Results 15,761-15,780 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Topical Issue Debate: Local Government Reform (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: They would want to declare it.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Service Staff (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department works closely with Dublin City Council in relation to the staffing needs of Dublin Fire Brigade. My Department recently approved requests from Dublin City Council, to hold both an open and a confined competition to fill firefighter vacancies that arise in Dublin Fire Brigade. It is my understanding that details of the open competition, which will be organised through the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Rates (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1369 and 1373 together. My colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, has established an Inter-Departmental Working Group, which includes representation from my Department, to consider issues relating to the Irish haulage industry. The industry is seeking a reduction in motor tax for the sector, a change in the basis of taxation from unladen...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: I have no plans currently to introduce a system of direct debit payments for motor tax. Any such proposal would require to be underpinned by robust legislation to ensure that there is a system in place to recoup income lost to the taxpayer where there are insufficient funds in personal accounts to meet the payment or where a direct debit or standing order option is cancelled by the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Regulations (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under Section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or An Bord Pleanála is or may be concerned. My Department has made enquiries of Kilkenny County Council in relation to this matter and the Council have indicated that the Kilkenny...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: During the period in which local authorities were directly involved in the collection of household waste, a minority of individual councils offered different levels of discount to selected households, based on different qualification criteria. As local authorities exited the waste collection market, some required the private operators which took on the Councils’ customers to provide a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Animal Welfare (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1374 to 1376, inclusive, and 1378 together. Under the Control of Dogs Acts, local authorities have responsibility for operating and managing dog control and licensing services in their administrative areas, including the management of dog pounds or shelters. In this regard, section 15(2) of the 1986 Act empowers local authorities to enter into arrangements...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Rates (22 Sep 2015)

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: Housing Adaptation Grant (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1380, 1467 and 1382 together. My Department provides funding under the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability. At €50.5 million, the funding that I announced for 2015 for these schemes is an increase of some 10% on the fundi ng that was available last year, enabling local authorities to support an increased level...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Conservation Grant (22 Sep 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 Department of Social Protection is administering the 2015 Water Conservation Grant on behalf of my Department. I will be reviewing the operation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Services for People with Disabilities (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: I am aware of the social benefit accruing from the Housing Adaptation grant schemes in terms of facilitating the continued independent occupancy of their own homes by older people and people with a disability. For that reason, I increased the funding available for the schemes in 2015. At €50.5 million, the funding I announced is an increase of some 10% on the funding that was available...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1389 and 1392 together. Section 41(1) of the National Lotteries Act 2013 enables National Lottery monies paid into the Central Fund to be allocated for the purposes of the natural environment, as well as potentially for a range of other stated purposes. Lottery funding is a limited resource utilised across a range of Government Departments and Agencies....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Section 6(6) of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 makes provision to grant approved housing body (AHB) status to housing associations. AHBs consist mainly of voluntary or co-operative organisations limited by guarantee and registered under the Companies Acts; societies registered under the Industrial & Provident Societies Acts; and/or Trusts incorporated under the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1394 and 1395 together. Sligo County Council’s financial position is of serious concern to me. While it is a matter for individual local authorities to manage their own day-to-day finances in a prudent and sustainable manner, my Department is in regular consultation with the Council in relation to its financial position, including in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Supply (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Data in relation to unaccounted for water in the period to 2013 is contained in the annual Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) Service Indicators reports. The most recent of these is the Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2013,which was published in December 2014.This report is available in the Oireachtas Library and on the LGMA’s website at: . Since 1 January 2014, Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rights of Way Provision (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Section 14 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides for a process for the inclusion by a planning authority of a provision, in its development plan, relating to the preservation of specific public rights of way. Where such a proposal is being contemplated by the relevant planning authority, the section obliges that authority to serve notice (including particulars of the provision and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: A climate awareness campaign, the Changecampaign, ran from 2007 to 2009. Prior to its conclusion, arrangements were put in place for the transfer of the main elements of the campaign website, Change.ie, to the Irish Library Council website. The website now redirects to a dedicated section on climate change on the website. Climate Change is also covered extensively in the energy theme of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Expenditure (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 requires Irish Water to seek the consent of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (and the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform) to borrow money. Following the commencement of Section 35 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Quality (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. One of the utility’s key objectives is to provide safe, clean drinking water on a consistent basis and improving water quality is prioritised in its capital investment strategy. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (22 Sep 2015)

Alan Kelly: Planning legislation places no specific restrictions on the height of trees, nor does it make any particular provision for remedy from any other nuisance which may be caused by trees in an urban residential area. However there is currently a civil remedy available concerning branches or roots of neighbouring trees encroaching on a person’s property. The previous Minister of State for...