Results 18,281-18,300 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

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

Alan Kelly: Prior to 1 January 2014 capital funding for public water services was provided from my Department’s Water Services Investment programme (WSIP) and Rural Water Programme (RWP). 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. Some €239m has been provided to...

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

Alan Kelly: Capital allocations to local authorities amounting to €38.4 million under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability were announced on 16 January 2014. Every local authority received increased funding for these grants in 2014 compared to the 2013 allocations. My Department provides 80% funding for these schemes, with a 20% contribution from the...

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

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 including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure. Irish Water has published its proposed Capital Investment Plan 2014-2016 and this is available online at . The plan identifies where Irish Water considers...

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

Alan Kelly: Budget 2014 contained a special provision, in the form of a targeted €10m Special Resolution Fund (SRF), to assist further in addressing the legacy of unfinished housing developments. The SRF was designed to encourage the resolution of the remaining tranche of unfinished developments identified in the National Housing Development Survey 2013 and, particularly, those developments not...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 563 and 571 together. Ireland is on course to comply with its greenhouse gas emission reduction target for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol in the commitment period 2008 to 2012. For each year between 2013 and 2020, Ireland has an ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction target under the 2009 EU Effort-Sharing Decision (406/2009/EC) .   The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Waiting Lists (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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Shared Ownership Scheme (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: In 2013, the Housing Agency was asked to conduct a standalone review of the shared ownership scheme, including identification of the main difficulties and recommendations for mitigating measures. While an initial draft of the review was received from the Agency, a number of issues have been identified that need further detailed financial analysis in order to fully assess the impact on local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: Responsibility for the administration of my Department’s Rural Water Programme, under which funding is provided for group water and group sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection, prioritisation and approval of individual scheme proposal s for advancement and funding under the programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and...

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

Alan Kelly: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), local authorities, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Marine Institute monitor rivers, lakes, transitional/coastal waters and groundwater quality under the Water Framework Directive on a three-year cycle.  This extensive monitoring programme provides a good overview of current water quality and trends as they develop. It is understood from the...

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

Alan Kelly: 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 has responsibility for the monitoring of air quality in...

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

Alan Kelly: My Department is working closely with NAMA, the Housing Agency, local authorities and approved housing bodies in relation to the delivery of social housing. Detailed information in relation to the delivery of NAMA sourced units, including a full breakdown by county, by local authority and by Approved Housing Body, of units delivered on a quarterly basis, is available on the Housing...

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

Alan Kelly: The funding provided to local authorities under my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme supports a range of initiatives for the development of new social housing units, the acquisition of additional units and the upgrade of existing social housing stock to ensure that it continues to be available for social housing purposes. Through these initiatives, Kildare County...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 outlines the obligations on public service bodies to employ people with disabilities. There are three interlinked requirements. Firstly , public bodies must, insofar as practicable, take all reasonable measures to promote and support the employment of people with disabilities. Secondly, unless there are good reasons to the contrary, at least 3% of their...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Appointments to State Boards (2 Dec 2014)

Alan Kelly: Since July 2011, my Department’s website has been used as the primary mechanism for seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced persons, for consideration as members or chairpersons of the boards of State bodies under my Department’s aegis. Positions have, where appropriate, been listed on the Department’s website and, more recently, on...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (27 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The issue of whether a household member has spent time in an industrial school is not a factor in the allocation by housing authorities of social housing support and no form of social housing support is reserved for qualified households that include such members.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (27 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 197 together. Under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of the local authority housing stock is the responsibility of the relevant housing authority. Statistics on local authority housing stock, including units that may be empty, are published annually by the Local Government Management Agency. The most recent statistics...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (27 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Pyrite Resolution Board, with the support of the Housing Agency, is responsible for the implementation o f the pyrite remediation scheme .In accordance with the provisions of the Pyrite Resolution Act 2013, the Board is independent in the performance of its functions and as Minister I have no role in the operational matters pertaining to the implementation of the schemeor to individual...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters (27 Nov 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. Irish Water has informed my Department that each water meter has a low power radio unit fixed to the top which enables it to be read...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters (27 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Prior to 1 January 2014 capital funding for public water services was provided from my Department’s Water Services Investment programme (WSIP) and Rural Water Programme (RWP). Funding for operational expenditure has, in the main, come from the Local Government Fund (LGF). The Fund has historically provided local authorities with finance for funding some of their day-to-day activities,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (27 Nov 2014)

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 shall collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act defines a customer as the occupier of the premises in receipt of water services. The ‘Rent-a room’ tax relief is a scheme operated by...