Results 17,841-17,860 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under section 111(1) of the Electoral Act 1992, as applied to the taking of a poll at a referendum bysection 32 of the Referendum Act 1994,only a person whose name is on the register of presidential electors for the time being in force for a constituency is entitled to vote at a referendum in that constituency. There is no provision in law for making changes to the register of electors at a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Haulage Industry Regulation (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: My colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, has established an Inter-Departmental Working Group on issues relating to the Irish haulage industry , which includes representation from my Department. The Group issued a consultation paper late last year to canvas the views of hauliers and other stakeholders on the options for reform of the commercial vehicle motor tax regime....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: EU Directives (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under the Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) Directive, Ireland is required to reduce exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The CAFE Directive was transposed into Irish legislation by the Air Quality Standards Regulations 201. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the competent authority for the Regulations and the CAFE Directive. These regulations require that Member States reduce...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Air Pollution (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 232 together. Air quality monitoring in Ireland is carried out to meet the requirements of EU Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, also known as the CAFE Directive. The Directive requires that certain minimum levels of monitoring are conducted for the purpose of assessment and management of air quality. The EPA...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage Arrears Proposals (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Neither my Department nor I have had meetings with the company or person referred to regarding a bid to purchase Permanent TSB mortgages. I understand that the Housing Agency have had discussions with a number of stakeholders, including this Group, in relation to various proposals on foot of the recommendations of the Keane Report on mortgage arrears. I also understand that my colleague, Ann...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Irish Water is a non-consolidated subsidiary of Ervia and does not, at this point in time, have a separate credit rating. Ervia has an investment grade credit rating from each of Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. Each of these ratings reflects the current relationship between Ervia and Irish Water. It is Ervia's intention to seek a stand-alone credit rating for Irish Water...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 237 together. Irish Water has a €300 million loan from the NPRF at an annual interest rate of 2.5%.  There is no security for this loan but the loan is guaranteed by the Minister for Finance, for which a separate guarantee fee is payable. Irish Water has put in place facilities with commercial banks in the amount of €150...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Strategy 2020 builds on the provisions contained in Budget 2015 and sets out clear, measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list. The Strategy targets the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units over the period to 2020. The cost to the exchequer of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Litter Pollution (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2009 provide the statutory framework to combat littering and include provisions relating to dog fouling.  Under the Acts, the primary management and enforcement response to littering, including dog fouling, is a matter for local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate course of action to tackle litter...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation Grant (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 171 together. I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 564, 565, 567, 576, 586 and 587 of 10 February 2015 which sets out the current position in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and the CER has been given statutory responsibility for protecting the interests of customers. The approach taken to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Administration (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: On foot of the recommendations of the Keane Report on mortgage arrears the Government launched the Approved Housing Body (AHB) Mortgage to Rent scheme , for properties secured with private mortgages, on a pilot basis in February 2012 and extended it nationally in June 2012. To be eligible for the AHB-mortgage-to-rent scheme a household must have had their mortgage position deemed...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 175 together. The Social Housing Strategy 2020published in November 2014 sets out clear, measureable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list. The total targeted provision of over 110,000 social housing units , through the delivery of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects Funding (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: A Capital Appraisal for the regeneration of the Dominick Street flats complex was recently submitted to my Department by Dublin City Council in accordance with the requirements of the Capital Works Management Framework. This is now under consideration and my Department will be in contact with the City Council when this process is concluded.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Provision (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 228 of 15 January, 2015. I expect to be in a position to announce, in the coming weeks, details of funding to be allocated, by way of block grant allocations, to local authorities under the 2015 Rural Water Programme.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Offices (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: It is a matter for each local authority, including Sligo County Council, to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes adopting the annual budget,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects Status (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department has approved the sanction request for an additional executive planner as outlined in the question.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Meetings (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-Waste) Regulations 2013 build on the commercial food waste regulations introduced in 2009, and are being implemented on a phased basis, beginning with population centres greater than 25,000 people. These Regulations are designed to promote the segregation and recovery of household food waste, in line with the national policy and the Waste...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (24 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 563 and 568 together. Irish Water has a €300m loan from the NPRF at an annual interest rate of 2.5%. There is no security for this loan but the loan is guaranteed by the Minister for Finance, for which a separate guarantee fee is payable. Irish Water has put in place facilities with commercial banks in the amount of €150m which are unsecured...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (24 Feb 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, which I published on 26 November 2014. The HAP scheme will bring all social housing supports provided by the State under the aegis of local authorities. The scheme will remove a barrier to employment by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if...