Results 16,981-17,000 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (12 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department is currently conducting a targeted review of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines focusing on noise, setback and shadow flicker. Following an extensive public consultation, it is my intention that the revisions to the Guidelines will be finalised as soon as possible, taking into account the large number of submissions received during the public consultation on draft...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (12 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Section 62 of the Water Services Act 2007enables a water services authority to inspect a sewer or drain, and either direct the owner to carry out any necessary remedial works, or carry them out itself and recover its costs. The functions under section 62 were transferred to Irish Water under the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. In relation to private wastewater treatment systems the position...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Administration (12 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269, 274 and 275 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: Local Authority Funding (12 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: Waste Management Regulations (12 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Issues concerning the enforcement of waste management legislation are a matter for the appropriate regulatory authority and should therefore be pursued with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the relevant local authority, as appropriate. The Office of Environmental Enforcement within the EPA has a mandate to deliver enhanced environmental compliance, both through enforcement of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Service (12 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department has not undertaken any review of Dublin Fire Brigade. The Department’s National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management maintains routine contact with Dublin City Council’s Fire Brigade, which provides fire services on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities. The role of the National Directorate is to develop and support the provision of consistent and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (11 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132, 133 and 143 together. Eligible voters not included in the register of electors can apply to their local authority for inclusion in the supplement to the register up until 15 days (not including Sundays, Good Friday or Public Holidays ) before polling day, if they wish to be included in the supplement that will apply at the forthcoming referendums....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (11 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (11 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: My Department works closely with all local authorities and all have been invited to submit staffing sanction requests to facilitate the delivery of the Government's 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. To date, my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Legislative Programme (11 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The data requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of legislative amendments tabled is not collated in my Department. Information relating to all legislation enacted by the Oireachtas, including legislation sponsored by my Department, is available in the Legislative Observatory section of the website of the Houses of the Oireachtas at or on the Irish Statutebook website at .

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Agencies Staff Recruitment (11 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I have no responsibility in regard to this matter which falls within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (11 Mar 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 2020, published in November 2014, includes a commitment to introduce the new tenant purchase scheme by the second quarter of 2015. Full details of the new scheme will be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Expenditure (11 Mar 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: Domestic Violence Policy (11 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Where an individual who has left their home due to domestic violence is considered to be homeless by a housing authority, under Section 2 of the 1988 Housing Act, the housing authority may arrange for them to be placed in temporary emergency accommodation without having to be entered on the waiting list. Where a social housing assessment is an appropriate longer-term response to a case of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management Regulations (11 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The treatment and management of waste material is subject to a registration and permitting system by local authorities or licensing by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as appropriate, and governed by the Waste Management (Facility Permit & Registration) Regulations 2007 or the Waste Management (Licensing) Regulations 2004, as appropriate. Environmental standards in relation...

Topical Issue Debate: Litter Pollution (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: On the Deputy's last point, discussions on that issue are under way and I will inform the Deputy of the outcome when I know it. The solution that has been put in place, namely, the negotiated agreement, has had a dramatic impact and the statistics prove it. That said, I agree with the Deputy that the figure that pertains is still of concern. I will consider whether a further agreement is...

Topical Issue Debate: Litter Pollution (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: As the fourth Minister, I might give Deputy Kitt a slightly different answer. On foot of the success of the plastic bag levy, my Department commissioned a study on the possible extension of environmental levies to other materials that are problematic from a litter perspective. With regard to chewing gum, the study recommended that either a levy on sales be put in place or that a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electoral Commission: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Thank you, I am pleased to be in the hands of the Vice Chairman today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electoral Commission: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Very safe. I thank the members of the committee for inviting me to discuss this extremely important topic. This is the beginning of a very important process. We have given ourselves a significant and important task, to set up an electoral commission in Ireland. I will be brief in my opening remarks because I would be better off hearing from the members of the committee and starting the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Electoral Commission: Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (10 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I have no doubt that he does. Does the Vice Chairman know this is recorded?