Results 15,201-15,220 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly
- Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (25 Nov 2015)
Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 540 of 24 November 2015, which sets out the position in this matter.
- Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Persons Supports (25 Nov 2015)
Alan Kelly: Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. My Department does not fund any service directly but provides funding to housing authorities on a regional basis as a contribution towards costs incurred; housing authorities also provide funding from their own resources. The purposes...
- Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Persons Data (25 Nov 2015)
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. This function is carried out by a Homeless Unit consisting of six employees - an Assistant Principal, two Higher Executive Officers, two Executive Officers and a...
- Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: NAMA Portfolio (25 Nov 2015)
Alan Kelly: The Government has enabled and facilitated the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) in playing an important role in the delivery of housing supply generally, and social housing in particular. In the context of social housing delivery, NAMA has had ongoing engagement, since December 2011, with my Department and the Housing Agency as well as local authorities, in identifying properties that...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: The view is that it is a good idea, although it will take some time to bed it into the process. The new template from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for how Departments are to provide output indicators for 2015 which has been informed by the New Zealand guidelines is a good one. We will engage with the secretariat to do as is stated through the process.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: I do not think the outcome of the general election should be allowed to get in the way. The process now in place is valuable and sensible and will yield results. My Department will adhere to it. The view across government is that it is a worthwhile approach.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: I welcome the opportunity to set out the progress made to date in 2015 in expenditure under the various programmes in my Department. The total allocation for my Department in 2015 is €1.329 billion, of which €834 million has been allocated to current expenditure programmes, while €449 million has been allocated to capital programmes. The total allocation for my...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: I thank the Deputy for her range of questions. I will try to get through them, but if I miss one, I will come back to it. I wish to make a general comment on the underspend in the Department. Typically, much of the drawdown takes place near year-end, given the local authority and housing aspect. I ask the Deputy to bear this in mind. For instance, the figure for the housing spend in...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: Yes, that is my ambition. There has been an underspend in a number of areas, including on the water conservation grant. There are issues with leasing because the rental sector is difficult, but we have increased spending in dealing with the problem of homelessness.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: We are maximising the spend. We have provided funding to literally fill the void. We have used it to turn around more voids which means that we have supplemented one for the other, which is a good and quick way to deal with the matter. The Deputy has spoken about voids on numerous occasions and I am glad to say we have increased their output. There is an extra spend in dealing with the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: I ask the Deputy to give us a chance because we are only in the first year of the programme. We will engage with those who use the grant to find out.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: One cannot judge whether a grant has been successful in its first year of operation. One must analyse what it is being used for and we will do so. I know, anecdotally, from the volume of new technologies and products emerging that it is being used. Perhaps the Ministers of the State might wish to comment.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: Before we say "boo", I do not know about that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: It is important. The Senator raised the issue of local authorities. I outlined where the Government stands on spending in this area. Much of the drawdown for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government comes towards the year end but this year it is even further ahead on spending than previous years. The Ministers of State, Deputies Paudie Coffey and Ann Phelan, and I...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: It is the anniversary of the social housing strategy and I have confidence in that strategy. We will provide 946 units this year because we have to take into account acquisition and building. In many parts of the country, dare I say in some midlands areas, which Deputy Cowen and I represent, it makes more sense to buy where there are vacant properties and we are not able to supply, than to...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: It is a contribution and not the whole payment. The local authorities have to do that themselves. The Deputy mentioned eight units in his constituency. The Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, is more familiar with this than I because he was there and looked at them. My information is that this was a case of the local authority doing something as a prototype. It was energy efficient...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: If we did not address it, the Deputy would be giving out as well.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: It is a debate for another day and it goes beyond this Department. In regard to the specific question, obviously assessments and valuations were coming down the road and everyone knew they were coming. The Valuation Office is independent. It was making its assessments for the ESB and utilities. There is a variance across the entire country in that they went up and down. What we committed...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Review of Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Nov 2015) Alan Kelly: I thank the Deputy.