Results 16,001-16,020 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: Will the Deputy let me answer the question? If he talks to my Labour Party colleagues, he will find there is not one iota of a difference between us on the issue. He should talk to the Deputies and Senators. This is a complex issue. I am very strong on the need for proper, good planning guidelines. I am well aware of the issues, projections and the type of turbines that are being...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: Social housing targets have been set for each local authority out to 2017 along with provisional funding allocations. The two Galway councils have a combined target of 1,126 units, supported by an allocation of €58.5m, to be invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes designed to accommodate over 25% of those currently on the housing waiting list in the area. ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rent Controls (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: A shortage of supply is at the heart of rising rents and the Government is addressing this on a number of fronts. Construction 2020: A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sectoris aimed at addressing issues in the property and construction sectors and ensuring that any bottlenecks that might impede the sector in meeting demand are addressed. The latest figures for new house completions show...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: In April I set social housing targets for each local authority out to 2017, with the combined target for the four Dublin authorities at 6,849 units. These are being delivered through building, buying and leasing schemes by the local authorities, with an indicative funding provision of €507m. A Dublin Social Housing Delivery Taskforce has also been established to drive the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: In December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setbacks and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions proposed: - the setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future windenergy developments, - a mandatory minimum setback of 500 metres between a windturbine and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: Electoral law provides that a person who is entitled to vote at a Dáil election shall vote in person at a polling station allotted to him or her unless they are included in the postal voters list or in the special voters list for the constituency concerned. While electoral law is subject to ongoing review, I have no proposals at present to amend the existing arrangements for voting. ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Data (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. There are now over 4,500 households in receipt of HAP. Kildare and Meath County Councils commenced HAP on 2 November 2015, and Galway, Mayo and Sligo County Councils will commence the scheme from 16 November 2015. While securing accommodation under...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Government has approved the delivery of 500 units of modular housing for homeless families across Dublin. It is intended to have the first 150 units delivered as quickly as possible in the Dublin City Council administrative area, with the City Council acting as the contracting authority. The Council is aiming to secure the delivery of an initial fast-tracked 22 of these units by mid...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Disability Services Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: De-institutionalisation is a policy matter for the Department of Health who, in conjunction with the Health Service Executive, decide which institutions close and which clients are appropriate to community living with required supports. The on-going health, home care and other supports for individuals, under the remit of the HSE, are essential components that facilitate this objective. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. There are now over 4,500 households in receipt of HAP and the scheme has been rolled out to all categories of households in 15 local authority areas. Kildare and Meath County Councils commenced HAP on 2 November 2015 and Galway, Mayo and Sligo County...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department meets on an ongoing basis with all local authorities at a range of levels, both individually and collectively, to advance social housing issues. Such engagements cover, inter alia, progress on social housing projects and the drawdown of funding, and they have been a feature of the work in this area for many years. Since the launch of the Social Housing Strategylast year, there...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Strategy 2020targets provision of 110,000 social housing units, through a mixture of direct provision by local authorities and approved housing bodies and through the private rental market, mainly utilising the Housing Assistance Payment. The targeted provision will provide for the needs of the 89,872 households identified nationally in the 2013 Summary of Social Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: NAMA Social Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: Since December 2011, my Department and the Housing Agency have been engaged with NAMA identifying properties that might potentially be suitable for social housing purposes. More detailed information on this engagement, including a breakdown of units delivered, by local authority, is available on the website of the Housing Agency at /NAMA. Since the process began, up to end of September 2015,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The extent of the challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in line with our EU commitments, is well understood by Government, as reflected in the National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development, published in April 2014, and in the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Bill 2015, recently passed by the Dáil and currently at Committee Stage in the Seanad. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Eligibility (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. There are now over 4,500 households in receipt of HAP and the scheme has been rolled out to all categories of household in 15 local authority areas. Kildare and Meath County Councils commenced HAP on 2 November 2015 and Galway, Mayo and Sligo County...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: In December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setbacks and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions proposed: - the setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future windenergy developments, - a mandatory minimum setback of 500 metres between a windturbine and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: In accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Conservation (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: Local authorities are currently undertaking an ambitious programme of insulation retrofitting, with the support of my Department, on the least energy efficient social houses. Funding of €57 million has been provided over the period 2013-2014 for improving the energy performance of older local authority housing stock, resulting in improved energy efficiency and comfort levels, and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: x (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: A shortage of supply is at the heart of rising rents and the Government is addressing this on a number of fronts. Construction 2020: A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector, published last year, is aimed at addressing issues in the property and construction sectors and ensuring that any bottlenecks that might impede the sector in meeting residential and non-residential demand are...