Results 16,461-16,480 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Septic Tank Grants (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: This is all in the public domain. The plan sets out that 1,000 inspections will take place. By and large local authorities are meeting the target of 1,000 inspections in total across the country. This is what was deemed achievable within the limited resources available at the time this was set out. On top of that, the Deputy must be aware that there is an evidence-based approach to these...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: Social housing is a key priority for the Government, evidenced by the additional €2.2 billion in funding announced in Budget 2015 and the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020in November 2014. The total targeted provision under the Strategy is 110,000 social housing units, which includes the delivery of 35,000 additional social housing units and the accommodation of up to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Funding (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: €37.16 million has been allocated to the Dublin Region for 2015 in respect of costs incurred by housing authorities with regard to accommodation and related services for the homeless. This is an increase of 19% on the region's initial allocation of €31.32 million in 2014 and represents over 70% of all the homelessness funding allocated by my Department to housing authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: In April 2015, I announced targets and provisional funding allocations out to 2017 for the delivery of social housing for all local authorities, including a target for Dublin of 6,849 units. This target will be supported by €507m of investment in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes. The Dublin Social Housing Delivery Taskforce has been established under the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water shall charge each customer for the provision by it of water services.  The customer is defined in the Act as the occupier of the premises in respect of which the water services are provided.  There are no plans to change this policy. Section 47 of the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 includes a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Yield (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The main aspects of the Irish Water funding model are set out in a detailed fact sheet published on my Department's website. In 2015 Irish Water expected billed income from domestic customers to total €271m and from non-domestic customers to total some €229m, giving a total billed income from customers of €500m. The first bills began issuing to Irish Water domestic...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Reform (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: In order to be able to vote at elections and referendums, a person's name must be entered in the register of electors for a constituency in the State in which the person ordinarily resides. Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of certain categories of person who are entered in the register of electors - whole-time members of the Defence Forces; members of An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: As part of the targets of the Social Housing Strategy 2020, I expect that some 7,400 new social housing units will be provided in 2015, as follows: 1,400 units built or acquired by local authorities and approved housing bodies (AHBs); 3,000 units under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP); 1,000 vacant local authority units to be returned to use; and 2,000 new Rental...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including heating systems and the achievement of energy efficiency, is a matter for each relevant local authority, and it is open to local authorities to address maintenance or improvements to their housing stock from within their own resources. My Department operates certain funding programmes to support local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Eligibility (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011 introduced a new standard procedure for assessing applicants for social housing in every housing authority. The aim of the new system is to move closer to a transparent, consistent and fairer approach to eligibility for social housing. The Regulations include maximum net income limits for each housing authority, in different bands according to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Commission Administration (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: I announced the establishment of statutory committees on 19 June 2015 to review local government boundaries in Athlone, Carlow, Drogheda and Waterford. In the case of Carlow, the committee has been asked to carry out a review of the boundary between County Carlow and County Laois and to make recommendations with respect to that boundary and any consequential recommendations to the area of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Animal Welfare (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The management of dog pounds contracted by local authorities is a matter in the first instance for the owner of the pound and then the local authority concerned. The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, the responsibility for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, applies to all animals, including those in dog pounds.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Stations Provision (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs, the provision of a premises and the making of such other provisions as it considers necessary or desirable, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. My...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 226 of 8 July which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Funding (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 12 on today's Order Paper.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (16 Jul 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: Water Charges Administration (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 18 on today's Order Paper, which sets out the position in this matter. The Bill does not impact on tenants' rights and I have not held any discussions with tenants' rights organisations on its provisions.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Remit (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provided for the transfer of water services functions from the water services authorities to Irish Water. The Act also provided for the transfer of water services property from the water services authorities to Irish Water. In this regard, the ownership of public sewers transferred to Irish Water on 20 January 2015. The Water Services Act 2007 defines...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Inspections (16 Jul 2015)

Alan Kelly: Section 70 of the Water Services Act 2007 places a duty of care on the owner of a premises to ensure that their waste water treatment systems are kept so as not to cause, or be likely to cause, a risk to human health or the environment, including waters, the atmosphere, land, soil, plants or animals, or create a nuisance through odours. The duty of care provisions have been augmented by the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (16 Jul 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...