Results 2,121-2,140 of 20,758 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 came into effect on 1 July 2013. The primary purpose of the Act is to replace the system whereby a vehicle was declared off the road retrospectively with a system under which the vehicle must be declared off the road in advance. The system of making retrospective declarations had become a means of evasion of motor tax estimated to have cost the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 552 and 560 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Nuclear Plants (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 553 to 555, inclusive, together. The position as outlined in the reply to Questions Nos. 158, 159, 132, 133, 134 and 135 of 15October 2014 is unchanged. Full written details of the decision by the European Commission in relation to State Aid rules are not yet available from the Commission. When these details are received, they will be examined and a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The fundamental reason behind the rise in rents is a lack of housing supply.  Increasing both public and private housing supply is a critical issue and that is why, earlier this year, the Government published Construction 2020 - A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sector. 2015 will see Government aggressively tackling the housing crisis with a major investment of €800 million...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: 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) and the CER has been given statutory responsibility for protecting the interests of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Quality (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 558, 559, 577 and 581 together. I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 290, 291 and 292 on 14 October which sets out the position regarding the supervision of public drinking water supplies, As I understand that the Environmental Protection Agency has initiated enforcement proceedings in relation to the supply of drinking water to the estate in question, it...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department provides funding to local authorities for the build and acquisition of social housing and for the improvement of the social housing stock in relation to certain priority needs, While the allocation of social housing funds for 2015 has not been finalised, I should emphasise that funding is not provided in respect of all social housing matters and the management and maintenance of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Offices (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Office of Public Works (OPW) leased buildings in Tubbercurry, Co Sligo, on a temporary basis, for the former Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs (CEGA). Those offices were provided as an advance office for the decentralisation of that former Department to Charlestown, Co. Mayo. Following a reconfiguration of Government Departments, the Community Division of CEGA...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Incidence (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: In late October 2013, Mayo County Council submitted a report to my Department on problems with the cracking of concrete blocks used in the construction of two local authority estates. In May of 2014, the Council notified my Department that two houses in another local authority estate may also be affected. As matters stand, my Department understands that a total of 17 houses in the three...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Repossessions (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department publishes a breakdown of Local Authority repossessions on its website at: The Local Authority repossession data are not broken down under lending or finance schemes, so the full range of information sought by the Deputy is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Administration (21 Oct 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 self-assessed charge is set at €200 per annum and liability for it...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My role in relation to the planning system is primarily to provide and update the legislative and policy guidance framework. The legislative framework comprises the Planning and Development Acts and the Planning and Development Regulations. Under planning legislation, the decision as to whether to grant a planning application, with or without conditions, is a matter for the relevant planning...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Semi-State Bodies Privatisation (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services Act 2013 provides for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group (which has now been renamed Ervia). Section 5 of the Act also sets out the share structure of Irish Water, providing for one share to be allocated to Ervia and for the remaining shares to be issued equally between the Minister for the Environment, Community...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Farm Waste Management (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Measures to protect ground and surface waters, including drinking water sources, are contained in Ireland's third National Nitrates Action Programme which is given legal effect by the consolidated European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014. The Regulations establish a legal requirement for farmers to comply with good agricultural practice in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Provision (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants relating to, inter alia, security of tenure and the termination of tenancies. The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Section 202 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides that a planning authority can decide to make an order declaring a specified area to be an area of special amenity for reasons of its outstanding beauty or special recreational value, having regard to any benefits for nature conservation as well as for the purposes of preventing or limiting development in the area. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Applications (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department is engaging with the Chief State Solicitor’s Office in relation to matters concerning the foreshore lease application referred to in the Question. While the organisation concerned may have withdrawn its claim of title to a part of reclaimed foreshore, there is a separate challenge by a Third Party to the State’s ownership of the foreshore. This challenge relates...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Funding (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Irish Water's costs in the coming years will be funded through a mix of revenue from the domestic and non-domestic sector, third party finance (including bank lending and capital markets facilities) and State support which may be in the form of both equity and subvention. In order to provide for free allowances and give greater visibility on the expected level of water charges, the Government...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department provides funding to local authorities for adaptations and extensions to the existing social housing stock to meet the needs of tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. I allocated funding to local authorities under this measure in September 2014 and Laois County Council was allocated €53,957 based on a list of properties they identified requiring...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Remit (21 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 collection of Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers allows Irish Water to confirm and validate the entitlement to allowances for each customer. This...