Results 19,441-19,460 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: It is a matter for each planning authority, in this case Fingal County Council, or An Bord Pleanála on appeal, to determine any planning application in accordance with the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended) and the planning policy framework currently in place including the appropriateness of developing lands that an...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Compulsory Purchase Orders (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The powers of local authorities to acquire lands by means of compulsory purchase order, including for the construction and maintenance of public roads, are derived from Section 213 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2014. I am satisfied that local authorities have sufficient compulsory purchase powers under the current legislation and I have no plans to amend it at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (14 Oct 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 asked Irish Water to compile the information requested and to forward it to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The budget as proposed by Bórd Gáis Éireann for the Irish Water Programme which was established to set up Irish Water was €180m. The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) has approved an amount of €172.8m in respect of Irish Water’s establishment costs following a detailed review. The total spend on the Programme to end of August 2014 is €148.7m....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Staff (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 327 together. 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 understand from data supplied to my Department by Irish Water that 519 staff have been recruited up to 2 October 2014. Of these, 153 have been recruited from local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Staff (14 Oct 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. The procurement by Irish Water of external resources is a matter for the company and I have no role in the matter. Irish Water has advised that it appointed Abtran Ltd, Cork, to operate all customer contact channels and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Introduction (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: In January 2013, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) was commissioned by my Department to undertake a study into water affordability and the provision of water services in Ireland. Subsequently, a n Inter-Departmental Working Group was established in October 2013 to advise the Government on the appropriate method for addressing affordability issues which might arise with the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Introduction (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 329, 330 and 344 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 shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act defines a customer a s the occupier of the premises in receipt of water services. The Act...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 333 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 shall 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 is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Introduction (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Aarhus Convention lays down a set of basic rules to promote citizens’ involvement in environmental matters and to improve enforcement of environmental law. The rules are broken down into three Pillars as follows: - Access to information on the environment, which allows members of the public access to a wide range of information on the environment, including information on the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Impact Statements (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: In scoping the Water Metering Programme, the need to conduct an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) was investigated. It was determined that the metering installation programme does not come under any category specified in the EIA Directive or its Irish implementing legislation and therefore an EIS was not required. Each water meter has a low power radio unit fixed to the top which enables it...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Yield (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The local government sector receives funding from a number of different sources, including central Government (from a number of different Departments) and the Local Government Fund. The issue of grant allocations from Central Government is a matter for finalisation in the context of the Estimates pro cess, as is normally the case. In relation to Local Property Tax (LPT), the Government has...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Application (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provides the legislative basis for the Non Principal Private Residence (NPPR) Charge. The NPPR Charge of €200 per annum, which has since been discontinued, applied in the years 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence. It is a matter for an owner to determine if he...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (14 Oct 2014)

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 Irish Water shall 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 is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department provides funding to local authorities to implement the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme. However, the detailed administration of the scheme, including prioritisation of the works to be funded, is a matter for individual local authorities.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Protection Agency Remit (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The facility in question operates under an Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) licence granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The monitoring and enforcement of conditions attaching to IPC licences are a matter for the EPA. All documents relating to individual IPC licences, including inspection information, are available to view on the EPA’s website at . Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Administration (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department is the delegated Paying Agency responsible for the implementation of the LEADER element s of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. In line with the ‘bottom up’ approach to rural development the implementation of the Programme at local level is carried out by 35 Local Development Companies of which South Tipperary Local Development Company is one. These...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tree Remediation (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: There is currently a civil remedy available concerning branches or roots of neighbouring treesencroaching on a person’s property. I will, however, give consideration to the issue of trees acutely impacting on neighbouring properties in the context of the forthcoming review of legislation in this area. My Department is examining a number of legislative options in this regard which...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The primary objective of my Department’s National Water Conservation Programme was to reduce water loss and leakage in the distribution networks to an economic level and to address high levels of unaccounted for water. My Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 (WSIP)placed a high priority on water conservation. Nationally, some €290 million...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Third Level Qualifications Recognition (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Section 14 of the Building Control Act 2007 includes provision for the prescription of educational bodies or qualifications whose graduates may be recognised, subject to certain other requirements being fulfilled, as eligible for inclusion on the register of architects as established under the Act. My Department is satisfied that all the necessary procedural requirements are in place to...