Results 16,241-16,260 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (23 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Summary of Social Housing Assessments 2013 identified 89,872 households assessed by local housing authorities as being eligible and in need of some form of social housing support. The 2013 Summary results were analysed by the Housing Agency and on the basis of the certain assumptions and having regard to housing support mechanisms including the roll-out of the Housing Assistance Payment,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (23 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 621 and 622 together. Based on delivery to the end of May 2015 under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (previously referred to as the Social Housing Leasing Initiative), the average cost of an active unit is just under € 537 per month. Of the 6,085 units delivered under the scheme to the end of May 2015 , 5,772 are active at annual cost...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Mortgages (23 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: While I can confirm that my Department publishes a wide range of housing statistics, including the number and value of local authority mortgages and a breakdown of those in arrears, the data does not provide a specific breakdown in respect of shared ownership mortgages. The statistics on local authority mortgage arrears generally are available on my Department’s website at: by clicking...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Repossessions (23 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department collates and publishes a wide range of housing statisticsthat inform the preparation and evaluation of policy. Data on number of Local Authority mortgage repossessions, broken down by year and location, are included within this range, and are available on my Department’s website at: on the “Local Authority Mortgage repossession data ” link under the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Remit (23 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services Act 2013 provides for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group (now renamed Ervia), which conforms to the conditions set out in the Act and is registered under the Companies Acts. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (23 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: 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 authorities for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, a question relating to provision of subsistence is a matter for the Chief Executive.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant (18 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 243 to 245, inclusive, together. My Department provides funding to local authorities for various social housing supports, including for adaptations and extensions to the social housing stock to meet needs of local authority tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. Funding provided by my Department meets 90% of the cost of such works, with...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Correspondence (18 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: My office has received correspondence from the person concerned and an acknowledgement to this effect has issued. The matter is being examined in my Department and a reply will issue as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (18 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: Policy decisions to replace town authorities with a new model of municipal governance were designed to strengthen local government within counties and to address widely acknowledged and long-standing weaknesses and anomalies in the previous system, including the problems of divided administration between town and county authorities, for example, in relation to matters such as planning, rating...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (18 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 556 of 6 May 2015. MacCabe Durney Barnes Consultants were appointed in February 2014 to carry out an independent planning review on the performance of planning functions in six selected planning authorities (Carlow, Cork, Galway and Meath County Councils and Cork and Dublin City Councils) in accordance with section 255 of the Planning and Development Act...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Adaptation Grant Expenditure (18 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: Information on Exchequer funding provided by my Department to each local authority for the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability for the years 2010 to 2014 is available on my Department’s website at the following link: , by selecting ‘Social and Affordable Housing’, ‘Housing Adaptation Grants by Area 2008 to date’....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Funding (18 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 262 together. I have made an additional €10.5 million available nationally for homeless accommodation and related services in 2015. This is an increase in funding of approximately 20% over the initial allocation in 2014, bringing the Exchequer contribution to €55.5 million. Housing authorities were recently informed of regional...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Haulage Industry Regulation (17 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 211 to 213, inclusive, together. My colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, has established an Inter-Departmental Working Group to consider issues relating to the Irish haulage industry, which includes representation from my Department. The haulage industry is seeking a reduction in motor tax for the sector, a change in the basis of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (17 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority and a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. The HAP scheme will bring all social housing supports provided by the State under the aegis of local authorities. The scheme will remove a barrier to employment by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment. HAP...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (17 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together. The most recent Summary of Social Housing Assessments, carried out as at 7 May 2013, identified 741 households on the waiting lists of the Cavan housing authorities at that time, and 696 households on the waiting lists of the Monaghan housing authorities. The full results of the 2013 Summary are available on my Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (17 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015 was published on 19 January 2015. The Bill provides a statutory basis for the national objective of transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by the year 2050. In doing so, it also gives a solid statutory foundation to the institutional arrangements necessary to enable the State to pursue and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Air Pollution (17 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department has not carried out any research into what are sometimes called chemtrails, as these are not a scientifically recognised phenomenon. Neither has my Department carried out any research into the effect of contrails. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is currently funding a PhD study on contrails and their potential effect on climate as part of its STRIVE...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (17 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: On 4 December 2014, I hosted a special Summit on Homelessness to reaffirm the Government's commitment to end involuntary long-term homelessness by the end of 2016. A number of actions arising from the Summit were then formalised into an Action Plan to Address Homelessnesswhich was noted by the Government at its meeting on 9 December 2014. Included among the measures in the Plan was a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (17 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Waste Management (Collection Permit)(Amendment) Regulations 2015 provide that household kerbside waste only be collected in approved reusable receptacles (such as bins/caddies) from 1 July 2016, with the exception of the collection of such waste in areas designated by local authorities as being only suitable for the collection of such waste in non-reusable receptacles, such as bags. This...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (17 Jun 2015)

Alan Kelly: As originally identified in the December 2014 Action Plan to Address Homelessness, my Department has been liaising with South Dublin County Council regarding a NAMA property which will provide 65 units of accommodation and a single assessment centre for homeless families. The 65 units of standard residential accommodation were considered to have greater long-term potential than a hotel...