Results 17,981-18,000 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Yield (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 590 and 600 together. Irish Water's costs in the coming years will be funded through a mix of revenue from the domestic and non-domestic sector, third party finance and State support which may be in the form of both equity and subvention. The Government decisions on levels of funding and the approach to free allowance were informed a high level...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under the Water Services Acts 2007-2013, Irish Water has statutory powers to request its customers and certain specified persons or bodies to provide it with information so that Irish Water can perform its functions under these Acts including the collection of data to develop its customer database. In particular, section 26 of the Water Services Act 2013 provides Irish Water with the power...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Article 10(2) of the Constitution states that "all land and all mines, minerals and waters which belonged to Saorstát Éireann immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution belong to the State to the same extent as they then belonged to Saorstát Éireann". With specific regard to Irish Water, the Water Services Act 2013 provides for the establishment...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Constitutional Convention Recommendations (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Fourth Report of the Convention on the Constitution included a recommendation in relation to direct democracy or citizens’ initiatives. The recommendation was that there should be a right for citizens to petition on influencing the legislative agenda and to petition for referendums. In response, the Government has pointed to the fact that constitutional referendums are already...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: In 2014, my Department provided funding of some €7.9 million to local authorities towards the cost of adaptations and extensions to social houses to meet needs of tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. This was an increase of funding in excess of €1.0 million on the funding provided in 2013. Under the initiative Laois County Council received...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 596, 601 and 602 together. Irish Water currently expects to increase its borrowings by some €900m in 2015, of which about €750m relates to the funding of capital expenditure, and a further €325m in 2016 to fund its capital expenditure programme in that year. Additional working capital loans of up to €96m and €58m are...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Water Framework Directive requires that abstractions of surface water or ground water which are likely to have a significant impact on water status must be regulated. As such, Ireland must develop a register of, and a regulatory control system for, water abstraction points. My Department is currently examining how best to address this requirement in a proportionate and efficient way and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under my Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme, funding of up to 100% of the approved cost of a social housing development can be provided where all prospective tenancies are taken from the local authority housing waiting list. Allocations are made by the approved housing body in consultation with the local authority.Where an approved housing body retains 25% of tenancy nomination...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Severe Weather Events Expenditure (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Government decided on 11 February 2014 to allocate funding of up to €69.5 million to local authorities in the areas worst affected by the first phase of severe weather in respect of the damage caused between 13 December 2013 and 6 January 2014. This was intended to support communities by restoring roads, coastal protection, amenities/facilities and other public infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The establishment of Irish Water is an integral component of the Government’s water sector reform strategy and will lead to lower costs and improved services in the future, providing much better outcomes for customers and the environment. Irish Water is being funded by a combination of domestic and non-domestic water charges, Government subvention and the raising of debt. ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: EU Directives (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos 185 and 197 of 11 December 2014, which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regional Assemblies (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Northern and Western, Southern and Eastern and Midland Regional Assemblies were established with effect from 1 January 2015 in accordance with the Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Noise Pollution (10 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Environmental Noise Directive (END) 2002/49/EC sets out certain requirements for the assessment and management of environmental noise from transport sources, including from major airports with more than 50,000 aircraft take-off or landing movements per year. The END was transposed into national law by the Environmental Noise Regulations 2006, which set out a two-stage process for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation Grant (5 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 252 to 254, inclusive, and 281. I refer to my reply to Question No. 162 of 4 February 2015 which sets out the current position in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Data Protection (5 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Section 26 of the Water Services Act 2013 Act provides Irish Water with the power to obtain information from various sources, including the Revenue Commissioners, which is necessary for the performance of its functions. It is central to the e-Government strategy on improved data sharing and linking across the public service that data should be shared between Government Departments and...

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

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 570 of 3 February 2015, which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Legal Costs (5 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Similar to the practice with other previous Tribunals of Inquiry, my Department is involved in recouping the final third-party costs of witnesses to the Mahon Tribunal. This process involves the assessment of claims by legal cost accountants acting on behalf of the State prior to the submission of final claims to my Department. Assessments, and reductions, of costs claimed by witnesses to...

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

Alan Kelly: Under the relevant actions of the Social Housing Strategy, national targets for delivery of social housing on a local authority by local authority basis are to be agreed for each year. Action 1 of the Strategy requires the agreement of national targets for delivery of social housing on a local authority by local authority basis this year and in subsequent years. Action 4 of the Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (5 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Government decided on 11 February 2014 to allocate funding of up to €69.5 million to local authorities in the areas worst affected by the first phase of severe weather in respect of the damage caused between 13 December 2013 and 6 January 2014. This was intended to support communities by restoring roads, coastal protection, amenities/ facilities and other public infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Living City Initiative (5 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Living City Initiative was introduced by my colleague, the Minister for Finance, in Budget 2014 as a targeted pilot tax incentive scheme aimed at: -encouraging people to live in older buildings in the centre of ourcities; and incentivising the regeneration of central business districts. The Initiative provides tax incentives targeted at owner/occupiers rather than property developers or...