Results 14,661-14,680 of 20,798 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: As announced in Budget 2015, the moratorium on recruitment has been lifted throughout the Public Sector. However, under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. My Department works closely with all local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: Through the Social Housing Strategy 2020 I have put in place the necessary framework, targets, funding and staffing resources to increase the supply of social housing by 110,000 additional units by 2020. The Strategy has been supported by two successive budgets with €1.7 billion allocated to social housing in 2015 and 2016. Furthermore, sanction has been granted for 420 extra housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: As the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is deemed to be a social housing support under section 19 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, as amended, households in receipt of HAP are not included on the local authority waiting list for social housing support. However, HAP recipients may access other forms of social housing supports by applying to go on the local authority transfer...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme is being introduced incrementally on a pilot basis to local authority areas. Since HAP commenced in September 2014, some 8,2 00 households are currently being supported by the scheme and HAP is now available to all qualified households in 19 local authority areas. HAP provides for the transfer of responsibility for long-term recipients of rent...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: Information on social housing units constructed in respect of all local authorities funded by direct capital investment by my Department, is published on my Department’s website at the following link: . Details of social housing units delivered through Part V arrangements are available on my Department’s website at the following link: Statistics for 2016 are not yet available.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: My Department provides capital funding to local authorities for the acquisition of houses and apartments for social housing use. The parameters applying to local authorities in respect of exchequer funded social housing acquisitions was set out in Circular Housing 24/2015, which is available at the following link: . The cost thresholds for such acquisitions were notified to each individual...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. With regard to rapid-delivery...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Data (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual housing authorities. My Department has no...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Provision (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual housing authorities. My Department has no...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Strategy 2020 is a target-driven plan of action to increase the supply of social housing by 110,000 additional units out to 2020, with 35,000 new units to be delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies and 75,000 households to be supported mainly through the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme. The Strategy has been supported by two successive budgets with...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Contracts Data (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: The Statutory Instruments I have signed from 1 January 2016 are set out in the following table. Name and Reference number of Statutory Instruments signed from 01/01/2016 S.I. 4 of 2016 - Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 (Commencement of Sections 30 and 42 and Part 4) Order 2016. S.I. 20 of 2016 - Electoral Act 1997 (Section 78 (a) and (b)) (Commencement) Order 2016. S.I....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: Following from the substantial announcements of new social housing projects that I made in May 2015, in July 2015 and in January 2016, we now have a strong pipeline of new social housing construction, acquisition and turnkey approvals in place. Between these three announcements, almost €680 million has been allocated for over 3,900 social housing new builds, turnkey developments...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Provision (14 Apr 2016)

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, including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 requires Irish Water to put in place a Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP). The WSSP outlines the strategic direction for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Constituency Boundaries (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: Section 5 of the Electoral Act 1997 provides for the establishment of a Constituency Commission upon the publication by the Central Statistics Office of preliminary census results. Census 2016 is to be taken on 24 April 2016 and the Central Statistics Office expects to publish the preliminary results in July of this year. The function of the Constituency Commission is to make a report on the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: Under electoral law, returning officers are responsible for all matters in relation to the conduct of elections, including the provision of polling stations and polling booths within those stations. The Electoral Act 1992 provides that local authorities, in making polling schemes, shall endeavour to appoint polling places where at least one polling station is accessible to wheelchair users...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: The Housing Agency, in consultation with my Department and local authorities, is gathering data and developing a detailed database and GIS map of local authority owned lands, as well as the Land Aggregation Scheme lands, showing their location, size, boundaries and other information. Furthermore, my Department, in conjunction with local authority planning departments, carried out a national...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Strategy 2020 includes targets and actions to increase the supply of social housing by 110,000 additional units, with 35,000 new units to be delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies and 75,000 households to be supported mainly through the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme. The Strategy has put in place the means to overcome barriers that might have existed...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Funding (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: Dealing with vacancies that occur within existing social housing stock is a normal part of the management function of local authorities. My Department places no monetary limits on what a local authority spends on refurbishing such units. However, in 2014 my Department recognised that a backlog of such units had built up over several years and, accordingly, introduced a funding programme to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. The HAP scheme removes a barrier to employment, by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment, it improves regulation of the rented accommodation being supported and it provides certainty for landlords as regards their rental income. To be eligible for HAP, a person...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Properties (14 Apr 2016)

Alan Kelly: My Department is not a significant owner of property. However, the Housing Agency, in consultation with my Department and local authorities, is gathering data and developing a detailed database and GiS map of local authority owned lands, as well as the Land Aggregation Scheme lands, showing their location, size, boundaries and other information. The Office of Public Works has also developed a...