Results 3,841-3,860 of 20,793 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Topical Issue Debate: Litter Pollution (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: As the fourth Minister, I might give Deputy Kitt a slightly different answer. On foot of the success of the plastic bag levy, my Department commissioned a study on the possible extension of environmental levies to other materials that are problematic from a litter perspective. With regard to chewing gum, the study recommended that either a levy on sales be put in place or that a...

Topical Issue Debate: Litter Pollution (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: On the Deputy's last point, discussions on that issue are under way and I will inform the Deputy of the outcome when I know it. The solution that has been put in place, namely, the negotiated agreement, has had a dramatic impact and the statistics prove it. That said, I agree with the Deputy that the figure that pertains is still of concern. I will consider whether a further agreement is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is applied...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Rates (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Income from Motor Tax currently accrues to the Local Government Fund. The Fund historically provided local authorities with finance to fund some of their day-to-day activities, including elements of water services costs, through General Purpose Grant allocations. Following the establishment of Irish Water, the water-related element of General Purpose Grants which previously went to local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Communications (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: As indicated in the reply to Question No. 503 on 27 May 2014, my Department had on - going engagement, both formal and informal, with the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland (AMAI) relating to the implementation of the Action Programmefor Effective Local Government, Putting People First, and the drafting of the Local Government Reform Bill 2013, which was enacted as the Local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Social housing is a key priority for the Government, evidenced by the additional €2.2 billion in funding announced for it in Budget 2015. Accordingly, the Social Housing Strategy 2020,published in November 2014, sets ambitious targets for supply and reform of the sector. Given the scale of the challenge in the Dublin area, a key early action of the Strategy was the establishment of a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Dublin Housing Supply and Co-ordination Task Force was established under Action 2 of the Government’s Construction 2020Strategy with an immediate focus on addressing supply-related issues and to work closely with industry and other parties, including those responsible for key infrastructure such as schools, to identity and address any obstacles to viable and appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fuel Laundering (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 508 to 510, inclusive, together. Enforcement in relation to illegal diesel laundering activities is primarily a matter for the Revenue Commissioners from the point of view of avoiding loss of revenue to the Exchequer. My Department assists local authorities in carrying out their role as competent authorities under waste legislation, which involves taking...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statisticsthat inform the preparation and evaluation of policy. Data on local authority housing completions in the period since 1999 are included within this range, and are available on my Department’s website at by clicking “L.A housing output (1999+) By each Council” under the Social Housing Supports...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock is a matter for the relevant local authority, in this case Dublin City Council, and it is open to local authorities to address maintenance or improvements to their housing stock from within their own resources. My Department operates certain funding programmes to support the development and improvement of social housing and a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 513 and 514 together. 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 with specific needs to have necessary repairs or improvement works carried out to facilitate the continued independent occupancy of their homes....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department publishes a wide range of housing statistics, including the number and value of local authority mortgages with a breakdown of those in arrears. The statistics are available on my Department’s website at:by clicking “Mortgage Data/Arrears in Local Authorities” under the Housing Loans contents. The breakdown of arrears is only available for loans over 90...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 519 and 531 together. Policy decisions to replace town authorities with a new model of municipal governance were designed to strengthen local government within counties and to address widely acknowledged and long-standing weaknesses and anomalies in the previous system, including the problems of divided administration between town and county authorities,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 520 and 543 together. Under the relevant actions of the Social Housing Strategy 2020, national targets for delivery of social housing on a local authority by local authority basis are to be agreed for each year. Action 1 of the Strategy requires the agreement of national targets for delivery of social housing on a local authority by local authority basis...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (10 Mar 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: Library Services (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Alan Kelly) The report Managing the Delivery of Effective Library Servicescontains detailed arrangements for the planning and implementation of new structures in order to establish stronger, more effective and efficient public libraries and deliver better library services to local communities and citizens. This includes...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Funding (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. The purposes...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 526 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes funding for group water schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection, prioritisation and approval of individual scheme proposals for advancement and funding under the programme is, therefore, a matter for the local authorities. The National Rural Water Services Committee, which...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Insurance Coverage (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The primary role of my Department in electoral matters is to provide an appropriate policy and legislative framework for a modern and efficient electoral system. Within that framework, local returning officers are responsible for all matters in connection with the actual conduct of elections and referendums. This includes, in accordance with section 94 of the Electoral Act 1992, the...