Results 17,421-17,440 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme Eligibility (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) is a national scheme administered entirely by local authorities and is specifically targeted to cater for households in receipt of Rent Supplement from the Department of Social Protection, for over 18 months who have been assessed by their authority as having a long-term housing need. Funding of €135 million has been provided this year to fund...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 812 and 813 together. Successfully tackling the current homelessness issue in the Dublin Region demands that a higher priority be afforded to homeless households in the allocation of housing. Accordingly, I issued a Direction to the four Dublin local authorities on 27 January 2015 to prioritise homeless and other vulnerable households. This Direction applies...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Further to the enactment of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 on 28 July 2014, the first phase of the HAP statutory pilot commenced with effect from 15 September 2014 in Limerick City and County Council, Waterford City and County Council and Cork County Council. HAP commenced in Louth, Kilkenny, South Dublin and Monaghan County Councils from 1 October. Subsequently, on 18...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I am not aware of any instances where geo-engineering is being undertaken or planned in this country . In relation to climate change policies and action, my focus at this point in time is to put in place appropriate mitigation measures at the national level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this regard, the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Bill 2015 which was published in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Exchequer funding of over €37 million was provided by my Department to local authorities in 2014 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. Combined with an additional 20% contribution by individual local authorities, there was an overall spend last year of €46.3 million in this area. I am pleased to confirm that the 2015 amount will...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Expenditure (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Chief Executive of each local authority is responsible for managing and controlling the administration and business of the authority; this includes matters relating to procurement. I understand that most local authorities have a designated official with responsibility for procurement. The Local Government Strategic Procurement Centre, which is part of the Local Government Programme...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Legal Services (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 818 and 819 together. The information requested is not held by my Department. The provision or procurement of legal services is the responsibility of individual local authorities.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Rates charged to local authority borrowers offer exceptional value by comparison to rates charged by commercial lenders. The current rate of 2.75% is approximately 1.5% lower than standard variable mortgage rate (saving borrowers €1,500 per annum on a €100,000 loan) and is the lowest rate available currently in the domestic mortgage market. The Housing Finance Agency (HFA)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: NAMA Social Housing Provision (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department continues to work closely with NAMA, the Housing Agency, local authorities and approved housing bodies in relation to the delivery of social housing. NAMA has made significant numbers of housing units available through the Housing Agency to local authorities and approved housing bodies for social housing. This includes units provided through the NAMA special purpose vehicle,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Allocations of social housing units provided by approved housing bodies under my Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme are made by the approved housing body in consultation with the local authority. The approved housing bodies can opt to have all tenancies taken from the local authority housing waiting list, in which case funding of up to 100% of the approved cost of the social...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Semi-State Bodies Dividends (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Irish Water is the only commercial semi-state Company under the aegis of my Department. Irish Water has not paid a dividend since its incorporation and in the medium term it is not envisaged that any dividends will be paid by Irish Water. The Housing Finance Agency plc. (HFA) is a company limited by shares, incorporated in 1982, under the terms of the Housing Finance Agency Act 1981 as...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Commencement of Legislation (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Work is continuing to meet the commitment in the Government's Social Housing Strategy 2020to commence major provisions under Part 2 (Termination of Local Authority Tenancies, etc.) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, and it is expected that Statutory Instruments in this regard will be made shortly. With regard to Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, which...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability although 80% funded by my Department, is administered by the Local Authorities. The matter of payment to contractors is between the applicant and the contractor. The Local Authority will pay eligible grants where copies of all relevant invoices are received from the applicant and the works have been...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Policy Reviews (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The policy document Keeping Communities Safe, (KCS) was published in February 2013, as national policy for the future direction of fire services in Ireland and embeds the internationally accepted Risk Management Approach to safety. KCS was developed through a collaborative process which included consultation with stakeholders. The KCS development process had the benefit of oversight and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. The Local Government (Rates) Act 1970 provides...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Grants (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library, brought into operation a grants scheme to assist with the cost of remediation of individual septic tanks and domestic waste water treatment systems which are deemed, following inspection under the EPA's National Inspection Plan and the subsequent issue of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I assume the Question relates to the Reports on the "Area Risk Categorisation" process as outlined in Chapter 7 of “Keeping Communities Safe” (KCS). I can confirm that fire service management in all 27 fire services have prepared Area Risk Categorisations (ARCs) in accordance with KCS. These are local documents, reflecting the local view of fire risk as determined by local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management commenced a project to develop a national 'Risk Based Approach' (RBA) to fire cover. This involved analysis of three years of fire services data and has enabled analysis and comparison of trends down to fire station level. The first phase of the RBA project was the production of the “Risk Based Management Report –...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The policy document Keeping Communities Safe (KCS) was published in February 2013 by my Department. The document is the output of a review process undertaken by my Department through a collaborative process between central and local government. This involved expert professional input by Chief Fire Officers and fire services personnel. The development process also included stakeholder...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Fire services in Ireland are provided by the local authorities designated in accordance with the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. The fire authorities provide a range of operational and fire safety services through 27 service delivery units currently, using an infrastructure of some 220 fire stations and 600 fire appliances and associated specialist equipment. My Department's National...