Parliamentary questions

Building Regulations Amendments

Thomas P. Broughan

544. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the submissions from a group (details supplied) regarding the certification requirements contained in the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014; and if the regulations will be amended to reflect the concerns outlined by the group in question. [3932/14]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Status

Jim Daly

545. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm the plans of Irish Water including the projected timelines for commencement and completion for the construction of a new main drainage scheme in Bandon, County Cork. [3948/14]

Environmental Protection Enforcement

Finian McGrath

546. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding a threat to jobs at a premises (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [3986/14]

Planning Issues

Patrick Nulty

547. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if local authorities have any powers under existing legislation to compel private landowners to remove trees on their property that are a danger and or nuisance to neighbouring properties; if so, if he will outline the relevant legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4044/14]

Private Rented Accommodation Provision

Terence Flanagan

548. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce a cap on rents in the private rental sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4052/14]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Terence Flanagan

549. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to increase the amount of social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4053/14]

Social and Affordable Housing Provision

Seamus Kirk

550. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the total amount of social houses available here; if he will provide a breakdown on a county basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4064/14]

Grant Payments

Terence Flanagan

551. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce grants for the elderly to obtain smoke alarms and personal alarms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4074/14]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Status

Michael McCarthy

552. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the progress of a scheme (details supplied); if he will further provide assurances that this scheme will proceed as planned; if the funding that was approved for this project is still in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4134/14]

Water Meters

Olivia Mitchell

553. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if it is the intention of Irish Water, as reported recently, to charge apartment dwellers on an average use basis rather than a metered basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4137/14]

Building Regulations Amendments

Olivia Mitchell

554. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reconsider the proposed amendment S.I No. 9 of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013 which if introduced could discourage the tradition of self-builders here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4147/14]

Water and Sewerage Schemes Status

Noel Harrington

555. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has addressed the concerns of Bandon Town Council in its letter to him dated 28 November 2013 (details supplied); if these works will proceed as planned during 2014; if funding is still in place to complete the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4150/14]

Irish Water Establishment

Brian Stanley

556. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government where in the Water Services Act it specifies that Irish Water will be retained in public ownership and not privatised. [4153/14]

Fire Service Staff

Thomas P. Broughan

557. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 430 of 21 January 2014, the number of external candidates for which sanction has been granted by his Department to Dublin City Council to hold a new recruitment drive for Dublin Fire Brigade in 2014. [4181/14]

Planning Issues

Michael McGrath

558. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to relax the current rule affecting persons who bought properties under the affordable housing scheme whereby they are not allowed to rent out the property; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this is causing considerable difficulties for persons whose circumstances may have changed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4207/14]

Departmental Bodies

Michael McGrath

559. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will, in respect of his Department's audit committee, provide details of its current membership; the date of appointment of each member; the fees paid to each member; if members of the committee are required to hold certain professional qualifications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4216/14]

Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure

Brendan Smith

560. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of the financial allocation to County Cavan under the social housing investment programme for the years 2010 to 2014, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4287/14]

Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure

Brendan Smith

561. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide details of the financial allocation to County Monaghan under the social housing investment programme for years 2010 to 2014, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4288/14]

Seniors Alert Scheme

Michael Healy-Rae

562. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will double the funding available to allow persons to install monitoring alarms in their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4309/14]

Appointments to State Boards

Pearse Doherty

563. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of appointments to State boards under the remit of his Department, that were made as a result of applications made through the publicjobs.ie website in the past three years; the number of board posts that were advertised on publicjobs.ie; the number of board posts that were not advertised on the website but instead were directly appointed; and the average pay to directly appointed board members. [4592/14]