Results 18,761-18,780 of 20,895 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Administration (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provides the legislative basis for the Non-Principal Private Residence Charge. The NPPR Charge, which has since been discontinued, applied in the years 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence. The self-assessed charge is set at €200 per annum and liability for it...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My role in relation to the planning system is primarily to provide and update the legislative and policy guidance framework. The legislative framework comprises the Planning and Development Acts and the Planning and Development Regulations. Under planning legislation, the decision as to whether to grant a planning application, with or without conditions, is a matter for the relevant planning...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Semi-State Bodies Privatisation (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services Act 2013 provides for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group (which has now been renamed Ervia). Section 5 of the Act also sets out the share structure of Irish Water, providing for one share to be allocated to Ervia and for the remaining shares to be issued equally between the Minister for the Environment, Community...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Farm Waste Management (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Measures to protect ground and surface waters, including drinking water sources, are contained in Ireland's third National Nitrates Action Programme which is given legal effect by the consolidated European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014. The Regulations establish a legal requirement for farmers to comply with good agricultural practice in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Rented Accommodation Provision (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants relating to, inter alia, security of tenure and the termination of tenancies. The Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Section 202 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides that a planning authority can decide to make an order declaring a specified area to be an area of special amenity for reasons of its outstanding beauty or special recreational value, having regard to any benefits for nature conservation as well as for the purposes of preventing or limiting development in the area. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Foreshore Licence Applications (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department is engaging with the Chief State Solicitor’s Office in relation to matters concerning the foreshore lease application referred to in the Question. While the organisation concerned may have withdrawn its claim of title to a part of reclaimed foreshore, there is a separate challenge by a Third Party to the State’s ownership of the foreshore. This challenge relates...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Funding (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Irish Water's costs in the coming years will be funded through a mix of revenue from the domestic and non-domestic sector, third party finance (including bank lending and capital markets facilities) and State support which may be in the form of both equity and subvention. In order to provide for free allowances and give greater visibility on the expected level of water charges, the Government...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department provides funding to local authorities for adaptations and extensions to the existing social housing stock to meet the needs of tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. I allocated funding to local authorities under this measure in September 2014 and Laois County Council was allocated €53,957 based on a list of properties they identified requiring...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Remit (21 Oct 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 collection of Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers allows Irish Water to confirm and validate the entitlement to allowances for each customer. This...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department manages the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The scheme is administered by...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of responsibility for the delivery of water services from the county and city councils to Irish Water, including responsibility for the charging of non-domestic customers. The councils, acting as agents of Irish Water under Service Level Agreements, have continued billing, collections and billing/metering query functions in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: In May 2014, the Government approved a total provision of €406m in equity to Irish Water in 2015 (€222m) and 2016 (€184m) to support increased investment in the public water services infrastructure. The provision of this funding will allow for capital investment by Irish Water at a rate which is about 33% above existing levels. It will allow for the progression of key...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The relevant Local Action Group  in respect of the project referred to is Longford Community Resources Limited, whose board has not been disbanded and is the principal decision-maker in relation to the allocation of LEADER funding in that area. I understand that this project was approved by the board of Longford Community Resources subject to additional funding becoming available....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The draft operational programme for the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which includes LEADER, was submitted to the European Commission in July 2014. The approval of the Programme involves an iterative process between Ireland and the European Commission and it is hoped that the Programme will receive final approval before the end of 2014. In anticipation of Commission approval, my...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Taxation Application (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Housing authorities are responsible, under section 58 of the Housing Act 1966, for determining the rents of their dwellings, subject to complying with broad principles laid down by my Department, notably that the rent payable should be related to income and that low-income households should pay a lower proportion of income in rent. Section 58 of the 1966 Act will be replaced in due course by...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Expenditure (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: €233 million has been spent on projects to date under the current LEADER programme, of which €48.9 million has been paid for projects up to the 30 of September during 2014. I expect that the vast majority of outstanding projects will be completed and fully paid during 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department published a consultation document on the regulation of household waste collection on 28 November 2013 to guide the development of the new regulatory regime to strengthen and improve the regulation of household waste collection. Over 90 submissions were received from organisations across a wide spectrum, including the waste industry, public bodies, public representatives and the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of responsibility for water services delivery from the 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Remit (21 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 586 and 587 together. The Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provides Irish Water with the power to charge for water services. The Act also provides that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) will be responsible for the economic regulation of Irish Water and the charges to be levied by Irish Water are subject to the approval of the CER. Water charges...