Results 3,581-3,600 of 20,793 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal (17 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 511 to 513, inclusive, together. During the period in which local authorities were directly involved in the collection of household waste, a minority of individual councils offered different levels of discount to selected households, based on different qualification criteria. As local authorities exited the waste collection market, some required the private...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Eligibility (17 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under the Social Housing Investment Programme, my Department allocates funding to support local authorities in undertaking adaptations and extensions to their social housing stock, to meet the needs of tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. The implementation of works under these programmes, and the management and maintenance of social housing stock, is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (17 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy.` Data on the number of social housing units provided, broken down by county, are available on my Department’s website at: , by clicking “Qtrly hse completions – sector & local authority 1994+” tab.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (17 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme funding is provided to housing authorities in respect of a range of measures. Details of the funding provided to both Monaghan and Cavan County Councils under the main measures since 2011 is outline d below. Monaghan County Council Measure Year/Expenditure Year/Expenditure Year/Expenditure Year/Expenditure Year 2011 2012...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Fund (17 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I assume that the Question refers to General Purpose Grants from the Local Government Fund. Through the Local Government Fund, my Department provides a funding contribution towards meeting the cost to local authorities of providing a reasonable level of services to their customers. Up to 2014 this funding mechanism took the form of the General Purpose Grant (GPG). As a result of the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Drainage Schemes Status (17 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I hope to do so. I thank the Senator for providing me with the opportunity to outline the current status of wastewater services in Bandon. State investment in water services infrastructure was previously channelled through my Department's water services investment programme and the rural water programme, a function which is now largely devolved to local authorities. The high-level goal of...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Drainage Schemes Status (17 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Senator. I am aware of the anxiety of those in Bandon. I am quite conscious of the issues. I know the town quite well, as the Senator knows, and this is a real issue. I want to assure the Senator that under no circumstances would Irish Water contemplate putting in place a substandard scheme. Many schemes have been re-examined, such as the Ringsend plant in Dublin where...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Communications (18 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I am aware of, and support, the excellent work being done by the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) in the promotion of plain English. My Department has, in the past, received support from NALA in plain English editing on various documents. In addition, writing in plain English is a core element of a series of training courses currently underway in my Department. A Style Guideline...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Communications (18 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I am aware of, and support, the excellent work being done by the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) in the promotion of plain English. My Department has, in the past, received support from NALA in plain English editing on various documents. In addition, writing in plain English is a core element of a series of training courses currently underway in my Department. A Style Guideline...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (18 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: On 4 February 2015, I announced that my Department, in conjunction with the Department for Public Expenditure & Reform, has approved approximately 200 staff for local authorities, in order to implement the targets set within the Social Housing Strategy 2020. My Department has approved or approved in principle up to 50 housing posts for Dublin City Council and 28 posts have been...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Bituminous Fuel Ban (18 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous fuel (or "smoky coal ban" as it is commonly known) was first introduced in Dublin in 1990 in response to severe episodes of winter smog that resulted from the widespread use of smoky coal for residential heating. The ban proved very effective in reducing particulate matter and sulphur dioxide levels in Dublin. As well as bringing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (18 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: 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 separate schemes are available as follows.The Housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (18 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 211 to 216, inclusive, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (18 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: For each year between 2013 and 2020, Ireland has an ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction target under the 2009 EU Effort-Sharing Decision (406/2009/EC).  Furthermore, in October 2014, the European Council endorsed a binding EU target of an at least 40% domestic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and specified that the target will be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (19 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: While it is not entirely clear, I assume that the Deputy is referring to the matter raised in Question No. 430 of 9 December 2014. As I stated in the reply to that Question, from enquiries made of Limerick County Council, it is understood that a number of pre-planning meetings took place with the person concerned before he lodged his first planning application for proposed development...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (19 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: MacCabe Durney Barnes Consultants were appointed in February 2014 to carry out an independent planning review on the performance of planning functions in six selected planning authorities (Carlow, Cork, Galway and Meath County Councils and Cork and Dublin City Councils) in accordance with section 255 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. I expect to receive the final report...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Statistics (19 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of housing policy. Due to the significantly reduced mortgage activity since 2009, concerns about the quality of the data and the availability of statistics referred to in the question from other sources, a decision was taken to cease my Department's publication of the statistics...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Applications (19 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department allocates funding to local authorities towards the cost of adaptations and extensions to social housing to meet the needs of tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. All aspects of the administration of this funding locally are matter s for each local authority and my Department is not involved with the selection or prioritisation of individual projects.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (19 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 197 to 199, inclusive, together. A total of €3.78 million, as set out in the following table, has been provided by my Department to An Taisce over the past five years. DECLG Funding to An Taisce Source 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Total € € € € € € DECLG Vote 0 0 0 0 275,492 275,492 Environment Fund...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Seanad Elections (19 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Government Legislation Programme for the Spring/Summer 2015 session provides for publication of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill in 2015. In 2014, the General Scheme of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill was published for consultation. The General Scheme is part of the legislative process to implement the 1979 constitutional amendment to...