Results 19,941-19,960 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (16 Jul 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: NAMA Social Housing Provision (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: 321 units of accommodation were originally identified by NAMA in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown area as being potentially suitable for social housing. Following that initial identification, 142 units were subsequently confirmed as being unavailable while 49 were considered unsuitable by reference to sustainable planning and housing policy or were located in areas with no demand. By the end...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Residential Institutions Issues (16 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: On 14 May 2014, the Government published Construction 2020 – A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector. The Strategy contains 75 Actions in total and my Department, together with the Housing Agency, will be involved in the delivery of over 30 of those. Under Action 8 of Construction 2020, a Social Housing Strategy is to be published by Q3 2014; to assist in its development, the...

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

Alan Kelly: The information requested is not readily available in my Department and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and effort. However, on the website of the Irish Statute Book, there is an “Acts of the Oireachtas” page provides access to each Act. Once a particular Act is selected, details of the commencement status of each section of the Act are...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Senators for appreciating the fact that I only inherited responsibility for this matter in recent days. I do not know who tendered for the contract and neither would it be appropriate for me to know. I am also not aware whether the groups in question submitted tenders, either individually or as part of consortia. The Senators have identified an issue with specific women's...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Senators for giving me this opportunity to update the House on the current position on the new social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, and, in particular, the position of the North Leitrim Women's Centre and the National Collective of Community-based Women's Networks under the programme. The proposals outlined in Putting People First - Action Programme for...

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: It would not be the first time.

Seanad: Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Senators for their good wishes. I started off in this House and it is always good to return. Let me commence by saying that the Bill was primarily developed by previous Ministers, particularly the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, and I compliment them on their good work. As Senator Walsh will know, I always accept good ideas and always will, but no one has a monopoly on them....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 448, 453, 476 and 486 together. 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. My Department had no involvement in the award of the contracts for the water metering...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Yield (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: Gross motor tax receipts collected in counties Laois and Offaly in 2013 are as follows: * Motor Tax Office Receipts Online Receipts Total Laois €11,060,666 €7,282,909 €18,343,575 Offaly €10,285,487 €7,748,979 €18,034,466

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Maintenance (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: Under my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme for 2014, some €30 million is being provided for improving the energy performance of older local authority housing stock. The funding is part of a three-year €50 million investment programme to improve energy efficiency and comfort levels in some 25,000 local authority homes. Last year over 13,000 households...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Services for People with Disabilities (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 451, 452, 456, 463, 465, 473, 474, 477 and 481 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Yield (15 Jul 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, 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 self-assessed charge was s set at €200 per annum and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Rates (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: I have no plans to review the basis for paying motor tax on a half-yearly or quarterly basis. Motor tax is payable on an annual, half-yearly or quarterly basis. The rates applicable for the half - yearly and quarterly options are 55.5% and 28.25% of the annual charge , respectively. This additional cost element takes account of the extra workload for staffing in motor tax offices and the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Applications (15 Jul 2014)

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

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department is committed to working closely with local authorities in addressing issues around pyrite-related structural defects in social housing units. In some instances the remediation of pyrite-related defects is being addressed within the terms of the construction contract. Where necessary, my Department will provide financial assistance to local authorities in cases where pyrite...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department understands that Respond Housing Association are dealing with this matter in the context of the terms and conditions of the construction contract for the housing scheme. There are no proposals with my Department in relation to this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: In the context of the broader efforts to control development in rural areas, my Department’s 2005 Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housing recommend the attachment of a seven-year occupancy condition for a dwelling being granted planning permission in a rural area. Nonetheless, within this period, it is open to the dwelling owner, with the consent of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Litter Pollution (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: My predecessor announced the provision of €850,000 in grants from the Environment Fund to local authorities under the 2014 Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Awareness Grant Scheme. As in previous years, the scheme enables local authorities to provide funding support for appropriate local public education and awareness initiatives in relation to both litter and graffiti. In the invitation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (15 Jul 2014)

Alan Kelly: Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are the de factoowners of their properties and are required to make them available for social renting for the duration of the mortgage or, as the case may be, the payment and availability agreement. My Department cannot unilaterally make provision for their sale to tenants. Any such decision would have to involve the AHB and have regard to the mortgage on the...