Results 4,901-4,920 of 20,797 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Noise Pollution (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: Any complaints concerning environmental noise, including low-frequency noise, should be directed to the relevant local authority. The reported noise source determines how a complaint is investigated and addressed by the local authority. A public information leaflet How to Make an Environmental Complainthas been prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assist members of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (14 Jul 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 and all rates income accrues to the local government...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department is currently conducting a review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines focused specifically on noise, proximity and shadow flicker. As part of this process, my Department wrote to the Department of Health in September 2013 inviting any input that they might have on the health aspects, if any, of wind farms. Preliminary feedback was received from a Deputy Chief Medical...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Reform (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: Subject to age and residency requirements, a registered elector's citizenship determines the polls at which he or she is entitled to vote. Irish Citizens alone are entitled to vote in Presidential elections and referendums. While electoral law is subject to ongoing review, I have no proposals at present to extend the current arrangements for voting by non-Irish citizens in referendums.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Valuations (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The package of commitments on mortgage arrears announced by Government recently includes a number of amendments to the Approved Housing Body Mortgage to Rent Scheme, which will enable more properties to qualify for the scheme and make it more flexible and accessible to borrowers. The principal amendment to the scheme, which took effect from 1 July, is to increase the valuation thresholds...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 856 and 859 together. I am aware of the amendment to section 41 of the National Lotteries Act 2013 that, pursuant to section 44 of said Act, enables National Lottery monies paid into the Central Fund to be allocated for the purposes of the natural environment, as well as potentially for a range of other stated purposes. Lottery funding is a limited resource...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The latest summary of social housing assessments, as of 7 May 2013, provides data on the number of households on local authority waiting lists at that date across a range of categories broken down by authority, including details on the length of time spent by households on housing lists. The full 2013 results are available on my Department’s website at . The 2013 figures are the most...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: Insofar as this relates to a matter which is a condition of a planning permission or planning permissions, enforcement of planning control is a matter for the planning authority, which can take action if a development does not have the required permission, or where the terms of a permission have not been met. Planning authorities have substantial enforcement powers under the Planning and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Accommodation Scheme Criteria (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: Local authorities are responsible for administering the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) in accordance with the statutory provisions of the Scheme, as well as guidelines and directions issued by my Department. No instruction has issued from my Department to local authorities on the matter referred to. The RAS is targeted at those in receipt of rent supplement for 18 months or more....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. The HAP scheme will bring all social housing supports provided by the State under the aegis of local authorities. The scheme will remove a barrier to employment by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment. HAP...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Register of Electors (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: An application for inclusion in the supplement to the register of electors must be signed by the applicant in the presence of a member of An Garda Síochána from the applicant’s local Garda station who must first be satisfied as to the person’s identity before signing, dating and stamping the form. The Garda may request photographic or other identification. Where the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (14 Jul 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Funding (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: €37.16 million has been allocated to the Dublin Region for 2015 in respect of costs incurred by housing authorities with regard to accommodation and related services for the homeless. This is an increase of 19% on the region’s initial allocation (of €31.32 million) in 2014 and represents over 70% of all the homelessness funding allocated by my Department to housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Implementation (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. The HAP scheme will bring all social housing supports provided by the State under the aegis of local authorities. The scheme will remove a barrier to employment by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment. HAP...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Strategy targets the delivery of over 35,000 new social housing units over the period to 2020. Building on this, I issued ambitious targets to all local authorities out to 2017, the delivery of which will have a strong impact for those homeless and on the housing waiting lists. The target for County Kildare is 1,283 social housing units; this includes 433 units for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Data (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: Further to the enactment of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 on 28 July 2014, the first phase of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) statutory pilot commenced with effect from 15 September 2014 in Limerick City and County Council, Waterford City and County Council and Cork County Council. HAP commenced in Louth, Kilkenny, South Dublin and Monaghan County Councils from 1...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government published Construction 2020: A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sectorin May 2014 which is aimed at addressing issues in the property and construction sectors and ensuring that any critical bottlenecks that might impede the sector in meeting residential and non-residential demand are addressed. My Department is leading on a range of measures...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 876 and 877 together. I announced targets for the delivery of social housing for all local authorities out to 2017 in April last, under which Meath County Council was set a target of 519 social housing units, supported by €27.8m of investment. This funding is being invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes to accommodate people...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The total funding allocation of €50.5 million nationally for the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability that I announced in May represents an increase of some 10% over the 2014 funding. In the case of Meath County Council, its full funding amount for 2015 of € 857,256 is an increase of some 20% on its 2014 allocation. With regard to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (14 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: As set out in the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020, published in November 2014, the next summary of social housing assessments will be undertaken in 2016 and on an annual basis thereafter. The report of the summary undertaken in 2013, which provides the most up-to-date figures available on housing list numbers, is available on my Department’s website at: .