Results 1,821-1,840 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (15 Apr 2015)

Paudie Coffey: My Department’s statutory Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Development Plans(June, 2007) continue to provide a sound basis for planning authorities when preparing and implementing their development plans. I intend to publish a draft update of these Guidelines for public consultation during 2015 taking account of, inter alia, the changed wider legislative and policy context in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Standards (2 Apr 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Minimum standards for rented accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2008 as amended, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations. Responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations rests with each local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Amendments (2 Apr 2015)

Paudie Coffey: My Department has given preliminary consideration to the arrangements in place for oversight of new single dwellings and extensions to existing dwellings in advance of the anticipated full formal review of the broader operation of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 9 of 2014). While costs are determined by market forces and are therefore outside of the scope of my...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (1 Apr 2015)

Paudie Coffey: While I fully appreciate and acknowledge the extremely difficult and distressing situations that householders have to deal with when faced with the consequences of poor workmanship or the use of defective materials, in general, building defects are matters for resolution between contracting parties, i. e. the homeowner, the builder, the materials supplier and/or their respective insurers. In...

Seanad: An Bille um an gCúigiú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Aois Intofachta chun Oifig an Uachtaráin) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President) Bill 2015: Second Stage (31 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President) Bill 2015 provides for the amendment of Article 12 of the Constitution. It provides for the age at which a citizen becomes eligible for election to the Office of President to be reduced from 35 years to 21. It is a short but important Bill in the context of the Office of President, as...

Seanad: An Bille um an gCúigiú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Aois Intofachta chun Oifig an Uachtaráin) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President) Bill 2015: Second Stage (31 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: In concluding, I repeat that this is a short but important Bill. Our democratic processes and our full participation in them are important for all of us. I take this opportunity to encourage people to vote in order to have their say in the outcome of the referendums. I commend the Bill to the House.

Seanad: An Bille um an gCúigiú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Aois Intofachta chun Oifig an Uachtaráin) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President) Bill 2015: Second Stage (31 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank the Senator.

Seanad: An Bille um an gCúigiú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Aois Intofachta chun Oifig an Uachtaráin) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President) Bill 2015: Second Stage (31 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank all Senators for their contributions to the debate. Divergent views have been put forward but it is the Irish people who will decide the outcome of the referendum, which is one of the great strengths of our democracy. Senator David Norris referred to the nomination process for the Presidency. He is correct that there was a strong vote at the Constitutional Convention in favour of a...

Seanad: An Bille um an gCúigiú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Aois Intofachta chun Oifig an Uachtaráin) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Age of Eligibility for Election to the Office of President) Bill 2015: Second Stage (31 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Will will talk about that another day. There are different views on the proposal before the House to lower the age at which citizens are eligible for election to the Office of the President. Some are of the view that we should leave well enough alone by retaining the age requirement of 35 years, while others have suggested we should be even more ambitious by lowering the age requirement to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (31 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Since 2010, an annual national housing survey of unfinished housing developments has been conducted during the summer months to monitor progress. The detailed findings of the annual surveys, annual progress reports and other useful publications and information in relation to Unfinished Housing Developments are available on the Housing Agency’s website at:. As part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (31 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Minister of State for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Paudie Coffey) I fully appreciate and acknowledge the extremely difficult and distressing situations that many homeowners in Donegal are facing on account of damage to the structural integrity of their homes and, following my recent visit to a number of the affected homes, m y Department has recently received a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (31 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 640 to 642, inclusive, together. My Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme provides support, through local authorities, towards the approved costs of housing bodies in providing accommodation for persons with specific categories of housing need, including older people, people with an intellectual, physical or mental health disability, homeless people,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Standards (31 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Residential Tenancies Acts 2004 and 2009 regulate the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented residential sector and set out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. Sections 12 and 16 set out the obligations on the landlord and tenant respectively, including in relation to the condition of the dwelling.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (31 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 655 and 675 together. Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines. Under the 1995 scheme, discounts were related to the length of tenancy rather than income, with no provision for the State to share in any profits arising from...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board Remit (26 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants including in relation to rent, security of tenure and the termination of tenancies. The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board (26 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Deposit retention and rent arrears are the main categories of dispute from applicant parties for dispute resolution according to the annual report of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) for 2013. The Programme for Governmentincludes a commitment to establish a tenancy deposit protection scheme. On foot of this commitment the PRTB commissioned research on such a scheme and reported...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme (26 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Section 10A of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 (as amended) provides for a temporary exemption of at least three consecutive years from the charge to Local Property Tax (LPT) for residential properties that have been certified as having “significant pyritic damage”. To avail of the exemption, the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Pyrite Exemption) Regulations 2013 require...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Seaweed Harvesting (26 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 249 together. I have no statutory role in the promotion or development of the seaweed industry. Under the Foreshore Act 1933, I am responsible for regulating only the harvesting of wild seaweed. The harvesting of cultivated seaweed is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The regulation of wild seaweed harvesting...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme Implementation (26 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework within which the pyrite remediation scheme must operate. It is not a compensation scheme and section 14(8) of the Act specifically states that homeowners cannot seek the recoupment of costs associated with the remediation of a dwelling undertaken prior to the commencement of the scheme. I have no plans to amend the legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Mar 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the table below. Section 34(10) of the Planning And Development Act 2000 -2014 provides that , where a decision by the Board to grant or refuse permission is different, in relation to the granting or refusal of permission, from the recommendation in a report of a person assigned to report on an appeal on behalf of the Board, a statement...