes (16 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Government is committed to introducing and supporting legislation in the Oireachtas, within six weeks of its appointment, to suspend domestic water charges for a period of nine months from the end of the current bill cycle. The proposed details of the suspension will be set out in the legislation when published. In line with the suspension of domestic water charges, and to ensure equity...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal (16 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 135 together. In an open market, it has been a matter for the collector to set charges, including service charges, at the level they consider to be competitive, in compliance with the requirements of environmental and other applicable legislation. Excessive pricing by individual companies will offer the opportunity for rival operators to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Data (16 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Under the terms of these various funding schemes supporting the delivery of social housing by approved housing bodies (AHBs), AHBs are the de factoowners of the properties and are required to make them available for social renting for the duration of the mortgage or, as the case may be, the availability agreement. My Department cannot unilaterally make provision for their sale to tenants....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (16 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department holds regular and on-going discussions with waste collection service providers with regard to various issues around the introduction of pay by weight. However, in an open market , it is a matter for the collector to set charges, including service charges, at the level they consider to be competitive, in compliance with the requirements of environmental and other applicable...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (16 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department funds a range of housing supports for persons with a disability, living in both privately- owned housing and local authority housing. The Disabled Person Grant Scheme provides fund s to local authorities to undertake adaptations and extensions to homes to meet the needs of local authority tenants with a disability, or to address serious overcrowding. The Housing Adaptation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (16 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: With regard to the status of the housing project referenced, I have no function in relation to individual planning cases. Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case, with which a planning authority, including An Bord Pleanála, is or may be concerned. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (16 Jun 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 noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments; - a mandatory minimum setback distance of 500 metres between a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (16 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department funds a programme to return vacant social housing to productive use which has been in operation in its current format since 2014; under this programme, a total of €60 million was provided to local authorities between 2014 and 2015 to support the return of 5,000 properties to use. This substantial funding over 2014/15 supported local authorities to deal with a backlog of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (16 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Properties (16 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: In general, premises and sites occupied by my Department are rented or leased by the Office of Public Works, rather than directly by my Department. Details relating to premises and sites currently rented directly by Met Éireann are set out as follows: Location Landlord Upward only rent Office space - Dublin Airport Dublin Airport Authority No Office space - Shannon Airport...

Rent Certainty Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: It is because one is much more complex than the other.

Rent Certainty Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Not on Committee Stage.