Results 1,941-1,960 of 20,758 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (2 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: In July 2013, Building for the Futurea voluntary regulation code for the approved housing body (AHB) sector was published. The code sets out key governance, management and financial principles that AHBs commit to meeting on signing a Charter of Commitments. In February 2014 an interim Regulatory Committee was established to oversee the implementation of the code and to advise on the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (2 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of water services functions from the 34 water services authorities to Irish Water. With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for the provision of public water services. Section 12 of the Act provides for the transfer of property from a local authority to Irish Water. Section 13 of the Act provides that any...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Expenditure (2 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Under Section 80 of the Local Government Act 2001, local authorities are required to make proper arrangements for the management, custody, care and conservation of their records and archives and to provide public access to their archives. The annual cost for the storage of records and archives is a matter for each local authority and this information is not collated by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Administration (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provides the legislative basis for the Non Principal Private Residence (NPPR) Charge. The NPPR Charge of €200 per annum, 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. It is a matter for an owner to determine if...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Rates (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Changes to motor tax rates are generally considered in the context of the national budgetary process and it, therefore, would not be appropriate to comment further on the matter at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 came into effect on 1 July 2013. The primary purpose of the Act is to replace the system whereby a vehicle was declared off the road retrospectively with a system under which the vehicle must be declared off the road in advance. The provision for retrospective declarations had become a means of evasion of motor tax. The new arrangements have been fully...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Road Safety (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service was introduced in March 2009 in response to the financial crisis. My Department operates a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for implementation of the moratorium in relation to local authorities, and any exceptions to the moratorium in local authorities require sanction from my Department....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Administration (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provides the legislative basis for the Non-Principal Private Residence 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 o f residence. The self-assessed Charge is set at €200 per annum and liability for it...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 560 together. I intend in the coming months to make the commencement order and regulations that will enable the new tenant purchase scheme for existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines to come into operation under Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. I have not finalised the detailed terms of the new...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 574 and 588 of 30 September 2014 which sets out the position in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 527 and 528 together. Following the completion of consultation in the matter with the Minister for Health, I have decided that Irish Water customers with high water consumption due to medical conditions will have their bills capped at the relevant assessed charge, on the basis of self-declaration of eligibility. This will apply even where a water meter has...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Funding provided by my Department to local authorities for social housing encompasses a range of programmes and actions. My Department publishes a wide range of housing statistics, including historical data on social housing output since 2005. These statistics are available on my Department’s website at: The main areas of social housing capital investment are the local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Programme Funding (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Funding under the LEADER element of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme is fully committed. However, I expect that the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme will commence during 2015 and there is potential under this Programme to fund the restoration of buildings if it is identified as a priority in the Local Development Strategy for the area.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters (7 Oct 2014)

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. The water meters being installed by Irish Water are mechanical and so they begin to record the flow of water through the meter from the date of installation. Every meter is fitted with Automatic Meter Reading (AMR)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Yield (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 532 and 545 together. The Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of water services functions from local authorities to Irish Water and provides for local authorities to act as agents for Irish Water. Local authorities have continued billing, collections and billing/metering query functions in relation to non-domestic customers on behalf of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: EU Directives (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department is currently finalising draft regulations to give further and better effect to the transposition of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive in Irish law. I hope to sign the regulations into law in the near future.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Applications (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department provides funding to local authorities for various social housing supports, including for adaptations and extensions to the social housing stock to meet needs of tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. My Department gave approval in this case to Sligo County Council on 31 July 2014 and it is now a matter for the Council to advance the project.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 535, 544 and 566 together. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides Irish Water with the power to charge customers in respect of the services provided. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and the CER has been given statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 536, 538 and 542 together. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides Irish Water with the power to charge customers in respect of the services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) which has been given statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 537, 550 and 561 together. Under the Water Services Acts 2007-2013, Irish Water may request its customers and certain specified persons or bodies, including the Minister for Social Protection, to provide it with information so that it can perform its functions under these Acts. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water is responsible for...