Results 17,681-17,700 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Seanad: Establishment of Electoral Commission: Motion (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I welcome the opportunity to be back in the Seanad today. As my colleagues are aware, I was in this House last December when we had a good discussion on the Government's plans to establish an electoral commission. I said then, and I will say it again now: for me personally, and I say this genuinely and not passively, I would love to have dealt with this issue at the beginning of a longer...

Seanad: Establishment of Electoral Commission: Motion (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I will arrange for it to be given to the Senator. This was evident in December during our previous debate. However, there are a wide range of views on what exactly such a body will do and how it should work. A key lesson from international experience identified in the consultation paper is that significant changes in electoral governance ideally need to command broad political and public...

Other Questions: Rural Development Plan (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Deputy Tom Fleming should get that greenway going, for God's sake.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: It was never intended that the assets would transfer on 1 January 2014. It was planned that transfers would take place on a phased basis. As work progressed on the identification and the various assets and liabilities became clear, there was a need to ensure that loans did not automatically transfer with the assets. As the Deputy is aware, because we discussed it in this House, legislation...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The local government fund is set aside, and I am happy that the fund will service the demands of the local authorities as set out in the Estimates we dealt with yesterday. Local authorities will not incur any expenditure on water service assets. In regard to the €47 million from last year, we will provide the funding for what is required in 2015 but as the Deputy is aware, assets...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Charges Administration (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: As Deputy Murphy is well aware, in November 2014 I announced a package of measures to ensure that domestic water charges are certain, affordable and clear. In relation to the payment of charges, a range of easy pay options will be in place, including direct debits, electronic funds transfer, payment by cash at any retail outlet with a paypoint or payzone sign or, importantly, a post office...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Charges Administration (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: We are very confident that the Irish people will work with us on the plan that has been announced. I was pretty disappointed that I did not see Deputy Paul Murphy in Killarney last weekend. Perhaps he was outside but we could not see him among the 400 to 500 people who were there. The reality is that people are signing up to Irish Water. We are very happy with the volume of people signing...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Charges Administration (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Deputy Murphy should tell that to the people of Tipperary.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Charges Administration (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Deputy Murphy can try to lecture the people of Tipperary but to be honest, I am sure they will not listen to him. I like the fact that the Deputy is predicting the electoral demise of many different groups, including my own party, 14 months from an election. That shows a level of arrogance that I am sure the people will judge. We are quite satisfied with the plans that are in place. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Charges Administration (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: When did the Deputy meet the representatives of group schemes to articulate his opposition?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Charges Administration (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: On what date? When? What did they say to Deputy Murphy? Did he listen to them? He has not even met them. The facts are that these people know the value of water. The facts are that these people knew they had to come together to deliver water. Can Deputy Murphy not understand that water is a resource that must be paid for into the future? We need a different funding model or else we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: On 14 January 2015, I signed an order under section 12 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. This order provided for the transfer to Irish Water of all underground water services assets previously vested in any local authority across the country. Further orders for the transfer of assets are currently being drawn up and I expect shortly to sign an order for the transfer of approximately...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I am happy to stand up to scrutiny as regards the allocations we have given out. I remind the Deputy that this scenario exists because of his party's policies. We have the legacy of Part V. Over the past years this provision did not exist because there was no development. This structure was one his party put in place. The ratio of transfers from rent supplements to new applicants in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Tax (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Minister for Finance, in the Exchequer Statement for 2014, reported that €491 million was collected in local property tax in 2014. Some €483.5 million from the local property tax was paid into the local government fund during 2014. A further €7.7 million was paid into the fund in January 2015. This related to the local property tax collected in the last week of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Tax (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I have to smile.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Tax (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: There is no intention to misrepresent the payments of the local government fund. The fund has made a payment back to the Exchequer for a number of years. The details are published in the Estimates each year. Local property tax for 2014 is €491 million. As I have previously stated, it is unaudited and the process of auditing will now proceed. The estimated figure for 2015 is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Tax (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Deputy makes me laugh at times. His party would know a lot about smoke and mirrors and funds.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Tax (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: We are satisfied that there is transparency here in regard to 2014. The local property tax, LPT, was paid into the local government fund along with motor tax receipts, which was always done. A total of €281 million went directly to local authorities; €260 million was paid to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for essential non-national roads; €12.5 million...