Results 19,061-19,080 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 492 and 513 together. Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses. I intend to make the necessary statutory instruments in the coming months to enable the scheme to come into operation. Local authority tenant purchase does not involve the transfer of specific...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Social housing is a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the increased provisions made for the area in Budget 2015. The overall social housing funding provision for 2015 has been increased by in excess of €200 million, with capital funding increasing by €180 million, which will allow for significant expansion in social housing provision. The specific allocations to be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Area Enhancement Scheme (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Public Area Enhancement Scheme was a scheme to support community efforts by providing grant funding to local authorities for the purpose of enhancing public areas before and during the summer tourist season. The scheme provided funding, additional to that provided for in the 2014 local authority budget, for works related to public area enhancement. While the scheme was not absolutely...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I am fully supportive of technologies which contribute to the conservation of water. Rainwater harvesting has the potential to benefit the environment and contribute to reducing the cost of water services for certain uses. The introduction of a grants scheme for water conservation would have to be considered in the context of the available budgetary resources. The introduction of any tax...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Sector Funding (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The funding scheme to support national organisations in the community and voluntary sector aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. My Department is providing funding under the scheme of in excess of €8 million over the two year period from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2016. This represents an increase in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Sector Funding (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The funding scheme to support national organisations in the community and voluntary sector aims to provide multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. My Department is providing funding under the scheme of in excess of €8 million over the two year period. This represents an increase in funding of more than 10% per annum...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Services for People with Disabilities (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department has supported local authorities in implementing the Disability Act 2005 since its enactment in 2005. A circular was issued by my Department in 2005 identifying the areas of responsibility for local authorities. This was followed up by a Local Government Management Services Board (LGMSB) seminar entitled “Implementing the Disability Act 2005” on 25 April 2006, which...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of water services functions from local authorities to Irish Water on 1 January 2014, and provides for local authorities to act as agents for Irish Water. Local authorities have continued billing, collections and billing/metering query functions in relation to non-domestic customers on behalf of Irish Water. Non-domestic customer...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 500 and 531 together. The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group, to be formed and registered under the Companies Acts. Section 5 of the Act provides that the shareholders of Irish Water are Ervia (formerly Bord Gáis Éireann), the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statisticsthat inform the preparation and evaluation of policy. Data on housing starts or commencements are included within this range, and are available on my Department’s website at on the “commencement notices” tab. Data for 2014 are beingcompiled.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: National Spatial Strategy (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The 2002 National Spatial Strategy(NSS) was Ireland’s first national strategic spatial planning framework. It aimed to provide the spatial vision and principles to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development and population growth between regions through the co-ordinated development of nine gateway cities and towns, and nine hub towns, together with...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (18 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. The LAG for the area referred to in the Question is Mayo North East LEADER Partnership (MNELP). I understand that MNELP will be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Deposits held by local authorities comprise cash balances and short term bank investments and can include loans drawn down or money collected by means of development levies for the purpose of capital investment projects which may be multi-annual in duration . The amount held on deposit by each local authority at 31 December 2012, the latest year for which audited information is available, is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 506, 507 and 520 together. With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Staff Rehiring (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Retired public and civil servants are engaged from time to time by my Department in areas where specific expertise is required for a short fixed period and these people provide a level of knowledge, experience and background compatible with such temporary and periodic requirements. The abatement principle, which ensures that the fee or salary paid plus pension does not exceed the rate of pay...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Staff (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. They may be contacted via email at or by telephone on 1890 578 578. The employment terms and conditions for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Local Property Tax (LPT) was introduced to provide an alternative, stable and sustainable funding base for the local authority sector, providing greater levels of connection between local revenue raising and associated expenditure decisions. Given that local authorities vary significantly from one another in terms of size, population, public service demands, infrastructure and income sources,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The funding that is provided by my Department to local authorities for social housing supports the development of new social housing units and also the purchase of units that may be privately owned. A similar approach applies to funding sanctioned by local authorities to approved housing bodies, which can be for either new build or the acquisition of existing housing units. There are some...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 514 to 517, inclulsive, together. My Department has provided funding to the entity referred to in the questions under the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. In 2009, Longford Community Resources Limited, the relevant Local Action Group contracted on behalf of my Department to deliver the LEADER funding, provided grant aid of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Compliance (18 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (SI No. 9 of 2014), which came into operation on 1 March 2014, greatly strengthen the arrangements in place for the control of building activity by requiring greater accountability in relation to compliance with Building Regulations in the form of statutory certificates of design and construction, lodgement of compliance documentation,...