Results 17,441-17,460 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Government decided in December 2011, based on the recommendations in an independent assessment, to establish a public water utility company to take over the operational and capital delivery functions of local authorities in the water services area. The tender was advertised on the eTenders website, in accordance with public procurement guidelines. The award criteria used was published as...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: End of Life Vehicles Disposal (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Enforcement of the End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Regulations is primarily a matter for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local authorities. However, as part of the Producer Responsibility Initiative (PRI) Review, my Department published a report on the ELV system in November 2013. The report concluded that the Irish ELV system is not performing to the optimum level and outlined the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Rates (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Private vehicles registered after 1 July 2008 are taxed on the basis of CO2emissions. Private vehicles registered between January and June 2008 are taxed either on the basis of engine size or CO2emissions, depending on which basis carried the lowest tax for the vehicle at the time. In this instance, I understand that the correct basis of taxation is on CO2emissions.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: In 2015, I expect that 7,400 social housing units will be delivered across all 31 local authority areas, broken down as follows: - 3,000 units under the Social Housing Leasing Initiative - leases, rental agreements and agreements with Approved Housing Bodies to facilitate leasing, build and acquisition - 2,000 Rental Accommodation Scheme - 1,400 to be built or acquired by local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Budget 2015 marked a significant change in the trajectory of social housing funding and the total housing provision for 2015 will result in an investment of almost €800 million across a range of housing programmes. It is estimated that some €61.5 million (gross) will be spent on a range of housing programmes by the end of March with expenditure expected to accelerate as the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I am fully aware of the many challenges facing both the private and public housing sectors. Increasing housing supply is a critical issue and that is why, in May 2014, the Government published Construction 2020 - A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector. While the Strategy’s overarching objective is to put the construction sector as a whole on a sustainable footing, it sets out a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The funding provided by my Department to local authorities through the capital initiatives to support social housing development from 2008 to 2014 is as follows: Year Capital Expenditure 2008 € 1,515,499,000 2009 € 1,160,499,000 2010 € 830,066,000 2011 € 485,048,000 2012 € 397,197,394 2013 € 295,165,258 2014 €...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 175 together. Responsibility for the administration of my Department’s Rural Water Programme, which includes funding for group sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The annual block grant allocations provided by my Department to the local authorities under the programme are based, in the first instance, on the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Since 2007, my Department has provided annual funding for the ongoing operational costs of the 17 member organisations of the community & voluntary pillar to allow for input into the policy making process within the community and voluntary sector as part of the social dialogue process. This includes the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament. In 2011, a revised application process for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Irish Water received a subvention of some €439 million from the Local Government Fund in 2014 for operational expenditure, to fund water-related expenditures incurred heretofore by local authorities and which would, historically, have been met by local authorities from their own resources, non-domestic water charge revenues and general purpose grants from the Fund. An amount of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 184 and 185 together. On 14 January 2015, I signed an Order under section 12 of the Water Services (No 2) Act 2013 which provided for the transfer to Irish Water of all ‘below ground’ water services assets previously vested in a local authority. On 30 March 2015, I signed a further Order under section 12 to provide for the transfer of 236...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 187 together. Following enactment of the Water Services (No.2) Act 2013, responsibility for the delivery of public water services became the responsibility of Irish Water from 1 January 2014. This included responsibility for the overall costs involved, both operational and capital costs. Pending the legal transfer of contracts from local authorities to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Leakage (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: It is estimated that the first 10% reduction in current levels of leakage would result in a present value benefit of the order of €300 million.  It is estimated that a corresponding pro rata present value benefit would arise as a result of a 5% reduction in current leakage levels.  While an estimate of the present value benefit arising in respect of 15% and 20% leakage...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: In order to be able to vote at elections and referendums, a person's name must be entered in the register of electors for a constituency in the State in which the person ordinarily resides. Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of certain categories of person who are entered in the register of electors - whole-time members of the Defence Forces; members of An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Appointments (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group (now renamed Ervia), to be formed and registered under the Companies Acts. Section 5 of the Act provides that the shareholders of Irish Water are Ervia, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister for Finance....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Constitutional Amendments (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Convention on the Constitution recommended in its Fifth Report that citizens resident outside the State should have the right to vote in Presidential elections. In considering a response to this recommendation the Government decided that it would be necessary to analyse the full range of issuesthat would arise in any significant extension of the franchise, before any decision could be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (31 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 606 and 648 together. The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann (now Ervia), conforming to the conditions contained in the Act and registered under the Companies Acts. Section 5 of the Act provides that one share in Irish Water shall be issued to Ervia with the remaining shares...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (31 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 647 and 607 together. I refer to my replies to Questions Nos. 902 and 239 of 24 and 26 March 2015, respectively, which set out the position on these matters.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation Grant (31 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: €130 million has been provided in my Department’s Estimate for the water conservation grant in 2015, which is intended to cover grant payments and all administration costs including staffing.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (31 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department’s Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State and is being implemented on a transitional basis until the end of March 2015, pending the roll out of the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) on 1 April 2015. In accordance with the Public Spending Code, legal advice, good...