Results 5,441-5,460 of 20,798 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Strategy 2020 sets out clear, measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list with flexibility to meet future demand. The strategy has been backed up by successive budgets, including this year, where social housing has been an absolute priority. Budget...

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I find the Deputy's analysis perplexing, to be honest. Given our position, it is impossible to wave a magic wand and have houses built just like that. It is impossible.

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: We are also building houses as quickly as we can. That is why over 200 sites are now seeing construction. The Deputy will be glad to know I will announce more in the coming days and weeks. We must have a mixture of ways to help people find housing and these include construction and acquisition. In certain parts of the country, it clearly makes more sense to acquire vacant or empty...

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I am still perplexed.

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: It is not a case of reading the figures as I am aware of them. They are public anyway and we put targets on our website for every local authority in the State. We have to adopt the current measures, involving HAP, RAS, etc., in order to help people who the Deputy purports to support, and in fairness, I do as well. There is a lag involved with construction and we must have measures in order...

Other Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: A Dublin Minister.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: Correct.

Other Questions: Homelessness Strategy (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I am fully committed to dealing with homelessness, it is my top priority. I do not say that in any kind of glib way; I genuinely mean it. There is a necessity to focus on providing suitable emergency accommodation for families. The greatest concern is in respect of rough sleepers, which is particularly an issue in Dublin and other cities. Yesterday, I launched the Be Winter Ready...

Other Questions: Homelessness Strategy (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: We are putting together measures across a whole range of areas.

Other Questions: Homelessness Strategy (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I have firm conversations with all local authorities on a regular basis. I met with them only a couple of weeks ago and a couple of weeks prior to that. I met with all of the CEOs and, where necessary, their directors of housing. The Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, and, where necessary, the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, and I have met with the local authorities, to whom we...

Other Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I responded earlier to a similar question. In December 2013, my Department published proposed draft revisions to the noise, setbacks and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 wind energy development guidelines. The draft revisions proposed the setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments, a mandatory minimum setback of 500 m between a...

Other Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Deputy for his supplementary question. This is an important issue and one in which I have taken a direct interest. The Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, and I have done a great deal of work on the matter. It is a technical area. I can assure the Deputy that virtually all of the work has been completed. Further work on the setback distance from a technical point of view...

Other Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: It is a matter for Government when the guidelines will be published. The Deputy may want to refer that issue to his party leader and Taoiseach. When I talk about getting the mix right, I ask the Deputy to trust me, I have executed all my work in relation to this topic. The majority of it is all done but there is a little technical issue that needs to be dealt with. When we speak about...

Other Questions: Wind Energy Guidelines (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: They have to come through Government. They cannot unilaterally come through me, they have to come through Government. In relation to that mix, we have to ensure that every sector is covered and protected going into the future from an energy and a climate change point of view. In particular, I accept that the Deputy has a keen interest, as I have, in what is called agriculture.

Other Questions: NAMA Social Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I am aware of Deputy Mulherin's question.

Other Questions: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: This question concerns the CLÁR areas. I have taken up this issue on numerous occasions in respect of former CLÁR funding in these areas. I have written to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to try to get some progress and finality on it and I await a reply. I expect to have a reply, which I hope will be favourable, in the coming days.

Other Questions: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I concur. These are the people we need to support actively and look at ways in which this can be done. There is a working group in place. If we can make some changes in order to help facilitate those people, about whom the Deputy is quite rightly passionate, I will do so. I think we have made progress on it. The issue has been referred from my Department to the Department of Public...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: Social housing targets have been set for each local authority out to 2017 along with provisional funding allocations. The two Galway councils have a combined target of 1,126 units, supported by an allocation of €58.5m, to be invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes designed to accommodate over 25% of those currently on the housing waiting list in the area. ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rent Controls (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: A shortage of supply is at the heart of rising rents and the Government is addressing this on a number of fronts. Construction 2020: A Strategy for a Renewed Construction Sectoris aimed at addressing issues in the property and construction sectors and ensuring that any bottlenecks that might impede the sector in meeting demand are addressed. The latest figures for new house completions show...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (5 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: In April I set social housing targets for each local authority out to 2017, with the combined target for the four Dublin authorities at 6,849 units. These are being delivered through building, buying and leasing schemes by the local authorities, with an indicative funding provision of €507m. A Dublin Social Housing Delivery Taskforce has also been established to drive the...