Results 4,241-4,260 of 21,378 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electromagnetic Fields Studies (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department has commissioned a study to review and report on international developments on the potential health effects of electro-magnetic fields, by examining international developments in non-ionising radiation (NIR) and electromagnetic fields (EMF) research, which have taken place since publication in 2007 of a report by the then Department of Communications, Marine and Natural...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: As announced in Budget 2015, the moratorium and the Employment Control Framework for the Public Service have been lifted but recruitment/promotion will be subject to adherence to binding 3 year pay ceilings. Staffing resources must be managed within these overall ceilings. Detailed arrangements in terms of the local government sector will be worked out between my Department and the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: Motor tax on cars registered prior to 2008 is based on engine capacity. Motor tax on cars registered since 2008 is based on CO 2emissions. I do not consider that either basis of taxation is regressive. In the case of cars taxed on engine capacity, the banding is structured so that the level of tax payable increases as the engine size increases. In the case of cars taxed on the basis of CO2,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management Regulations (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: Among the measures included in the Government’s national waste policy, A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland, which was published in July 2012, was the establishment of an inter-Departmental working group to report to Government with options on minimising the impact of waste charges on low-income households. The working group, which comprises representatives of my...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 527, 534, 539 and 564 together. In December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setback distance and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions proposed: - The setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing and planning statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of policy. It includes data on the number of local authority houses built, broken down by year, and those data are available on my Department’s website at: by clicking “Social Housing Outputs” under the Social Housing Supports heading. Social...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: In order for a household to qualify for social housing support, a housing authority must carry out an assessment to establish whether the household meets specified eligibility requirements and has a housing need. The housing need criteria, as prescribed in the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, includes a household that has a mortgage that is deemed to be unsustainable under the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (6 May 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. Under the Water Services Acts 2007-2013, Irish Water has statutory powers to request its customers and certain specified persons or bodies to provide it with information so that Irish Water can perform its functions under...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: Approved housing bodies (AHBs) are organisations approved under section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 to provide social housing support in conjunction with local authorities. These organisations include voluntary housing associations. The ownership of homes being rented to tenants by AHBs varies, depending on the scheme under which the dwelling was provided. Since the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing for People with Disabilities (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department does not have a grant scheme specifically to support the building of a new house where there are family members with disabilities.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Register of Electors Administration (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: In law, the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter for each local authority as a registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. This involves the carrying out of house-to-house or other local enquiries, including in many cases delivering registration forms to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing for People with Disabilities (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: Exchequer funding of over €37 million was provided by my Department to local authorities in 2014 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. Combined with an additional 20% contribution by individual local authorities, there was an overall spend last year of €46.3 million in this area. I am pleased to confirm that the 2015 amount will...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: Social housing is key priority for this Government, as evidenced by the additional €2.2 billion in funding announced for it in Budget 2015 and the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 in November 2014. The total targeted provision of over 110,000 social housing units, through the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units and meeting the housing needs of some 75,000...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Control of Dogs (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 542, 543 and 559 together. The overall thrust of dog control legislation is to place the onus on dog owners and those in control of dogs to act responsibly by keeping their dogs under effectual control, irrespective of breed. Such responsible dog ownership is the key to reducing incidences of dog biting and other problem behaviours. The Control of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 139 of 29 April which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Commission Administration (6 May 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, including the selection, appointment and training of polling station and count staff...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 546 and 547 together. The social housing targets that I recently announced for all local authorities are out to 2017 and include almost 7,500 units that will be capital-funded and 15,400 current-funded units. My announcement also contained provisional funding allocations which are sufficient to deliver the targeted units. Details in tabular form are available...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 549 together. The allocation of funding to local authorities of some €20m from my Department in respect of the 2015 programme to bring vacant units back to productive use will be made shortly. This allocation will also set out the number of targeted units per local authority. For 2015, a target of 1,000 vacant units to be returned to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 550 to 553, inclusive, together. A range of measures are being taken to secure a ring-fenced supply of accommodation to house homeless households and mobilise the necessary supports nationally in order to deliver on the Government's target of ending involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. These measures are set out in the Government's...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (6 May 2015)

Alan Kelly: Funding to approved housing bodies is allocated to them on the basis of proposals they make in respect of social housing provision which have been approved by local authorities and my Department. These proposals must be viable, meet housing need and represent value for money. Under my Department's Capital Assistance Scheme, approved housing bodies are already implementing projects for the...