Results 18,161-18,180 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Other Questions: Defective Building Materials (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I was not available yesterday. I had a few more things going on but I have no issue with meeting them.

Other Questions: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Deputy. As the Minister with responsibility, I am monitoring the areas where HAP is being rolled out and I am satisfied that it is working well. The feedback from local authorities is very good. I am glad the Deputy welcomed the fact that allowing people to work while having their housing needs met is a move in the right direction. We are clearly seeing that people are...

Other Questions: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I am perplexed by the Deputy's analysis. The social housing strategy represents the launch of the largest programme of housing investment in the history of the State, one of the largest programmes of house building by any Government. The Deputy's concerns about the outsourcing of the approved housing bodies, AHBs, worries me. The approved housing bodies, AHBs, have made a huge contribution...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Meters Expenditure (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: In regard to the Deputy's last comment, everybody is accountable across the suite of groups the Deputy mentioned, so it is a matter for the groups themselves. Irish Water is necessary, as I have made clear. Without it we simply will not have a water supply to the scale required in this city ten years hence, when people such as the Deputy and others will be roaring and shouting about why we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Meters Expenditure (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I have been quite clear about the procurement process. The estimate was based on non-domestic information and on group scheme data. At the time it was an estimate. It was a long time before the tendering process, and once the tendering process was under way it would not have been appropriate for other data to be put in the public domain, considering a number of tenderers would have been...

Other Questions: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (2 Dec 2014)

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 launched last week. Whatever one's opinion, I hope Deputies will see it as a step in the right direction, given the scale of investment that has been secured. The HAP scheme will bring all social housing supports provided by the State under...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Meters Expenditure (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group, now Ervia, and assigned the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the water metering programme. Following a tender process, the final cost of the metering programme was determined at €539 million. The cost reflects the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Meters Expenditure (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The question of whether it was unusual was never put to me. I have no reason to disbelieve people. We need to be clear that the procurement estimate of €431 million was based on the best information available at the time. The Deputy is aware that this estimate was based on data relating to non-domestic usage. It was also based on group water data. It is not entirely accurate to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Offshore Islands (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I intend to see through broad Government funding mechanisms and ensure there will be adequate funding available for the islands. I do not think it would be appropriate to get into a specific identifiable figure for the following reason. A tendering process is ongoing which, legally, needs to be seen through. Having said that, as part of the process, I have indicated to the Deputy that the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Offshore Islands (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Offshore Islands (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Deputy has the wrong Humphreys. I meant to say the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys. Hers is the lead Department. It is a matter for the Minister of State at that Department, Deputy Joe McHugh.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Offshore Islands (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I have been clear about this. A process is under way. As a former Minister, the Deputy has been in this role. I understand what he is saying about the group of islands, but some are involved in the tendering process. One must respect this. I have to respect it, regardless of whether the Deputy does. There is a time period for dealing with concerns expressed, a process in which the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Administration (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The figures quoted by the Deputy are broadly accurate. Irish Water does have a role and is taking on what it needs to take on. However, it is a case-by-case scenario and it obviously has to be very prudent and has to do this in the right manner. If the Deputy has a specific concern in regard to water or a specific project in mind, while I do not have that level of detail available here, I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Offshore Islands (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: To be fair, the Deputy has raised this issue with me on previous occasions. My Department’s local and community development programme, LCDP, is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State. The current programme officially ended at the end of 2013, having operated for four years, with funding of €281 million over that period. As the Deputy noted, it is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Administration (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I do not know if the Deputy was present when I commented on the issue of homelessness, but it will be addressed in later questions. In December 2013 all of the local authorities signed individual service level agreements with Irish Water. Under these agreements, local authorities are conducting certain water services such as operations and maintenance of plants on behalf of Irish Water. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Administration (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: On the last issue, I presume everything has been done appropriately. If the Deputy has a specific question on the issue, I will get back to him directly if he sends his query to me. The requirements in this regard are set out, but I do not have a direct role in the matter. However, I am intent on ensuring the review process for the service level agreements will be conducted in a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: EU Directives (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: This has been bandied about, and there have been different interpretations in previous years. We do not have a derogation. As a consequence of the circumstances of the country, our current situation and that of the past number of years, and the manner in which the agreement with the troika was signed up to by the previous Administration, not only do we not have a derogation, but, as a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: EU Directives (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I have heard these arguments. We do not have options of the scale to which he referred. However, that is not to say we should not be implementing some of the measures he mentioned to a larger degree. I agree with him completely about conservation. It is a necessity that we, as a society, adopt a similar approach in our conservation policy to that which pertains to recycling. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Authority Funding (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: We are very confident about the analysis that was made and the €59 million figure. When there is a breakdown in 2015, we will be able to supply the figures, as will be required. The Deputy has raised this issue previously and I am aware of his concern in this regard, but I assure him that this process will not leave local authorities at a loss. That was never the intention and, as...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: EU Directives (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I should have indicated previously that subsequent questions dealt with social housing and homelessness. I concur with the comments made by Deputies Barry Cowen and Brian Stanley on this issue. They are probably aware of the announcement I made earlier today. We will address the issue in subsequent questions. Article 9 of the water framework directive of 2000 requires member states to...