Results 3,821-3,840 of 20,793 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 130 of 28 January 2015 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure. Irish Water has published its proposed Capital Investment Plan 2014-2016 and this is available online at Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Pollution (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive requires the extensive monitoring of groundwater quality and the inclusion of programmes of measures in each river basin management plan to ensure continuing improvement in the quality of groundwater. In transposing the Directive, the European Communities Environmental Objectives (Groundwater) Regulations 2010, as amended, give legal...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. It is the occupier of a property that is liable to pay domestic water charges and legislation provides that the owner is the occupier unless the contrary is proven. Irish Water is providing landlords with the opportunity to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation Grant (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: To promote sustainable use of water and to enhance water conservation in households, the Department of Social Protection will administer, on behalf of my Department, a €100 water conservation grant for households (principal private dwellings) that complete a valid response to Irish Water’s customer registration process. It is proposed that the grant will be paid in one...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Appointments to State Boards (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: No former senior civil servants who retired from my Department since 2011 have been appointed to a State board under my Department’s aegis following their retirement.

Seanad: Establishment of Electoral Commission: Motion (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I welcome the opportunity to be back in the Seanad today. As my colleagues are aware, I was in this House last December when we had a good discussion on the Government's plans to establish an electoral commission. I said then, and I will say it again now: for me personally, and I say this genuinely and not passively, I would love to have dealt with this issue at the beginning of a longer...

Seanad: Establishment of Electoral Commission: Motion (4 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I will arrange for it to be given to the Senator. This was evident in December during our previous debate. However, there are a wide range of views on what exactly such a body will do and how it should work. A key lesson from international experience identified in the consultation paper is that significant changes in electoral governance ideally need to command broad political and public...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. My Department works closely with Meath County Council in relation to staffing requirements and on 27 January 2015 my Department approved the post of Head of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Litter Pollution Legislation (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The primary purpose of the Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2009 is not to prescribe the content and format of election related public advertising material, but to limit the creation of litter. It is a requirement under section 19(1) of the Litter Pollution Acts, as amended by the Protection of the Environment Act 2003, that all forms of posters carry the name and address of the promoter or...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provided for the transfer of responsibility for the provision of public water services from the local authorities to Irish Water. The Act provides that Irish Water shall charge each customer for the provision of services provided by it in accordance with a water charges plan to be approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). A new water...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: All persons who are Oireachtas members (including office holders) must furnish, on an annual basis, a statement of interests, to the Standards in Public Office Commission. I have no concerns regarding TDs who are landlords and/or have other property interests influencing housing policy.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Litter Pollution (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department is informed by Dublin City Council that their protocol in relation to postering is operated strictly in accordance with the terms of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 as amended. Under the relevant provisions of the Act the City Council as owners of the structures in a public place, e.g lampstandards, have a right to determine the manner in which these posters may be erected. I...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: In accordance with the provisions of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1992, refunds of motor tax are available in certain limited circumstances, such as where a vehicle has been scrapped, is being permanently exported or has been stolen and not recovered. The Regulations do not provide for a refund where a vehicle has been taken into a garage for repair.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Service (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Keeping Communities Safe (KCS), was published as national policy in February 2013, and is intended to keep fire safety and fire services in Ireland in line with international best practice. KCS sets down national norms and standards against which local authorities can benchmark their fire services. KCS underpins current good practice in relation to both fire-fighter and public safety, with a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Eligibility (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 introduced a new standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing in every housing authority. The aim of the new system is to move closer to a transparent, consistent and fairer approach to eligibility for social housing. The Regulations include maximum net income limits for each housing authority, in different bands according to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Library Services (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 258 and 259 together. I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 277 and 278 of 5th February, 2015. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fuel Laundering (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: As I outlined in the reply to Question No. 279 of 5 February 2015, I have written to my counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive, Minister Mark Durkan, to highlight again the problems being faced by border counties exposed to the consequences of environmental crime and I have signalled to him that this is an issue that I will be raising at the next meeting of the North South Ministerial...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Scheme Grants (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: As part of the Government Decision on Irish Water financing taken on 6 May 2014, the Government agreed that the subsidisation of group water schemes be reviewed to ensure equity of treatment with households on public water supplies. This approach to ensuring households in the group water sector receive equivalent support, while allowing for any transitional issues, to sustain improvement...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Details of targets and timelines for delivery of social housing units are set out in tables 1 and 2 of the Social Housing Strategy 2020, which is available on my Department’s website at the following link: . The provision of 35,000 new social housing units under the Strategy is set out in two phases: Phase 1 targets the delivery of 18,000 additional housing units by the end of 2017 and...