Results 19,781-19,800 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Taxation Yield (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department has advised local authorities of their provisional Local Property Tax allocations from the Local Government Fund for 2015. 80% of LPT will be retained locally to fund vital public services in 2015. The remaining 20% will be re-distributed to provide top-up funding to certain local authorities that have lower property tax bases due to the variance in property values across the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Collection (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provides the legislative basis for the Non-Principal Private Residence Charge. The NPPR Charge, 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. The NPPR Charge is based on self-declaration and therefore the onus is on the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I recently allocated to local authorities almost €8 million in funding for once-off adaptation works for extensions and adaptations to social housing to support people with a disability. Wicklow County Council was assigned €403,628 of this overall allocation. It is now a matter for each local authority to prioritise the works to be advanced under these measures.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1468, 1491, 1511, 1603 and 1604 together. The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group and assigned the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the water metering programme. The meter installation programme commenced in August 2013 and will be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department publishes a wide range of housing statistics. Data on the number of private and social housing units constructed in Waterford City and County are available on my Department’s website at the following link: by clicking “Qtrly house completions by sector and local authority 1994 to date” under the House Building heading.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: In accordance with the provisions of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes, designed to meet these needs, rests with individual housing authorities. My Department is in contact with Longford County...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Stations Upgrade (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a central training...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Sector Funding (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department supports the Community and Voluntary Sector in its contribution to an active, democratic and pluralist society through a number of schemes. There is a particular focus on supporting communities that are vulnerable, disadvantaged or under threat. Pobal, a not-for-profit organisation, manages a significant proportion of funding on behalf of my Department under the Local Community...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1475 and 1476 together. My Department publishes a wide range of housing statistics, including data on the number of social housing units provided directly by local authorities and approved housing bodies, broken down by year. The data do not include a breakdown of the units provided by approved housing bodies. The statistics highlighted are available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: Under the provisions of the Local Government (Rates) Act 1970, a rating authority may make and carry out a scheme providing for the waiver by the authority of all or a portion of commercial rates due by ratepayers in respect of a specified class or classes of property. The making of such a scheme is subject to the consent of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I expect the Local Property Tax to have multiple benefits, including providing a more sustainable and resilient system of funding for local authorities and, therefore, a sounder financial footing for the provision of essential local services. It will provide greater local scope for financial decision-making concerning service provision and, therefore, a strengthening of democracy at local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1484, 1487 and 1552 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Seanad Reform (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: In February 2014 the General Scheme of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2014 was published for consultation. The General Scheme is part of the legislative process to implement the 1979 constitutional amendment to extend the Seanad franchise to graduates from institutions of higher education in the State that heretofore did not form part of the Seanad university...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Application (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: Under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003, a fire authority is entitled to charge users or beneficiaries of a fire service for services which it provides. I do not have any role in approving or consenting to the levying of such charges, which is solely a matter for each local authority. I understand that most fire authorities operate waiver schemes in respect of fire service call-out...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1489, 1563 and 1564 together. At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the stressful situations which individuals face when building works are not completed to the required acceptable standard. In November 2013, my Department was made aware through reports in the media of a potential problem with concrete blocks in County Donegal. In addition, in recent...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework within which the pyrite remediation scheme must operate. It is not a compensation scheme and section 14(8) of the Act specifically states that homeowners cannot seek the recoupment of costs associated with the remediation of a dwelling undertaken prior to the commencement of the scheme. The pyrite remediation scheme is a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group and assigned the company the necessary powers to allow it to undertake the metering programme. Most meters for public utilities are located at the point where the connection enters the household. In the case of water services, under the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Flood Relief Schemes Funding (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: There were two distinct phases of severe weather which affected the country last winter, from 13 December 2013 to 6 January 2014 and from 27 January to 17 February 2014. My Department had an initial role in coordinating and collating details and costs of damage in the immediate aftermath of the severe weather, based on returns and estimates provided by local authorities. On foot of a report...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (17 Sep 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: Departmental Staff Data (17 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1495 and 1497 together. The information requested is set out in the following tables: - - Departures and Expected Departures Period Number Estimated Annual Savings 2013 (July - December) 28 €1,524,080 2014 62 €4,260,979 2015 8 €521,972 2016 9 €694,131 Total 107 €7,001,162 Starters &...