Results 16,001-16,020 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (8 Jul 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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons, including those in rural locations, rests with housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Reform (8 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 to 220, inclusive, and 222 to 224, inclusive, together. In law, the preparation of the register of electors is a matter for each local authority as a registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the register. My Department issued comprehensive guidance...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Legislation (8 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Electoral Act 1992 provides, in Part II of the Second Schedule, that an application for entry on the supplement to the register of electors shall be signed by the applicant in the presence of a member of the Garda Síochána from the applicant’s local Garda station, who, on being satisfied of the applicant’s identity, including if necessary, by the production of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (8 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Environment Fund was established by the Waste Management (Amendment) Act, 2001 and is managed by my Department. Income accrues to the Environment Fund from two sources – the plastic bag levy and the landfill levy. Both of these economic instruments are designed to encourage changes in behaviour; to tackle littering of plastic bags and to reduce over-reliance on unsustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (8 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: A Task Force and Unit are in place to identify and secure properties which could potentially be used to accommodate homeless families in the Dublin Region. The Unit is comprised of representatives from my Department, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, Dublin City Council and the Housing Agency. It is linking with NAMA, the Department of Justice & Equality, OPW and the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (8 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statistics, including data on local authority housing completions and acquisitions for individual years, broken down by county. Details are available at the following link: www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublicati ons/HousingStatistics/. Statistics relating to the number of houses allocated to tenants and the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (8 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: It is a matter for all relevant local authorities, including in this case, Dublin City Council, to make the necessary arrangements for advancing new social housing developments, including resolving all issues in relation to utility companies.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Register of Electors (8 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: In order to vote at an election or a referendum a voter must be registered in the appropriate register of electors for that election or referendum. The Electoral Act 1992 provides for the registration of voters where they are ‘ordinarily resident’. Depending on the circumstances, the registration authority may consider it appropriate to register a homeless person at a particular...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Funding (8 Jul 2015)

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 the needs of local authority tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. Funding provided by my Department meets 90% of the cost of the works, with each local authority providing the remaining 10%. In May I...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management Regulations (8 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 was amended at Dail Report Stage to include amendments to the Waste Management Act 1996. The amendments concerned provide for import ant reform of the regulatory framework for household waste collection, including strong new enforcement measures, a focus on enhanced standards and the introduction of pay by weight by all collectors. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (8 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: In order for a household to qualify for social housing support, a housing authority must carry out an assessment to establish whether the household meets specified eligibility requirements and has a housing need. One of the housing need criteria prescribed in the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 is that the household has a mortgage that is deemed to be unsustainable under the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (8 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: Section 136(2) of the Local Government Act 2001, as inserted by section 51 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014, places an obligation on the chief executive of a local authority to prepare monthly management reports. These reports are intended to assist the elected members discharge their governance responsibilities and to oversee the executive in the delivery of the policies that the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Sector Staff Sick Leave (7 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: My understanding is that this issue arises from the implementation of the revised sick leave arrangements in the Public Service and that it relates to a very limited number of employees who have expended their entitlement to paid sick leave, over a four-year rolling period, but are not entitled to temporary rehabilitation remuneration (TRR) which, in Local Authorities, is only paid for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homelessness Strategy (7 Jul 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. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation and related services for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities. Data on...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (7 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The information requested is set out in the following table for all relevant requests in 2015 . Date of Staffing Request Title of Post(s) Number of Post(s) Type of Contract sought Outcome 14/01/2015 Clerical Officer 1 Permanent Approved 14/01/2015 Tenant Liaison Officer 1 Contract Approved 14/01/2015 Social Worker 2 Permanent Approved 16/01/2015 BER Assessor -...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (7 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: Local authorities are currently undertaking an ambitious programme of insulation retrofitting on the least energy efficient social houses, with funding support from my Department. €57 million has been provided over the period 2013-2014 for improving the energy performance of older local authority housing stock, resulting in improved energy efficiency, comfort levels and Building...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: European Court of Justice Rulings (7 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: In April 2005 the European Court of Justice ruled, in case C494/01, that Ireland had infringed the Waste Framework Directive under various articles of that directive. The response of the Irish authorities to the case has two main elements - a general response addressing the structural or administrative deficiencies highlighted by the ECJ and, secondly, a response to the site specific cases...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (7 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 534 and 538 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Data (7 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Government has committed to taking decisive action to address the mortgage arrears challenge; to ensure that a full range of options is available to distressed borrowers; and to keep as many people in their homes as possible. The Approved Housing Body (AHB) Mortgage to Rent Scheme is now properly established as part of the overall suite of social housing options and an important part of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (7 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 608 of 30 June 2015. Correspondence dated 5 July 2015, has now been received on behalf of the Irish Housing Network, the contents of which will be considered.