Results 18,941-18,960 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I have no plans currently to introduce a direct debit payment option for motor tax and my Department has, therefore, not fully costed the introduction and implementation of a direct debit system. The introduction of such a system would also involve the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, which has responsibility for overseeing the operation of the National Vehicle Driver File and the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation Grant (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Households that complete a valid response to Irish Water’s customer registration process will, in the case of primary dwellings, be eligible for a €100 water conservation grant, payable through the Department of Social Protection. This payment is being made available to support more sustainable use of water, as part of the Government’s objective of achieving greater...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation Grant (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 488 and 489 together. Households that complete a valid response to Irish Water’s customer registration process will, in the case of primary dwellings, be eligible for a €100 water conservation grant, payable through the Department of Social Protection. This payment is being made available to support more sustainable use of water, as part of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Appointments (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 490 and 494 together. The Irish Water Consultative Group was established to facilitate engagement with the Unions and staff on the roll-out of the Water Sector Reform Implementation Strategy, and had its inaugural meeting in September 2012 under an independent chair, Mr. Kevin Foley of the Labour Relations Commission. This joint union/management group was...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Application (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 491 to 493, inclusive, together. Over 4,700 new construction projects have been notified to Building Control Authorities across the local government sector since the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 regulations came into operation on 1 March 2014. Evidence to date suggests that the Construction industry is responding well to the new...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Expenditure (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The continued deterioration of Sligo County Council’s financial position is of serious concern. Sligo County Council has incurred revenue deficits for the last 6 years, has an accumulated deficit of over €19m and also has long term debt of over €120m. It is a matter for each local authority, including Sligo County Council, to determine its own spending priorities in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Planning authorities may, when adopting the local area plan for their areas, adopt policies to curtail an excessive concentration of fast food outlets in particular areas. Under planning legislation the change of use of any premises to a takeaway or fast food outlet would require planning permission. In deciding whether or not to grant permission for a development, the relevant planning...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Motor tax can either be renewed in a local authority motor tax office or online at , which is maintained by the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF), under the auspices of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. I am not in a position to provide the cost of administering a single tax disc as cost information is not measured in this manner. Similarly, I am not in a position to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Motor tax is payable on an annual, half-yearly or quarterly basis. The rates applicable for the half-yearly and quarterly options are 55.5% and 28.25% of the annual charge, respectively. These relativities have remained generally consistent since the 1960s. The differential takes account of the extra workload for staff in motor tax offices and the National Vehicle and Driver File and the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Since 2001, national water pricing policy has required local authorities to recover the costs of providing water services from all non-domestic users of these services, including community and voluntary organisations such as sports clubs and crèches. This policy provided for charges based on actual metered consumption and is consistent with the requirements of the Water Framework...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Investigations (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Mayo North East Leader Partnership is the Local Action Group contracted by my Department to deliver both the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007 – 2013 and the Local Community Development Programme to the North Mayo area. On foot of correspondence received in 2011 regarding a possible governance issue at Mayo North East LEADER Partnership Company, a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 502 and 516 together. In December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setbacks and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions propose:- The setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments; - A mandatory...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, all development, unless specifically exempted under the Act or associated Regulations, requires planning permission. Section 4 of the Act and Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, set out various exemptions from the requirement to obtain planning permission. There is no specific exemption for car wash...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: In line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, the Local Action Groups (LAGs) are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the local development strategy of the individual groups and in line with the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department has been in contact with Mayo North East Leader Partnership and I understand that they have not received any application in the name of the promoter referred to.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I understand that Mayo North East Leader Partnership (MNELP) is awaiting additional information from the project promoter in relation to the project mentioned in order to progress the application.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I understand that the promoter referred to in the question was forwarded payment for their submitted claim on 28 October 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Expenditure (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Oughterard Sewerage Scheme was included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 as a scheme to commence construction within the period of the Programme. My Department conditionally approved a revised Design Review Report for the scheme in June 2012 and part of these conditions required Galway County Council to submit further clarification to the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 509 and 514 together. Social housing is a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the increased provisions made for the area in Budget 2015. Local authorities and approved housing bodies are continuing to work on projects announced earlier this year under a national €68 million local authority housing construction programme to provide 449 new...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (25 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I understand that Mayo North East LEADER Partnership expects to be in a position to submit a claim on behalf of the project promoter to my Department for payment very shortly.