Results 18,501-18,520 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Services (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: It is the responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with Section 80 of the Local Government Act 2001, to make proper arrangements for the management, custody, care and conservation of their records and archives and to provide public access to their archives. Similarly, the annual cost for the storage of records and archives is a matter for each local authority and is a matter in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Remuneration (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: A 10% cut in the annual salaries of the 31 Chief Executives would amount to a total annual saving of €418,000.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Administration (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The first Leader contracts will issue to local action groups (LAGs), including those in County Cork, on a phased basis over the coming weeks as the respective Leader local development strategies are finalised and discussions on contract and implementation arrangements are concluded with the respective LAGs. The new Leader Programme will be delivered in three separate sub-regional areas in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The figures produced by the Housing Agency, drawing on Census 2011, highlight the extent of vacant properties in the country at that time. The Agency has also highlighted the importance of utilising existing housing stock to meet the housing shortage where possible. In this regard, vacant units in areas that are already serviced may provide opportunities. In order to fully ascertain the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I will shortly bring forward draft legislation to implement water elements of the “Confidence and Supply Arrangement” agreed with Fianna Fáil in the context of supporting a minority government. This draft legislation will provide for the suspension of domestic water charges for a period of nine months, clarify the position on late payment charges during this period and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management Regulations (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 363 to 365, inclusive, together. Under the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, as amended, there has been a requirement since 1 July 2015 for collectors to weigh household waste collected at kerbside, using approved weighing instruments and to make this information available to the householder. From 1 July 2016 , there will be a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I will shortly bring forward draft legislation to implement water elements of the “Confidence and Supply Arrangement” agreed with Fianna Fáil in the context of supporting a minority government. This draft legislation will provide for the suspension of domestic water charges for a period of nine months and provide for the establishment of an External Advisory Board to build...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Reform (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department held a public consultation on the control of postering for elections and referenda in Autumn 2008. Following on from this, a number of measures, including restricting the number of posters per candidate and the display of posters in designated areas only, were pilot-tested during the 2009 Local and European Elections. Local authorities were canvassed for their views on these...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) (formally the Social Housing Leasing Initiative) was announced in February, 2009. Since then the Programme has been expanded a number of times to provide for new types of supply and to involve a greater range of agencies and bodies in providing accommodation. SHCEP currently supports the delivery of social housing by providing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Data (31 May 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. This includes the domestic water metering programme. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Derelict Sites (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Derelict Sites Act 1990 requires local authorities to take all reasonable steps, including the exercise of appropriate statutory powers, to ensure that any land within their functional area does not become, or continue to be, a derelict site. To this end, local authorities have been given substantial powers under the Act in relation to any such sites, including powers to require...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Data (31 May 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 customer billing and collection levels are a matter for the utility and one in which I have no function. Irish Water has published information on bill payment levels to the end of its fourth billing cycle on its...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: Statistics on unoccupied housing across the State, including County Louth, has most recently been set out in a report by the Housing Agency, which is available at the following link: Louth County Council had 59 vacant social housing units as at 27 May 2016, which represents 1.6% of their stock. A number of these are vacant/derelict units which the Council has recently acquired from private...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 373 and 395 together. The new Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme and applies to all existing local authority houses, other than those classes of houses excluded under legislation....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: The information sought in the question is not routinely collated in my Department. 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: Homelessness Strategy (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: In the short time I have been in office, I have met with a number of Government colleagues, elected representatives, local authority Chief Executives, non-Governmental organisations and voluntary service providers to discuss, among other things, the issues and current challenges surrounding homelessness. A significant number of measures are being taken to address homelessness. These measures...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) have a key role to play in the provision of high quality sustainable social housing and this is recognised in the Government’s Social Housing Strategy2020. In this way, the Strategy recognises the record of steady achievement by AHBs over the past 20 years in providing in excess of 28,000 units of quality accommodation. Under the Social Housing Current...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Data (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 377 to 381, inclusive, together. My Department provides funding to local authorities towards the cost of adaptations and extensions to their social housing stock to meet the needs of local authority tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. Funding is also provided to local authorities towards the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (31 May 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 housing and apartments for use as social housing units from 2011 to date. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (31 May 2016)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 to 386, inclusive, together. The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme is one of the key policy measures used by the EU to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective manner. Emissions Trading is a “Cap and Trade” scheme whereby an EU wide limit or cap is set for participating installations. The cap is reduced over...