Results 16,701-16,720 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Funding (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: No; I do not think it is ironic at all. It is done with the best information available. Irish Water gets the best rates it can. It continues to consider various other ways of borrowing and is very close to some more success in that respect. Ultimately, we believe, Irish Water will be off-balance-sheet. It is absolutely necessary for Irish Water to be in a position to borrow at the scale...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: In the context of local government, the principle of subsidiarity, whereby decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen, is effectively enshrined in Bunreacht Na hÉireann. Article 28A gives constitutional recognition and protection to the role of local government. The principle is also reflected in the Action Programme for Effective Local Governmentwhich makes clear the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The targets I recently announced for all local authorities are out to 2017 and include the provision of almost 7,500 units that will be capital-funded. It is a matter for each local authority to identify the appropriate initiatives to respond to their housing need, including acquiring available properties, as well as building, leasing and the provision of housing supports through the private...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Data (23 Apr 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, which I published on 26 November 2014. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Shared Ownership Scheme, first introduced in 1991 and amended in January 2003, was designed to facilitate access to home ownership to those who were unable to buy a home outright with a conventional mortgage. The Scheme offered an option to purchase up to half of a property with a standard annuity mortgage, with the balance to be rented from the local authority. The initiative worked...

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

Alan Kelly: The management and maintenance of the local authority housing stock, including the compilation and implementation of planned maintenance programmes and the carrying out of responsive repairs and pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, is a matter for each individual local authority under section 58 of the Housing Act1966. My Department is committed to supporting local authorities in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Data (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The social housing targets that I recently announced for all local authorities out to 2017 include almost 7,500 units that will be capital-funded and 15,400 current-funded units, of which 11,400 will be delivered through leasing and 4,000 delivered through the Rental Accommodation Scheme. Local authorities are responsible for the detailed planning of social housing provision based on...

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

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of water services functions from the water services authorities to Irish Water. With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for the provision of public water services. The current regime governing discharges to sewers was introduced under the provisions of Section 16 of the Water Pollution Act 1977, which...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The majority of the provisions of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 commenced with effect from 1 June 2014, activating a range of significant changes in the local government system signalled in the Action Programme for Effective Local Government(October 2012). Those changes include enhanced roles for local authorities in economic development and in community and local development,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the tenant purchase of existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines. The Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020includes a commitment to make the Regulations necessary for its introduction, which will set out the full details of the new scheme, in the second quarter of 2015. ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Social housing is a key priority for Government, as evidenced by the additional €2.2 billion in funding announced in Budget 2015 and the publication of the Social Housing Strategy 2020 in November, 2014. The targeted social housing provision of over 110,000 social housing units, through the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units and meeting the housing needs of some 75,000...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Strategy targets the delivery of over 35,000 new social housing units over the period to 2020. These targets are broken down in the Strategy between those that are current-funded, at 23,400 units, and those that are capital-funded, at 12,173 units. The targets that I recently announced for all local authorities are out to 2017 and include almost 7,500 units that will be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Service (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Fire services are provided by the local authorities in accordance with the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003. The fire authorities currently provide a range of operational and fire safety services through 27 service delivery units, using an infrastructure of 217 fire stations and some 600 fire appliances and associated specialist equipment. In February 2013, the Keeping Communities Safe (KCS)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Strategy 2020 builds on the provisions contained in Budget 2015 and sets out clear, measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list. The total targeted provision of over 110,000 social housing units, through the delivery of 35,000 new social housing units...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Numbers (23 Apr 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. The purposes...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Inspections (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: Inspections under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Inspection Plan for domestic waste water treatment systems are carried out by suitably qualified local authority personnel. Neither I, nor my Department, have any direct role in monitoring the implementation of the EPA’s Plan by the local authorities. However, the EPA has conducted a review on the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Provision (23 Apr 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. The purposes...

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

Alan Kelly: Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Under the Water Services Acts 2007-2013, Irish Water has statutory powers to request its customers and certain specified persons or bodies to provide it with information so that Irish Water can perform its functions under...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Reform (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 10 on today’s Order Paper.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Administration (23 Apr 2015)

Alan Kelly: On foot of the recommendations of the Keane Report on mortgage arrears and a successful pilot scheme, my Department launched a national Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme for borrowers with mortgages from private institutions in June 2012. The scheme targets low income families whose mortgage situation is unsustainable and where there is little or no prospect of a significant change in...