Results 18,381-18,400 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: A pay-by-weight awareness campaign, launched on 18 May 2016, is being rolled out at national, regional and local levels over the coming weeks and will give invaluable advice to householders on minimising their waste management costs under pay-by-weight charging. In terms of the information provided by household waste collectors, the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department, together with the Housing Agency, the Housing Finance Agency and local authorities, has considered the affordability issues facing some borrowers who purchased properties under the Shared Ownership (SO) schemes and devised a more affordable long-term path towards full home ownership. A range of measures have already been taken to reduce the monthly repayments of these...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation (14 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: NAMA Portfolio (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The role and mandate of NAMA is a matter, in the first instance, for the Minister for Finance. The Programme for a Partnership Governmentincludes a commitment to the preparation and publication of an ‘Action Plan for Housing’. The Action Plan will be drafted with input from a number of key Departments, including the Department of Finance, and drawing on the work of the Special...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Price Controls (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015, enacted on 4 December 2015, introduced a number of measures to address rent stability and housing supply. In relation to rent stability, the Act provides, inter alia, that the minimum period between rent reviews for tenancies is being increased from 12 to 24 months and this new provision will apply for a 4 year period. In addition, the minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Government waste policy is predicated on the waste hierarchy as set out in the EU’s Waste Framework Directive. A number of specific measures have been, and will continue to be, introduced to reduce the amount of waste generated in the State and to increase the segregation of waste which cannot be prevented, in line with Government policy. The introduction of pay-by-weight charges for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Rents (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 200, which has not yet been commenced, provides for the introduction of a national differential rents framework that will harmonise local authority rent levels nationally, while retaining some discretion for individual authorities to set rents in their own areas. While a proposed framework has been prepared, I have asked my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Data (14 Jun 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 (LA-Mortgage-to-Rent). The other scheme provides for an Approved Housing Body (AHB) to acquire ownership...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: The decision to replace town authorities with a new model of municipal governance under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 was designed primarily to strengthen local government within counties and to address widely acknowledged and long-standing weaknesses and anomalies in the previous system, including divided administration between town and county authorities, for example, in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Details on social housing units constructed in respect of all local authorities and approved housing bodies is published on my Department’s website at the following link: . Data in respect of quarter 1 of 2016 is currently being collated and will be published shortly; however, preliminary outputs show that between local authorities and approved housing bodies, over 200 units have been...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Responsibilities (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 268 together. The Rural Affairs and Social Enterprise (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 was approved by Government on 8 June 2016 and took effect from 9 June 2016. This Order provides for the transfer of certain community-related functions from my Department to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Collection (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Development contributions allow local authorities to recoup some of the costs to public funds of servicing land for private development. They provide a mechanism by which developers can contribute to the cost of providing public infrastructure and facilities that benefit development in the area. The payment of development contributions is a long-standing part of the planning system, dating...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, recruitment of staff is a matter for each Chief Executive. The table below lists the posts sanctioned by my Department in response to requests...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Responsibilities (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Responsibility for the LEADER programme has transferred to the Minister for Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht. Responsibility for the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and other community-related functions, including the scheme to support national organisations, remains with my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I recognise the difficulty faced by households in accessing the housing market. The Programme for a Partnership Governmentcontains a commitment for the introduction of a new model of affordable rental to provide more housing options for low income households and to relieve pressure on the social housing sector. €10 million is being made available from the proceeds of the sale of Bord...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Policy (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: Addressing the needs of persons with a disability are already well established in housing policies. The commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Governmentprovides a platform to consolidate and build on the significant work to date, and will ensure that momentum is sustained in future housing policy development. The National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability (NHSPWD)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Fund (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I have not yet made any decisions concerning 2017 allocations from the Local Government Fund. Such decisions will be taken in the context of Budget 2017 and the Estimates process.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Quality (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 together. Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of public water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. I have no responsibility for, or role in relation to, the management, operation or maintenance of water services infrastructure. Under the European Union (Drinking...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Management (14 Jun 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department has not received a copy of the report referred to and has no function in this matter, which is an operational matter for Sligo County Council.