Results 18,301-18,320 of 20,884 for speaker:Alan Kelly

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

Alan Kelly: Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 provides for a new scheme for the purchase of existing local authority houses, which will be open to local authority tenants in receipt of social housing support for a prescribed period of at least one year who have not previously purchased a house under a tenant purchase scheme and who have a minimum prescribed annual income. The...

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

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of water services functions from local authorities to Irish Water. With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for the provision of public water services. Section 12 of the Act provides for the transfer of property from a local authority to Irish Water. Section 13 of the Act provides that any rights or liabilities...

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

Alan Kelly: The provision of social housing services is a matter for each local authority as the housing authority for its area. Each authority has responsibility for identifying their area’s social housing need and responding as required, including in relation to the availability of units for particular categories of need.

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

Alan Kelly: The Maritime Area and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill is included on the ‘A’ list of Bills in the Government’s Legislation Programme, as a Bill expected to be published in the period up to beginning of the next Oireachtas session in mid-January 2015.

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

Alan Kelly: The development of a framework for maritime spatial planning is one of the actions set out in Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth – An Integrated Marine Plan for Ireland - Implementation of actions identified in the plan is supervised by the Marine Coordination Group, which is chaired by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Marine Coordination Group’s consideration...

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

Alan Kelly: The Government has decided that there should be a single non-executive Board at Ervia Group level with responsibility for Irish Water and the gas network subsidiary. The size of the Ervia board will be expanded to ensure there will be adequate expertise and experience in respect of water services. Legislation on these matters will be published shortly. The term of appointment for Directors of...

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

Alan Kelly: The first phase of the metering programme, covering over 1 million properties is expected by Irish Water to cost €539m excluding VAT. In July 2013, Irish Water and the National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission (NPRF) entered into a two year €250m bridging loan facility, which benefits from a State Guarantee.  The NPRF has recently agreed to an increase in the amount of...

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

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 and 213 together. The establishment of Irish Water is an integral component of the Government’s water sector reform strategy and involves major organisational change. The establishment of a high performance utility will lead to lower costs and improved services in the future, providing much better outcomes for customers and the environment. ...

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

Alan Kelly: All decisions in relation to Local Government Fund income and expenditure for 2015 will be finalised as part of the Revised Estimates Volume process. It is envisaged that the subvention to Irish Water in 2015 will be some €399m.

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

Alan Kelly: Non-domestic users of public water and waste water services are now customers of Irish Water. Local authorities, acting as agents of Irish Water under Service Level Agreements, have continued billing, collections and billing/metering query functions in relation to non-domestic customers. The local authority water tariffs that applied prior to 1 January 2014 still apply to non-domestic...

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

Alan Kelly: In the case of primary dwellings registered with Irish Water and where a meter is installed, an allowance of 21,000 litres per annum will be provided in respect of each child under the age of 18 ordinarily resident in the dwelling. In the case of unmetered dwellings with children, the capped charge to apply is based on the numbers of adults in the dwelling i.e a single adult dwelling or a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (26 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 to 138, inclusive, 149, 152 and 153 together. On 19 November 2014, the Government decided on the introduction of a number of measures in relation to a revised approach to water charges. This was done to provide clarity and certainty and ensure that water charges are affordable for customers. To implement the changed charging regime, and to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (26 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Government announced a new package of measures last week relating to water charges and financing of Irish Water. As part of the package of measures I announced a changed approach to the treatment of water infrastructure for commercial rates purposes such that Government subvention does not need to be paid to Irish Water to fund this cost, and can instead be redirected to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Litter Pollution (26 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: Under the Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2009, my Department’s role is to provide the legislative framework for combating litter pollution, and to motivate and energise anti-litter responses as necessary. It is, in the first instance, a function of local authorities to provide the primary response to littering. The Anti-Litter Awareness Grant Scheme, which is administered by my...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Air Quality (26 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous fuel (or ‘smoky coal ban’ as it is commonly known) was first introduced in Dublin in 1990 in response to severe episodes of winter smog that resulted from the widespread use of smoky coal for residential heating. The ban proved very effective in reducing particulate matter and sulphur dioxide levels in Dublin. As...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (26 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of responsibility for water services delivery from county and city councils to Irish Water. Section 12 of the Act provides for the transfer of property from a local authority to Irish Water. Section 13 of the Act provides that any rights or liabilities relating to the property transferred to Irish Water under section 12 shall also...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (26 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 537 of 25 November 2014 which sets out the position on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Island Communities (26 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: 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 on a transitional basis for 2014 with a budget of €47 million, pending the roll...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Accommodation (26 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: In accordance with the provisions of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998, responsibility for the planning and implementation of Traveller accommodation proposals is a matter for the relevant housing authority, in this case, Cork City Council. My Department issued approval in principle to the City Council in November 2013 in respect of electrical works to the site in question and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (26 Nov 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Government remains committed to continuing to support the group water sector as an important element of the water industry in Ireland, founded on co-operative community and voluntary engagement, and to invest in the sector to sustain and improve quality standards and performance. Group water schemes set their own charges and are not regulated by the Commission for Energy Regulation...