Results 15,461-15,480 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (4 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: Housing authority administration of homeless services is organised on a regional basis and funding from my Department for homeless services is also provided on a regional basis. Dublin City Council is the lead authority for the Dublin Region, which also includes South Dublin County Council, Fingal County Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. My Department is engaging with Dublin...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (4 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: Planning legislation provides that any person or body, on payment of the appropriate fee, may make a submission or observation in writing to a planning authority in relation to a planning application within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt of the application by the planning authority. The legislation does not provide discretion for planning authorities to hold oral...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rental Costs (4 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The most recent data from the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) for Q2 2015 show that on an annual basis, nationally, rents were 7.1% higher than in Q2 2014. Rents for houses were 6.4% higher, while apartment rents were 7.6% higher than in the same quarter of 2014. These annual rates of increase were driven mainly by the Dublin market. Overall, in the 12 months to the end of Q2 2015,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (4 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: In December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setbacks and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These 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 metres between a wind turbine...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Staff Data (4 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: Approximately 3% of the staff in my Department are proficient to carry out their duties completely through the medium of Irish and these staff can be directed towards particular work areas requiring Irish as and when required. My Department continues to provide staff with the opportunity to improve their Irish language skills by offering language training at a number of different levels....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (4 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department has a wide and diverse business agenda, including protecting the environment, providing necessary housing supports and fostering community and rural development in partnership with local government and other local development bodies. In order to deliver on this broad business agenda, my Department allocates significant resources to a wide range of organisations, including local...

Topical Issue Debate: Private Rented Accommodation Costs and Controls (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Deputy for raising this critically important issue. There is no issue I take more seriously or spend more time on. Homelessness and housing services take up the bulk of my time as I try to ensure that people have a home and a decent living standard. It is very personal to me. This Government will do everything it can to help people. We have been caught in the perfect storm of...

Topical Issue Debate: Private Rented Accommodation Costs and Controls (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The structure of the property market in Ireland has changed dramatically in the past decade. In 2002, 11.4% of households and families were accommodated in the private rented sector. Today, that figure is well above 20% and it continues to grow each day. Effectively, the number of Irish households renting privately has doubled in recent years....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation Grant Eligibility (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1012 and 1016 together. The legislative basis for the Water Conservation Grant is set out in Section 5 of the Water Services Act 2014 and statutory regulations under the section, inter alia, provide for the general administrative procedures for the scheme. Persons who register with Irish Water, as required under Section 5(2)(a) of the Water Services Act 2014,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation Grant Eligibility (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The eligibility criteria for the Water Conservation Grant are set out in the Water Services Act 2014 (Water Conservation Grant) Regulations 2015. Under regulation 5(1) a person who registers with Irish Water, as required under section 5(2)(a) of the Water Services Act 2014, on or before 30 June 2015 shall be eligible to receive the grant in 2015 if they were normally resident at the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation Grant (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The legislative basis for the Water Conservation Grant is set out in Section 5 of the Water Services Act 2014 and statutory regulations under the section, inter alia, provide for the general administrative procedures for the scheme. The reckonable date of occupancy of 30 June 2015 for the 2015 grant scheme is set down in Regulation 5(1) of the Water Services Act 2014 (Water Conservation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Schools Health and Safety (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department operates a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to maintain staffing levels within the local government sector. 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....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The term “electromagnetic hypersensitivity” (EHS) is often used where individuals report a variety of physical and mental health problems, including fatigue, headaches, depression, dizziness and problems with sleeping, after exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF), including those associated with mobile telecommunications. EHS was one of the potential health effects of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: In December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setbacks and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines.These 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 metres between a wind turbine and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management Regulations (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1022 and 1082 together. I am committed to developing a sustainable and environmentally focussed system for the management of waste tyres in Ireland. Like existing systems for waste tyres elsewhere in the EU and for all other waste streams in Ireland, this system must respect the producer responsibility approach and be based on the polluter pays principle....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regeneration Projects Status (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department currently supports an ambitious programme of regeneration in Limerick which seeks to address keys aspects of disadvantage in communities through holistic programmes of physical, social and economic regeneration. Good progress has been made through the programme and the Government remains committed to the ‘Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan’. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: Central Government funding to local authorities presents a complicated picture, with transfers coming from a wide range of Departments and Offices, not solely from my Department, for a variety of purposes. Some streams of funding are delivered directly from funding departments to local authorities, while others are routed through departmental agencies. The Comptroller and Auditor General...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is deemed to be a social housing support under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. It should be noted that as a long term housing support, an assessment of housing need must be completed in order for a household to qualify for HAP. The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 provide that subject to conditions, a housing authority shall...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1028 to 1030, inclusive, together. The local authority mortgage protection insurance (MPI) scheme is overseen by the Mortgage Protection Committee which is a sub-committee of the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and is representative of the CCMA, local authorities, the Housing Finance Agency and my Department. One of the conditions of the scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Flood Risk Assessments (3 Nov 2015)

Alan Kelly: I am aware of the matters raised by the Deputy from a previous Parliamentary Question. However, the matter raised is first and foremost a matter for the relevant local authority, which in this case is Meath County Council. With regard to the issues raised by the Deputy, the information available to me is that the area has been the subject of Flood Risk Assessment as part of the planning...