Results 4,041-4,060 of 20,793 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Irish Water received a subvention of some €439 million from the Local Government Fund in 2014 for operational expenditure, to fund water-related expenditures incurred heretofore by local authorities and which would, historically, have been met by local authorities from their own resources, non-domestic water charge revenues and general purpose grants from the Fund. An amount of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 184 and 185 together. On 14 January 2015, I signed an Order under section 12 of the Water Services (No 2) Act 2013 which provided for the transfer to Irish Water of all ‘below ground’ water services assets previously vested in a local authority. On 30 March 2015, I signed a further Order under section 12 to provide for the transfer of 236...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 187 together. Following enactment of the Water Services (No.2) Act 2013, responsibility for the delivery of public water services became the responsibility of Irish Water from 1 January 2014. This included responsibility for the overall costs involved, both operational and capital costs. Pending the legal transfer of contracts from local authorities to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Leakage (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: It is estimated that the first 10% reduction in current levels of leakage would result in a present value benefit of the order of €300 million.  It is estimated that a corresponding pro rata present value benefit would arise as a result of a 5% reduction in current leakage levels.  While an estimate of the present value benefit arising in respect of 15% and 20% leakage...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: In order to be able to vote at elections and referendums, a person's name must be entered in the register of electors for a constituency in the State in which the person ordinarily resides. Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of certain categories of person who are entered in the register of electors - whole-time members of the Defence Forces; members of An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Appointments (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group (now renamed Ervia), to be formed and registered under the Companies Acts. Section 5 of the Act provides that the shareholders of Irish Water are Ervia, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister for Finance....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Constitutional Amendments (1 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Convention on the Constitution recommended in its Fifth Report that citizens resident outside the State should have the right to vote in Presidential elections. In considering a response to this recommendation the Government decided that it would be necessary to analyse the full range of issuesthat would arise in any significant extension of the franchise, before any decision could be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Commencement of Legislation (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Work is continuing to meet the commitment in the Government's Social Housing Strategy 2020to commence major provisions under Part 2 (Termination of Local Authority Tenancies, etc.) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, and it is expected that Statutory Instruments in this regard will be made shortly. With regard to Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, which...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability although 80% funded by my Department, is administered by the Local Authorities. The matter of payment to contractors is between the applicant and the contractor. The Local Authority will pay eligible grants where copies of all relevant invoices are received from the applicant and the works have been...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Policy Reviews (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The policy document Keeping Communities Safe, (KCS) was published in February 2013, as national policy for the future direction of fire services in Ireland and embeds the internationally accepted Risk Management Approach to safety. KCS was developed through a collaborative process which included consultation with stakeholders. The KCS development process had the benefit of oversight and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates (2 Apr 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 Local Government (Rates) Act 1970 provides...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Grants (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library, brought into operation a grants scheme to assist with the cost of remediation of individual septic tanks and domestic waste water treatment systems which are deemed, following inspection under the EPA's National Inspection Plan and the subsequent issue of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I assume the Question relates to the Reports on the "Area Risk Categorisation" process as outlined in Chapter 7 of “Keeping Communities Safe” (KCS). I can confirm that fire service management in all 27 fire services have prepared Area Risk Categorisations (ARCs) in accordance with KCS. These are local documents, reflecting the local view of fire risk as determined by local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management commenced a project to develop a national 'Risk Based Approach' (RBA) to fire cover. This involved analysis of three years of fire services data and has enabled analysis and comparison of trends down to fire station level. The first phase of the RBA project was the production of the “Risk Based Management Report –...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The policy document Keeping Communities Safe (KCS) was published in February 2013 by my Department. The document is the output of a review process undertaken by my Department through a collaborative process between central and local government. This involved expert professional input by Chief Fire Officers and fire services personnel. The development process also included stakeholder...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Fire services in Ireland are provided by the local authorities designated in accordance with the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. The fire authorities provide a range of operational and fire safety services through 27 service delivery units currently, using an infrastructure of some 220 fire stations and 600 fire appliances and associated specialist equipment. My Department's National...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Government decided in December 2011, based on the recommendations in an independent assessment, to establish a public water utility company to take over the operational and capital delivery functions of local authorities in the water services area. The tender was advertised on the eTenders website, in accordance with public procurement guidelines. The award criteria used was published as...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: End of Life Vehicles Disposal (2 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Enforcement of the End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Regulations is primarily a matter for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local authorities. However, as part of the Producer Responsibility Initiative (PRI) Review, my Department published a report on the ELV system in November 2013. The report concluded that the Irish ELV system is not performing to the optimum level and outlined the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Motor tax is payable on an annual, half-yearly or quarterly basis. The rates applicable for the half-yearly and quarterly options are 55.5% and 28.25% of the annual charge, respectively. These relativities have remained generally consistent since the 1960s. The differential takes account of the extra workload for staff in motor tax offices and the Driver and Vehicle Computer Services...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (15 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 540 of 3 March 2015 which sets out the position in this matter.