Results 19,661-19,680 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 487 and 488 together. The Gweedore Sewerage Scheme was included in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2013as a scheme to commence construction during the lifetime of the Programme. In order for it to advance to tender stage it was necessary for Donegal County Council to prepare Contract Documents for the scheme and submit them to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services Act 2013 provides for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group and assigns the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the water metering programme. The installation programme commenced in August 2013 and will be implemented nationally as quickly as possible. Up to 300,000 households may not be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 490 and 499 together. In advance of the introduction of domestic water charges, the Government made certain decisions on 6 May 2014 relating to the structure of water charges including, inter alia, a free allowance per household and an additional free allowance for children on the same qualifying conditions as the Child Benefit payment from the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provided for the transfer of water services functions from the city and county councils to Irish Water. Irish Water assumed responsibility for public water services on 1 January 2014. Water meters installed by Irish Water under the domestic water metering programme remain the property of Irish Water. Section 32(1)(f) and section 72(1)(b)(i) of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Dormant Accounts Fund Management (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: In accordance with the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2012, a new Disbursement Scheme was approved by Government in December 2013 and was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 18 December 2013. The 2012 Act also provides for the preparation of an Action Plan each year to give effect to the Scheme. A Dormant Accounts Action Plan for 2014 was adopted on 1 July 2014. The plan will...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Expenditure (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 494, 497 and 498 together. The establishment of Irish Water is an integral component of the Government’s water sector reform strategy and involves major organisational change, an entirely new funding structure governed by economic regulation, the introduction of domestic water charges based on usage and the roll-out of a national domestic metering...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of water services functions from the local authorities to Irish Water 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 data is migrating...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Supply (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The most recent published figures for unaccounted for water for each of the local authority administrative areas are set out in the report Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2012, which was published by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) on 24 March 2014. A copy of the report is available on the LGMA website at . Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: Section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act 1996 precludes me from the exercise of any power or control in relation to the performance by a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory function vested in under the Act. Similarly, I have no function in relation to industrial relations issues such as workers’ rights and conditions or industrial dispute resolution in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Procurement Regulations (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Control of Dogs Acts, 1986 and 1992, place statutory responsibility for dog control on local authorities. The procurement of any services in that regard is a matter for each local authority.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: On 16 January 2014, details were announced of a €38.4m capital allocation under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability . Every local authority received increased funding for grants compared to the 2013 allocations. The schemes are 80% funded by my Department, with a 20% contribution from the local authority. The allocation to Longford...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Government Legislation Programme for Autumn 2014 provides for the publication of an Electoral Commission Bill in 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Programme Projects (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The ‘Social Farming Across Borders’ project has been part-funded by my Department under the rural development theme of the EU co-funded INTERREG programme 2007-2013. The aim of this programme is to support strategic cross-border co-operation for a more prosperous and sustainable region within the eligible region of Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and Western...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Administration (23 Sep 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. The Charge has operated on a self-assessment basis with an owner of a residential property determining liability and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Applications (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: An application for the necessary foreshore consent was received in my Department on 15 September 2014. My Department is currently examining the application to ensure it is complete and, if deemed complete, the application will then be advertised for public consultation. As the application concerns coastal protection works it is considered to be a priority application and will be progressed...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Administration (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: LEADER is a Community Led Local Development approach that has been used to deliver rural development interventions under the Rural Development Programme since the early 90s. The approach involves the participation of rural communities in their own development and formulates this participation through the medium of Local Development Strategies designed and implemented at a local level. While...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: Irish Water has confirmed to my Department that it was always anticipated that in the course of installing meters, pre-existing leaks and other latent defects due to the age or condition of the water pipes would be discovered. It should not be assumed that these leaks are caused by Irish Water's contractors. The meter installation programme gives Irish Water a strong starting point for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Administration (23 Sep 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. My Department undertook an initial media...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Community Employment Schemes Funding (23 Sep 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 the new...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme Administration (23 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The administration of the Rental Accommodation Scheme is a matter for individual local authorities. Under the terms of the Scheme, where the dwelling that the household is living in becomes unavailable, through no fault of the household, the relevant local authority is responsible for sourcing alternative accommodation. In such cases it is a matter for local authorities, in cooperation...