Results 19,181-19,200 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (11 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for the delivery of water services capital infrastructure. Irish Water has published its Capital Investment Plan 2014-2016 and this is available online at The further progression of all water services capital projects, including water conservation in Westmeath, is now a matter for Irish Water to consider. Irish Water has established a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Security of the Elderly (11 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department manages the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The scheme is administered by...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Introduction (11 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provides Irish Water with the power to charge for water services. The Act also provides that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) will be responsible for the economic regulation of Irish water and the charges to be levied by Irish Water will be subject to the approval of the CER. The Act provides specific mechanisms for the issue of Ministerial policy...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Scheme Grants (11 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Government announced on 6 May 2014 its intention to adjust the current subvention of group water schemes so that it is aligned with the free allowance approach for households on public water supplies. This is to ensure households in this sector receive equivalent support, while allowing for any transitional issues, to sustain improvements in quality in the group water sector. There has...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (11 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I understand from Carlow County Council that this matter relates to a long and complex taxation dispute involving the Council, the Revenue Commissioners, a third party who, in 2006, agreed to provide a section of the Carlow Eastern Relief Road (in lieu of the payment of development contributions as is provided for in sections 47 and 245 of the Planning and Development Act 2000), and the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 229 together. The Government has embarked on a programme of ambitious reform of the water sector, as the traditional water services system was in need of fundamental change. Our public water infrastructure is deficient and inadequate as a consequence of decades of under-investment and the lack of a truly national approach that could maximise the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Architectural Qualifications (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 232 together. Part 3 of the Building Control Act 2007 sets out the statutory arrangements for the registration of architects. A variety of routes to registration are provided for in the Act, including specific provision (under section 22) for the registration of persons who had been performing duties commensurate with those of an architect for a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Application (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, prescribe the current planning application fees. Any proposed changes to the fees, which were last increased in 1998, would require the endorsement of the Oireachtas pursuant to section 262 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. While planning application fees are kept under regular review in my Department, I have no...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Domestic water charges commenced with effect from 1 October 2014 and Irish Water will issue the first bills to domestic customers from January 2015. The approach to charging was outlined by Irish Water in a Water Charges Plan (WCP) submitted to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) in line with the provisions of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013.  The CER announced its decision...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. At the request of my Department, Irish Water put in place specific arrangements to address the queries which public representatives may have in relation to matters pertaining to the operation of water services under the new utility. Irish Water has acknowledged that the level of service it has provided to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Action 2 of the Government’s Construction 2020Strategy commits to the establishment of a Housing Supply Coordination Taskforce for Dublin with an immediate focus on addressing supply-related issues. The Task Force has been tasked to work closely with industry and other parties, including those responsible for key infrastructure such as schools, to identity and address any obstacles to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Quality (6 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. I have no responsibility for, or role in relation to, the management, operation or maintenance of water services infrastructure. My Department has not been provided with any reports or databases from Irish Water or the local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Rates (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I expect that receipts from motor tax on vintage vehicles for 2014 will be of the order of €2.1m , though final figures will not be available until after the year end. I have no plans to reduce or abolish the current favourable motor tax rates applied to vintage vehicles. Concessionary rates of motor tax for vintage vehicles have been in place since 1991. The low rate of tax...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Local authorities work on an ongoing basis toward making public spaces, public buildings and services owned and operated by them accessible. In accordance with my Department’s commitments under the National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan, under the Disability Act 2005, local authorities must include accessibility as an objective throughout all new Local Authority corporate...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Changing of Placenames (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Section 48 of the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 provides for the substitution of a new Part 18 of the Local Government Act 2001, revising and updating the procedures for the changing of placenames. Under the new arrangements, a proposal to change a placename will, in the first instance, be a function of the relevant local authority. Any proposal adopted must specify the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local and Community Development Programme Project Funding (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department’s Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State. The current Programme officially ended at the end of 2013 having operated for four years with funding of €281m over that period.  It is being implemented on a transitional basis for 2014 with a budget of €47m pending the roll out of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Oneof the key elements of Putting People First, the Action Programme for Effective Local Government, was a refocusing and re-invigoration of local authorities in support of enterprise, business and job creation. The Action Programmeindicated that, in the context of the reorganisation of local governance structures, the proposed new municipal districts would provide an opportunity to achieve a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service was introduced in March 2009 in response to the financial crisis. My Department operates a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for implementation of the moratorium in relation to local authorities, and any exceptions to the moratorium in local authorities require sanction from my Department....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Pollution (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: No issues regarding Chromium VI discharges to the River Barrow have been brought to my attention. Chromium VI and Chromium III are listed as specific substances in the European Communities Environmental Objectives (Surface Waters) Regulations 2009. These Regulations contain Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for substances discharged to waters. In accordance with these Regulations,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Exemptions (6 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provided the legislative basis for the Household Charge.  Under the Act, an owner of a residential property on the liability date is liable to pay the Household Charge, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver. Section 4(1)(b) provides that bodies corporate that are accorded charitable status under tax law (section 848A of...