Results 5,081-5,100 of 20,797 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1394 and 1395 together. Sligo County Council’s financial position is of serious concern to me. While it is a matter for individual local authorities to manage their own day-to-day finances in a prudent and sustainable manner, my Department is in regular consultation with the Council in relation to its financial position, including in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Supply (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Data in relation to unaccounted for water in the period to 2013 is contained in the annual Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) Service Indicators reports. The most recent of these is the Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2013,which was published in December 2014.This report is available in the Oireachtas Library and on the LGMA’s website at: . Since 1 January 2014, Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rights of Way Provision (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Section 14 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides for a process for the inclusion by a planning authority of a provision, in its development plan, relating to the preservation of specific public rights of way. Where such a proposal is being contemplated by the relevant planning authority, the section obliges that authority to serve notice (including particulars of the provision and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: A climate awareness campaign, the Changecampaign, ran from 2007 to 2009. Prior to its conclusion, arrangements were put in place for the transfer of the main elements of the campaign website, Change.ie, to the Irish Library Council website. The website now redirects to a dedicated section on climate change on the website. Climate Change is also covered extensively in the energy theme of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Expenditure (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 requires Irish Water to seek the consent of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (and the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform) to borrow money. Following the commencement of Section 35 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Quality (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. One of the utility’s key objectives is to provide safe, clean drinking water on a consistent basis and improving water quality is prioritised in its capital investment strategy. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Planning legislation places no specific restrictions on the height of trees, nor does it make any particular provision for remedy from any other nuisance which may be caused by trees in an urban residential area. However there is currently a civil remedy available concerning branches or roots of neighbouring trees encroaching on a person’s property. The previous Minister of State for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Noise Pollution (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department does not keep a record of the number of complaints made in relation to domestic alarms. The Private Security Authority (PSA), under the aegis of the Department of Justice and Equality, is responsible for the licensing, control and supervision of all installers of security equipment. The PSA has powers to maintain and improve standards in the provision of services, including...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including heating systems and the achievement of energy efficiency, is a matter for each relevant local authority, and it is open to each authority to address maintenance or improvements to their housing stock from within their own resources. My Department operates certain funding programmes to support local authorities in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1411 and 1452 together. Data on individuals in emergency accommodation is provided through the Pathway Accommodation & Support System (PASS). Lead housing authorities provide monthly reports on homelessness which identify the number of people utilising State-funded emergency accommodation on a regional and county basis. These monthly reports also...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1412 and 1512 together. Against the backdrop of ongoing increases in the number of homeless households in the Dublin Region, the Dublin local authorities are exploring the potential for modular housing as an option for addressing emergency accommodation needs. Dublin City Council is overseeing a modular housing demonstration project, which includes units...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act 1996, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by the Environmental Protection Agency or a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory function vested in it, including enforcement functions. Issues concerning the enforcement of waste management legislation are a matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under the Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020, substantial funding is being made available to support the delivery of new social housing units. This includes funding provided to housing authorities for the construction and acquisition of houses and apartments to assist in meeting the needs of those on the social housing waiting lists. Earlier this year, I announced social...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Licensing authorities have an obligation under Article 3 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1992 to be satisfied that a vehicle is correctly taxed and it is open to a motor tax office to request supporting documentation where the goods rate of motor tax is being sought . Such documentation may include a certificate of commercial insurance or evidence of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department published Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Telecommunications Antennae and Support Structures in 1996. In 2012, my Department issued a circular letter to planning authorities updating certain sections of these Guidelines, under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, which planning authorities are required to have regard to in the performance of their...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Administration (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under the Approved Housing Body (AHB) Mortgage to Rent scheme properties are offered to AHBs, which have expressed an interest in the scheme, by the Housing Agency. Financial details of the case are provided to enable the organisation make an informed choice as to the feasibility of the transaction. If an AHB cannot progress the case the Housing Agency is informed to enable it to seek an...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under the Approved Housing Body (AHB) Mortgage to Rent Scheme, a total of 3,025 cases had been considered to the end of August 2015. Of these, 1,727 did not progress for various reasons, including income limits, market value and homeowners withdrawing. In addition, 404 cases were deemed ineligible on grounds of accommodation not being suitable, while agreement on the sale could not be reached...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Local authorities are currently undertaking an ambitious programme of insulation retrofitting, with the support of my Department, on the least energy efficient social houses. Funding of €57 million has been provided over the period 2013-2014 for improving the energy performance of older local authority housing stock, resulting in improved energy efficiency and comfort levels, and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: There is no requirement under the Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 to give three months notice when a vehicle is being taken off the road. While a Declaration of Non-Use of a Vehicle must be made in advance of a vehicle being taken off the road, it can only be made in the month before the expiry of a motor tax disc or previously made Declaration of Non-Use and can be made at any time right...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Application (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1430 and 1431 together. The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provides the legislative basis for the Non-Principal Private Residence (NPPR) Charge. The NPPR Charge, which has since been discontinued, applied in the years 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence. The NPPR Charge...