Results 2,061-2,080 of 20,758 for speaker:Alan Kelly

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...

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

Alan Kelly: On 20 May 2014, the Implementation Plan on the State's Response to Homelessnesswas published in which the Government's approach to delivery on its objective of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016 was outlined. A copy of this plan is available on my Department's website at, . This plan sets out a range of measures to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (14 Oct 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: Appointments to State Boards (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Since July 2011, my Department’s website has been used as the primary mechanism for seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced persons, for consideration as members or chairpersons of the boards of State bodies under my Department’s aegis. It should be noted that in the case of certain appointments, statutory selection procedures must be followed...

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

Alan Kelly: The only possible funding available from my Department for this type of infrastructure is under the LEADER programme. However, funding under the LEADER element of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme is now fully committed. I expect however that the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme will commence during 2015 and there is potential under this Programme to fund playgrounds if it is...

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

Alan Kelly: Retired public and civil servants are engaged from time to time by my Department in areas where specific expertise is required for a short fixed period and these people provide a level of knowledge, experience and background compatible with such temporary and periodic requirements. The abatement principle, which ensures that the fee or salary paid plus pension does not exceed the rate of pay...

Financial Resolutions 2015 - Financial Resolution No. 3: General (Resumed) (15 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: This is a milestone budget. It shows that we are slowly becoming a normal economy again, where we are neither throwing money around for the sake of short-term popularity nor squeezing savings out of already pressured public services. It is as progressive as it is prudent and realistic. Lower and middle income earners are gaining proportionately more than the better off. Many sections of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Control of Dogs (15 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 131 together. The operation of the Control of Dogs Act, 1986, including the establishment and maintenance of shelters for dogs and the destruction of dogs in a shelter in a humane manner is a matter for the relevant local authority. No ministerial guidelines have issued in relation to the issue outlined.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Nuclear Plants (15 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 to 135, inclusive, 158 and 159 together. While Ireland does not have a nuclear power industry, it is our position that, where a State chooses to develop a nuclear power industry, this should be done in accordance with the highest international standards with respect to safety and environmental protection. Ireland’s priority is the safety of the...