Results 4,501-4,520 of 20,797 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: We were getting on so well.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: I will look at changing the name.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: Yes, definitely.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: In one way or another, the three amendments call for an explicit statement that the expert Advisory Council on Climate Change will be independent in the performance of its functions. I appreciate that there have been some concerns raised that the presence of ex officiomembers on the council would in some way render it less than independent in its advice-giving functions. I do not agree with...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: The amendment calls for the shortening of the time frame for publication by the expert advisory council from 30 days to ten days, as stated. By way of explanation for what is already provided in the Bill the 30 day timeframe is to provide an opportunity for the annual report to be seen by the Government before it is published. I hasten to add that there is no intention or provision for the...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: The amendment asks for the timeframe for the first periodic review to be changed from 18 months to six. This will be the most important review because it will be the first. The council is specifically charged with analysing progress made in meeting our mitigation targets up to 2020 under the EU effort sharing decision of 2009. It is unique. I understand the reason Deputies Richard Boyd...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: Both amendments Nos. 36 and 37 call for the expert advisory council to report and provide advice in respect of proposed annual targets. I do not accept the validity of the inclusion of such domestic targets in the Bill. I will not rehash the whole argument. For reasons of similar thoughts expressed by Deputy O'Dowd I will not accept the amendments.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: I accept the positions of both Deputies. The expert council will embark on periodic reviews. That will not necessarily be the norm. I should say that any reviews will not be amended by Government. I give a commitment to look at the timeframe of between 60 and 90 days. A timeframe of ten days is unreasonable. I will certainly look at it to see if we can reduce it but certainly it will...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: Of all the amendments, this one was the most confusing. I respect the spirit of what the Deputy has just said. This has been looked for by the Deputy and Deputy Catherine Murphy. The first part of the amendment states:15. (1) The Advisory Council shall have regard to any guidance given by the Minister to it in relation to the exercise of its functions under this Act. I accept 15(2) and...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: That is twice today that I have done that.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: The committee is well aware of my views on this. I do not wish to repeat them except to say I will oppose the amendment.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: I said the Deputy has put forward a similar argument before. There is disagreement on this and I do not want to repeat the argument except to say that I will oppose these amendments.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: I will look at it before Report Stage.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: I thank members for the amendments put forward. I will reflect on the issues on which I said I would reflect before Report Stage and I look forward to the debate then. I thank members and the Chairman for their time.

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

Alan Kelly: The number of vehicles taxed at the end of December in each of the past five years is set out in this table. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Private vehicles 1,872,715 1,887,810 1,882,550 1,910,165 1,943,868 Goods vehicles 327,096 320,966 309,219 317,849 317,378 Agricultural vehicles 63,677 64,423 63,080 89,492 85,042 Motorcycles 38,145 36,582 35,106 36,623...

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

Alan Kelly: The State is currently finalising its observations on this complaint and will submit these to the European Committee of Social Rights by 29 June, the deadline set by the Committee. All submissions are made available on the ECSR’s website:

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (10 Jun 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 total number of units built (incorporating private, local authority and AHB contributions), broken down by year and house type, and those data are available on my Department’s website at: by clicking “Mthly house...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (10 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department, with the assistance of the Housing Agency, the Housing Finance Agency and the Local Authority Housing Loans Management Group, is currently reviewing the operation of the Shared Ownership Scheme for existing borrowers. The objective is to seek to address, where appropriate, any difficulties arising for some shared ownership borrowers. I expect the review will be finalised...

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

Alan Kelly: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics that inform the preparation and evaluation of housing policy and those data are available on my Department’s website. Data relating to household tenure status are not among that range as they are collected by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) as part of its Census work. The results of the 2011 Census are...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (10 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines. The Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020includes a commitment to make the Regulations necessary for its introduction, in the second quarter of 2015, which will set out the full details of the new scheme. It...