Results 18,181-18,200 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

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

Alan Kelly: The Deputy can be fully assured definitively that local authorities will not be at a loss as part of this process. While there were no discussions within the timeframe with the LGMA or CCMA, discussions are ongoing on a continuous basis on all these issues anyway. There will be no effect on local authorities. The €59 million figure is believed to be the cost and it was arrived at...

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

Alan Kelly: The Deputy will get them.

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

Alan Kelly: That is no problem.

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

Alan Kelly: I assure Deputy Cowen that the local authorities will not be at a loss. There are three key elements to the Government's recent decision on water charges - we sought to make them more affordable, as everyone knows; we sought to provide certainty in respect of the charges; and we sought to put in place a more complete charging structure. In making the charges more affordable, the Government...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of responsibility for the delivery of water services from the local authorities to Irish Water and, with effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for the provision of public water services, including responsibility for the charging of non-domestic customers. The Act provides that Irish Water can collect charges from...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Nuclear Plants (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: Pursuant to the legislative prohibition, under section 18 (6) of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 , on the use of nuclear energy for electricity generation in Ireland, the Government does not support the use of nuclear power within the State on grounds of public health and safety, environmental protection and security. While we do not have a nuclear power industry in this country, it is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Strategy 2020 , approved by Government and published last week, builds on the provisions contained in Budget 2015 and sets out clear, measureable 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 will...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Consultative Group (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: In my reply to Question Nos. 494 and 490 of 25 November 2014, I responded to queries from the Deputy on the remit and composition of the Irish Water Consultative Group. As stated in the reply, the Group was established to facilitate engagement with the Unions and staff on the roll-out of the Water Sector Reform Implementation Strategy, and had its inaugural meeting in September 2012. This...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Funding (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons and related services rests with housing authorities. My Department provides funding to housing authorities towards the operational costs of homeless accommodation and related services under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988. Housing authorities provide additional funding from their own resources....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Offshore Islands (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Priority Question No. 83 on today’s Order Paper. 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. It is being implemented...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Remit (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: Under the Water Services Act 2007, responsibility for repair and maintenance of the internal water distribution system from the main stopcock to the house and within the house rests with the homeowner. However, the Government has agreed to provide additional funding to Irish Water for their capital investment to include a free first fix scheme. Irish Water has submitted a draft first fix...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: In December 2013, my Department published proposed “draft” revisions to the noise, setbacks and shadow flicker aspects of the 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines. These draft revisions propose: - The setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments, - A mandatory minimum setback of 500 metres between a wind turbine...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Introduction (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: In January 2013, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) was commissioned by my Department to undertake a study into water affordability and the provision of water services in Ireland. Subsequently, an Inter-Departmental Working Group was established in October 2013 to advise the Government on the appropriate method for addressing affordability issues which might arise with the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: Details of funding to be provided in 2015 under individual elements of my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme, including the allocation for Traveller-specific accommodation, will be set out in the 2015 Revised Estimates Volume to be published later this month. Thereafter, the allocation of funding for traveller accommodation to individual local authorities will be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Social Housing Strategy2020: Support, Supply and Reform,, approved by Government and published last week, builds on the provisions contained in Budget 2015 and sets out clear, measureable 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. In committing to provide 35,000 new social...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Expenditure (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The original value of the LEADER element of the Rural Development Programme 2007 - 2013 was €427 million. In late 2011, the European Commission offered Member States that were part of the Financial Stabilisation Mechanism an opportunity to avail of an increased co-financing rate from 55% up to 85%. The increased rate was to apply to 2012 and 2013 expenditure only. This reduced the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: In April 2014, the Government approved the General Scheme of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill. The Bill is listed among the Bills expected to be published during the Autumn Session,as part of the Government’s Legislation Programme. Drafting of the Bill has now been finalised within the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. Accordingly, I intend to seek Government...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters (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 assigns the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the water metering programme. My Department had no involvement in the award of the contracts for the water metering programme.Following a tender process, the final cost...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Taxation Rate (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: Effective from 1 July 2014, local authorities may vary the rate of Local Property Tax (LPT) in their administrative area for the following year by up to 15% of the basic rate of the Tax. The power to vary LPT rates has been given to local authorities to further increase their autonomy. Elected members are already responsible for finalising the annual budget of the local authority – it...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Data (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: The most recent statutory Assessment of Housing Need was undertaken in May 2013. It identified 89,872 households which qualified for social housing support. Of the 89,872 households recorded as in need of housing as at 7 May, 2013, there were 2,808 households recorded having a housing need due to living in an institution, emergency accommodation or hostel.  Full details of the 2013...