Results 18,841-18,860 of 20,895 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (14 Oct 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. I have no responsibility for, or role in relation to, the management, operation or maintenance of water services infrastructure. Irish Water has informed my Department that of its estimated 58,000 kilometres of distribution...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: A total value of some €507 million loans is currently outstanding to the Housing Finance Agency for the purchase of land by local authorities. The table below sets out the outstanding balance for each local authority. Local Authority Land Acquisition Loans Outstanding Carlow County Council €7,521,435.80 Clare County Council €6,828,212.10 Cork City Council...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I understand that the Question relates to a form of condition which is sometimes attached to a planning permission - also known as a “sterilisation agreement” - under section 47 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, between a planning authority and a person with a legal interest in land for the purpose of restricting or regulating the further development or use...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Neither the Pyrite Resolution Board nor my Department have been made aware of any dwellings affected by significant damage caused by pyritic heave in the functional area of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Building defects are, in general, matters for resolution between the contracting parties and/or their insurers and the builder/developer of an estate i s responsible for remediating...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Community Development Initiatives (14 Oct 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 €281m over that period.  It is being implemented on a transitional basis for 2014 with a budget of €47m pending the roll out of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traveller Projects Funding (14 Oct 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 €281m over that period.  It is being implemented on a transitional basis for 2014 with a budget of €47m pending the roll out of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: It is a matter for each planning authority, in this case Fingal County Council, or An Bord Pleanála on appeal, to determine any planning application in accordance with the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended) and the planning policy framework currently in place including the appropriateness of developing lands that an...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Compulsory Purchase Orders (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The powers of local authorities to acquire lands by means of compulsory purchase order, including for the construction and maintenance of public roads, are derived from Section 213 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2014. I am satisfied that local authorities have sufficient compulsory purchase powers under the current legislation and I have no plans to amend it at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (14 Oct 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. I have asked Irish Water to compile the information requested and to forward it to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The budget as proposed by Bórd Gáis Éireann for the Irish Water Programme which was established to set up Irish Water was €180m. The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) has approved an amount of €172.8m in respect of Irish Water’s establishment costs following a detailed review. The total spend on the Programme to end of August 2014 is €148.7m....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Staff (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 327 together. 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. I understand from data supplied to my Department by Irish Water that 519 staff have been recruited up to 2 October 2014. Of these, 153 have been recruited from local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Staff (14 Oct 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. The procurement by Irish Water of external resources is a matter for the company and I have no role in the matter. Irish Water has advised that it appointed Abtran Ltd, Cork, to operate all customer contact channels and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Introduction (14 Oct 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, a n 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: Water Charges Introduction (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 329, 330 and 344 together. 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 a s the occupier of the premises in receipt of water services. The Act...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 333 together. 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 also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Introduction (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Aarhus Convention lays down a set of basic rules to promote citizens’ involvement in environmental matters and to improve enforcement of environmental law. The rules are broken down into three Pillars as follows: - Access to information on the environment, which allows members of the public access to a wide range of information on the environment, including information on the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Impact Statements (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: In scoping the Water Metering Programme, the need to conduct an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) was investigated. It was determined that the metering installation programme does not come under any category specified in the EIA Directive or its Irish implementing legislation and therefore an EIS was not required. Each water meter has a low power radio unit fixed to the top which enables it...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Yield (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The local government sector receives funding from a number of different sources, including central Government (from a number of different Departments) and the Local Government Fund. The issue of grant allocations from Central Government is a matter for finalisation in the context of the Estimates pro cess, as is normally the case. In relation to Local Property Tax (LPT), the Government has...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Application (14 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provides the legislative basis for the Non Principal Private Residence (NPPR) Charge. The NPPR Charge of €200 per annum, 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. It is a matter for an owner to determine if he...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (14 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 Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER)...