Results 19,921-19,940 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (17 Jul 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 meter installation programme commenced in August 2013 and will be completed by mid - 2016. Irish Water has indicated that it will have installed a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (17 Jul 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 can collect charges from each customer 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: Ministerial Adviser Appointments (17 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: Special Adviser appointments will be undertaken in accordance with the Instructions on Ministerial Appointments for the 31st Dáil and the Guidelines on Staffing of Ministerial Offices (July 2014). No Special Advisers have been formally appointed since my appointment.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Appointments to State Boards (17 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Programme for Government commits to take steps to ensure that all State Boards have at least 40 per cent of each gender. In April 2011, a proposal brought to Government by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, was approved to allow that future vacancies on State Boards be advertised on the website of the relevant Government Department. The public advertisements inviting...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Programme for Government Priorities (17 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: My priority will be to continue to deliver on those commitments within the Programme for Government for which I have responsibility. As the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have clearly stated, the focus of the Government is to broaden and deepen the economic recovery so that it is felt by individuals, families and communities in their daily lives. Among the areas which will con tribute to that...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Correspondence (17 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I will be publishing, shortly, on my Department's website, the briefing provided to me on appointment as Minister, subject to certain redactions including in relation to information which is legally privileged, which relates to ongoing deliberative processes or which relates to meetings of the Government.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (17 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: On 16 January 2014, details of the capital allocations for the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability were announced. The schemes are funded by 80% recoupments available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. This year €38.4 million was allocated to the grant schemes compared to an initial...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Control of Dogs (17 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 509 to 512, inclusive, together. The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 require that certain breeds of dogs, and other strains or crosses of those breeds, shall be securely muzzled and led by a sufficiently strong chain or leash, not exceeding two metres in length, by a person over the age of sixteen years who is capable of controlling the said dog, when it is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Adviser Appointments (17 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: Special Adviser appointments will be undertaken in accordance with the Instructions on Ministerial Appointments for the 31st Dáil and the Guidelines on Staffing of Ministerial Offices (July 2014). I have made no appointment of Special Advisers to date but I will be making a proposal in this regard in due course. Sanction for the appointment of Special Advisers is a matter for...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: In respect of amendment No. 3 and the second part of amendment No. 4, as has been explained at every stage of consideration of the Bill in the Houses, in accepting the amendments we would duplicate an existing provision in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. I will, therefore, not accept the amendments. Section 13 of the 2009 Act provides that the capital moneys accruing to a...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I have little else to say. To respond to Senator Aideen Hayden, it is a point we can consider in the future. In many ways, it is aspirational, but it could be welcomed. A voluntary code, in moving to a regulatory framework as regards AHBs, is something that is necessary. A huge volume of work has been done, but there is a necessity for it to move into a regulatory process in order that we...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I am.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I cannot accept these amendments, as a blanket provision permitting a local authority tenant to have an authorised delegate in all dealings with the local authority would hinder and delay the normal process of landlord-tenant communications that tenants are generally well able to handle themselves. It should be noted that housing authorities engage with third parties speaking on behalf of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Applications (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 and 174 together. Under the terms of the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, which is administered by the local authorities, grants are available to assist households to have necessary repairs or improvement works carried out in order to facilitate the continued independent occupancy of their homes. Three...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Boundaries (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: The procedures governing boundary alterations are set out in Part V of the Local Government Act 1991 and in the Local Government (Boundary Alteration) Regulations 1996. Under these provisions, it is open to a local authority to initiate a proposal for the alteration of its boundaries. This involves the preparation of a formal proposal by the authority concerned including the setting out of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Sector Funding (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 166, 170 and 171 together. 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. A new round of funding was advertised for applications earlier this year. Pobal was asked to undertake an...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 168 together. The Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement announced the standing down of all affordable housing schemes, including the shared ownership scheme. In 2013, the Housing Agency was asked to conduct a standalone review of the Shared Ownership scheme, including identification of the main difficulties and recommendations for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Applications (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: An application for provisional approval in this case was received by my Department on 9 June 2014 and this provisional approval was granted the following day. My Department is awaiting a further submission for full funding approval once an appropriate approved housing body has been identified by the Housing Agency and the proposal progresses to that stage.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: In line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development, there are 35 Local Action Groups (LAGs) contracted, on my Department’s behalf, to deliver the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP) throughout the country. The LAGs are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. In compliance with a European...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Eligibility (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Housing Aid for Older People Scheme (HAOP) provides grants of up to € 8,000 to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out to their homes. Grant eligible works include structural repairs or improvements, re-wiring, repairs to or replacement of windows and doors, provision of water supply and sanitary facilities,...