Results 1,921-1,940 of 4,773 for speaker:Paudie Coffey

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Qualifications (24 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: In 2013 Mr Garrett Fennell, Solicitor, who is chairperson of the Admissions Board established by the Royal Institution of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) to oversee the registration of architects under the Building Control Act 2007, was tasked with reviewing the arrangements in place for registration. Mr Fennell’s report, which was welcomed by my Department, made a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (24 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020,published in November 2014, includes a commitment to introduce the new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses provided under Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 by the second quarter of this year. The scheme will operate along the lines of the incremental purchase model. As with the existing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Issues (19 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The removal of gravel from the foreshore requires a licence under Section 3 of the Foreshore Act 1933. Details of how to make such an application can be found on my Department's website at the following link: . A prospective applicant can request a pre-application consultation with the Marine Planning and Foreshore Section of my Department. Contact details can be found at .

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (19 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The Planning Policy Statement 2015 which I recently published jointly with my colleague, Minister Alan Kelly, and which is the first policy statement on planning ever published by an Irish Government, is intended to act as an overarching non-statutory general guiding document for our planning system. It outlines and re-affirms in a clear and concise way the key values and core principles...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (18 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines provide guidance to planning authorities, which they must have regard to when considering planning applications for proposed wind energy developments. While the guidelines do not specifically refer to schools, they suggest that a minimum 500 metre setback distance between the nearest turbine and any noise sensitive property should be applied,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (18 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: 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. The Government's Social Housing Strategy 2020includes a commitment to introduce the new scheme by the second quarter of this year. Full details of the scheme will be set out in regulations that I will make in advance...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (18 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines provide guidance to planning authorities, which they must have regard to when considering planning applications for proposed wind energy developments. While the guidelines do not specifically refer to schools, they suggest that a minimum 500 metre setback distance between the nearest turbine and any noise sensitive property should be applied,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (18 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: 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. The Government's Social Housing Strategy 2020includes a commitment to introduce the new scheme by the second quarter of this year. Full details of the scheme will be set out in regulations that I will make in advance...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Applications (18 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Further to the reply to Question No. 556 of 3 February 2015, my Department instructed Kerry County Council to immediately cease any works on the foreshore within the Akeragh, Banna and Barrow Harbour candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC) and within the Tralee Bay complex Special Protection Area (SPA) pending consideration of licensing requirements under the Foreshore Act 1933. Kerry...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (17 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: My Department is currently conducting a review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines focused specifically on noise, proximity and shadow flicker. As part of this process, my Department wrote to the Department of Health in September 2013 inviting any input that they might have on the health aspects, if any, of wind farms. Preliminary feedback was received from a Deputy Chief Medical...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations (17 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 483 to 486, inclusive, together. The Building Control Act 1990 places a statutory obligation on owners, designers and builders to design and construct buildings in compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations. Following public concern with regard to the widespread failure to comply with regulatory requirements in all sectors of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regional Development (17 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Ireland has been allocated €1.2 billion of Structural Funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF) for the period 2014 – 2020. To avail of these funds, the Department of Public Expenditure has devised Ireland's Partnership Agreement which was approved by Government in November 2014 and by the European Commission in December 2014....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Generation (17 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The information requested is not compiled by my Department, as it has no statutory role or remit in relation to this matter.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (12 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I have outlined in detail to the Senator the manner in which the grant allocations have been made. We need to acknowledge those local authorities that have been more proactive and kept these schemes open, for which they have been rewarded. Others, however, closed them. A local authority, essentially as the housing authority, is ultimately the responsible authority for how the scheme is...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (12 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I thank Senator Byrne for raising this matter and I am happy to clarify it for him. Exchequer funding of over €37 million was provided in 2014 for the housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability. This was combined with a contribution of an additional 20% by individual local authorities, to give an overall spend of €46.3 million. I am pleased to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (12 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 245 together. MacCabe Durney Barnes Consultants were appointed in February 2014 to carry out an independent planning review on the performance of planning functions in six selected planning authorities (Carlow, Cork, Galway and Meath County Councils and Cork and Dublin City Councils) in accordance with section 255 of the Planning and Development...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board Staff (12 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together. The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. The primary functions of the Board are to operate a national tenancy registration system and to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants in the private rented residential sector. Details on...

Seanad: Private Rental Sector: Motion (11 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: I assure Senators that both housing and the private rental sector are priority issues for the Government and I thank the Labour Party for tabling this motion in the Seanad. I thank all who have contributed to the debate. They are right that this is an important opportunity to discuss the challenges society faces in regard to housing provision. As Minister of State with specific...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Application (11 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: The charging of development contributions is intended to allow local authorities to recoup some of the costs to public funds of servicing land for private development. Without such contributions, this servicing would not proceed or the full cost would have to be borne by the taxpayer. Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, income from development levies must be ring-fenced...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Conditions (11 Feb 2015)

Paudie Coffey: Under the provisions of Section 13A(1) of the Foreshore Act 1933 a request for supplementary information issued to Irish Water on 18 December 2014. My Department expects the supplementary information to be submitted shortly.  Depending on the specific additional information provided, the consultation period of this application may need to be extended.  Following completion of the...