Results 16,941-16,960 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department makes funding allocations to local authorities for the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. The detailed administration of these schemes, including the apportionment of funding between the various grant schemes and the assessment, approval and payment of grants to individual applicants under the various grant measures, is the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments (24 Mar 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: Irish Water Administration (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: There were three key elements to the Government's decision in November 2014 on water charges – making the charges more affordable, providing more certainty in relation to the charges and the introduction of a simpler charging structure. In making the charges more affordable the Government carefully examined Irish Water's operational expenditure. In that context, Irish Water's...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Air Pollution (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: National and EU standards in relation to emission concentrations, fuel quality and operating conditions are set to apply to a wide range of sources to minimise and limit any damage to the environment. In relation to industrial emissions, certain installations, including the seven referred to in the question, are subject to the licensing, monitoring and enforcement requirements of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I assume that this question relates to the potential role that geo-engineering may play in tackling the effects of climate change directly. I am not aware of any instances where such interventions are being planned. My focus, at this point in time, is to put in place appropriate mitigation measures at the National level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this regard, the Climate Action...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Quality (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2014, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library, suppliers of drinking water are required to ensure that the water supplied is wholesome and clean. Water which is wholesome and clean is defined as water which is free from any micro-organisms and parasites and from any substances which, in numbers or concentrations, constitute...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: It is open to all local authorities to submit staffing sanction requests to facilitate the delivery of the Government's Social Housing Strategy. Each staffing sanction request is examined on a case by case basis having due regard to the continued delivery of key services in the context of staffing and budgetary constraints. The table sets out architect positions, including technician and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Retail Sector (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Planning permission for the redevelopment of the privately owned Ballymun Shopping Centre and the adjoining lands owned by Dublin City Council was granted in September 2009 for a period of 10 years. The proposed redevelopment of the area did not proceed at that time due to the prevailing economic conditions. However, the provision of commercial, retail and other services in Ballymun, and at...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Exemptions (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides the legislative basis for the household charge. Under the Act, an owner of a residential property on the liability date of 1 January 2012 is liable to pay the household charge, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver. Section 4(4)(b) and section 4(6) of the Act provide that a waiver from the charge applies in 2012 and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The information requested in not available in my Department. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisation arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: It is a matter for each local authority, including Sligo County Council, to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which include adopting the annual budget...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Severe Weather Events Response (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Government decided on 11 February 2014 to allocate funding of up to €69.5 million to local authorities in the areas worst affected by the first phase of severe weather in respect of the damage caused between 13 December 2013 and 6 January 2014. This was intended to support communities by restoring roads, coastal protection, amenities/facilities and other public infrastructure...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Drainage Schemes (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The functions of 13 joint drainage committees were transferred to local authorities by order under section 231(1) of the Local Government Act 2001 with effect from I January 2003 and a further 7 of these committees were transferred by order from 1 January 2015. From these dates the functions of these committees have vested in each of the local authorities that formed the committee in respect...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 895 to 897, inclusive, together. The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill, published in January 2015, provides for the establishment of a National Expert Advisory Council on Climate Change to provide independent advice to Ministers and the Government on the development of National Mitigation Plans and National Climate Change Adaptation Frameworks...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The deadline of 24 months referred to within the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill represents a maximum deadline and all reasonable efforts will be made to provide for a National Mitigation Plan in advance of that legislative deadline. In developing the National Mitigation Plan, it will be necessary however to ensure that the Plan will comply with the principles and requirements...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Freedom of Information Requests (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Secretary General in my Department does not act as a decision maker or a reviewer, in respect of requests for records under the Freedom of Information Act. As with any other officer, he may however be asked to check his records for any which may be pertinent to a particular request. Following receipt of a request for records made under the Freedom of Information Act, an officer...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (24 Mar 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. It is the occupier of a property that is liable to pay domestic water charges and legislation provides that the owner is the occupier unless the contrary is proven. Irish Water is providing landlords with the opportunity...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Quality (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 903 and 904 together. The implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive requires the extensive monitoring of groundwater quality and the inclusion of programmes of measures in each river basin management plan to ensure continuing improvement in the quality of groundwater. In transposing the Directive, the European Communities Environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Administration (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 907, 910 and 912 together. There are currently two mortgage-to-rent schemes in operation through my Department. A scheme exists whereby a local authority (LA) can acquire ownership of properties with unsustainable local authority mortgages, thus enabling the household to remain in their home as a social housing tenant (LA- mortgage-to-rent). The other scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Nuclear Plants (24 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Ireland has been regularly involved in the consultation process on the new-build nuclear programme in the UK since the programme was announced in 2009. Ireland's priority is the safety of the Irish people and the protection of our environment, including the shared marine environment of the Irish Sea. In this regard, my Department and the EPA's Office of Radiological Protection (formerly the...