Results 17,221-17,240 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The independent reviews of local government arrangements in Cork and Galway which I announced in January 2015 form part on an ongoing assessment of potential reforms which may be warranted beyond those measures arising from the Action Programme for Effective Local Government (2012) and provided for in the Local Government Reform 2014 Act. The provisions of the 2014 Act, including those...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Data (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 562 to 565, inclusive, together. The information requested in relation to the number of public sector workers employed in local authority maintenance sections is not held in my Department. In relation to the moratorium on recruitment, as announced in the recent Budget, it is proposed that with effect from 2015, the moratorium and the Employment Control...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Nitrates Action Programme Review (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: The Nitrates Directive and Ireland's third National Nitrates Action Programme are given legal effect by the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014, as amended. The objective of the Regulations is to protect ground and surface waters, including drinking water sources, primarily through the management of livestock manures and other fertilisers....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Remit (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 568 and 569 together. With effect from 1 January 2014, following the commencement of t he Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. Section 8 of the Act which commenced on that date, provided Irish Water with the power to impose a water connection charge with effect from the 1 January 2014 on the same basis as...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Legal Costs (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Information sought in relation to amounts paid by my Department to the firms of solicitors in question is set out in the table. The services concerned have been provided, as required, primarily in connection with my Department’s role in relation to foreshore licensing. Firm 2011 2012 2013 2014 Total Arthur Cox € 97,510 € 61,307 € 71,855 € 39,010...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Pursuant to the EU’s Effort Sharing Decision of 2009 (Decision No 406/2009/EC of 23 April 2009), Ireland has legally binding greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets in the period from 2013 to 2020, inclusive. Moreover, negotiations are currently in progress at an EU level to agree GHG mitigation targets for all Member States, including Ireland, for the period from 2021 to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Register of Electors (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: In order to be able to vote at elections and referendums in Ireland, a person’s name must be entered in the register of electors for a constituency in the State in which the person ordinarily resides. With the exception of postal and special voters, all registered electors must attend in person at their local polling station in order to vote. There is no provision in electoral law to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Motor tax legislation provides that, when taking out a tax disc, a vehicle owner is liable for arrears in respect of each month from the date of last taxing or from the date of purchase of the vehicle. There is no provision whereby motorists can come to individual payment arrangements with a licensing authority. Any such change to the basis of payment for motor tax would be required to be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Services (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Prior to the issuing of Circular Letter PD 1/08 by my Department in February 2008, some planning authorities had granted planning permissions in respect of conventional housing developments on the basis that their future maintenance would be provided by means of private management companies. The circular letter advised planning authorities against adopting this practice into the future. ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Remit (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: Section 20 of the Water Services Act 2013 provides Irish Water with the authority to install water meters in dwellings connected to a public water supply. Section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of all functions conferred on water services authorities by the Water Services Act 2007 to Irish Water. Accordingly, section 72 of the 2007 Act provides that Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Regeneration (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: I have no plans to introduce a new funding programme to support persons who are restoring and renovating a derelict or abandoned rural property as their principal private residence. In respect of houses with thatched roofs, my Department operates a grant scheme for the renewal or repair of such roofs, the details of which are at the following link: . The issue of tax relief in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Eligibility (3 Mar 2015)

Alan Kelly: On foot of the recommendations of the Keane Report on mortgage arrears the Government launched the AHB Mortgage to Rent scheme ( AHB-mortgage-to-rent ) on a pilot basis in February 2012 and extended it nationally in June 2012. The scheme is currently in operation and continues to accept applications from lending institutions. To be eligible for the AHB-mortgage-to-rent scheme a household...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (26 Feb 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 was published in November 2014. To this end an ambitious target has been set for the scheme for 2015, with 8,400 households to have their housing needs met though HAP by the end of the year. €23.2 m has been made available for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Postal Voting (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: There is no specific definition of the term “derelict building” in the Derelict Sites Act 1990. However the term “derelict site” is defined in section 3 of the Act to mean - “any land which detracts, or is likely to detract, to a material degree from the amenity, character or appearance of land in the neighbourhood of the land in question because of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Postal Voting (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 234 together. I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 566, 590, 595, 596, 598, 603 and 604 of 24 February 2015 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under section 111(1) of the Electoral Act 1992, as applied to the taking of a poll at a referendum bysection 32 of the Referendum Act 1994,only a person whose name is on the register of presidential electors for the time being in force for a constituency is entitled to vote at a referendum in that constituency. There is no provision in law for making changes to the register of electors at a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Haulage Industry Regulation (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: My colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, has established an Inter-Departmental Working Group on issues relating to the Irish haulage industry , which includes representation from my Department. The Group issued a consultation paper late last year to canvas the views of hauliers and other stakeholders on the options for reform of the commercial vehicle motor tax regime....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: EU Directives (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Under the Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) Directive, Ireland is required to reduce exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The CAFE Directive was transposed into Irish legislation by the Air Quality Standards Regulations 201. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the competent authority for the Regulations and the CAFE Directive. These regulations require that Member States reduce...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Air Pollution (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 232 together. Air quality monitoring in Ireland is carried out to meet the requirements of EU Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, also known as the CAFE Directive. The Directive requires that certain minimum levels of monitoring are conducted for the purpose of assessment and management of air quality. The EPA...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Mortgage Arrears Proposals (26 Feb 2015)

Alan Kelly: Neither my Department nor I have had meetings with the company or person referred to regarding a bid to purchase Permanent TSB mortgages. I understand that the Housing Agency have had discussions with a number of stakeholders, including this Group, in relation to various proposals on foot of the recommendations of the Keane Report on mortgage arrears. I also understand that my colleague, Ann...